For those who consider shopping a trip essential, China is magic. The vendors at Shanghai’s and Beijing’s markets hawk everything—tea pots, Buddhas, pearl necklaces, scarves, jade bracelets, cheap watches, "designer bags," silk shawls and more. But you need to know where to look and how to shop.

Whale watching off Nantucket is both fun and rewarding. The island, reached by ferry or plane from the Massachusetts mainland, offers a nautical and nice getaway, one that’s low-key, but upmarket.

For a laid-back, boating getaway where you can snorkel and sun on secluded beaches, head to the British Virgin Islands. This nation of more than 60 islands, counting the small, uninhabited cays, offers hundreds of off-the-beaten-path coves within a radius of 80 nautical kilometers.

When you cruise Europe’s rivers and canals, you wind through farmlands and medieval villages, past terraced vineyards, and historic castles and sometimes straight to a city’s heart. You can choose from luxury ships that accommodate 100-150 passengers to small boats and barges carrying 6-12 people.

Enjoy the fall foliage on a cattle round-up at Pinegrove Dude Ranch in New York's Catskill Mountains and book a scenic train ride in North Carolina, Texas and Arizona,Great Smoky Mountains Railroad North Carolina

Richmond’s Virginia Museum of Fine Arts surprised us. After a $150 million expansion, the facility blooms with new galleries, a sculpture garden and two eateries. With more than 545,000 square feet on 13.5 acres, the revitalized museum makes Richmond an art lovers’ getaway.

We came to Richmond, VA, to learn more about the Civil War. In addition to battle strategies, we wanted details about the lives of those engulfed by the conflict. Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy from 1861 to 1865, didn’t disappoint us.

Traveling through Europe can be cost effective if you stay in an apartment or home. Homes away from home give you more space for your money than you get in a hotel. Instead of two double beds and a bathroom, your apartment or villa adds a living room often with a pull-out couch and a kitchen.

Do something different this winter: go to Finland for skiing in Saariselka and for a reindeer safari in Lapland.

New Zealand proved a great choice for a vacation to celebrate our daughter Alissa’s college graduation. We wanted a trip that provided great scenery, a mix of city life and adventures plus affordable, but comfortable lodging for a family.