THE STATES: ALABAMA - IDAHO

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Alabama

Alabama the Beautiful, as many of its four million residents describe their state, lies in America’s balmy southeastern region, its southern border lapped by the deep blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Alabama, which celebrates the 175th anniversary of its statehood in 1994, was center stage at two of the nation’s most critical historical moments: The Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. At Montgomery’s State Capitol, delegates from Southern states organized the Confederate States of America in 1861 and drafted its constitution-events which led directly to the Civil War.

To experience Southern life before that devastating conflict, visit Alabama’s Plantation Country, still dotted with stately homes. Many were destroyed during the war, but many still stand, including Sturdivant Hall in Selma-an outstanding example of neo-Classical architecture. Visit Fort Morgan in Gulf Shores, one of the last Confederate forts to fall.

The troubled history of racial segregation and its overthrow is the focus of research, exhibits and programs at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. This facility, in the heart of Birmingham’s Civil Rights District, is just one of many in the state that recognizes the contributions and achievements of African-Americans.

What was life like in 1819 when Alabama joined the Union? Find out at Alabama’s Constitution Village in Huntsville, a reconstruction of the 19th-century village when the state’s constitution was written. From an exploration of the past, soar into the future at the nearby U.S. Space and Rocket Center, which includes the nation’s only full-size space shuttle exhibit.

The city of Mobile charms visitors with lush Bellinrath Gardens and Home, while the U.S.S. Alabama battleship invites sightseers to relive a mighty chapter of World War II history. Mobile is also the southern gateway for the new Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, a network of 288 challenging holes, weaving in an enormous "U" through the state.

Shop for crafts in Northport and Mentone, for bargains in Boaz, Foley and Monroeville, and for antiques in Oxford.

Alaska

Thinking of Alaska? Think big! At one-fifth the size of the entire continental United States, Alaska is the largest state in the union. Alaska borders two oceans and three seas. The varied, exotic terrain ranges from arctic tundra and glacier-crested mountains to lush boreal rain forests. Alaska has 3,000 rivers, 3 million lakes, North America’s tallest peak and more than 5,000 glaciers.

The weather in Alaska varies from the Arctic’s extreme dry and cold to the long hot summer days in the interior to the milder, wetter Inside Passage, where winter temperatures are often above freezing and summers are cool and damp.

Alaska’s natural wonders and wildlife are the state’s main attractions. Adventurous visitors can experience nature first-hand by fishing, hiking, camping, biking, mountain climbing, skiing, rafting or dog sledding. Those who are less active can watch wildlife from the comfort of a motor coach, RV, automobile, boat or state ferry. Tours by small plane and helicopter allow you to cover large areas, while swooping in for close-up views of breathtaking glaciers and wilderness.

Native American culture is everywhere you look: the state’s name means "The Great Land" in Aleut. In Ketchikan, see the world’s largest collection of totem poles at Saxman and Totem Bight Parks and the Totem Heritage Center. Head north, where the traditional Eskimo culture still lives in remote Arctic communities. Take home memories of your visit in the form of exquisite Native crafts fashioned of walrus ivory, bone and other by-products of subsistence hunting. The "Silver Hand" logo identifies authentic Native-made pieces.

Because of its geographical location and size, traveling into, out of and around Alaska can be a stunning sightseeing experience in and of itself. Several cruise lines provide service to Alaska from Canada and other points.

Alaska’s size and diversity also shape its unique choice of accommodations. A vacation in Alaska can include a stay in a luxury hotel in Anchorage or a rustic lodge in the bush. Between these extremes there are fishing and hunting lodges, country inns, campgrounds and a wide variety of motels and hotels.

Arizona

Arizona, the Grand Canyon State, is home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World. But the state is not resting on its laurels: the Awesome Grand Canyon is just one of the many things to see and to do in a state that also encompasses the hauntingly beautiful Sonoran Desert; sprawling Indian reservations; the architectural remains of ancient civilizations and early Spanish settlements, and some of the country’s finest resorts.

