The Czech Republic is a country where centuries-old castles, storybook towns, and deeply rooted traditions coexist with vibrant art scenes and local beer halls. Prague draws the most attention, with its Gothic towers, Baroque churches, and the world’s oldest working astronomical clock, still ticking in the Old Town Square.
Santa Monica, California, a gem on the Pacific coast, offers a quintessential Southern California experience. The city is renowned for its iconic Santa Monica Pier, which features an amusement park, aquarium, and family-friendly dining. A ride on the historic Ferris wheel provides stunning ocean views and a sense of nostalgia.
The capital of picturesque St. Barthélemy, Gustavia is a veritable island paradise in the Caribbean. A former French colony, this small city on St. Barths’s west coast offers a variety of fine dining, designer shopping, and spectacular beachside activities to ensure a relaxing tropical getaway. Be sure to visit the historic site of Fort Karl for a panoramic view of Gustavia’s glittering harbor, then walk to Shell Beach to take a dip in warm, turquoise waters.
Kẻ Bàng National Park lies in central Vietnam, near the border with Laos, and is known for its vast network of limestone mountains and underground rivers. The park forms part of one of the oldest karst landscapes in Asia, shaped over millions of years into a maze of caves, cliffs, and dense forest. Among its most famous features is Sơn Đoòng Cave, recognized as the largest cave on Earth, with sections so vast that clouds can form inside and a jungle grows beneath its collapsed roof.
Photo Credit: Photo by Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash
Photo Credit: Photo by Brad Switzer on Unsplash
ANN ARBOR -- Long regarded as one of the freest-thinking college towns in the U.S., Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Domino's Pizza. While you're in Ann Arbor, be certain to see the city's many fascinating historic buildings (including the Gothic-style Law Quadrangle at the university and the restored and refurnished Greek Revival Kempf House); the Kelsey Museum of Ancient and Medieval Archaeology; and Kerrytown (a diversity of specialty shops and eateries in restored 19th-century buildings close to the Farmers Market). We recommend at least a day in Ann Arbor. Amid the noteworthy events on Ann Arbor's calendar are the Summer Festival of the Performing Arts (mime, dance, theater, music, lectures, films and exhibits, June-July) and the Ann Arbor Art Fair (a juried show with more than 1,000 exhibitors, July).