City Guides

Don't be fooled by the misnomer associated with the resident baseball team — the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim." Anaheim is 30 miles south and worlds away from the urban behemoth that is Los Angeles. City Guide

A cosmopolitan city with a progressive mentality in the heart of the Deep South, Atlanta has maintained ties to its unique history even in the wake of unprecedented growth. Even as the exploding population and international corporations have transformed the city into a cultural and commercial power with museums, theaters, restaurants, shopping and four pro sports teams, Atlanta also features sites that honor its role in both the Civil War and the African-American civil rights movement. City Guide

Known for an incomparable live music scene, a burgeoning high-tech industry and rabid Longhorns fans, Texas' capital city of Austin is among the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. and an eclectic cultural pocket in a state known for its old-west pride. Downtown Austin, with the state capitol building and surrounding historic districts, is bounded on the north by the University of Texas and on the south by the galleries and boutiques of South Congress Avenue, or "SoCo." The local music scene has earned Austin the moniker of "Live Music Capital of the World," and each year it hosts the South by Southwest Music Conference, featuring hundreds of bands performing shows throughout the city, in addition to smaller events like the Cinco de Mayo Music Festival, the Fall Jazz Festival and the Austin City Limit Music Festival. City Guide

Long a gritty shipping and industrial town, Charm City has enjoyed a rebirth as new development in the Inner Harbor area spreads east along the waterfront and outlying neighborhoods are revitalized. Featuring a diverse array of food, shopping and attractions, the Inner Harbor is easily Baltimore's most popular destination. There, visitors can see the National Aquarium and Maryland Science Center, or get in touch with the city's seafaring roots at the Baltimore Maritime Museum and USS Constellation. City Guide

When it comes to cities steeped in U.S. history and culture, Boston is simply unrivaled. From Boston Common to the Old State House, Faneuil Hall to Bunker Hill, the city is an iconography of colonial America. Providing a survey course in the highlights, the 3-mile Freedom Trail takes visitors to 16 sites archetypal of 17th century and 18th century America, including the sites of the nation's first public school and of the Boston Massacre. City Guide

When a city is best known for its proximity to Niagara Falls, its football team's ineptitude (albeit in four Super Bowls), heaps of snow and chicken wings, it's easy for its hidden treasures to go unnoticed. City Guide

The largest city in North Carolina's Piedmont -- the region that lies between the Atlantic coast and the rugged mountains of the west -- booming Charlotte has become a center for the banking and transportation industries. Like Atlanta, the Queen City is thoroughly modern, but it still retains pockets of Old South charm. City Guide

Spreading its broad shoulders above the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago is the undisputed capital of the Midwest. A blue-collar town in the popular mind-set, the reality of the Windy City is an utterly diverse metropolis that boasts world-class architecture, museums and theater among its many cultural options. City Guide

Tucked against the banks of the Ohio River and surrounded on three sides by hills, "The Queen City" prides itself on offering big-city attractions and amenities with small-town charm. Cincinnati is home to the headquarters of major corporations like Procter & Gamble and Kroger, it boasts a major symphony, art museum and zoo, and redevelopment along the waterfront has brought a pair of state-of-the-art sports stadiums for Reds and Bengals fans. Amidst its growth, though, the city that was once the largest producer of pork in the nation has remained clean and friendly, with a low crime rate and a laid-back attitude. City Guide

Nestled in the northeast corner of Ohio along the shores of Lake Erie, Cleveland has transformed itself from a Rust Belt manufacturing and industrial hub to a sophisticated cultural center and increasingly popular destination for tourists. Shedding its image as "the mistake by the lake," Cleveland has been revitalized by downtown development, with new museums, sports complexes, restaurants and clubs joining the already renowned Cleveland Museum of Art and Cleveland Orchestra. City Guide

Frequently overshadowed by Cleveland and Cincinnati despite being the largest city in Ohio and the state capital, Columbus has begun to forge an identity of its own with its diverse mix of business and commerce. Unlike other Rust Belt cities that feel the sting of the slightest downturn in the manufacturing industry, Columbus has remained largely immune as a center of state government, higher education (The Ohio State University) and major corporations (Nationwide Insurance, Wendy's). The city continues to improve and redevelop its downtown core, with the Nationwide Arena District -- featuring hotels, restaurants and shopping -- taking the place of what was once only crumbling buildings and an abandoned penitentiary. City Guide

Legend has it that, in 1839, young West Point cadet Abner Doubleday invented the game of baseball in a cow pasture in the upstate New York village of Cooperstown. While that version of history has largely been relegated to myth, Cooperstown remains dedicated to the sport as the site of the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, and the motif of baseball is incorporated throughout the town. Each year, legends and fans of the game alike descend on Cooperstown for Hall of Fame induction weekend festivities. The Hall of Fame Game — a major-league exhibition matchup — is also held here annually on the site of the famous cow pasture, now a ballpark called Doubleday Field.
(Click here for "Calls of the Halls".) City Guide

Everything's bigger in Big D. Populous and sprawling - especially when lumped into the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. - Dallas has an image as a city of oil-rich businessmen in cowboy boots and 10-gallon hats. In fact, it is a center of banking and technology. Although the slick downtown area lacks the cultural scene of similarly sized cities, it's beginning to catch up. Already home to the stunning Meyerson Symphony Center and Nasher Sculpture Center, the Arts District will soon add an opera house and a theater. City Guide

A gold-rush town that has blossomed into a banking and financial center, Denver's location at the base of the Rocky Mountains has made it a top destination for nature lovers, even as it has embraced art and culture. While the Mile High City boasts mountain views and the nation's largest city park system, it also features the Denver Performing Arts Center, second largest in the country. Museums, galleries and shopping populate downtown Denver, and the city's historic district, LoDo (Lower Downtown), is home to bars, restaurants and jazz clubs. City Guide

Maligned as a dingy industrial city fraught with crime and poverty, Detroit is cultivating a new image for itself in the wake of its success story as the host of Super Bowl XL. The Motor City's downtown redevelopment is among the most dramatic in the country, typified by the soaring GM Renaissance Center and new sports venues like Ford Field and Comerica Park. Meanwhile, aging landmarks like Fox Theater have been restored and refurbished, and abandoned, unused buildings are being demolished. City Guide

If there's any doubt about where the spotlight shines in Green Bay, the city's representation on the Internet might provide a clue. The Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce can be found at titletown.org. The official site of Greater Green Bay? Packercountry.com. The web site of the area newspaper, the Green Bay Press-Gazette, features a photo of Lambeau Field in its masthead and its top two sections are "Local News" and "Packers" (which is then followed by "Sports"). See our Pilgrimage special Lambeau or Bust. City Guide

The nation's fourth-largest city is renowned as the home of big oil (ConocoPhillips is headquartered here) and space exploration (NASA's mission control is located within Johnson Space Center), but it also has a lively arts scene, with its theater district ranking second only to New York City in number of seats per capita. Some of the finest museums in the country can be found in Houston's Museum District, including the private Menil Collection, an eclectic set of more than 15,000 works. City Guide

The place where basketball and the Brickyard are kings, Indianapolis has long made a name for itself with its passion for sports. But in recent years the city has taken care to nurture its growing arts scene. The "Crossroads of America" has targeted cultural districts for development, expanded the Indianapolis Museum of Art and has hosted the Indy Jazz Festival since 1999. Even the Indianapolis Zoo is enjoying a new look with its dolphin exhibit. Of course, Indianapolis won't neglect its sports in the midst of all this renovation and expansion. Between Indy Motor Speedway and Conseco Fieldhouse, it's already home to some of the most enviable venues in the world, and now the NFL's Colts have their own state-of-the art facility on the way. City Guide

Straddling the St. Johns River and covering more than 840 square miles in northeast Florida, the vast expanse that is Jacksonville ranks No. 1 in land area in the continental U.S. The city's downtown area is well developed along the waterfront -- particularly the shopping/dining/entertainment multiplexes of Jacksonville Landing and the Southbank Riverwalk on opposite sides of the river -- but Jax is also careful to maintain its natural resources, boasting more than 20 miles of Atlantic beach and the nation's largest urban park system. City Guide

