Top 10 Best Summer Trips 2012 #Part1

1. Isla del Sol, Bolivia

Photograph by Heiko Meyer, Redux

Mythological birthplace of the omnipotent sun god, Inti, Isla del Sol is the largest island in Lake Titicaca (pictured here near the town of Copacabana), one of the world’s highest navigable lakes at 12,500 feet. Rocky trails shared by hikers, the local Aymara community, and pack donkeys and llamas (no cars allowed)
link dozens of pre-Inca and Inca ruins. Winter (June to September) is dry season: clear skies, bright sun, and high temperatures in the 50s. Slowly acclimate to the altitude in sprawling La Paz, the world's highest capital city (11,800 feet), before catching a bus to Copacabana, Bolivian departure point for Isla del Sol ferries. On the island’s north end, explore the courtyards and rooms of Chincana and visit nearby Titi Khar’ka, the revered Rock of the Puma. Head south to climb 206 steep, Inca-built stone steps (Escalera del Inca) to a fabled “fountain of youth.” Spend the night at solar-heated Ecolodge La Estancia—15 adobe-brick, thatch-roof cottages constructed over restored pre-Inca agricultural terraces and surrounded by high-Andes fields planted with quinoa, lima beans, and potatoes.

2. Argyll and the Isles, Scotland

Photograph by Thornton Cohen, Alamy

A few hours’ train ride west from Glasgow lies an edge-of-the-world landscape—the loch-raked Argyll coastal region and its brooding, windswept Western Isles. From the gateway port city Oban, it’s a 45-minute ferry ride to the Isle of Mull. From here, island hop around the Inner Hebrides archipelago to stroll the quartz singing (or squeaking) sands on Eigg, view Jura’s resident red deer herd, and windsurf the Gulf Stream-warmed waves off Tiree. Back on Mull, tour 13th-century Duart Castle (pictured here), ancestral home of Clan Maclean; watch the island’s celebrated white-tailed sea eagles (reservations required); and tour the Tobermory Distillery (reservations required) to sample a dram of the single malt whisky handcrafted here since 1798. From Fionnnphort on Mull’s far western end, take the ten-minute ferry ride west to Iona and the family-run Argyll Hotel. Everything here is homegrown and home-baked, so leave room for a slice of apple and raisin pie.

3. Baltimore, Maryland

Photograph by Greg Pease, Getty Images

Charm City welcomes the world to its Inner Harbor June 13 to 19 for Star-Spangled Sailabration 2012. The international festival commemorating the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the national anthem launches with a Flag Day (June 14) celebration welcoming dozens of tall ships (such as those pictured here at the Inner Harbor), and U.S., British, and Canadian naval vessels. Climb aboard ships for free daily public tours. On June 16 and 17, all eyes will be on the skies above Fort McHenry and the harbor for the first Baltimore visit by the Blue Angels demonstration squad. Head to the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on June 17 for the world premiere of “Overture for 2012,” composed by Baltimore native Philip Glass. Beyond Sailabration, summer events within walking distance of the harbor include concerts at Pier Six Pavillion (June to September); the free Little Italy Open Air Film Fest (Friday nights, July and August); and more than 40 Major League Baseball games (June 8 to August 30) at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2012.
>> Check out our Family Trip: Baltimore

4. Barcelona, Spain

Photograph by Carlos Sanchez Pereyra, JWL/Aurora

To the south and east, Barcelona’s fanciful cityscape—from playful Joan Miró sculptures to Antoni Gaudí’s fantastical architectural swirls—meets the Mediterranean Sea. In summer, the city’s collective focus shifts coastward to eight white-sand beaches and Port Vell, the medieval Catalan harbor transformed into a world-class entertainment district as part of Barcelona’s 1992 Olympics makeover. Pictured here, “The Wounded Star,” a sculpture by Rebecca Horn, looms over Barceloneta Beach (accessible by metro), where you can spend the morning before cruising the harbor aboard a traditional, wooden Las Golondrinas. Back on shore, head inside Aquarium Barcelona where you can walk through the Oceanarium’s transparent tunnel for an underwater view of rays, sharks, and morays. Certified divers (ages 18 and up) can dive into the Oceanarium’s million-gallon waters as part of a shark biology program.
>> Check out our Family Trip: Barcelona

5. Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada

Photograph by Ron Erwin, Alamy

North America’s boneyard, located about three hours southeast of Calgary in the wind-and-water-carved Canadian Badlands, was and is home to dinosaurs. Over 40 species of dinosaurs have been discovered at the Dinosaur Provincial Park UNESCO World Heritage site, and their bones, teeth and fossils are scattered naturally among the eerie hoodoos (lifelike rock pinnacles, pictured here) in the park’s preserved areas. Access to the fossil sites is limited, so make advance reservations during summer for guided tours and educational programs like the hands-on Fossil Safari. Book a fully equipped Comfort Camping canvas tent in the park campground to allow more time for hiking the five self-guided interpretive trails. To join an authentic palaeontological dig, reserve a spot (six-person limit) on one of the Bonebed 30 Two Day Guided Excavations (June 12 to August 25). Participants learn dinosaur excavating techniques and prospect for new fossil finds, contributing to ongoing research at Royal Tyrell Museum, Canada’s only museum dedicated exclusively to the science of paleontology. Source

#Part2