Arizona’s natural wonders top the list of attractions: There’s the Grand Canyon, of course, but there’s also Monument Valley whose towering rock formations are familiar to fans of Western movies. There are the giant saguaro cacti of the Saguari National Monument; the red rocks of Sedona; Petrified Forest National Park, littered with fossilized tree trunks; and the Canyon de Chelly, whose cliff walls are decorated with ancient pictograph left centuries ago by the Anasazi people.

In Arizona, you can experience living Native American traditions at Indian pow-wows; experience the spirit of the Old West in the state’s many ghost towns; enjoy water skiing, fishing and boating on hundreds of lakes and streams; explore the sights on horseback or start the day with a game of tennis or golf on one of Arizona’s 250 top-rated golf courses, many of which host professional tournaments.

Arizona’s cities should not be overlooked; Phoenix, with its year-round sunny climate, is one of the nation’s fastest growing urban centers. The city boasts some of the country’s most luxurious resorts and numerous cultural attractions, including the Heard Museum, a leading center for Native American culture.

Tucson, the state’s second largest city, attracts visitors with its fascinating architecture, including an 18th-century Spanish fortress, El Presidio del Tucson, and myriad historic, cultural and outdoor attractions in the surrounding area.

Dining and shopping in Arizona is as varied as the people of the state: Old West cowboy cookouts, ethnic Mexican menus, spicy southwestern cuisine and sophisticated gourmet cooking are all here. Shopping encompasses everything from unique crafts to western-style clothing to high-style boutiques selling designer fashions.

Arkansas

What do you get when you blend the Old South and the Pioneer West? Arkansas!

To many visitors, Arkansas is the Ozarks. These ancient mountains shelter abundant opportunities for camping, canoeing, fishing and sailing; historic cities and towns; great antiques and crafts; underground caverns, and a steamboat museum. Eureka Springs is built around 63 hot springs, and the entire downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Buffalo National River meanders through the area for more than 125 miles.

Mountain view is the home of the unique Ozark Folk Center State Park which preserves and interprets the lifestyles of the mountain people.

The Arkansas River Valley, between the Ozark and Quachita mountains, is the site of Fort Smith National Historic Site. Van Buren’s National Historic District comprises more than 70 restored buildings. Outdoor activities abound on lakes and rivers, in four state parks and at Mount Magazine, the state’s highest peak. Delta country, on the Mississippi River, with its massive plantations and romantic river towns, evokes the Old South. The largest city, Jonesboro, has a beautiful preserved historic downtown.

Millions saw central Arkansas for the first time when President Clinton delivered his televised acceptance speech from Little Rock’s Old State House, an outstanding example of Greek Revival architecture. The state capital also houses the Arkansas Territorial Restoration, a collection of 19th-century homes and outbuildings; the Arkansas Arts Center, a celebrated regional art museum; a preserved area of antebellum and Victorian structures, and the Museum of Science and History.

Timberlands, in the south, offers exceptional hunting and fishing, and numerous historical sites and museums, including Pine Bluff’s Arkansas Railroad Museum and the Arkansas Oil and Brine Museum at Smackover.

The Quachita Mountain Region contains the country’s only diamond mine, open for public digging. Hot Springs, the "Vacation Capital of Arkansas", offers myriad attractions, including a National Park, a theme park, shopping, museums, variety shows and thorough bred horse racing.

California

California offers the visitor an extraordinary diversity of things to do and see. California is Hollywood, movie stars, beaches, Disneyland, the Golden Gate Bridge ... and a major innovator and trendsetter in food and wine, music fashion and, of course, movies and television.

California’s natural beauty is unrivaled. Here you’ll find towering redwood forests, majestic Mount Shasta, the dramatic coast of Big Sur, the granite grandeur of Yosemite National Park, the emerald green of the High Sierra-Lake Tahoe, and the austere beauty of Death Valley.

