Pisa's Leaning Tower to be open to climbers
Nearly 12 years after the last tourist made the dizzying climb up Pisa's Leaning Tower, the public will be allowed back inside later this year -- at a price.

• Washington's cherry blossoms near peak bloom
It's a "rite of spring" for Marylanders Joanne and Brad Long. Michigan mom Rebecca Bouche was so impressed as a schoolgirl she brought her children to recreate her Washington springtime experience.

• Antiquing in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is famous for its canals, spring-flowering bulbs and red-light district.

• Nassau offers softer side for serenity seekers
So close to the U.S. mainland, Nassau has long lured Americans -- from British loyalists who fled there after the Revolutionary War to more recent converts enticed by the high-rolling glitter of its casinos -- wanting a quick dash to the sun.

• Ballpark tours field dreams of baseball fans
While other families vacationed at national parks and amusement parks, Brian Merzbach's family visited ballparks. He's a grownup now, but the tradition lives on for the 27-year-old IBM programmer, who heads out with his brother each summer to explore America's baseball Meccas.

• Towering beauty abounds in Chilean Patagonia
The Torres del Paine National Park in Chile is a hiker's paradise, nearly 450,000 acres packed with fantastic panoramas. You can watch rain clouds swirl, admire the power of a giant waterfall or relish a view of the glaciers.