Ascend the hillside streets to the Citadel, a star-shaped fort built in 1749, where the traditional Noon Gun recalls the British garrison. Visit the restored wharves of Historic Properties, now filled with shops, and Halifax Public Gardens, the oldest formal Victorian gardens in North America. Or drive out along the Lighthouse Route to the rustic fishing village of Peggy's Cove, for postcard-perfect Nova Scotian scenery: lobster pots, fishing boats, and a shining Atlantic seascape just offshore.

Drawn by the pines, granite shores, fresh lobster and stunning views from Cadillac Mountain, captains of industry once kept summer homes here. The charming little town, and all the rest, remain. And the rocky boulder beaches on its shoreline are now Acadia National Park, a preserved expanse of vintage Down East scenery.

Maine's largest city, Portland is known for its stately elms, historic homes and restored waterfront area. Considered the gateway to "Down East" Maine, this coastal city is a great spot to enjoy Maine lobster fresh from the sea. You can visit Longfellow's boyhood home or explore the Portland Headlight, the oldest lighthouse in constant use today. And nearby is Freeport, home of L.L. Bean and a large selection of discount and outlet stores.

If this man-made waterway did not exist, you would have to sail an extra 100 miles to reach the end of the Cape. Opened in 1914, this 17-mile canal is frequently filled with a flotilla of small pleasure boats, ships, trawlers and tankers. The two steel bridges that span the canal, the Sagamore and Bourne bridges, are actually owned and operated by the Army Corps of Engineers and are the Cape's only link by road to the mainland. As you glide down this waterway, keep an eye out for the town of Buzzards Bay which grew up on the banks of the canal after it opened.

A posh summer resort with a vivid history dating back to colonial times, Newport is home to fabulous summer "cottages" of the turn-of-the-century wealthy. You can tour the "Breakers," a 70-room estate surrounded by magnificent grounds and pounding surf or "Marble House," patterned after Versailles, or "Belcourt Castle," a 62-room mansion resplendent with treasures from 32 countries. Other fascinating historic sites include the beautifully preserved Trinity Church, with its Tiffany windows, and the Touro Synagogue National Historic Site, the oldest synagogue in America. Once home to the America's Cup Races, there are, of course, yachts, and a quaint town to wander.

This vibrant city is actually a rich mosaic of many "neighborhoods." Feel the excitement of Broadway with its great plays and musicals. Explore the financial district-Wall Street and there''s Soho with its galleries, famed Greenwich Village, Midtown, with its glamorous department stores and soaring architecture, and museums everywhere. It truly is a wonderful town!

When Francis Scott Key wrote "The Star Spangled Banner" during the siege of Fort McHenry in 1814, no one knew that the little town would become one of America's great seaports. Baltimore has a unique turn-of-the-century flavor enhanced by such attractions as the Streetcar Museum, its revitalized Inner Harbor and the new/old Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles. Nearby, discover 18th century Annapolis and the U.S. Naval Academy. Or spend the day in Washington, DC, visiting national monuments such as the White House, the Smithsonian, and the Washington, Lincoln or Vietnam Memorials.

Steeped in naval lore, Norfolk got its start shortly after Jamestown was founded in 1607. Its deep-water harbor is now the site of the largest naval base in the world. On an excursion, discover 18th-century Virginia in Colonial Williamsburg, restored by John D. Rockefeller as a gift to all Americans. See the Governor's Palace and the House of Burgesses, where Patrick Henry, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson served prior to the Revolution.

Aristocratic, stately and gracious, Charleston personifies the flavor of the Old South. Tour the town's many historic homes and gardens by coach or by horsedrawn carriage. Boone Hall Plantation recreates the antebellum grandeur, and the Isle of Hope recalls the Low Country past. Tour Fort Sumter where, on April 12, 1861, local troops opened fire beginning the Civil War.

Originally a fort built by the U.S. Army in 1838 during the Second Seminole War, Fort Lauderdale welcomes visitors with broad, palm-fringed beaches and an easy pace of life. Stroll along fashionable Las Olas Boulevard with its stylish shops or enjoy a sightseeing cruise through the city''s canals, boasting more waterways than Venice. Or, venture out and explore the cosmopolitan city of Palm Beach, or the wildlife sanctuary of the Everglades.