Anchored on the western edge of Missouri, straddling the border and sprawling south and west into Kansas, the one-time trading post of Kansas City has emerged as a major metropolitan center in the Midwest. Famous for its music, food and ever-present fountains, the "Heart of America" is in the midst of a downtown redevelopment program, recently renovating the 18th and Vine Historic District, where bebop and jazz clubs were once homes to the likes of Count Basie and Charlie Parker. A brand new entertainment district and performing arts center are also in the making, and a new arena -- Sprint Center -- is scheduled to open in 2008. The arena will be the site of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, and it hopes to attract a professional basketball or hockey team as a permanent tenant. City Guide

Sin City. The Entertainment Capital of the World. Either way, Las Vegas might as well be an alternate universe for travelers headed to this desert oasis of lights, money and vice. With no clocks, free booze (as long as you're gambling) and the constant promise of potential jackpots, Vegas can turn even the most well-intentioned traveler into a glass-eyed slot-machine jockey. Still, its array of shows and sheer breadth of entertainment options are unparalleled west of Manhattan. And if there happens to be the occasional ill-advised wedding or gambling of the mortgage on a hand of Texas Hold'em, well, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. City Guide

Vibrant and eclectic Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the U.S., is much more than movies and beaches. While the entertainment industry, tourism, shopping and parties are important aspects of its identity, L.A. is more importantly a product of its diverse population. From Santa Monica to Hollywood to downtown and beyond, the city is home to people from more than 140 different countries, and as a result, its art, music and food are as varied as those of anywhere else in the world. City Guide

Home of the prestigious and celebrated Kentucky Derby, Louisville throws a bash each year like few other cities, attracting visitors from all over the world for the weeks-long Kentucky Derby Festival. City Guide

A city that popularized both the blues and rock 'n' roll, Memphis is a must-visit destination for any true fan of American music and its history. Electric blues legends like B.B. King and Muddy Waters honed their skills in the clubs of Beale Street, and a young Elvis Presley cut his earliest recordings at Sun Studio. Elvis's estate, Graceland, is in Memphis as well, drawing more visitors each year than any home in the country aside from the White House. When it comes to food, barbecue aficionados know there's no better place than Memphis to get pulled pork or a rack of ribs, particularly each May when the city hosts the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. City Guide

The image of Miami as a sunny paradise of pastel Art Deco architecture, endless beaches and glitzy nightlife may still hold up. But, a population explosion in South Florida combined with the region's accessibility to Latin America, has helped turn the city into a hub of international banking and trade. Yet even as Miami's strategic location and rapid growth has attracted an influx of big business, tourists continue to flock here in the simple pursuit of fun in the sun. City Guide

"The nation's watering hole" has come a long way since the rise of famous beer barons like Miller, Pabst and Schlitz in the 19th century. Milwaukee today remains a haven for brew lovers, but it is a diverse, festive city rich in history and culture as well. Miller Brewing Company, now one of the largest breweries in the world, offers free tours (and samples) at its headquarters, while the Milwaukee Art Museum, with its otherworldly bird-like addition, is an architectural landmark for the new millennium. City Guide

Maybe it's the unbearably cold winters that drive City of Lakes residents indoors for their entertainment. Boasting more theater seats per capita than any city outside of New York, Minneapolis' performing arts scene features 30-plus venues, including the famous Guthrie Theater and three more in the revitalized Hennepin Theatre District. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts houses an impressive collection of works spanning nearly 5,000 years, while the Walker Art Center features the city's signature image, the Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture. Of course, it's not all highbrow diversions in Minneapolis. Also located here is the largest mall in the nation, the Mall of America, and when the spring thaw finally comes around, the many lakes in the region offer ample opportunities for boating, fishing and swimming. City Guide

What Memphis is to the blues, Nashville is to country music. The birthplace of the Grand Ole Opry in 1925, Music City nurtured the country music scene throughout the 20th century, with early megastars like Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and George Jones -- among countless others -- all playing and recording there. Today, Nashville remains very much a product of its musical roots. In Music Valley, the Grand Ole Opry continues to broadcast out of the Grand Ole Opryhouse at the massive Opryland Hotel. Also on site is the Grand Ole Opry Museum, which features exhibits of the show's many famous guests. Downtown, the restored neighborhood known as The District offers an array of live music options amid its many bars and clubs, and the nearby Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum takes visitors on a trip through history with vintage instruments, photographs and recordings. City Guide

