The birthplace of the Oldsmobile and Michigan's automotive centre, Lansing has a number of car-related attractions such as plant tours and automobile museums, but there are other forces driving this capital city. On the political side, there's the award-winning State Capitol Building, completely restored in 1992, where tourists are impressed by the glass-floored rotunda and acres of decorative hand-painted surfaces. The Michigan Historical Museum, which boasts a great collection of items from Michigan's past, including a recreated copper mine, will please history buffs. Children and families will enjoy taking a camel ride at the Potter Park Zoo or spending the day cycling through Sleepy Hollow State Park. On the cultural side, the nearby campus of Michigan State University is a must-see for the Kresge Museum and for the beautiful campus itself. Entertaining and educational attractions, great shopping, fabulous restaurants and a variety of affordable accommodation make Lansing worth the ride.

Backpack-wearing students permeate the streets of Ann Arbor, home to the University Of Michigan. But there's more to the city than academia. A popular destination for families, Ann Arbor boasts child-friendly museums with exciting hands-on exhibits and art museums with prestigious collections. Couples and single travellers enjoy the eclectic shops, ethnic restaurants and hip nightclubs, while book lovers are impressed by the more than 30 independent bookstores. From mysteries and crime to holistic healing and yoga, each store has a unique personality and area of expertise. Most of the major attractions are located in the same area, making it easy to hop from one to the next and enjoy all this vibrant city has to offer.

Nassau teems with Bahamian and British flavor. The capital city of the Bahamas boasts miles of spectacular beaches and stretches of vivid coral reefs perfect for snorkeling. Shop, dine, and sightsee, particularly along busy Bay Street, or if you're a James Bond fan, visit the British Colonial Hotel, which was used as a filming location for two of the Sean Connery-era movies. Visit during the famed Junkanoo Festival to experience a high-energy parade of spectacularly costumed dancers.

Lively nightclubs pulsing with Caribbean beats drive the nightlife scene of Cabarate, a breathtaking beach town. Not even the stubbornly two-left-footed can keep their toes from tapping when the sun goes down on Cabarete, which brims with culture and energy. Beachfront bars cum discotheques are the perfect spot to shake what your Mami gave you.

Generally a quiet place graced with lovely terrain for strolling, Glastonbury is very busy in the summer because of its music festival. Best known for contemporary music, the festival has attracted almost 200,000 people in recent years (whereas Glastonbury's full-time population is only 9,000 or so). There are a number of historical monuments to see in the area, including Glastonbury Lake Village, Glastonbury Abbey and the Somerset Rural Life Museum. We can't say that the weather is always good, but on a sunny day you can't go wrong!