Gazing over the English Channel, Hastings mixes black-tarred fishing huts with pebbly shores, Victorian architecture, and artsy shops that together draw boho travellers and families in search of seaside holidays. With a maritime museum, castle ruins, and a notable battle site, it’s also rich in history.

Encircled by medieval walls, Canterbury is doused in history. In the Middle Ages, Canterbury’s pilgrimage-site status made it the setting of Chaucer’s seminal "Canterbury Tales," while today, cobbled streets and the 6th-century Canterbury Cathedral secure this city as one of England’s must-visit destinations.

Clarksville, Tennessee, in Montgomery County, is a bustling city built by the tobacco trade. The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, in the city's historic district, was originally constructed as a US Post Office during the tobacco boom. Now it has been converted into art gallery, history center, and hands-on children's museum. Just outside of town is the Dunbar Cave State Park, where visitors can hike through caverns that were once mined for gun powder and used for big band concerts.