There is so much irony and bemusing juxtapositions in the sleepy town of Stratford, Ontario, I can hardly stand it.

To begin with, Stratford, the nexus of Shakespearian (read, serious) theater in the heart of Canada, is the hometown of pop sensation, Justin Bieber. Can you just imagine the teenybopper...

The thirty-mile swath of farmland West of Philadelphia that comprises the Valley Forge Region of PA contains more than its fair share of eccentrics. There's Valley Forge National Historical Park, of course, and the Largest Mall in America in terms of size - King of Prussia...

GETTYSBURG, PA

Keep these attractions in mind to see after the 150th Anniversary hoopla dies down. Gettysburg will still be there, but the crowds won't.

Seminary Ridge Museum. Civil War buffs have been "waiting a lifetime" for this museum to open. On...

There's so much more to this young Old city than just the Liberty Bell and a Philly Cheese Steak. Philadelphia, in fact, is a multilayered city with great restaurants, singular American history and a high quality of life. If you've never been here, you'll be surprised. If you haven't been...

First, there was the Bachelor Party -- where gangs of guys drench themselves in booze and do wild oats things with unclothed women. Then, there was the Bachelor Party weekend, where they'd do much the same but include golf and gambling. Soon-to-be-married women finally came to the conclusion that what's...

I wrote this in 2003, and obviously, Stiller's prediction of the world coming to an end in eight years did not hold true. Oh contraire; his business, Manhattan Kayak Company, is thriving. Though MKC has moved a few blocks from its original location at Chelsea Piers, and new...

If you are a U.S. Citizen, visiting Vietnam can be slightly disorienting. I grew up (in the '60s) with images of GIs slogging through rivers, daily body counts and anti-war protests. The Vietnam War was bloody, unpopular and seemingly eternal.

The Vietnamese called it The War of American Aggression --...

Planning a trip to Thailand? Start here for the Best 20 Thailand Experiences. And yes, you can probably put together a whole trip based on this list, but the most economical and efficient way to do so is through a company like G-Adventures or Discovery Channel...

Ever since Angelina Jolie swung through temple ruins in Cambodia as Lara Croft, Tomb Raider, the place has been crawling with tourists. Siem Reap, the town closest to a vast complex of ancient Hindu/Buddhist Temples, is in fact a tourist bubble (with 127 hotels from hostel to ultra luxe) within...

Ask an out-of-towner about the most romantic spot in New Haven, Connecticut at night, and she might reply: "At home, with the locks firmly bolted."

This is the perception many people have about the Home of Yale University and it is remarkably untrue. Sure, there are some seedy areas...

The stunning Rakia Reynolds, President of Philadelphia fashion-design incubator Skai Blue Media, sat on a small stage with Mary Wilson and a selection of Wilson's knock-out gowns from her Supreme's days.

"I am so star struck," Reynolds gushed, "to interview this legendary woman!"

Sometimes you're the giver, sometimes you're the taker. Mother Nature's smack downs do not discriminate between the filthy rich and dirt poor. Hurricanes are equal opportunity destroyers. The hooked-in have escape hatches when forewarned; a home on higher ground, friends with light and heat, funds for an extended hotel stay....

When Bethlehem Steel closed down in 1995 after 135 years, Sands Casino and Arts Quest moved in. Come to the Lehigh Valley for historic cobblestone streets, the oldest book store in the world, one of the largest Celtic Festivals and Music Festivals in the US, real American Factory tours, a...

Poughkeepsie has never exactly been a tourist hot spot. This industrial town on the Hudson has seen its share of booms and busts; though lately, mostly busts.

All that is changing, though, thanks to one bridge, a former railroad span crossing the Hudson River that at 1.3 miles long has...

We've been hearing a lot about the US Constitution on both sides of the political divide or, to put it slightly differently, we've been hearing about the "constitutionality" of certain bills and laws proposed, passed or "pushed through."

Standing in Philadelphia, it is easier to remember that fidgeting with...

Your kid's future alma mater isn't cookie-cutter, so why should your college tour accommodations be?

Sure, you can stay in some boilerplate roadside franchise, but if you're used to traveling in style, really delving into the most welcoming aspects of these college towns, stay in these one-of-a-kind hotels, inns and...

Industry is alive and well in the U.S. and, despite recent bleak news, many local factories are thriving. Some welcome visitors for free or nearly free in order to highlight their products and to offer fans a glimpse of the manufacturing process.

Whether you've watched Americans make potato chips...

Because military tourism is always fascinating:

1. Coast Guard Heritage Museum; Barnstable, MA; This small museum is crammed with artifacts and preserves the unique history of the Coast Guard. With its official motto, "Always Ready, Always Prepared," the CG's unofficial motto remains "You have to go out, you...

U.S. Route 6 runs clear across the U.S. through some spectacular landscapes. It also touches areas, some remote, where brilliant and brave engineers and construction workers risked their lives to build a never-before-seen marvels. Here are the top eight natural and man-made wonders along the road.

Cape Cod...

When you think of two-lane highways, you probably imagine small towns, tidy little main streets, undulating ribbons of asphalt through forehead-high corn fields: the picture-perfect road trip.

Sure, some of the 3,205 miles of U.S. Route 6 that goes from Provincetown, Mass. to Bishop, Calif. (and then to Long Beach,...