Located in the beautiful, sunny state of Florida, Fort Lauderdale is a very popular tourist destination for those who want to enjoy the weather, the location, and the variety of things to do within the city limits.

The city is named after one of the forts built by the United States during the Second Seminole War. Originally inhabited by Native Americans for more than a thousand years, Fort Lauderdale started to develop into the city it is today in the 1920s because of Florida’s land boom. Although hurricanes and the Great Depression slowed its development, it has now become one of the most recognizable cities on the East Coast.

A tropical climate with hot, humid summers and warm winters is what Fort Lauderdale exists under. Temperatures during the summer rarely exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit, while the winter temperatures loom in the high 60s and low 70s for much of the day. Adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, there are seven miles of beaches, very popular with the tourists.

Fort Lauderdale relies on tourism for its economy to succeed. Although it historically was a Spring Break destination for college students, it has now become a haven for the wealthy, sophisticated tourist.

Yachting is especially popular, as are luxury cruises. With 120 nightclubs and over 4,000 restaurants, there is much to do in Fort Lauderdale in the realm of dining and nightlife. Beach and water sports are very popular and draw much of the tourist crowd, as does the convention center.

There is a strong fine arts contingent in Fort Lauderdale, based on Las Olas Boulevard. Sports are also an important part of the city, although they do not host any professional teams. Many professional teams, though, do train in Fort Lauderdale during the off-season.

Whether you are looking for a place to party or a place to relax, Ft. Lauderdale is a fantastic choice.

Despite the name of its famed football team, Dallas is not a city of cowboys.  You’d be hard pressed to find anyone in a cowboy hat unless you went to a country music concert.  Dallas is, and always has been, a center of business and cosmopolitan culture.  The city has some characteristics that are typically Texan but others that are quite unique.

Downtown Dallas has a glut of museums and activities. Dallas World Aquarium is probably one of the more interesting zoos in the country.  It features aquatic life, but also plenty of animals that live above the waves and even in the air. Old Red Museum of Dallas County History and Culture is an exhibit that traces the history of the area from ancient times to present day.  The name might brand this as a tourist trap, but it is quite informative and gives some good insights into Dallas’ founding and where the unique, rather brash, culture of the area came from.  Dallas has a highbrow side as well. Nasher Sculpture Center features both indoor and outdoor galleries.  It is one of the most spectacular collections in the country. 

There is a surprising array of eateries and nightspots in the Dallas area.  Whether you are looking for typical Tex-Mex fare or something a little edgier, Dallas has it covered.  Greenville Avenue is one of the best places to drink the night away.  The revelry spills out onto the streets, especially on weekends. 

Dallas sprawls out in every direction; suburbs are their own microcosms.  Arlington features amusement parks, while Irving is home to the Dallas Cowboys.  The city itself is packed with residential areas, many with strips of restaurants and bars.  To explain all that Dallas has to offer would take an entire guidebook.  I’ll just have to say that, whatever you might have heard about it before, Dallas is definitely worth a closer look.  

Sydney gets a majority share of the press when it comes to Australia’s tourist industry, but it is not the only city Down Under that is worth the price of admission.  Melbourne boasts a number of attractions and a vibrant, cosmopolitan culture.  Sports are a major draw.  National games like Rugby are popular, and the sporting world focuses on the city for the Formula One auto race and the Melbourne Cup horse race.  Melbourne is also the birthplace of the rugby, soccer, basketball hybrid known as Australian Rules Football.  Cricket and Soccer also draw large groups of spectators. 

Melbourne is also well known in Australia for its urban culture.  Foodies will love the array of restaurants.  Cutting edge kitchens serve the best in haute cuisine while authentic ethnic eateries abound and laid back cafes line the scenic Yarra River.  The river has one of the most scenic urban waterfronts in the world.   

Melbourne is also a very pleasant city.  Public transit makes getting around without a car easy.  There are a large number of bike trails and public parks.  Unlike many major cities, Melbourne also has a wide variety of budget accommodations.  The backpacker vibe of St. Kilda is bolstered by the good chance of finding cheap rooms, cheaper eats, and plenty of nightlife. 

