PARTY TIME! EXCELLENT! Saint Lucia's Jazz Festival is a don't-miss shindig (Digital Visions) Saint Lucia There's a lot to recommend Saint Lucia at any time of yearthe famous pitons, sweeping hilltop views, a distinct and vibrant cultureand in May th

GENTLY DECEIVING: The Colorado River flows calmly through this section of Canyonlands National Park before a stretch of rapids en route to Lake Powell. (courtesy, NPS) Raft through Canyonlands National Park, UT Arguably the best rollercoaster ride i

AQUATIC ROMANTICISM: Californias Big Sur, site of the Post Ranch Inn (PhotoDisc) Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, CA If you only splurge once this lifetime.this sanctuary is unparalleled. Its your own private slice of mystical Big Sur. With towering redwo

MONUMENT NO MORE: Great Sand Dunes graduated from National Monument to National Park in 2004. (Corbis) Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO Despite being one of the nations newest national parks (inscribed in fall 2004), the sculpted dunes of Great Sa

Inhale the aromas of delectable cuisine, dance to Latin American music, and attend performances at eight venues as San Diego celebrates Fiesta Cinco de Mayo (courtesy, www.fiestacincodemayo.com ) Vancouver, British Columbia It should come as no surp

Experience the past, present, and future of blues music at the Chicago Blues Festival. (courtesy, ChicagoFests.com ) Chicago Blues Festival A year after the great Muddy Waters died in 1983, Chicago held its inaugural Blues Festival in Grant Park to

SCHOOL'S IN: A school of French grunts in Bonaire (Photographers Choice) Ocho Rios, Jamaica The promoters of the Ocho Rios Jazz Festival want to emphasize two things this year: first, that the festival will highlight world jazz, and second, that all

LONE RUINS: Escape the Inca Trail crowds and hike the quiet 30-mile Salcantay Route to Machu Picchu. (PhotoDisc) Kiteboard in the Columbia River Gorge, WA and OR Between June and September, the Columbia River Gorge vacuums cool Pacific air into the