St. Louis, the largest city in the Great Plains, is known as the "Gateway to the West." This vibrant city is famous for its iconic 630-foot Gateway Arch and its role in westward expansion. But there's much more to discover! Artisanal breweries, bowling alleys, and baseball games are essential to the city, and a rich musical heritage lives on in countless live-music venues. Explore the city's history and culture along the Mississippi River, and enjoy beautiful parks and delicious local cuisine.

In Memphis, the past doesn’t sit still—it sings and speaks. From the echoes of Elvis at Graceland to the blues-soaked blocks of Beale Street and the weight of history at the National Civil Rights Museum, the city hums with stories. Music spills from bars and porches, carried on the scent of slow-cooked barbecue. Travelers don’t just visit Memphis—they feel it deep in the bones, in every note, bite, and heartbeat.

Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is one of Asia's best-kept secrets. As the capital of the only predominantly Catholic country in the Orient, it presents a unique blend that feels slightly out of place, yet vibrantly infused with Latin American and Caribbean influences. Music and dancing are ubiquitous, and the city's warmth and enthusiasm can easily rival that of Bangkok. Manila's rich history, shaped by centuries under Spanish religious influence and decades of American consumerism, has led to the saying that the city spent "400 years in a convent and 50 in Hollywood".

Known for its "Kiss-Me-Quick" hats, sticks of rock and the ubiquitous fish and chips, Blackpool has all this and more. With miles of golden sands, stunning Victorian architecture, a host of entertainment for young and old alike and the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District right at the doorstep, Blackpool enjoys a scenic setting and easily maintains its status as the unofficial entertainment capital of the North.

Golden domes and shimmering spires peek out from the wooded hills rising above the wide Dnipro River. Leafy-green Kyiv, with its traffic-packed boulevards, shopping malls, countless churches, brilliant music and lively nightlife, has embraced capitalism, yet held firmly to its heritage. The Caves Monastery is the spiritual heart of Ukraine, and nearby, a gigantic Brezhnev-era Motherland statue bearing sword and shield casts her all-encompassing eye over the city, the river, and its island beaches.