California’s theme parks and attractions are always on the cutting edge with groundbreaking exhibits and thrill rides. The newest include: the sea otter exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium; "High Sierra Territory" at Six Flags Mountain; the return of NBC-TV tours; the reopening of the ocean liner Queen Mary; "Back to the Future...The Ride" at Universal Studios Hollywood; Disneyland’s new Mickey’s Toon Town; four new attractions at Knott’s Berry Farm; a pygmy chimpanzee habitat and a complex of rainforest aviaries at the San Diego Zoo; a new habitat for bottlenose dolphins and sea otters at Sea World of California; "Top Gun" and an inverted steel roller coaster at Paramount’s Great America in Santa Clara.

The Golden State is home to world-class golf courses and tennis resorts, as well as more professional sports teams than any other state. California, though a young state, has a fascinating history. Tour the 21 missions founded by Franciscan friars in the 18th century; visit San Simeon, the opulent mansion constructed by newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst; stroll around San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, a national historic district that preserves the city’s Victorian architecture.

California’s two most famous cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco, are both known for their trendy lifestyles, excellent restaurants and shops and exciting nightlife, yet they diverge in important respects. Los Angeles, with its sprawling plan and buzzing freeways, is a truly modern city. It is the home of Hollywood, of course, but is a cultural center in other respects, especially in its rich array of art museums.

San Francisco has been called the most livable city in the nation because of its unparalleled natural setting, its cosmopolitan mix of people, its fine restaurants, its outstanding coupling of old and new architecture and its bountiful cultural attractions.

California’s world-famous wine country is worth a special trip. Clustered in Napa and Sonoma counties, wineries welcome visitors for tastings and tours, and the area is dotted with excellent restaurants and charming inns.

Getting there: California’s gateway cities are served by major airlines with connecting service to other destinations. The state also has a well-maintained highway system and Amtrak runs coastal and east/west trains into and out of the state.

LOS ANGELES: HOLLYWOOD’S HOME

A visit to Los Angeles means a chance to explore Hollywood. For a place born of fantasy and nourished on the magic of the silver screen, Hollywood fittingly bears a name based on make-believe. The shrub holly, so popular at Christmas, does not take root in this land of citrus fruits, avocados and figs.

Named for a family ranch in a fig orchard christened "Hollywood" in 1886, the area became a subdivision which in turn became a city in 1903. Seven years later, Hollywood merged to become part of its expanding neighbor to the southeast, Los Angeles.

It was during this period when filmmakers from the emerging movie industry began migrating to this sunny destination, frustrated by the lack of good weather for filming back east.

Thanks to the likes of such pioneer filmmakers as D.W. Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille, the creation of the motion pictures had become the USA’s fifth largest industry by 1917. Hollywood was bustling with some 52 operating movie studios by 1922.

The following year, one of Hollywood’s best-known landmarks was erected - the giant Hollywood sign. The idea of a sign with letters the height of a five-story building is generally attributed to Harry Chandler, one of the city’s founders. Its original purpose was to serve as advertising for Hollywoodland, a luxurious collection of elegant homes nestled in the peaceful Hollywood Hills. To ensure visibility for the sign, Chandler had 4,000 light bulbs installed for a striking night view of the region.

As Hollywoodland and more neighboring communities were built to accommodate a dramatic population explosion, an 18,000-seat amphitheater called the Hollywood Bowl opened for outdoor concerts. Today, the Hollywood Bowl remains as popular with residents and visitors as it was when it opened seventy years ago.

When the capital city of the movies staged its star-studded world premieres, the only place to be was on the Hollywood Boulevard. The most glamorous of all the movie palaces was built in 1927 by Sid Grauman. Now called Mann’s Chinese Theater, the landmark is adorned with the footprints and hand prints of dozens of movie stars from the ‘20s through today. Thousands of visitors stop by daily.

Though Hollywood no longer has a monopoly on movie production, with nearly a century of movie-making history and decades of influence on the television and music industries, Hollywood has rightly earned its reputation as "The Entertainment Capital of the World."

