Baddeck, on Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island, is one of the world's magical places. Blessed with a lovely natural harbor, Baddeck also boasts a lighthouse, small marina and the Alexander Graham Bell Museum, dedicated to the great inventor who lived in Baddeck for 37 years.

Photo © Nancy Parode

Any way you look at it, the U.S. National Parks are a travel bargain. Natural splendor, historic sites, national seashores - there's something for everyone. And this weekend, you can see it all for free. The National Park Service is waiving entrance fees July 18-19, 2009. The Service has put together a handy list of parks that charge entrance fees to help you decide where to go.

If you can't get away this weekend, don't worry. There will be one more fee-free weekend this summer, August 15-16.

Photo © National Park Service

I'm a big believer in the UNESCO World Heritage Site program. Years ago, when I lived in southern Italy, I visited Matera, known for its sassi, or cave dwellings, and its rupestrian (cave) churches. Matera was a sleepy town, still struggling to extricate itself from grinding poverty.

In 1993, Matera was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The funding the city received from the World Heritage program allowed Matera to develop and market itself as a unique destination. Mel Gibson heard about Matera and chose the city's ravine and cliffs as the setting for his film, The Passion of the Christ. The rest is history. Today, tourists flock to Matera to tour the sassi and see the film sites.

Matera is just one example of a unique, culturally-significant site that has benefitted from its World Heritage Site designation. If you don't know too much about World Heritage Sites, I have just the resource for you. Martha Bakerjian, About.com's Guide to Italy Travel, has put together what has to be our biggest travel blog carnival yet, all about UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

In fact, Martha's blog carnival includes 58 (!) articles and photo tours written by About.com's travel experts, including yours truly. I encourage you to take a look and discover some of the world's most unique places for yourself.

Photo © Martti Vire

Members of the 78th Highland Regiment drill with bayonets at the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The Citadel, which has been restored to look as it did in 1870, stands guard over Halifax and its harbor as it has since 1749. Today, re-enactors take the parts of soldiers in the 78th Highland Regiment and the Royal Artillery.

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Photo © Nancy Parode