Snowdonia

Snowdonia - Deep Glacial Valleys and Some of the Oldest Rocks on Earth

Fossil shell fragments found on the top of Mt Snowdon are the remains of life on a seabed, 500 million years ago. Successive ice ages shaped the mountains of Snowdonia National Park, in North Wales, grinding smooth their profiles. Surprisingly, these mountains are not particularly high -- Mt. Snowdon, the highest peak in the range, is only 3,560 feet. But there is an undeniable presence in the way their brooding bulk hangs over wide, U-shaped valleys.

This is terrific country for mountain walks and gentler leisure walks as well as riding, cycling and pony trekking. It is also among the most dramatic landscapes in the UK and has the most rapidly changing weather.

Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall - The Northern Border of the Roman Empire

As the Roman Empire began to crumble, the Romans built a defensive wall, across the North of Britain, from Carlisle to Newcastle-on-Tyne, to keep out Picts, invading from Scotland. No one knows how long it might have held because troubles in the rest of Europe drew the Romans away from this northern most reach of their Empire.

Today, remnants of the wall can be found for about 73 miles - a lot of those remnants forming stone fences, stone barns and the cobbles in stable courtyards.

Excavations at Vindolanda, a fort and village on Hadrian's Wall, provide a fascinating glimpse into the life of a Roman legion at the edge of the empire. Exhibitions at Vindolanda and the nearby Roman Army Museum include poignant evidence of the Roman soldier's life in Britain. Included are rare letters home, written in ink on wood, asking for warm clothing and socks.

Stratford on Avon - Shakespeare's Home Town

Going to Stratford on Avon may seem like something of cliché but so what? Don't be a travel snob - there's a lot to enjoy.

According to my British friends, the best place to find Americans in the UK is Stratford-upon-Avon. It's all right for them to be a bit ironic. They're completely immersed in Shakespeareana from a very early age -- even when they don't know it.

For the rest of us, visiting the birthplace of the man considered by many to be the greatest writer the English language has ever produced, is a terrific day out, about two and a half hours - by train or car - northwest of London.

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle - An Ancient Fortress in the Heart of a City

High up on what is believed to be an extinct volcano, Edinburgh Castle has dominated the city for almost 1,000 years. The landmark is visible from almost anywhere in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Castle has had many uses over the years. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Edinburgh Castle was a prison for sailors. Some incarcerated in the dungeons of Edinburgh Castle, who left graffitti on their prison walls, sailed with John Paul Jones, founder of the US Navy.

More than a million people a year visit Edinburgh Castle, thousands to attend the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, a colorful pageant of the Scottish regiments, complete with bagpipes, tartans and lots of horses, held every August.

Grand Canyon, AZ

The canyon is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the USA and possibly in the world. The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided gorge carved by the Colorado River in the U.S. state of Arizona.

It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park one of the first national parks in the United States. Tourists have arrived at a much quicker rate since the canyon achieved National Park status in 1919.

A horseshoe-shaped glass Skywalk, opened in 2007, allows the nearly 4.5 million visitors a chance to experience vertigo.

Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

Waikiki Beach is a legendary tourist zone on the south shore of Oahu in Hawaii. This iconic Hawaiian tourist destination, on the edge of the Honolulu neighborhood that shares is name, offers splendid views of the volcanic cone, Diamond Head.

With its droves of tourists, it also made Forbes Traveler’s list of over-hyped beaches. Upwards of 4.5 million sunbathers try to relax on its sands each year.

Temple Square, Salt Lake City, UT

Temple Square is the most popular tourist attraction in the state with five million annual visitors. This ten-acre block located in the middle of downtown Salt Lake City is Utah’s number one tourist attraction.

The Mormon church’s headquarters are here, but Temple Square is more than just a destination for Latter Day Saints.