There's a famous drawing from the 1930s called, "A New Yorker's Idea of the United States of America," in which Manhattan is disproportionately huge and the rest of the country is a jumbled mass of incorrectly identified cities and states (Tiny Missouri is nearly on the West Coast and contains the cities of Kansas and Oklahoma). In this case, it's funny because it's true. New York is the largest city in the U.S. and an international center of virtually everything, and New Yorkers know it. Landmarks like the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty are iconic. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the crown jewel in a collection of incomparable museums. Music at Lincoln Center, theater on Broadway, shopping on Fifth Avenue, even Grand Central is the king of train stations; whatever it is, New York is the superlative. Just ask a New Yorker. City Guide

Forever the blue-collar little brother of cosmopolitan San Francisco, Oakland is enjoying a rapid growth phase as the increasingly high cost of living drives San Francisco residents to the East Bay. Redevelopment projects are revitalizing the downtown area, particularly around Lake Merritt and Jack London Square. The city also features an expanding performing arts community, and the Oakland Museum of California and the Chabot Space and Science Center are helping to boost Oakland's burgeoning tourist industry. City Guide

In Orlando, it's all about the Mouse. There wasn't much of anything going on in central Florida until 1971, when Walt Disney World opened its doors and turned Orlando into one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world. In the footsteps of its mega-success, still more theme parks sprouted up all around - Epcot Center, SeaWorld, Animal Kingdom, Universal Studios, MGM Studios and more. Still, the city and surrounding areas have plenty to offer that isn't already Disney-fied, including museums and science exhibits (Kennedy Space Center is a short trip), terrific restaurants and world-class golf. City Guide

It's been an intriguing evolution for The City of Brotherly Love since it saw the signings of the United States' two most hallowed documents in the 18th century - the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Between the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and the new National Constitution Center, Philadelphia still embraces its place in U.S. history, and it also has looked to achieve a new cultural sophistication despite its gruff exterior. A wide array museums and art galleries, a renowned symphony, picturesque parks and a revitalized waterfront area continue to prove that the nation's fifth-largest city has a lot more to offer than Rocky and cheesesteaks. City Guide

Forget the image of Phoenix as a quaint metropolis tucked away in the American southwest; this rapidly developing city is bearing down on Philadelphia and on the verge of entering the top-five most-populated U.S. cities. Such explosive growth has been both a blessing and a curse for the Valley of the Sun. While the downtown and greater metro areas have been rejuvenated and are booming economically, Phoenix is also experiencing the predictable pitfalls of urban expansion - smog, traffic, sprawl. It's not the best recipe for attracting visitors desperate for a hot, sunny day in mid-winter, but they don't seem to notice. City Guide

The Pittsburgh of today is hardly recognizable as the blue-collar factory city it was before the collapse of the U.S. steel industry. In the time following the decimation of the local economy in the 1970s and 1980s, when countless mills and mines went out of business, the city has evolved and adapted. Clean and modern, Pittsburgh is now strong in the fields of high-tech and education, though it remains home to the headquarters of U.S. Steel. That company's philanthropic founder, Andrew Carnegie, left a legacy still felt all over the city, with institutions like Carnegie-Mellon University, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Carnegie Science Center bolstering its arts and science community. City Guide

Set against the snowy backdrop of the Wasatch and Oquirrh mountains, Salt Lake City raised its visibility as a top destination for winter sports addicts after hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics. Area resorts boast of "the greatest snow on earth," and skiers flock to world-class getaways like Snowbird, Alta and Brighton. During summer months, resorts open their lifts and runs to mountain bikers in what is becoming a booming business. City Guide

Typified by its two most recognizable landmarks, the Alamo and the Paseo del Rio — or river walk — San Antonio has evolved into a city where modernism still leaves room for history. Besides the iconic mission that now serves as a museum and shrine dedicated to the Texas Revolution, San Antonio boasts a bevy of districts and sites that transplant visitors to the city's infancy, including the San Fernando Cathedral, the Spanish Governor's Palace, Fort Sam Houston and La Villita — an original settlement of Spanish soldiers. The River Walk, meanwhile, offers a more contemporary experience. With stone paths set 20 feet below street level and stretching for 2½ miles along the San Antonio River, the River Walk features plenty of restaurants and shopping, while river taxis give sightseers a unique tour through the downtown area. City Guide

