Things to Do in North America

Kauai's capital city is Lihue, though with a population in the low thousands, "˜city' may be overstating things a little.

It is the island's main shopping destination, however, with a Macy's and other big-name department stores you'll recognize. You'll also find a variety of good restaurants in Lihue.

The town's proximity to the airport makes scenic air tours a major reason to visit.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), set within L.A.'s Hancock Park beside the La Brea Tar Pits, is an exciting place to explore both the world of art and the art world. Here you can purchase a ticket to the latest big-budget show (like lily-pad-loving Monet or local anti-hero Tim Burton), take a comfy seat in the busy lecture/movie hall, or immerse yourself in rare and varied collections.

Much of LACMA's art represents the area's diverse citizenry. Mayan sculptures honor the city's huge Mexican community; the spiral-path Asian wing reflect three of L.A.'s most influential populations "” Japanese, Korean and Chinese; Persian tile-works and intricate paintings allude to the city's thriving Beverly Hills community of Iranian expats; and mysterious carvings and totems from Tonga, Papua New Guinea and more are a nod to L.A.'s often-direct-flight proximity to the islands of the Pacific Rim.

Wander through historically important European artworks, then take a spin through the Broad Contemporary Art Museum, LACMA's newest section, to experience the state of modern art collecting. Established in 2008 and resembling a futuristic sailing vessel, this wing of the museum was funded by LACMA founding chairman and real estate magnate Eli Broad and his wife Edythe. Many of the Broad's works are by controversial art stars Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons; be sure to see Koons' beautifully detailed Train, a miniature cast from pure silver and bourbon.

Outside the Broad, Chris Burden's Urban Lights invites you to wend your way amongst cast-iron street lamps salvaged from across the city. To the left of these lights, you can wander amongst Rodin castings in the sculpture garden, and back on LACMA's north lawn, stroll without fear beneath Michel Heizer's enormous Levitated Mass, a 340-ton granite boulder suspended over a concave walkway. After exploring the museum and grounds, take a seat at the resident Ray's & Stark Bar, which offers lunch, dinner and one of the best happy hours in L.A.

LACMA is open daily except for Wednesdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

One of only three historic Japantowns in the United States, Downtown L.A.'s Little Tokyo is a compact commercial district centered around the Village Plaza, a warren of food stalls, restaurants, and shops jam-packed with Japanese products. Home of the first California Roll (created at the now-closed Tokyo Kaikan sushi restaurant) and the oldest food purveyor in Los Angeles (mochi bakery Fugetsu-do), the Village Plaza sits across from the 85,000 square-foot, Smithsonian-affiliated Japanese American National Museum, dedicated to the 130-plus year history of Japanese people in California and beyond.

Though Little Tokyo had been a thriving residential and commercial center for L.A.'s large Japanese community since the early 20th century, the U.S. policy of relocating Japanese-American immigrants to internment camps during World War II all but emptied this neighborhood in the early 1940s. When the war ended, some original residents returned, but many moved out to the nearby San Gabriel Valley. The district remained culturally important to the local Japanese community, however, and when Japanese-owned businesses and banks began investing in the area in the 1970s and '80s, it experienced a financial resurgence that has continued to protect it from most non-cultural re-development.

Today, area attractions include a monument to Japanese-American astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka, who died aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986; a small Japanese garden on the rooftop of the Kyoto Grand Hotel; the Go For Broke Monument, which honors Japanese-Americans who served in the U.S. Military during World War II; the Geffen Contemporary, a special-exhibition space affiliated with the nearby Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA); and several early 20th-century Buddhist temples.

Little Tokyo offers street and public-lot parking, lies within walking distance of The Walt Disney Concert Hall and MOCA, and is easily accessed by subway stations at Union Station (the Red Line) and Little Tokyo itself (the Gold Line).

Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910) was a 19th century American author, poet, teacher and founder of Christian Science, and this library, research center and museum gives visitors the chance to take a glimpse into her life. This inspiring New England woman achieved many things during her lifetime and was a pioneer in many fields from business to publishing, education and women's rights, especially during a time when women had very little power or voice to be heard.

At the Mary Baker Eddy Library you'll learn more about this remarkable woman through exhibits, collections and a library, which is home to "one of the largest collections by and about an American woman." While an attraction located in a Christian Science church might scare some off, the exhibits presented are interesting and informative, touching on an array of topics and issues.

Begin your exploration in the Quest Gallery to learn more about the achievements of Mary Baker Eddy through photographs, documents and exhibits and computer-based "quests" that electronically take you through life's challenges, many of which Mary Baker Eddy faced herself. In the "Journey Toward Home" exhibit visitors are taken through this woman's most significant moves, which is important to understand as Mary Baker Eddy viewed relocating as relating to power. And in "Transcending Boundaries" you'll see the work of young artists from Artists for Humanity as the exhibit showcases Polaroid portrait photos of these youths with captions that answer a question on global connections, for example, "What do you want to ask someone from across the globe?"

The highlight of a visit to the Mary Baker Eddy Library is undoubtedly the Mapparium, a three-story stained-glass globe that takes visitors into an inverted Planet Earth as it appeared in 1935 to literally be in the middle of the many countries and cultures around the globe. Learn about geography, history and have some fun with the globe's unique acoustics. A music and light show enhances the experience and reminds you that your ideas have the power to change the world. Additionally, artifacts and documents further tell the story of how this inspiring exhibit came to be.

Don't leave without perusing the gift shop, which sells books, clothing, artwork, accessories, memorabilia and an impressive selection of beautiful globes.