Enjoy Albuquerque,New Mexico's, mix of Native, Hispanic and Anglo cultures, hands-on museums and intriguing adventures. Dance with Native Americans at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, learn salsa in Old Town and enjoy a concert at the National Hispanic Culutral Center.

More than just a country music Mecca, Nashville’s a sophisticated city with several art museums and a symphony.

What’s the hidden bonus of a family tour of Nashville? Being able to connect with your hard-to-please‘tweens and teens through music. To the generation that downloads tunes instead of spins LP’s, Nashville offers an historical perspective even if country isn’t their favored format.

The Shelburne Museum, dubbed “New England’s Smithsonian, is an extraordinary find. You could spend the day browsing the collections of American folk art, artifacts and architecture, including an historic steamboat, an authentic lighthouse, a covered bridge and paintings by well-known artists.

Hiking the Carpathian Mountains’ highest range—the Tatra Mountains—proved difficult, but rewarding for me and my husband David. We hiked the Tatras in both Poland and Slovakia, learning about the countryside, the people and about ourselves.

When touring Toronto with kids, especially if you have already “done” the typical attractions, think outside the city. Visit a farm in the York Municipal Region north of downtown and take in the thundering power of Niagara Falls two-hours away.

On a visit to the Mammoth Site, Hot Springs, South Dakota, time travel back to the Ice Age when Columbian and Wooly mammoths roamed the region. The remarkable facility is one of the world’s largest and richest mammoth sites, one where the big animals’ bones lie in situ, or as found.

What was life like for the first English pioneers in the New World? Find out by exploring Virginia’s two Jamestowns. Historic Jamestowne marks the original 1607 site, the first permanent English community. Adjacent Jamestown Settlement, a living history museum, recreates the fledgling outpost.

In the 1770’s patriots argued for rebellion from Britain because the motherland had violated the citizens’ rights. Find out what “freedom” meant for enslaved Africans at Colonial Williamsburg, celebrating 30 years of African American programming in 2009 with added experiences, tours and lectures.

From the mid-Atlantic, you can get to Freeport, the Bahamas, as well as to Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, on one tank of gas. That’s because the Carnival Pride offers cruises from Baltimore. What to do with the money you save because you don’t have to purchase airfare? Try kayak adventures.