Travel24

Maybe you've never done more than dip a bare toe into Clear Creek while enviously watching the play boaters during lunch break in Golden.

Hear the word museum and odds are you conjure up an image of portrait halls and sculpture gardens - the traditional home of traditional art. However, the world is a huge, creative and even quirky place. So to satisfy those offbeat tastes here are 10 quirky museums.

Driving to the Outer Banks of North Carolina feels like driving to the end of the world. And yet when you land on the iconic series of barrier islands that stretch for 200 miles along the scraggy Atlantic coastline, just barely hanging on to the Southeastern coast of the United States, you're hardly in apocalyptic territory.

Like Amy Farrah Fowler — the character she plays on "The Big Bang Theory" — Mayim Bialik has a Ph.D. in neuroscience. Unlike Fowler, Bialik, 37, leads a well-rounded life that includes camping with her family and friends — something she prefers to more traditional traveling.

China's biggest city and financial hub is known for designer boutiques and fine dining. Yet Shanghai also offers activities that cost nothing, from walking on the riverfront Bund to sculpture parks and historic sites. Here are five.

RAPID CITY, S.D.—Mount Rushmore National Memorial may be the most famous landmark in the Black Hills of South Dakota, but it's not the only one.

ABOARD NORWEGIAN BREAKAWAY—I'd been at sea on Norwegian Cruise Line's new ship, Norwegian Breakaway, for more than 14 hours but I didn't feel the ship moving until I tried to do a dance move with the Rockettes.

Denver is the best departure city this summer for domestic travel in the United States, according to CardHub.

Denver International Airport earned several high rankings among U.S. airports in some of the industry's most prestigious awards, but the survey reveals U.

Like the trains and cars it highlights, "America on the Move" at the National Museum of American History was built for the long haul. The exhibition opened in 2003, and 10 years later, the collection - with motorcycles, trucks and even a locomotive - remains one of the most popular stops at the museum.

"Don't you dare cry! You're going to finish this day with a smile on your face!"No, I wasn't talking to a 4-year-old about to have a meltdown in the middle of a theme park.

LONDON — Everyone likes a bit of excitment on holiday. But for those bold travelers who enjoy testing their limits with exhilarating stunts, rides and thrills, the members and editors of

When it comes to summer vacations, everyone has specific goals in mind. Some of us look for total relaxation — we want to get there, drop our stuff in one spot, and then not move a muscle for a week. Others long to make every minute count, and thus the more activity, the better.

In an area more famous for its fancy hotels and pricey real estate, finding a quiet place along the Roaring Fork River where you can power down can be a challenge. Snowmass Cottages is a not-so-hidden hidden gem, a cluster of cabins that sit a mere quick turn off the highway.

Those familiar with the hut system in Colorado don't usually use the words "luxury" and "hut" in the same sentence, but the Opus Hut sits decidedly on the more extravagant end of the backcountry experience.

Maybe you may already know about Dunton Hot Springs, the remote restored ghost town in Dolores, a sumptuous setting framed by the San Juan Mountains between Cortez and Telluride.

Tiny Green Mountain Falls sits just north of Pikes Peak and is surrounded on three sides by Pike National Forest. Secluded and quiet in winter, the mountain town comes alive in the summer.

Built in 1918, this sprawling resort in pale-pink stucco sports three 18-hole golf courses, a lake, a full-service spa, more than two dozen shops and the state's only AAA five-diamond restaurant.

What's more relaxing than a meditation vacation? Probably one taken at a 600-acre mountain retreat, a serene and unique destination created more than 40 years ago as a place for guests from all backgrounds to visit for contemplation and relaxation.

This is an experience rather than a place, and the bonus is, you get to check out two lodgings and two towns — not to mention a helicopter or Cessna ride, to boot.

Don't be fooled by the unassuming exterior of the plain-looking Chateau Chamonix — inside, not only is this a charming and romantic lodging, but the owners could not be more welcoming, handing you a glass of wine upon arrival and going above and beyond to make sure your visit to Georgetown is exactly what you're looking for.

NEW YORK—The Statue of Liberty is reopening July 4 after Superstorm Sandy flooded the island where it stands.