Dubbed the Queen City, Charlotte reigns over a 300-square-mile (482-square-kilometer) hodgepodge of neighborhoods that spin out from the banks of the Catawba River. From brewery-heavy art districts to historical corridors dripping in charm, consider Charlotte a crowd pleaser.

You may have all heard that everything is bigger in Texas. Well, Dallas does its best to fulfill that promise. You'll find several museums with vast art collections and fascinating specialty museums like The Sixth Floor Museum/Texas School Book Depository, which, though small in size, offers an immense amount of information about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. And of course, visit a local steakhouse for a terrific (and enormous) meal.

<p>North of Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Preserve and south of Tambor Bay, along a forested sandy bay, Montezuma has numerous beaches, waterfalls, good fishing, seafood, surfing, snorkeling, horseback riding, hiking, and bicycling. </p><p>Playa Las Manchas is popular for snorkeling, though you need to be mindful of riptides as you gaze at the parrotfish, rays, puffers, and needlefish. The kids will like exploring the colorful rocks and tide pools at Playa Rocas. Beachfront cantinas, bars, and restaurants are plentiful in Montezuma. Playa de los Artistas on the Montezuma beachfront serves sushi, pizza, and vegetarian dishes by lantern light at driftwood tables on smooth sand floors beneath bamboo lattice ceilings. </p><p>Playa Montezuma hosts the fishing fleet. Hike half an hour to the endless sands of Playa Grande to swim, surf, boogie board, or sunbathe nude where the waves are big and the currents less strong. Horseback ride, bike, or hike the beachfront path north towards Playa Cocolito, where El Chorro waterfall tumbles into the rocky ocean. Follow the river upstream from the beach to find more waterfalls for swimming. </p><p>Playa Los Cedros, a small scenic beach flanked by a waterfall and large banyan tree near Cabuya, has a right-handed point break favored by experienced surfers when the south swells get going good. The beaches and tropical forests at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Preserve are protected as a national park. Surf at nearby Mal Pais, Playa Santa Teresa, or Playa Carmen. Surf camps can teach you the basics. </p>