From coast to coast, the U.S. is home to hundreds of golf resorts and championship golf courses. Among the best:

1. Augusta National Golf Club,Augusta, Georgia. Steeped in tradition, this course set on a former plantation has hosted the Masters Tournament since 1934.

17th hole at TPC sawgrass

Travel to Raleigh, where Old South and New South, down-home and upscale, are all in one. The city has agrarian roots in both farming and mining, but today Raleigh thrives on high-tech industries, government (it’s the state capital), education, service industries, research, and medicine. In addition to North Carolina State, there are six other universities and colleges in town.

Raleigh North Carolina

Centrally located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville has been ranked by Frommer’s travel guide as one of the world’s top must-see cities. During an Asheville vacation, surprises wait around every corner, filling your senses with art, architecture and cuisine that mix mountain with modern, classic with country, elegant with unexpected.

Asheville North Carolina

Total relaxation is more satisfying when you achieve it in the lap of luxury. Here are our selections for the best resorts and spas in the U.S.

1. Celebrity sightings are commonplace at Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, Calif. Spacious rooms overlook the Pacific Ocean. After a soak in the infinity pool, walk along the private hiking trail.

2. Enchantment Resort is an oasis in the red-rock desert near Sedona, Ariz. The Mii Amo Spa features all-day packages.

Bacara Resort & Spa

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Though Charlotte dates from Revolutionary War times (it is named for King George III’s wife, Queen Charlotte), its Uptown is distinctively New South, with gleaming skyscrapers and cultural landmarks. Uptown encompasses all of center city Charlotte, its business and cultural heart and soul.

Charlotte is also home to many residential neighborhoods, including the four wards of Uptown, Dilworth, NoDa, South End, South Park, and more. And public art is keeping pace with the city’s growing skyline.

Charlotte North Carolina

Planning a backpack hike in the mountains doesn’t have to be difficult and you don’t have to have a lot of experience to do it. Following some basic guidelines and planning can make you trip to nature much more rewarding and fun.

Yellowstone park hiking

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