Located on Mount Desert Island, home of the spectacular Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor is a historic tourist town, offering salty sea air, soft sandy beaches, granite cliffs and a slew of activities for the outdoor enthusiast. A 19th-century resort for the wealthy, the town has several mansions, old majestic hotels and other vestiges of its heyday. Stop by the Hulls Cove Visitor Center to stock up on information about Acadia National Park. Then pick from a wealth of activities: swimming, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, climbing mountains, bird or whale watching, cycling and horse riding. If kayaking is your sport, or you're itching to learn, Coastal Kayaking Tours offers trips for beginner to expert paddlers. Golfers can tee off at the scenic Kebo Golf Club, one of the oldest courses in the US. For a unique adventure, go on a boat excursion with Diver Ed, where you can watch Ed diving 50 feet below on the deck monitor and then learn about the starfish, sea urchins and other sea creatures he retrieves and then returns to their home.

Camden, Maine is proud to call itself the "Jewel of the Coast." A beautiful seaport town with a harbor full of sail boats, Camden has been used as the setting for so many movies, from Carousel to Peyton Place, that it is what many people think of when they think of New England. With a series of annual festivals running all year round, including the US Toboggan Championships, the Summer HarborArts Juried Arts & Craft Show and Windjammer Weekend, there is always something to do in Camden.

Originally an English trading post on the Kennebec River, Augusta has since grown to be the capital of Maine, and is focused on preserving and celebrating the state’s history. Visit the magnificent Maine State House or Old Fort Western, the oldest surviving wooden fort in the United States. The city is also the home of the Pine Tree State Arboretum, a 224-acre park and botanic garden, with six miles of hiking, biking and cross-country skiing trails, open for free, all year round.

The first time you go to New York, go ahead and be a sight-seer—everyone should visit the Statue of Liberty, the Met, Times Square, etc. But on a return trip, pick a neighbourhood and go deep. You’ll find hole-in-the-wall bars, great delis, quirky shops… exploring the non-touristy side of New York is an incredibly rewarding experience for a traveller.

This Gallic toehold in the Caribbean exudes a distinctly French air, enticingly spiced up by West Indian warmth. Local culture and cuisine combine both influences. The stylish isle is dominated by Mount Pelée, which destroyed the city of St Pierre in 1902. Black sand beaches and rainforests are found in the north, with yet more beautiful sands to the south. Sights include La Pagerie, birthplace of Napoleon's Empress Joséphine, and Diamond Rock, a 600-foot pinnacle that was once registered as a British warship.

Is there any possible way Las Vegas could not be on our "best nightlife" list? The only way we could possibly omit it is on a technicality—since you can do pretty much anything 24/7 in Vegas, it might be wrong to call it "nightlife."

Who cares about a little fog (okay, a lot of fog) when there’s so much to do in San Francisco? By day, explore Fisherman’s Wharf and the Aquarium of the Bay, ride a cable car, and stroll around the Presidio; by night, have a fabulous dinner (at a Michelin-starred restaurant or a tiny place in Chinatown), then hit some of the best clubs on the West Coast.

If you currently think your neighbourhood coffee shop is nice, you might want to stay out of Vienna’s coffeehouses. After you’ve gotten used to these palatial, yet welcoming cafes—and their delicious coffee and Sacher torte—your local café will pale in comparison. Between coffee breaks, visitors can explore Vienna’s Schonbrunn Palace and Imperial Palace. And if you have a chance, catch a performance at the State Opera House—it’s not to be missed.