I love under-the-radar destinations. Schenectady, a sweet balance of history and modern multicultural flair, is a prime example of why. Upstate New York’s original “Electric City” sits only 15 miles from Albany, the state’s capital, but a world away. Settled by the Dutch in 1661, it played a crucial role in the development of early American industry and innovation, primarily in electronics and locomotion. Thomas Edison founded General Electric at Mohawk River-hugging Schenectady. It’s also where I found a surprising urban-pastoral balance of early-U.S. architecture, inviting parks, scenic bike paths, welcoming restaurants, and engaging locals.

Award-winning artist and sculptor Tyree Guyton started The Heidelberg Project in 1986 as a political protest after he returned to his old Detroit neighborhood, the Heidelberg area in the McDougall-Hunt Neighborhood, and found dereliction and debris. Drugs and crime made the neighborhood unsafe to walk even in the daytime. He began cleaning up vacant lots with the help of his grandfather, Sam Mackey. Then he took the first step in what became known as the Heidelberg Project; he painted his mother's house with brightly colored polka dots as a statement that we are all different but should all be treated equally. It became known as the Dotty Wotty House, sometimes called the People's House.

On a breezy summer morning, I embarked on a tour of the villages of the Cotswolds. Famed for its quaint half-timbered buildings, overhanging upper storeys, and narrow alleyways, the villages of the Cotswolds possess undeniable charm.  Small group tour leader Ian McKenzie led us from the university town of Oxford into the inner recesses of the Cotswolds. Designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Cotswolds spread across five English counties—Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire.