The Jersey shore looks a little bit different in the Channel Islands. No Snookis here—instead, the partying of choice is the annual Battle of Flowers, a sweet-smelling carnival that culminates in the Moonlight Parade. Kayakers, surfers, divers and sailors will find plenty to love about Jersey’s active watersports scene, and adrenaline junkies will (cliff) jump for a coasteering tour of the caves, cliffs and crags. A day of shopping and café-hopping in St. Helier is an excellent dose of cultural retail therapy.

Brittany’s charming capital, Rennes is home to enough timber-framed houses and cobblestone streets to make you feel transported back to medieval France. Far from sleepy, however, the university town boasts art museums, sidewalk cafés, and the verdant Parc du Thabor.

Brittany's dramatic 750-mile coastline traces a rugged hem against the chilly Atlantic. Attractions such as St-Malo's 1689 Fort National, the prehistoric ruins and striking beauty of Gavrinish Island and Brest's Oceanopolis aquarium cling to the rocky shoreline of France's most northwestern province. Nantes, Rennes and Brest are the largest cities. Rennes is just two hours from Paris by TGV. Breton and Gallo, the ancient languages of this Celtic province, are still spoken in pockets throughout the area.

Lynchburg, Virginia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, has had a prosperous history, serving as a center of trade, the home of numerous notable personages, and the site of the official end of the Civil War. Visit Appomattox Court House, where Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant. The house and gardens of Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer, the landmarked Old City Cemetery and Thomas Jefferson's retreat at Poplar Forest are also open for tours.

Are there more flamingos than people on Bonaire? It's possible, and it's part of this unspoiled island's appeal. Bring your binoculars and your scuba gear to make the most of Bonaire's natural charms: more than 200 different species of birds live here, and the island itself draws divers from around the world to its reef-lined coast, a National Maritime Park.