Things to Do in North America

Because Cancun is a flat coastal plain, you don’t really need to gain much elevation for a sweeping view of the town. Imagine, then, the panoramic view from atop Escenica Tower (Torre Escénica), considering the tower puts you 264 feet above the town. As part of the Xcaret network of sights, Escenica Tower offers visitors a view of the massive Xcaret complex, as well as the string of Cancun beaches all the way out to Cozumel in the distance. This is the highest point on the Riviera Maya, and because the enclosed, air-conditioned platform slowly rotates while climbing the tower, all you need to do is look out the window and take in the time-stopping view.

If Seattle takes credit for the birth of the grunge movement and thus leading garage bands into what is now all-star rock fame, then it only serves as fair that the museum dedicated to all things rock and roll be located in Seattle’s boundaries. For a city that loves music, the Experience Music Project was a foregone conclusion. Attached to and now incorporated with the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, a trip to the EMP Museum offers more than an introspective into passing memorabilia – it’s a look at the outreaches of our collective imagination made manifest by rock gods and science fiction greats. Designed by wildly famous architect Frank Gehry and funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the surreal jellyfish-like structure is as much a part of the interest in the museum as the exhibits themselves.

Many know Seattle to be located upon the Puget Sound, but the specific body of water upon which Seattle sits is none other than the great Elliot Bay. And because Elliot Bay is the most prevalent source of water when visiting Seattle, it is part-and-parcel to the inner fabric of the “city by the sound.” From the original Duwamish peoples that lived here, to the locals that come enjoy the Elliot Bay Park along the waterfront, Elliot Bay is part of the culture, and it’s here that many visitors come to explore Seattle.

With two marinas, numerous piers (including Pier 57 and Pier 59, both popular attractions), the Seattle Great Wheel, and the Seattle Aquarium, Elliot Bay provides many things to many people. Not the least of which is the great port of Seattle – one of America’s biggest and most important ports. Ferries also take commuters and tourists across the Bay to Bainbridge or Vashon Island.