CALIFORNIA'S OWN VENICE

Venice, California, doesn’t share its name with Italy’s romantic seaport by coincidence. This Los Angeles community known worldwide as the epitome of the free-spirited California lifestyle, was originally one man’s attempt to replicate Venice, Italy’s seaside charms on the United States’ Pacific coast.

Created by eccentric businessman and millionaire Abbot Kinney, "Venice-of-America" was built in 1904 when Kinney bought 160 acres of marshland west of Los Angeles. To the soaring sounds of an orchestra performing on a new pier, Venice’s grand-opening ceremony took place on July 4, 1905.

Visitors were awestruck by miles of wide canals, floating gondolas, Venetian-style bridges and a handsome hotel, designed to resemble the majestic St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice, Italy. Kinney then sold hundreds of land parcels for the construction of private homes and cottages. To appeal to summer residents and tourists, Kinney created pleasant restaurants and beer gardens - even a seaside amusement park featuring camel rides to attract the masses.

Mr. Kinney’s renaissance spirit has lived on in the generation which followed - from the beatniks of the ‘50s and the hippies of the ‘60s, to the artists of the ‘70s and the Westside chic of the ‘80s. All of these influences have shaped Venice into what is today, despite the absence of the original amusement park and gondoliers.

Ocean Front Walk, along the edge of the beach, is as popular a promenade today as when Kinney first built it almost a century ago. On any given day, visitors and residents can enjoy some of the best people watching. Roller skaters, body builders, street musicians and just about anything imaginable can be found along Ocean Front Walk at Venice Beach.

Not exactly Italy, but very California.

Colorado

With its soaring mountains and deep ravines, Colorado, which boasts the highest average altitude in the nation, is a mecca for skiers in winter and for climbers and hikers after the snows melt. Colorado covers 104,247 square miles/260,617 square kilometers, 35% of which is designated as national park or forest and is therefore open to the public.

Two of those parks are among the state’s most popular attractions: Rocky Mountain National Park, home to majestic snowcapped mountains, crystal lakes and abundant wildlife, hosts over 3 million visitors annually. At Mesa Verde National Park, travelers can explore the cave dwellings left centuries ago by the Anasazi, "the Ancient Ones", who mysteriously vanished about 1,300 AD.

Get another view of things and relive the romance of the Old West on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway, a steam-powered train that takes passengers past the state’s largest wilderness area - one of several narrow gauge trains that thread through Colorado’s mountainous terrain. If you prefer being airborne, visit Royal Gorge, site of the world’s highest suspension bridge. Here, the world’s steepest incline tram takes you down and back.

You needn’t dangle over a ravine to enjoy Colorado’s spectacular vistas: Seventeen of the state’s roads have been designated as scenic and historic byways, all of which can be traveled to the accompaniment of informative audiocassettes available through local Chambers of Commerce.

With its challenging slopes and plentiful snow, Colorado is a favorite destination for skiers, ice skaters and snowmobilers. In Summer, those same peaks beckon hikers and climbers. Colorado is also a center of culture and history. Travel back in time to the age of the dinosaur at the Colorado Museum of Natural History, or experience the Old West’s raucous past at the Old Cheyenne County Jail Museum in Cheyenne Wells.

For the less active traveler, the state offers resorts from luxurious five-star hotels to rustic lodges, from affordable roadside motels to fully equipped campsites, condominiums and charming bed-and-breakfast inns.

Connecticut

Connecticut’s small size - it’s the third smallest state in the nation - belies its enormous contributions to the culture, commerce and history of the United States. Its compactness also means that all of its attractions are conveniently close together.

In Connecticut you can meander through marvelous museums, thrill to professional sports, enjoy classical music under the stars or sail the seas from one of the state’s numerous marinas. Connecticut contains major cities: Hartford, the capital, is also the insurance capital of the world. New Haven is home to Yale University and the Yale Repertory Theatre, one of many fine theaters in the state.

Connecticut is bordered on the south by a sinuous coastline dotted with affluent suburbs, bustling metropolitan areas and quaint villages that recall the days of clippers and square riggers, when Connecticut was a center for shipbuilding, transatlantic trade and whaling. Relive that era at the nation’s largest maritime museum, Mystic Seaport Museum, a re-creation of a 19th-century maritime village, complete with restored vessels and costumed guides.

Connecticut’s history is everywhere you look: There’s hardly a township in the state that doesn’t have at least one local history museum. In Hartford, see the "Fundamental Orders," Connecticut’s 17th-century constitution and forerunner of the American Constitution. Or go back eons and view dinosaur footprints at Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill. Get in touch with literary genius at the home of author Mark Twain.

The Litchfield Hills and Quiet Corner are popular hunting grounds for antiquers. South Norwalk’s SoNo neighborhood brims with boutiques and everywhere, arts and crafts stores beckon, factory outlets tempt with bargain prices and friendly farms invite visitors to pick their own produce - from berries in spring and summer to apples in fall.

Accommodations in Connecticut range from luxurious business hotels equipped with up-to-date conference facilities to family-oriented budget motels. But the "real" Connecticut is best experienced in gracious country inns and in cozy bed-and-breakfast establishments, some on working farms, others located on the tree-lined streets of historic villages.

Delaware

Located on the east coast, halfway between New York and Washington DC is the small state of Delaware. Although it is only 96 miles long and 36 miles wide, Delaware’s landscape is diverse.

Delaware is, perhaps, best known to visitors as a tax-free shopping haven because unlike most surrounding states there is no sales tax for goods.

Wilmington, Delaware’s largest city, is located in the scenic Brandywine Valley, just 30 minutes south of Philadelphia, Peninsylvania. Visitors to this area delight in touring its world-renowned museums, grand estates and spectacular gardens.

One of Delaware’s most famous attractions, Winterthur Museum and Gardens, was named for a town in Switzerland. This nine-story mansion houses the country’s premier collections of American decorative arts and is surrounded by 1,000 acres of gardens.

Hagley Museum and Library sits on the banks of the scenic Brandywine River. The site re-creates the lifestyle and atmosphere of the original 19th-century mill village.

The Delaware Art Museum is well known for its collections of American art and holds the largest collection of English Pre-Raphaelite art in the United States.

Located just seven miles south of Wilmington on the Delaware River is the historic town of New Castle.

Traveling south towards Dover, the heritage of Delaware’s waterways provides its visitors an opportunity to explore the many natural wonders of the state. In late autumn and early spring the skies are filled with the magnificence of migratory birds in flight. Scenic roads lead past Bombay Hook Wildlife Refuge and through small fishing villages.

In the center of the state about an hour’s drive south of Wilmington is Dover, the capital of Delaware. Dover’s historic Green was the site of the Delaware convention that ratified the Federal U.S. Constitution on December 17, 1787, making Delaware the "First Sate" to do so. Today, Dover is home to many historic sites which are open for public tours.

Further south on Delaware’s Atlantic coast lie the resort towns of Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island and Lewes. The resort areas hold many opportunities for sport enthusiasts including rafting, tubbing, swimming, fishing, boating, hiking, camping, water skiing and windsurfing.

District of Columbia

The District of Columbia is a little enclave chopped from the state of Maryland and is bounded on one side by the Potomac River (with Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia on the other side of the river) and on the other sides by the state of Maryland. Washington, the nations' capital city is plonked right down in the middle of it and covers and area of 69 square miles.

National capitals are renowned for being the least interesting places to visit in any country, but Washington is an exception with its tree-lined avenues and grand 19th century buildings create a surprisingly warm, almost cosy atmosphere. Although some neighbourhoods are less so than others, the capital is a microcosm of the grand ideals and grim realities of America today. Washington certainly isn't as hip a town as New York or San Francisco, but its museums rank with some of the country's best (and most are free), its architecture is impressive and its dining and nightlife are more cosmopolitan than you might think.

A freeway bypass called the Beltway, which divides the urban insiders from the suburbanites, rings Washington. The Capitol isn't just the symbolic centre of Washington: from here the city is divided into four compass-point quadrants along axes following N Capitol St, E Capitol St, S Capitol St and the Mall. Identical addresses appear in all four quadrants, so you really need to know the directional component of the address that you might want. Most tourist sights are located around the Capitol, along the Mall and in the north-west quadrant.

Streets are arranged on a grid of north-south numbered streets and east-west lettered streets. Broad diagonal avenues overlay this grid. The geometric pattern is further interrupted by traffic circles that add to the city's appeal but can make DC a challenging place for outsiders to navigate by car.

Capitol Hill is the main sightseeing area and downtown includes the monuments dotting the Mall but is otherwise strictly business. Dupont Circle is an upscale business and residential address with a funky fringe; Adams-Morgan is bohemian, funky and international; Shaw has historically elite residential areas and ghettos; and Georgetown has pristine historic houses, a university and lively bars.

Florida

Let your imagination wander to a place with powder-white beaches, lush forests, dramatic sunsets and fantasy playgrounds. You've imagined Florida; now, make it real. Famous for its abundant sunshine, warm temperatures, palm trees and wide, sandy beaches, Florida also holds plenty of surprises in seven distinct regions, each with its own flavor and flare. In the Northwest, rolling hills, hardwood forests, pristine lakes and campsites dot the landscape, and soft white beaches line the shore.

The scenery is matched by a rich history: The Pensacola, the oldest European settlement in what is now the United States is here, with its beautifully preserved historic districts and the Pensacola Historical Museum which recalls the diverse colonizers who gave this city its unique flavor. Fishing, hunting and bird-watching are favorite activities in this region's Nature Coast, comprising Taylor, Dixie and Levy Counties.

There's more history to see in the Northeast: St. Augustine, the oldest permanent settlement in America; the Victorian architecture of Amelia Island; the heady mix of modernity and history in downtown Jacksonville. When you visit Florida's Central East Coast you get three destinations in one: the Daytona Beach resort area with its speedway, sun, fun and shops; the Space Coast, featuring Kennedy Space Center's Spaceport USA, and the Treasure coast with its high concentration of offshore shipwrecks and reefs.

Expect the unexpected in Central Florida, from an encounter with penguins to thoroughbred farms, fantasy lands to vineyards, serene botanical gardens and world-famous theme parks, including Walt Disney World Resort and Sea World.

Florida’s diversity is best experienced in the Central West Coast. Miles of white sand beaches; crystal clear springs; galleries and museums, including St. Petersburg’s Salvador Dali Museum; theme parks and ethnic delights, such as Ybor City’s Cuban culture and cuisine, all combine into a uniquely fascinating travel experience.

Those who’ve always dreamed of running away, but never dared, will love Southwest Florida. From Charlotte County’s small fishing communities to the isolation of Sanibel and Captiva Islands, the Meditterrean charm of Naples, and the mysterious beaty of the Everglades, this escapist’s fantasy is well within reach.

The glittering, glamorous image of Southeast Florida doesn’t begin to tell the story of this region’s riches. Add together the posh shopping of Palm Beach’s Worth Avenue, the winding waterways of Fort Lauderdale, the international population and Art Deco architecture of Miami and the tropical island flavor of the Keys, and you get an area that is "hot" !

Florida’s accommodations are designed to please every taste and pocketbook from budget motels to glittering beachfront resorts, historic bed-and-breakfast inns to world-class luxury hotels.

Getting there: Florida is served by a total of 20 regional and international airports. Amtrak’s Auto Train carries passengers and their vehicles to the state. Travel by car and long-distance bus is easy along miles of well-maintained highways.

Georgia

Georgia gained world-wide prominence in modern memory when native son Jimmy Carter was inaugurated President of the United States in 1977. Georgia retook the world spotlight in 1996 when its capital, Atlanta, hosted the Summer Olympic games.