Highbrow nightlife is also part of the equation.  Whether that means enjoying a taste of Australia’s finest at one of the city’s many wine bars or taking in an opera performance, the finer elements of culture in Melbourne can be considered world class. 

Melbourne is a pleasant, generally safe and easy to visit place.  There is enough to do to warrant a week or (even) a month long trip.        

Rio de Janeiro holds the title of best of Brazil when it comes to tourism. Why not? The beaches and unending samba beats get all the press. Rio has become the darling, not only of Brazil’s tourist industry, but also of all South America’s. Despite being bigger in size and population than New York, Sao Paulo is often relegated to its country’s second string when it comes to tourism. As Brazil grows economically, perhaps Sao Paulo will be “discovered” for what it is: a vibrant city with more going on than anywhere else in South America.

The biggest surprise that greets visitors to Sao Paulo is its diversity. This truly is a world city. Tourists might actually be frustrated by the fact that they are not immediately recognized as “gringos.” It is not uncommon for locals to speak to tourists in Portuguese because they mistake them for locals. Sao Paulo has significant populations of Japanese (the largest population of Japanese people outside of Japan), Arabic peoples, Koreans, and Europeans. Parts of the city have an Italian flare, while others have an afro-Brazilian atmosphere. All this combines for a jumble of culture, food, and life that is like nowhere else.

Like any big city, Sao Paulo can cause plenty of headaches. Getting around takes a bit of planning. Traffic is nothing short of hellish, but Sao Paulo is a city of neighborhoods, and once you get to where you are going, walking is easy. There is also an extensive subway and rail system. These can also get crowded during peak hours, but, in general, they are the most convenient way to get from A to B. Buses, usually staffed with speed loving drivers, reach every area of the city that does not have a rail station.

Sao Paulo is a great city full of diverse neighborhoods and uncommon experiences. No, it’s not Rio, but it is worth checking out.

Taiwan is on of the most exciting countries to visit in Asia. It’s capital city, Taipei is a modern metropolis with historic details and a culture that is both ancient and cutting edge.

Taipei 101, one of the world’s tallest buildings, towers above everything else in the city. It is a symbol of the country’s economic prosperity. It is also an example of neo-classical Chinese architecture. The building is divided into eight sections (an auspicious number in Chinese mythology) and seems to resemble some of the ancient multi-layered temples scattered around the Taiwanese countryside.

Taipei is a place of history. When Chinese nationalists fled to the island, they brought with them a huge collection of artifacts. Many of these are housed at the National Palace Museum. This stunning building is not to be missed. Not every venue is so infused with history, though. Taiwan’s film scene is making waves worldwide. Spot - Taipei Film House is the best place to get a taste of the art house edge of the industry. Spot is more than a theater. Cafes and Bistros in and around the building make the art house scene move beyond the theater seats. There are literally a hundred exhibit halls around the city; some are offbeat (The Museum of Drinking Water), some unique (Museum of Formosan Aborigines).

Taipei is also a city of parks and temples. Longshan Temple is one of the most popular places of worship. Locals come in hordes to pray here and the architecture is sublime. The small, lotus-strewn lakes of Taipei Botanical Gardens are indelible image of the city. They seem ageless, even though the park itself is a mere hundred years old (young by Taiwanese standards). There are plenty of other chances to view nature in the mountainous areas outside the city.

Taipei boasts plenty of places to shop and dance the night away as well. All in all, it is a city with a strong sense of history and its eyes on the future.

The island of Cozumel in Mexico features a combination of Mexican and Caribbean culture, a vast variety of water sports, stunning nature reserves, and startlingly beautiful beaches. This has made it a popular location for family vacations, weddings, honeymoons, and getaways.

