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On the Sea of Japan coast, Kanazawa escaped the bombing raids of the Second World War and came through with its castle town intact — samurai districts, a geisha quarter, and one of Japan’s three great gardens, all within walking distance of each other.
At the mouth of one of the Canadian Rockies’ most dramatic gorges, Johnston Canyon Resort has placed guests inside the landscape since the 1920s — its red-roofed cabins strung along Johnston Creek, with a canyon trail beginning at the front door.
North of the city, the Hudson Valley has been drawing artists and weekenders for two centuries — river towns with outsized art scenes, Catskill trails above the old resort plateau, farm stands running into October, and foliage that peaks somewhere between mid-September and late October depending on the year.
Where the Elbe cuts through northwest Bohemia, sandstone towers rise from dense pine forest in formations so improbable they look designed. Europe’s largest natural arch, a gorge navigable only by flat-bottomed boat, and some of the region’s most dramatic hiking — all within reach of Prague.
Portland’s East End waterfront trades in Maine’s best strengths: lobster rolls kept simple, fried clams, and a food truck lineup that shifts with the seasons. The Eastern Promenade beyond is the reward — wide water views and a quiet end to a busy city day.
Black sand beaches, sea stacks rising straight from the surf, waterfalls that fall directly onto the road, and glaciers pushing down from the icecap to the water’s edge — it is the version of Iceland that photographs best, and it earns every image.
Iceland’s most famous driving loop takes in three genuinely extraordinary natural features — a rift valley where two tectonic plates visibly pull apart, a geyser that erupts on a reliable schedule, and a waterfall of almost unreasonable scale. Crowded in summer and worth every moment of it.
Stretched through the Adirondack foothills, Lake George has been a summer escape since the 19th century — but fall, when the hillsides turn and the crowds thin, might be the better argument for visiting. Paddle the 32-mile lake, hike to the surrounding ridgelines, and stay longer than you planned.
Maine’s largest city packs an outsized food and arts scene into its compact peninsula neighborhoods. The Old Port’s cobblestone streets lead to some of the best seafood in the country, and the surrounding coastline — lighthouses, islands, tidal coves — stretches in both directions.
Acadia National Park sits on the rugged coast of Downeast Maine, where the Atlantic crashes against pink granite shorelines and dense spruce forests climb to open summit ridges.
Often described as Europe’s southernmost fjord, the Bay of Kotor cuts into the Montenegrin coast like a secret — limestone mountains dropping straight to calm dark water, medieval towns clinging to the shore, connected inlets each with their own character. First-time visitors arrive expecting something pretty and leave stunned.
Crowned by the glacier that inspired Jules Verne and edged with basalt sea stacks, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is one of Iceland’s most varied stretches of coastline. Better as an overnight than a day trip — the light at the western tip is worth waiting for.
