When you first see them on the island all lined up in long rows looking out to sea, you'll swear they look exactly like your mother-in-law or old 6th grade teacher. In fact, no one really knows when or why the huge stone figures were carved on Chile’s Easter Island?

In 331 BC, Alexander the Great founded the harbor city, now in modern Greece, on the ruins of an Egyptian town named Rhakotis. Today, Pharos serves as a popular resort for upscale vacationers from all over the world. It's also a favorite base for international dive companies that attempt to bring up 2,000-year-old statues, coins and building ruins. For more information, go to www.greece.org

Scenic Lancaster County in Pennsylvania is one of the most attractive and enjoyable autumn destinations anywhere. At the heart of the area is the Amish community, where tourists can enjoy the picture-book farm scenery, quaint shops and some of the best fresh-food, home-style dining in the world.

Visitors always admire the the charm of the gentle Amish people who steadfastly hold on to their 300-year-old traditions, and are admirable reminders of how they maintain their unspoiled communities.

A great all-season hotel, the Banff Rocky Mountain Resort is in a beautiful setting in the heart of Canada’s Banff National Park. It’s especially beautiful in autumn, when the mountainsides all around burst with red, orange and red leaves from the surrounding forests of elm, oak, aspen and birchwoods.