Situated atop the Mesoamerican Reef, Cozumel is composed of limestone rock and sandy soil. On either side of the island are white, sandy beaches, with huge waves on the eastern side and a calmer tide on the western. During the summertime, the temperature ranges from warm to hot, and winter temperatures remain fair unless a cold front moves through. If there are thunderstorms, they tend to only last for about an hour. Water temperature is around 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Both in the swampy jungles in the center of the island and around the island in the coral reefs, there exists a stunning amount of biodiversity. There are about 250 different species of fish in the water, as well as some of the most impressive sponge formations in the world. On the mainland, the variety of rare tropical birds is very visible.

Cozumel has a rich culture that is distinct from Mexican culture because of the influences of tourists and the presence of the ocean all around. Things like Carnival, the Easter week celebrations, and festivals dedicated to different saints make Cozumel its own cultural phenomenon.

There are many things to do in Cozumel. Some of these include:

- Diving

- Deep-Sea Fishing

- Snorkeling

- Kayaking

- Surfing

- Golf

- Spa

- Fine Dining

- Nature Excursions

If you are traveling to Cozumel, you have a variety of types of accommodations from which to choose. From huge all-inclusive resorts to small beachfront houses, you will certainly be able to find something that meets your expectations and price range. Several hotels offer packages that include the room, as well as a package of different activities and tours. To get the best deal, compare prices on the Internet as well as from a traditional travel agent.

Boulder has moved from being one of the largest University towns west of the Mississippi to being a hub of high tech industry and cutting edge Midwestern culture. Boulder is consistently ranked as one of the nicest places in the U.S. to live. Surprisingly, the vibe is not as quiet and “suburban” as those accolades might suggest. Boulder is a happening place, though its personality is decidedly laid-back. Denver is near enough to offer all the trappings of a conventional big city, but, in terms of culture, Boulder might as well be a thousand miles away from the Mile High City.

Aside from the cultural activities (see below) Boulder is an outdoor sports enthusiast’s fantasy come true. Hiking, climbing, rafting, skiing, and anything else that would fit into the category of “outdoor adventure” can be found without much effort.

Boulder’s rapid growth and penchant for alternative culture brings to mind the similarly rising metropolis of Austin, Texas. Though Boulder is smaller in size than its up-and-coming brethren, it is no shorter on culture. Pearl Street Mall is a pedestrian friendly area with plenty of boutiques and eateries as well as offbeat details, like street performers and trinket shops.

Boulder is the stopping point for music acts on their way to the big time. The collegiate atmosphere at some of the venues around University of Colorado’s campus can be fun, as can the fact that, like most places frequented by college students, prices are quite reasonable.

Boulder is also home to a disproportionate amount of meditation centers, alternative medicine practitioners, and new age culture. Even at these places, the aura is more modern than the “aged hippie mecca” that might come to mind.

Boulder is a pleasant place to visit. People are friendly, there’s always something going on, but nothing proves overwhelming.

Many people are surprised to hear that Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the U.S. How could anything located in the middle of the desert be so popular? A thriving tourist industry as well as agriculture, supported by nearby rivers has made Phoenix one of America’s fastest growing cities. Add to that a rapidly growing high-tech sector and Phoenix has all that it needs to thrive.

Summer in Phoenix means temperatures topping 100 degrees. However, the air lacks a great deal of humidity, meaning that it does not feel quite as hot as it sounds. Winter in the city, however, is quite comfortable. Temperatures are in the sixties and seventies during the daytime and dip to the fifties or even forties at night. Spring is the best time to visit. Highs in the eighties and lows in the sixties mean visitors will never run into uncomfortable temperatures.

Phoenix boasts a professional team in every major sports league. It also has a world-class symphony, a professional theater troupe, and plenty of galleries and museums featuring the Southwest’s trademark style of art.

The Sonoran Desert offers a unique landscape unfamiliar to many visitors. Desert Botanical Garden is a one of a kind park with a collection of plant life from the world’s most arid regions. There are also several outfits that offer Humvee tours into the desert itself.

Native American culture is alive and well in Phoenix. The Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park is a working archeological site and The Heard Museum has many world-class exhibits featuring Native American art and culture. There are galleries scattered throughout the city offering a look at Native American arts and crafts.

Phoenix is more than a pleasant place to escape the cold of a northern winter. It is alive with culture and excitement year round.