U.S. citizens still need to jump through a few hoops to visit Cuba, but as visitors from around the world know, this island offers some amazing opportunities for cultural exchange. Havana is a mix of old-world architecture and of-the-moment culture. Head out of the capital city to the small town of Trinidad to see more Spanish colonial architecture. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a fantastic home base for a visit to the Valley of the Sugar Mills, a pocket of land that formerly served as the centre of Cuba’s sugar industry.

If you love the beach, but also want a little culture, you'll love Christiansted, one of St Croix's two waterfront towns. Historic churches, charming courtyards, shaded walkways, stone arches, antique lampposts and rows of restored town houses add to the city's appeal. Relax on a tranquil, white-sand beach or float in the aquamarine water. Enjoy the shops, boutiques, galleries, cafés and restaurants, or visit attractions like Fort Christianvaern, the Customs House and the Old Scale House.

Formerly a lawless frontier town, known for wild saloons and vigilante justice, Laramie is now a quiet college town, popular with outdoor enthusiasts as well as history buffs. Over twenty sites in and around Laramie are on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Wyoming Territorial Prison, which once held Butch Cassidy. The town is conveniently located between the Laramie Range and the Medicine Bow Mountains, making the area a paradise for mountain bikers, climbers and campers.