1 . Four Unmissable Cultural Attractions in Cambridge

Set on the east bank of the River Cam, Cambridge is surely one of England’s most traditional and famous cities, where there is a world-famous university and great writers, thinkers and scholars. It comes as no surprise that this age-old centre of learning is home to a variety of splendid museums.

Fitzwilliam Museum

The Fitzwilliam, a museum at the University of Cambridge, houses about half a million artworks worldwide. Highlights include masterpieces by Titian and Canaletto, Anglo-Saxon jewelry (珠宝), and a wide range of priceless china, to name just a few. The museum is closed on Mondays.

Polar Museum

This small museum is based in the university’s Scott Polar Research Institute, set up by a surviving member of Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova Expedition (探险) to Antarctica. It’s packed with all manner of objects relating to polar exploration; sleeping bags, Inuit artworks and expedition diaries. The museum is open from Wednesdays to Saturdays; check the latest times before visiting.

Museum of Zoology

Celebrate the diversity of animal life at this university museum, which has some of the best natural history collections in the world. It’s home to a variety of impressive exhibits, from an almost-70-foot fin whale to an African elephant. The specimens (标本) on display cover the whole animal kingdom. It is open from Tuesdays to Sundays.

Centre for Computing History

With a focus on the social and cultural impact of technology, this museum explores the incredible advances made in computing over the past few decades, as well as during the earlier days of the Information Age. It’s a great day out with children, with mobile phones, calculators, game players and old-fashioned computers all on show. The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

2 . Best Hotels Along the California Coast

Crystal Cove Beach Cottages

These 1938 beachfront rooms occupy a part of Newport Beach’s Crystal Cove State Park. At the beginning, developed as a movie set, these attractive houses, now repainted in lively beach style, aim to remain the original look with Murphy beds.

Advance booking is required, as the rooms sell out the moment they are available (可获得的).

www.crystalcove.org.

Montage Laguna Beach

Standing guard over 30 beachfront acres, Montage Laguna Beach transports you to that pleasant house with marble baths, comfortable bedding and ocean views.

Three swimming pools, including one just for kids and another relaxation space, four onsite restaurants and a kids club are just a small part of the outstanding service offered by this hotel.

www.montagehotels.com.

Terranea

Just south of Los Angeles, atop the Palo Verdes Peninsula, Terranea offers ocean-view guest rooms along with heated baths and rain showers.

Families love the huge swimming pool, the water slide, the kids program, the nightly bonfire (篝火) and the selection of kid-friendly restaurants. The young appreciate the dirt road that snakes away into the distance.

www.terranea.com.

El Capitan Canyon

Just north of Santa Barbara in a coastal corner, El Capitan Canyon promotes a life lived outdoors, with some extra comfort.

Guests stay in heated tents (帐篷) decorated in the Native American style with raised beds, and private outdoor picnic tables. Guests can also access a swimming pool, and taste dinners at the award-winning restaurant.

www.elcapitancanyon.com.

3 . 4 places in the Midwest that look like they could be in Europe

If an expensive overseas trip isn’t in the cards for you right now, don’t worry. Take a road trip from Chicago and check out these Mid-western tourist spots that look like they’re straight out of a European postcard．

★Niles, Illinois

If you visit a square at 6300 W. Touhy Avenue, you’ll find a pleasantly European surprise — a half-sized copy of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Constructed in1934 to hide a water tower, the Leaning Tower of Niles stands 94 feet tall with a 7. 4-foot tilt which looks like the Italian one．

★Lindsborg, Kansas

Originally settled by Swedish immigrants, Lindsborg’s Scandinavian culture remains clear through public art and Swedish specialty shops, so prepare to collect Scandinavia n clothes, cookies, and wine. Best of all are the town’s yearly Scandinavian celebrations, where you’ll find various Swedish traditions．

★Frankenmuth, Michigan

Lovingly called “Little Bavaria”, this central Michigan town look like they’ve been transported straight out of a Franconian village. For the full Bavarian experience, you can stop by one of its restaurants for traditional German food. You can also learn a little more about the town’s Franconian origins．

★New Glarus, Wisconsin

Many people in Chicago know New Glarus for its brewery. Take a walk there and you’ll soon realize why it’s called “Little Switzerland”. Named after the big city of Glarus in Switzerland, New Glarus’ wooden houses, Swiss restaurants and museums, and gently hilled landscapes make for an almost Alpine（阿尔卑斯山的）experience．