Halfway between San Francisco and L.A., San Luis Obispo can be a relaxing getaway or a buzz of activity. For serenity, pack a lunch and head to one of dozens of wineries or take a drive to the beach for a leisurely swim. For a dose of history, visit the heart of the city at the beautiful Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. Kids will love the Children’s Museum or Skate Park. Be sure to stroll along the creek downtown, where there are breweries, wine bars, restaurants and shopping for all tastes.

Monterey offers a host of historic attractions from Cannery Row to the famous Monterey Aquarium. This incredible sliver of oceanfront offers an amazing bounty of things to do, with marine, floral and vine-fresh delights to savour. Monterey-Salinas Transit and Amtrak let you take your eyes off the road. Charming towns, world-class golf courses and idyllic inns lie at the edge of the glittering Pacific. Whether you're looking for calm or noisy beachside fun, the Monterey Peninsula has it in buckets.

Nevada's "other" gambling and resort town, Reno is located in the western part of the state near the California border. What the city lacks in glitz or reputation it more than makes up for in attractions and amenities. There are first-rate hotels, golf courses and casinos to rival its southern counterpart and, also like Las Vegas, Reno has become a popular destination for families. Galena Creek Park offers nature trails that even young children can navigate, plus organised educational events for families.

Is there any possible way Las Vegas could not be on our "best nightlife" list? The only way we could possibly omit it is on a technicality—since you can do pretty much anything 24/7 in Vegas, it might be wrong to call it "nightlife."

Located along the Willamette River and its namesake lake, the city of Lake Oswego has a beautiful downtown area featuring riverfront parks, boutique shopping and speciality dining including a European-style farmers market open from May – October. Lake Oswego also offers visitors an active arts scene: Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the outdoor “Gallery Without Walls,” or attend the annual Festival of the Arts in June.

Founded in 1878, Midland is one of the main towns in southern Georgian Bay and provides notable historic sites of interest. Some of the most popular sites include the Jesuit mission of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, which has been turned into an incredibly accurate living museum that depicts missionary life in the 17th century. Bring your camera to the Roman Catholic Martyrs' Shrine which commemorates five missionaries from the local area who were martyred during the Huron-Iroquois wars. Animal lovers and families flock to the Wye Marsh Wildlife Center located on 3,000 acres of wetlands, fen and forest.