One of the things I love most about this country is that there is so much to see and do, whether it be the bright lights of its big cities, its white sandy beaches, or its outdoor sites. Having grown up in a major East Coast city, it’s the national parks out west that interest me the most – these are the places I dream about visiting. While I had the supreme pleasure of seeing the gorgeous Arches National Park, one of Utah’s Mighty 5 national parks, my visit was much too short. I left Utah craving more of nature’s gifts to mankind. And so here’s my National Parks bucket list trip, one in which I’d put many miles on a rental car, but I wouldn’t mind since I feel driving around out west is a treat within itself.

When I travel these days, I often pack a lot of activity in what is typically a short period of time. I see and do a great deal without always taking time to step back and savor those unique cultural experiences (i.e., the stuff they don’t really tell you about in a guidebook!). So, in no particular order, here are the five places I’d like to live like a local, by way of going the slow travel vacation rental property route, rather than the traditional in-and-out hotel route.

It always amazes me when I hear that people traveled all the way to Hawaii and didn’t rent a car and never really ventured beyond where they were staying. I get the whole point of wanting to travel to a tropical destination and do nothing. But Hawaii is not some secluded island. And frankly, if all you want to do is sit on a beach, there are places much closer to home considering it’s an incredibly long day of travel when coming from the East Coast, and even from the West Coast you’re still looking at a five hour plane ride, roughly.

When people hear the name Las Vegas, images of smoke filled casinos and people betting their last $10 come to mind. But believe me when I say this is not why I want to visit. I’m not a gambler (I spent a total of five minutes at a slot machine on a cruise ship almost a decade ago) and yet I know that there’s so much more to Sin City than just its heavily marketed casinos. So here are the five things I’d like to do the most on my first ever trip to Las Vegas:

When one hears the name Disney, images of costumed characters, screaming children, and parents with less than enthused looks on their faces come to mind. While this may at times be the case when visiting a Disney theme park, with a Disney cruise it's a completely different experience. And here are five reasons why:

Too many people travel to Peru with one thing in mind. To visit Machu Picchu, one of the greatest archeological sites in the world. While Machu Picchu is undoubtedly an engineering feat (it was constructed on top of a mountain after all), it’s still not the only archeological wonder in Peru. It just happens to be the most famous one. But that doesn’t mean the other pre-Colombian sites aren’t equally impressive or unique in their own right.

We've all gone "Under the Tuscan Sun." Spent a "Year or Two in Provence." Hung out in the "Wild." Books are a wonderful way to become immersed in the world of travel, whether to get excited about an upcoming trip or to dream about a far flung destination you hope to visit one day. There are so many wonderful travel narratives out there, many eclipsed by those who have been made into Hollywood films, but that doesn't mean they're any less worthy or wonderful. Here are five books you've (probably) never heard of, but will undoubtedly inspire you to travel.

Compared to places like New York and Chicago, Pittsburgh is a fairly small city with a fraction of the number of tourist attractions and eateries. And if there’s one thing I’ve noticed since living here for the last decade, it’s that the same old venues and eateries always come up on the tourist “to do list” (Primanti sandwich, the Duquesne Incline). So whether you’ve never been to Pittsburgh before or are looking to change things up on your next trip here, here are five unique experiences you’ll only find in the ‘burgh!