California's first city and its second-largest, San Diego is like a quiet southern neighbor to big-time Los Angeles. Blessed with plenty of beautiful beaches and recreational areas, plus attractions like SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo, the city maintains a laid-back attitude even as it houses the largest naval fleet in the world and several military installations. Meanwhile, the technology industry - particularly in the field of bio tech - has helped San Diego diversify its economy and continues to foster growth throughout the area. City Guide

A city of inimitable neighborhoods and indelible imagery, San Francisco is at once a historic town and modern metropolis. Union Square, Fisherman's Wharf, the Mission District, Chinatown, the Haight-Ashbury and all the pockets of the area have distinct personalities, while the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, cable cars and endless hills make the city recognizable and enduring. With its proximity to Silicon Valley, San Francisco has endured the highs and lows of the dot-com boom and bust, though it remains a prominent West Coast banking and financial center and ranks among the country's top tourist destinations. City Guide

Superficially known for its rain, coffee and grunge music, the Emerald City is tied much more closely to the natural beauty that surrounds it. Flanked by Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains to the west and Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains to the east, Seattle is a city of gorgeous views and almost limitless opportunities for outdoor recreation. Still, Seattle boasts a distinguished arts and cultural scene as well, from the Seattle Symphony, an institution since 1903, and the Seattle Repertory Theater to the Bumbershoot Arts Festival and the Experience Music Project, Paul Allen's shrine to pop music history built in the shadow of the city's signature landmark, the Space Needle. City Guide

The dominion of Notre Dame lies in northern Indiana near the Michigan border ("Michiana") in the city of South Bend. Just outside of downtown, the renowned university's sprawling campus attracts visitors with its art and architecture, including the Golden Dome, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. And of course on Saturdays during college football season, more than 80,000 fans pack Notre Dame Stadium to cheer on the Fighting Irish. Even while the Leprechaun rules the region, though, South Bend isn't exclusively a college town. The home of the defunct Studebaker factory retains its ties to automotive history with the Studebaker National Museum, and anyone with a sweet tooth will want to stop by the South Bend Chocolate Company to check out one of the world's largest chocolate museums before stocking up on truffles and fudge. City Guide

Nestled against the shores of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, the "Gateway to the West" became famous as a launching point for the Lewis and Clark expedition into the frontier and the city continues to pride itself on its role in pioneer America. St. Louis' best-known landmark, the Gateway Arch, soars 630 feet in the air and is the tallest memorial in the country, while the Museum of Westward Expansion chronicles life in the Old West. In later years, St. Louis hosted the 1904 World's Fair (still evidenced by Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in the world), became influential in the jazz and blues scene and earned a reputation as a sophisticated sports town, particularly when it comes to its beloved Cardinals, winners of 10 World Series championships. City Guide

It doesn't have the reputation for glamour like Miami or wholesome family fun like Orlando, but Tampa, located on Florida's west-central coast, has forged an appealing identity all its own while presenting the best of both worlds. A port city that has also attracted the banking and high-tech industries, Tampa has much to offer visitors, from the nightlife of Ybor City and the relaxing western beaches to the kid-friendly destinations of Busch Gardens, the Florida Aquarium and Adventure Island. City Guide

One of the largest and most diverse cities in North America, Toronto has quietly become a major cosmopolitan commercial center -- or, centre -- while maintaining, at least in the eyes of Americans, a thoroughly unassuming façade. Its one nod to big-city grandiosity, the 1,815-foot CN Tower, is the tallest freestanding structure in the world, while the Harbourfront Centre at the edge of Lake Ontario features galleries, shopping and outdoor gardens. The Royal Ontario Museum and Art Gallery of Ontario are world-renowned, and big events like the Toronto Film Festival and Caribana -- the largest Caribbean festival in North America -- draw visitors from all over the continent and beyond. City Guide

Washington D.C. has long offered striking contrasts, and still does. Like most major cities, it struggles with the problems of crime and poverty. But for years in the early 1990s, it was the capital of the United States and its murder capital. Now the city is crawling out from under the negativity of that label as development pushes its way into neighborhoods once dismissed as unsafe. Thanks in no small part to skyrocketing housing costs and resulting gentrification, formerly poverty stricken areas like Columbia Heights and Capitol Hill are becoming rejuvenated. Meanwhile, D.C.'s stately structures - the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court - continue to project a timeless air of gravity and history as the seat of government. City Guide