The Outer Banks are barrier islands off the coast of the U.S. state of North Carolina, separating the Atlantic Ocean from the mainland. Their open-sea beaches, state parks and shipwreck diving sites make them a popular holiday destination. Roanoke Island was the site of England’s first settlement in the New World, an endeavor sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh.

At Manteo’s Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, a visitor center and a long-running performance recall the first colonists’ mysterious disappearance. A museum and memorial on Bodie Island commemorate the Wright Brothers’ first powered flights. Hang gliding is popular in the dunes of Jockey’s Ridge State Park. The islands are also renowned for sailing, surfing, windsurfing, onshore and offshore fishing. Seabirds and turtles proliferate in local wildlife refuges. Several lighthouses can be climbed for panoramic views. Divers can view wrecked 16th-century ships and WWII German U-boats offshore at the "Graveyard of the Atlantic."

The island’s lush, wet eastern side has rainforest, the port town of Hilo, Hawaii Tropical Botanic Garden and Akaka Falls State Park. Western conditions are dry. There, high-end resorts dot the Kohala Coast, and the Kona region is home to coffee plantations. To the north is Waimea cattle country, at the base of massive, dormant Mauna Kea, and remote Waipio Valley is a major hiking spot. Cultural sites include Puako Petroglyph Archaeological Preserve, with lava-rock carvings, and Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau, a sacred burial ground and traditional place of refuge.

The famed Louvre museum houses da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” The Musée d’Orsay has Impressionist works by Monet, Degas and Renoir. On the Seine’s Right Bank, the Montmartre neighborhood is home to Sacré-Coeur Basilica and sweeping hilltop views. In the Marais, nightclubs sit among restored 17th-century mansions. On the Left Bank are the Latin Quarter, bustling with Sorbonne scholars, and the historically bohemian Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The city’s open-air cafes are an institution for casual eating and people-watching. Fine-dining restaurants, bistros, markets and patisseries reflect other aspects of France's famed culinary heritage.

Major islands include Crete, home to the Palace of Knossos, famously associated with the mythical Minotaur. Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, was an important commercial center during the Byzantine Empire. Mountainous, mainland Delphi was home to a famous oracle at the Temple of Apollo. Olympia, on the Peloponnese peninsula, was birthplace of the original Olympic Games. The Aegean island of Rhodes was settled by the Knights of St. John, before becoming part of the Ottoman Empire. Greece's traditional cuisine features such staples as lamb, fish, feta cheese, tomatoes and olive oil.

Nassau, the hilly capital city, features British colonial buildings, horse-drawn carriages and the woven crafts of the Straw Market. In the quiet group of islands known as the Exumas, yachts dot the aquamarine waters of Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. Other Out Island highlights include Eleuthera, with its famed pink-sand beach, and San Salvador, believed to be the first new-world landing of Christopher Columbus. Bahamian cuisine highlights conch, often accompanied by cornmeal johnnycakes and rice with pigeon peas. Locals prepare all year for Junkanoo celebrations with raucous parades with ornate costumes.

The Brooklyn Bridge connects Manhattan to the borough of Brooklyn, where varied neighborhoods range from Williamsburg – a hotbed of indie music, art and nightlife – to beachfront Coney Island and its amusement parks. The borough of Queens has Flushing Meadows Corona Park, with its 12-story 1964 World's Fair globe sculpture, the Unisphere. The Bronx, NYC’s northernmost borough, is home to the landmark New York Botanical Garden and renowned Bronx Zoo. The Staten Island Ferry links Manhattan to NYC’s southernmost borough with views of the city skyline and Statue of Liberty.

Designer boutiques reside in the city's numerous malls and retail areas. Famous entertainers headline extravagant musicals, concerts, and comedy shows. Swimming pools and thrill rides offer family-oriented diversions. The city’s hedonistic side is reflected in high-energy nightclubs as well as strip clubs. In the original downtown area north of the Strip, longstanding venues like the Golden Nugget, which opened in 1946, sit alongside the Fremont Street Experience pedestrian mall and its high-tech light shows. The diverse dining opportunities range from all-you-can-eat buffets to lavish restaurants run by celebrity chefs.

The Field Museum is a renowned natural history museum. Chicago's green spaces include Millennium Park, home to the reflective sculpture “Cloud Gate.” The Cubs pro baseball team draws crowds to Wrigley Field. The Magnificent Mile, a 13-block stretch of North Michigan Avenue, offers upscale shopping. To the north, the leafy Gold Coast district has trails along the lake. The food scene includes trendy restaurants and casual spots offering local specialties like deep-dish pizzas and relish-topped hot dogs. Chicago also hosts 2 influential arts groups, the Steppenwolf theater company and Second City improv troupe.