Finger Lakes New York, United States

 The Iroquois attributed these long, narrow lakes to the Great Spirit, who laid his hands in blessing on this particularly beautiful area of upstate New York, but it’s more likely that glacial activity carved them out eons ago. Most are deep—Cayuga and Seneca, the largest, are 435 and 618 feet deep, respectively, and about 38 miles long. Together, these 11 parallel lakes cover an area no more than 100 miles across in a bucolic region where the sleepy Main Streets of waterfront towns like Geneva, Skaneateles, and Hammondsport invites strolling and antique hunting. 

The Finger Lakes are particularly known for their “boutique” vineyards—today numbering close to 100 and recognized for some of the country’s best Rieslings and chardonnays. The Finger Lakes is a group of eleven long, slender, jaggedly north-south lakes in an area called the Finger Lakes region in New York, in the United States. This part of the world straddles the northern and transitional edge, recognized as the Finger Lakes Uplands and Gorges ecoregion, of the Northern Allegheny Plateau and the Ontario Lowlands ecoregion of the Great Lakes Lowlands.

Of the area’s various trails, the most popular is the Keuka, named for what is widely considered the most beautiful of the lakes. The route takes in the pioneering Dr. Konstantin Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars, outside Hammondsport, and nearby Pleasant Valley Wine Company, whose eight historic stone buildings add up to one of the best tours in the region. Geneva on the Lake, a 1910 Roman villa–inspired hotel, has a beautiful expanse of parterre garden leading down to a pool on the shore of Seneca Lake. 

At Skaneateles Lake—among the cleanest in the country—the Mirbeau Inn and Spa is a Francophile’s dream with a garden that would woo Monet. Along Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway lies Aurora, a tidy little town of 650 that is experiencing a renaissance thanks to Pleasant Rowland, creator of the American Girl dolls. Rowland restored the lakeside Aurora Inn, a redbrick Federal-style inn from 1833, and its neighbor, the 7-room E. B. Morgan House. The Aurora Inn’s dining room opens onto a waterfront veranda, where American classics, like oven-crusted pork tenderloin, are paired with wines from neighboring vineyards. 

Hadrian’s Wall - Hexham, Northumberland, England

Here legions once marched, sheep now peacefully graze. A few sections are all that remain of this dividing wall that was constructed some 1,800 years ago as the demarcation line for the  northwesternmost border of Rome’s mighty empire. Named after Emperor Hadrian (a.d. 76–138), who ordered its construction, the wall spanned 73 miles across England, between Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast (beyond Carlisle) and Wallsend on the east coast (beyond Newcastle), with major forts and smaller “mile-castles” dotted along its length.

Work was begun in 121 by some 18,000 soldiers and indentured slaves and was abandoned around the year 400 as the Roman Empire crumbled. Today, the wall is Britain’s largest ruin dating from the Roman era and is one of northern Europe’s most impressive and important Roman sites. The best-preserved chunk is a 10-mile stretch in Northumberland, to the east of Carlisle and within striking distance of England’s much-visited Lake District (see p. 16).

Also, in this area are some of the region’s finest Roman forts, including Birdoswald, Vindolanda, and Housesteads, all with attached museums giving a fascinating insight into daily life on the wall for Roman soldiers. Walk beside the wall for a mile or two or hike its entire length on the Hadrian’s Wall Path—one of England’s most popular national trails. Or rent a bike and sample the equally popular Hadrian’s Cycleway.

South of the ancient wall sits several modern towns, including Haltwhistle, which claims to be the geographic midpoint of the country, a fact celebrated by the Centre of Britain Hotel. Dating from the 15th century, the hotel combines classic and contemporary style with a friendly welcome and good service. For more history and greater creature comforts, retreat to the nearby Langley Castle Hotel, about 7 miles east of Haltwhistle in the village of Langley-on-Tyne.

Built-in 1350 during the reign of King Edward III, its turreted 7-foot-thick walls and original medieval stained-glass windows, and spiral staircases enchantingly evoke the past. It’s a pocket of modern luxury complete with an acclaimed restaurant. Where: Hadrian’s Wall is between Carlisle and Newcastle, about 250 miles/ 400 km north of London.