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.

Home to the longest freshwater beach in the world, Wasaga Beach is a summer tourist destination located just two hours north of Toronto. The white sandy beach stretches more than 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) on Nottawasaga Bay and welcomes more than 2 million visitors every summer. Because of its size, the beach is divided into six smaller beaches, so if you would like to steer clear of tourists and crowds who flock to Beach 1 and 2, make your way to Beaches 4 or 5 for a more private and quiet afternoon. Wasaga Beach is also home to many recreational trails and the Nottawasaga River is good for game fishing, canoeing and boating.

You won’t find superstores or theme parks in Corolla. What you will find is a slow-paced holiday destination with vast, isolated stretches of beach. Corolla is the perfect place to gear down, relax and forget about your hurried life back home. While quiet dinners and strolls on the beach are mainstays of Corolla’s lifestyle, other more action-oriented recreation options include kayak tours, Jet Ski rentals, deep-sea fishing charters, and go-karting. No visit to Corolla is complete without climbing the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, a 158-foot high structure built in 1875 that still flashes at 20-second intervals to warn ships hugging the chain of barrier islands. Next on the must see list is the Whalehead Club, a 21,000-square-foot Art Nouveau home that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A truly unique experience in Corolla is taking a tour of the Spanish Mustang Reserve, where you can see wild Spanish Mustang horses grazing in their natural habitat. Horse lovers will also enjoy the Corolla Wild Horse Museum located within the restored schoolhouse of Corolla Village. Kids have an opportunity to paint their own wild Colonial Spanish Mustang. For some great family fun, play the Grass Course, a miniature golf course on all natural grass.

Cat Island is simply ameowzing. Really, all puns aside. Legend has it that magical creatures inhabit the underground caverns of Mermaid Hole, and the ruins of Deveaux Mansion and Armbrister Plantation are breathtaking. A hike up to the Hermitage stone monastery on Mount Alvernia, the highest point in the Bahamas, will reward you with panoramic views. A guided tour of the island’s diverse creek systems is a must for nature lovers.