Many visitors to Georgia start in Atlanta. To experience the best of the city’s past and present, tour the three levels of Underground Atlanta, which incorporate early storefronts and streets into a modern entertainment and shopping center. Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola, and the universal beverage is enshrined in The World of Coca-Cola Pavilion. Atlanta was Martin Luther King’s birthplace, and the civil rights leader’s life and work are commemorated in a national historic district named for him.

If Atlanta represents the New South, Savannah typifies the best of the Old. This gracious coastal city, founded in 1733, boasts the largest national historic district in the nation, comprising some one thousand 18th- and 19th-century mansions and townhouses, winding cobblestone streets and tree-lined squares.

South of Savannah lie the Golden Isles, a string of barrier islands, many still wild and undeveloped. The three most developed islands, and the only ones accessible by automobile - Jekyll, Sea and St. Simons - are popular vacation destinations offering resort accommodations, recreational oppurtunities and scenic beauty. Golf is a big draw here, and the islands boast many fine courses, including Jehyll Island Golf Club, the state’s largest public course.

Nature lovers head to Cumberland Island National Seashore on one of the largest and most remote of the Golden Isles. A little further inland, find unspoiled beauty of a different order at Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, a unique bog-like habitat, alive with reptiles, mammals and birds.

Georgia’s picturesque mountains offer vacation opportunities for two types of travelers: those looking for a scenic, peaceful getaway or an adventurous holiday. The gold mining town of Dahlonega, the Alpine Village of Helen, the Dillard House Inn & Dining Room, Lake Lanier Islands, Rock City Gardens, hiking on the Appalachian Trail, fishing in a local trout stream, the Cherokee Indian Chieftain’s Trail and Amicalola Falls provide fun and excitement for the whole family.

Hawaii

For ages, Hawaii has been the stuff of dreams. A vision of spectacular sunsets, swaying palm trees and dramatic volcanoes. A place where the fragrance of flowers and the sound of surf envelope body and soul. Where exotic culture, unique history and the welcoming spirit of aloha embrace each and every visitor. Fortunately, for millions of tourists who travel to Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii, the dream becomes reality, year after year.

Each of the island is rich with culture, history and scenery. Oahu, « the gathering place, » is the third largest in the Hawaiian chain. Here on one of the planet’s most beautiful tropical island, is one of its most modern cities. Complete with world-class hotels and restaurants, ballet and symphony, a charming zoo, the only royal palace on United States soil, and two of Hawaii’s best-known landmarks – Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach. To see the rest of Oahu (and you really should), simply hop on a bus and for 85 cents, you get a four-hour tour of the entire island.

Kauai, « the garden island », is the fourth largest and oldest of the world-famous Na Pali Coast whose emerald green cliffs plunge dramatically into the surf below. No less awesome in Waimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. If, at first sight, Kauai looks a bit familiar, it’s probably because its with sand beaches, waterfalls, and luxuriant rainforests have been featured in a constant stream of motion pictures including South Pacific, Blue Hawaii, and Jurassic Park.

Maui, « the Magic Isle » is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago and the one with the most swimming beaches, Rising from the center of the island’s eastern half is Haleakala – a massive, dormant volcano with a crater the size of Manhattan Island. Maui is also home to the wildly beautiful Hana coast, the old whaling village of Lahaina, and naturally, a superb collection of hotels, restaurants and resorts.

Those in search of a simpler and place will find their haven on Molokai, « the friendly island .» Molokai is a 19th-century paradise, an island of tiny towns, miles of coastline nestled under towering, cloud-shrouded cliffs, and a population that is nearly 50 percent native Hawaiian. The island is also home to one of the largest heiaus (ancient burial grounds) in the state.

Ancient culture is also very much in evidence on Lanai, « the private island », where you’ll find the Luahiwa Petroglyphs and the Garden of the Gods. Once a vast pineapple plantation, Lanai is the smallest of the Hawaiian Island, though it boasts two of its most elegant and secluded resorts.

