A rich 300-year history, a thriving arts community and seemingly endless wilderness make this New York capital city on the Hudson River a great weekend getaway. Outdoor enthusiasts come here to ski, hike, canoe and fish; trout and small-mouth bass fishing is among the best in the U.S. Mountains surround the city, and the tapestry of golds and reds on an autumn day is breathtaking. The city is dominated by an elaborate 10-building complex that includes the State Capitol; the New York State Museum, with life-like dioramas such as American Indian life and an Adirondack logging operation; and the oval-shaped Empire State Performing Arts Centre, nicknamed "The Egg." History buffs will enjoy the colonial homes, historic churches and museums, and can tour 18th-century mansions, like the Schuyler, a superb example of pre-Revolutionary War architecture. Whether nature or history is your passion, you'll find an abundance of both in this upstate New York gem.

Queens is the most ethnically diverse area of its size on Earth, which means there's a little something for everyone. Chow down on Indian food, sit in on a traditional Irish pub music session, and dance the night away at a Puerto Rican nightclub, all of it located within a few subway stops. Queens is also the home of the Mets and the US Tennis Open, and the former home of the New York World's Fair, now Flushing Meadow-Corona Park, and Paramount Pictures, now the Museum of the Moving Image.

Consistently rated as one of the top places to live in America by Money Magazine, Naperville is a family-friendly suburb. Take a walk downtown along the Riverwalk and dine at one of Naperville's many great restaurants or learn about the history of the city at Naper Settlement.

If you want to step off a plane and be at a mega resort 15 minutes later, Jericoacoara probably isn’t for you. But if you want an unspoiled beach town, and don’t mind bouncing along rough dirt roads for an hour to get there, you might just think it’s paradise. Kitesurfing, windsurfing, Capoeira, and, of course, just lying on the beach are popular activities.

The picturesque lakeside town of Zell am See offers about 80 miles of local slopes, with beginner, intermediate and advanced runs all well represented. One hundred and twenty-five miles of cross-country trails offer gorgeous panoramic views. The neighbouring town of Kaprun is famed for its glacier skiing.