Charming Mackinac Island is a throwback to old-timey seaside leisure, from the candy-colored facades of downtown shops to the impressive (record-breaking, in fact) front porch of the Victorian-era Grand Hotel. Mackinac is world-famous for its homemade fudge, available in every flavor you can imagine. Work off your sugar high with a round of golf, a bike ride along a seaside trail, or exploring the limestone bluffs of Mackinac Island State Park.

Petoskey, sitting on the shores of Lake Michigan, has been a popular vacation spot for decades. Earnest Hemingway spent the first 18 summers of his life sailing and fishing on nearby Walloon Lake, and the area features prominently in several of his stories. The Little Traverse History Museum shows how the Petoskey area was a formative influence on young Hemingway. The area is also a well known winter destination, with three popular ski resorts featuring everything from dog sled rides to tubing.

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.

A bustling urban center in quiet New England, Manchester, New Hampshire combines history, industry and business. The Amoskeag Millyard is home to The Millyard Museum, which tracks the history of what is now Manchester back 11,000 years. The Currier Museum of Art focuses on paintings by big names like Picasso and O'Keeffe. Head to the nearby town of Merrimack and visit the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, where guests can taste seasonal beers and see the famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses.

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."

Prehistoric stone markers and monuments dot the landscape of the Isle of Anglesey, serving as stately beacons to visitors. The beaches of Rhosneigr are great for surfing, fishing and diving. The dunes and pebbly shores of Broad Beach span from the village all the way to the Barclodiad y Gawres neolithinc burial chamber. Hauntingly beautiful Beaumaris Gaol will give you chills. Warm up with a pony petting session at Foel Farm Park.