San Diego embodies laid-back California culture, complete with a Boardwalk, surfing communities, and outstanding Mexican food. Breathe in the fresh ocean air at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, then gobble down a fresh fish taco at a La Jolla seafood joint. The naval aircrafts at the USS Midway Museum will have you standing at attention. A free Sunday concert at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion is the perfect way to unwind after a Saturday night bar-hop in the thumping Gaslamp Quarter.

Situated squarely between Memphis and Nashville on Tennessee's "Heart of the Music Highway," Jackson has been the birthplace of numerous notable musicians in the traditional Southern styles of rockabilly, blues and gospel. The famous names of Jackson include Carl Perkins, Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Maybell and Big Joe Turner. Time your visit right and you might catch the annual Shannon Street Blues Festival or the Rockabilly Festival, hosted by The International Rock-A-Billy Hall of Fame.

Dahlonega sits at the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail on Springer Mountain. It was the site of the first major U.S. gold rush—in 1828, 20 years before the California gold rush. Dahlonega's commercial district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s home to wineries,a thriving performing and visual arts scene and plenty of outdoor activities all year round.

Helen, a Bavarian Alps replica town in Appalachian Georgia, is home to an Oktoberfest for the ages, overflowing with two-litre beer glasses and Germany's famous bratwursts.  To recover from the festivities, the savviest make their way to Cedar Creek Luxury Cabins on the edge of the Chattahoochee National Forest.

Set amid the coastal Chugach Mountains, Anchorage defies popular visions of polar ice caps and frozen tundra. It’s also warmer than you think (averaging 65 degrees in summer), making conditions ideal for sight-seeing or taking on uniquely Alaskan opportunities like arctic biking or touring the fjords of Prince William Sound. In the winter, you can ski, dogsled or do both simultaneously by "skijoring," which is cross-country skiing while being towed by a dog. Hey, it's no crazier a winter sport than the biathlon.