The Big Island of Hawaii is the largest in the chain, with nearly 300 miles of coastline. It is an island of superlatives. Here you’ll find the world’s most active volcano (Kilauea), its tallest mountains (Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, rising 32,000 feet from the bottom of the sea), and its most spectacularly varied climate. (At times during the year, Mauna Kea is actually snow-capped.) Hawaii is also famous for its pristine, white sand beaches (and black sand beaches, too) lush tropical forest and some of the warmest, most hospitable people on earth.

With unparalleled landscape and nearly perfect climate (average temperature is 77 degrees), the Hawaii Island are an ideal destination for active travelers. Throughout the islands, bicyclists, sailors snorkelers, divers, hikers and kayakers can pursue their favorite activities in some of the world’s most magnificent settings. The island are a golfer’s paradise as well, with over seventy, dramatically beautiful courses state-wide. And what surfing enthusiast doesn’t dream of mastering the towering crests at Sunset Beach, Pipeline and Waimea Bay – or the gentler, though no less flawless waves at Waikiki ?

Travelers will also find an equal variety of accommodations in Hawaii from apartments available for short-term to a wide range of hotels, intimate bed-and breakfast inns and luxurious resorts, many with ocean-front villa sand bungalows. On the Big Island, you can even rent a tree house in a 35-foot high monkeypod tree !

Finally, while the Hawaiian Islands comprise the most remote land mass in the world, they are completely accessible. In fact, 23 airlines with over 900 international, domestic and inter-island flights serve the island’s 11 airports every day.

Once you’re here, of course, you can bike Hawaii, or hike it. Tour t by car or by boat, by helicopter, limousine or golf cart. In the last analyses, however, there are really only two ways to see Hawaii. You can dream it. Or you can do it. And doing it is certainly a whole lot more fun.

Idaho

Be a pioneer : explore Idaho, a spectacular, but still undiscovered state. In Idaho’s « Panhandle » to the north (« America’s Switzerland »), you’ll find charming mountain resort towns such as Sandpoint and Cœur d’Alene.

Traveling south, you come to the land considered « paradise » by Lewis and Clark, the first non-Indian explorers of the area. Here, the Seven Devils mountain range towers high enough to overlook four states and Hells Canyon plunges deep into the earth, to the lowest level in North America. North central Idaho is home of the Nez Perce Indian Reservation, and several sites in the area commemorate the tribe’s history.

Southwestern Idaho is anchored by the state’s capital, Boise. An hour’s drive in any direction changes your world : to the south lies the rugged desert of the Owyhees, North America’s tallest sand dunes at Bruneau Dunes State Park, ancient Indian rock drawings and the World Center for Birds of Prey. To the north, lush forests, cascading, white waters and serene mountain lakes greet visitors to the McCall area.

Southwestern Idaho is a winter vacationer’s wonderland, boasting two ski areas, Bogus Basin and Brundage Mountains.

Moving east, one travels toward Glenn Ferry, where the annual re-creation of the wagon-train crossing of the Oregon Trail attracts thousands of visitors each August. Keeping the rising sun in front of you, you’ll come to Shoshone Falls, the « Niagara of the West .»

Many of the ruts of the Oregon Trail - the path taken by 19th-century pioneers heading west - are still visible throughout southeastern Idaho. You can relive those pioneer days et Fort Hall in Pocatello, a full-scale replica of an early Hudson Bay Company trading post. Experience traditional Native American culture at one of the festival of the Shoshone or Nannock tribes.

Eastern Idaho is one of the most visited regions of the state and a natural stopping point if you ‘re touring the National Parks at Yellowstone or Grand Teton. This is a mecca for fly fishermen, mountaineers and lovers of the kind of desolate natural beauty found at Craters of the Moon National Monument.

Central Idaho is home to one of the world’s most famous resorts, Sun Valley. Known as a premier ski resort, Sun Valley now attracts visitors year ’round.