Eric Anderson, MD

At Baylor University you can see the skeletons of 19 Columbian Mammoths that crossed into North America and drowned in a flash flood 68,000 years ago. Plus, there's a 19th century historic village, including doctor's buggy and hearse.

Waco, Texas is home to two very different museums, one immortalizing the greatest true love story in English poetry and the other the history of the soft drink - specifically Dr Pepper.

Waco is hardly the most famous place in Texas, but, boy, does it reflect the face of Texas. Little Waco, 22nd in population with only 125,000 souls within its city limits, is the perfect destination to get the feel of this legendary place called Texas.

The experience of finding Europe in unexpected places in America is not limited to Solvang in California, but, somehow, Solvang shows its national roots better - or maybe it's just got better Danish pastries.

Napa may be California's supreme wine producer, but after years of flying under the radar Paso Robles is emerging as a strong competitor and is conveniently located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Welcome to a corner of California that is forever the home of Hamlet and Hans Christian Andersen: windmills, half-timbered houses, painted panels, Danish pastries, and even The Little Mermaid.

Destinations may have a fascinating past but they still need tourist attractions to bring in visitors. Ojai, California, is no exception - vacationers have plenty of things to do, places to stay and restaurants to please the palate.

Those who have come to make their home the Ojai Valley fall into three broad types: the artists, the educators and the spiritual thinkers. Although sometimes it's hard to separate the artists from the spiritual thinkers.

Many people who have settled in Southern California's Ojai Valley have felt the same mystique the Chumash Indians valued in the land. Early settlers embraced the clean air and bathed in the hot sulphur springs.

There are three very unique destinations on California's Central Coast that are not exactly secrets among the state's residents: a wine lover's destination, the Shangri-La of Southern California and a taste of Denmark.

Vermont has all the compromises for the eclectic tastes of people on vacation: antiques and discount mall shopping; country inns and Great Old Dame hotels; and museums and outdoor activities.

From New England Colonial inns to the Von Trapp Lodge (yes, those von Trapps of The Sound of Music) a stay in little Vermont is idyllic.

More than any city in Germany's Luther Country, Wittenberg is where you get a true sense of Martin Luther, the man - and his life. Germany's Luther Country Festival, celebrating the life of the father of the Reformation, goes on till 2017.

Russia isn't an easy tourist destination: it's the largest country in the world and the language can be difficult for English speakers. But a river boat cruise on the Volga might be the perfect solution.

In Wittenberg, Germany, Martin Luther came into his own, hammering his 95 Theses into the door of the church. It's also the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach and forensic anthropology.

The City of Towers, where Martin Luther was a monk, is worth a longer visit beyond celebrating 500 years of the man who began the Reformation.

Germany is celebrating 500 Years of Martin Luther until 2017 and there are four towns that really represent his career, starting with Eisleben, where he was born and died.

The marvelous Leipzig is not only the city that started the rejection of communism, but it is a city of music and alchemy.

A step back in time in Germany: the laboratory where Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen first discovered the X-ray.

Residenz, the opulent palace of Germany's prince bishops, is the main reason most tourists visit Wurzburg.

Dresden's fame might direct visitors' attention exclusively to the city offerings leaving them unresponsive to the surrounding countryside. That would be a shame.

The beautiful, elegant, old city of Dresden is in fact new, reconstructed to look like the original that was destroyed in World War II.

This is not an easy story to write. Buchenwald Concentration Camp is not an easy place to visit. And it's not an easy place to forget. But we shouldn't forget; we mustn't.

Weimar, a wonderful model of "small town Germany," boasts small shops, artisan stores, trade workplaces, unique museums - and it has a history.

On Capri, at the top of the island, is the house Dr. Axel Munthe restored and wrote to great acclaim. The villa is a piece of history, both Munthe's and further back to Emperor Tiberius in the first century.

Dubrovnik has an interesting history of physicians and the relationships they had with patients.

Small cruise ships may mean a larger budget, but they offer more a intimate experience and more personalized care compared to other ships that are like floating cities.

Outside of Brno, Czech Republic is the museum dedicated to the work of the monk and father of genetics, Gregor Mendel.

Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic, may be an enigma to Americans, but it's less expensive, busy and touristy than Prague. And you can walk through its very heart in a single day.

Train travel in Europe can open up whole parts of a country visitors might not see by driving. Here are the top 10 tips to make sure your travel goes smoothly.