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.

At a year-round, grande dame resort such as The Balsams, New Hampshire, the downhill runs, admittedly, tend more toward mild than wild. But what the resort may lack in slopeside thrills, it makes up for in style and fabulous food.

The pristine setting convinced Alissa, my then 13-year-old daughter, to go cross-country skiing with me. A denizen of high-speed downhill runs, Alissa thought that plowing ahead on level ground with skis was a boring exercise for fuddy-duddies only. That is until she took her first glide.

Watching one of the earth’s largest creatures burst from the water in front of you and plunge back into the deep is an experience you will remember forever. Two great places in Canada to go whale watching: Tadoussac, about two hours from Québec City, and also off Newfoundland to spot humpbacks.

Two good reasons to visit the Dominican Republic: winter is whale-watching season and Club Med Punta Cana recently opened 32 upmarket, family suites.

Have limited time in London? Then, capture a sense of the city’s rhythms, people and iconic sites from Buckingham Palace to the Tower of London on this combination walking tour and river ride.

Take a covered wagon trip and time travel back to the era of pioneer journeys when America’s west stretched out as a vast, little explored land filled with promise. On an Oregon Trail Wagon Train, you experience the Nebraska grasslands, the slow pace of a westward trek plus some old-fashioned fun.

Feed baby lions in South Africa, track elephants through the Namib Desert, identify dolphins off a remote Greek island and build nests for toucans in Belize. These are just some of the adventures available on a volunteer vacation. Have fun while doing good deeds.

On little-populated Vieques and Culebra, Puerto Rico’s out islands, snorkel nearly deserted bays, swim along spectacular beaches and bike back roads. On Vieques kayak a bay rated as one of the world´s best examples of bioluminescence.

For the scariest Halloween ever—and one that’s the most fun—take part in Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights. Now in its 19th year, the nocturnal festivities in October are the preeminent celebration of the season, featuring eight haunted houses and six scare zones.