North America

Think of Florida, and what comes to mind? Is it the major tourist attractions such as Disneyland and Seaworld? Do your thoughts turn to white sandy beaches of Miami? These are of course major attractions for first time visitors to the Sunshine State but there are also some off the beaten track gems that aren’t so touristy. Here’s a quick guide to Florida’s best attractions.

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia What's Cool: Browsing hand-made crafts on Vendors' Row ----------------------------------------- Named for a hulking, wrecked vessel that once sat on the sand, Wreck Beach is the shore of choice for Vancouver students. Just several hundred steps below the University of British Columbia, the three-mile-long beach is a wildlife and nesting area for both bald eagles and bald bodies. Other sections of the beach assume a more carnival-like atmosphere. One stretch on the beach known as Vendors' Row is a one-stop shop for souvenirs, refreshments and...

Location: Florida What's Cool: Participating in organized events, such as "Nude New Year's" ----------------------------------------- Just north of Miami lies one of the few county-run and government-sanctioned clothing-optional beaches in the United States. For years Haulover Beach, part of the city of Sunny Isles, has been a haven for naturists from South Florida as well as snowbirds from Canada and Europe. Visitors to Haulover also enjoy many of the amenities associated with regular beaches. Thanks to the efforts of the South Florida Free Beach Association, this beach has certified...

A nude beach in Santa Cruz seems fitting, given the area's tolerant, bohemian lifestyle. Just six miles north of the city, the private Red, White and Blue Beach has been the choice of Bay area naturists for more than 30 years. And, because the area is privately owned, visitors are welcome to cook, play and even park their cars in the buff. Recreation options at Red, White and Blue Beach include volleyball, whale watching (in the spring) and overnight camping.

Prince Edward Island is Canada's smallest and greenest province. Cradled on the waves of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Island is known for the vivid colours of its gently rolling landscape. Prince Edward Island is surrounded by miles of sandy beaches and red sandstone cliffs and is sized just right for touring. Visitors to the Island return home not only relaxed and refreshed - they often claim to have been transformed, which leads us to wonder "What if the World Had Been to Prince Edward Island?"

Mount Desert Island, off the coast of Maine, is widely known as the home of Acadia National Park and the town of Bar Harbor. If we viewed the island from the air (a look at the Acadia map will do), we would notice north and south aligned gouges scooped out of the land as if by a very large hand. Indeed, in this case, the hand was that of a huge, slow moving, continental glacier over a mile high,... 2 miles thick in some places. When this giant glacier finally melted and retreated, it left rounded mountain tops, long lakes, many boulders, and the 7 mile long Somes Sound - the only fjord on the...

Ten thousand years ago, glaciers pushed their way down the East Coast and left behind the rocks and soil that was to form this little paradise that we call home. The result was a cozy community (only around 800 folks in the winter), a land of stunning vistas and a very fragile ecosystem that we have had the good fortune to preserve for all to share. Because of the particular forces of nature that went to work on Block Island, no other place on earth shares its geography, nor its balance of species. A rarity, indeed. Block Island is a rarity in another sense; it's a place that moves at...

If the wilds of coastal Alaska seem a little tame for you, head west to Unalaska. Set in the heart of the 1,000-mile-long Aleutian chain, this rugged outpost was a Russian fur trade outpost in the 18th century and a U.S. military stronghold in WWII. Today it’s home to Alaska’s largest commercial fishing fleet. Nearly all of the island’s residents are tied to the fishing industry in the town’s working port of Dutch Harbor, but visitors can hike amid fields of wildflowers, pick wild berries, go mountain biking, climb several volcanic peaks, kayak along wilderness coastlines (sea otters and whales...

Most people who come to Sanibel and Captiva, twin barrier islands off Florida's Gulf Coast, share a single passion: seashells. This is, after all, the home of the “Sanibel Stoop,” a posture folks assume while scouring the sandy shoreline for the more than 200 varieties of shells that wash ashore after storms. Streets here are named for shells, and the leading cultural attraction is a museum devoted to them. In fact, the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum is the only one of its kind in the United States, with a remarkable collection not only from Southwest Florida but also from around the world. Even...

Together with Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island, Destin is part of a 24-mile stretch of silky white sand beach in Northwest Florida known as the Emerald Coast. "Destin has rightly earned a reputation for having some of the best beaches in the United States but beware -- the reflection of the sugar white sands makes sunglasses and sunscreen a must. " A little Background: Destin was founded by Capt. Leonard Destin, a New Englander who moved to the area more than a century ago to work in the red snapper fishing industry still retains the title of "World's Luckiest Fishing Village."...