We are taking a two-week trip in 2009 and would like suggestions on where we should go. We want to travel outside the US. It'll be in May or late June. We focus on food and wine when we travel. We prefer countryside/smaller cities and towns over big cities but could spend some of the time in the city. Please consider exchange rates; we'd like to get a decent bang for our buck. We don't want cheap or budget, but we don't want to spend more than necessary. We've been to Tuscany, Rome, Provence, Japan, and SW Ireland. We're not interested in unstable countries. Thank you for your recommendations.

Have you ever thought of heading north to Canada?

1) still a good exchange rate
2) it is outside the US
3) we have great food and there are several lovely wine areas to tour (British Columbia and Ontario in particular)
4) last time I checked we were a fairly "stable" country

Come north and enjoy!

I have thought about it. It's now on the list. Thanks for the post.

This idea is almost like another country. Dollar-for-dollar exchange rate; a variety of good food; an assortment of unique lodging; and, pardon my attempt at bad humor, it has plenty of “stables” for its number one means of transportation – horse and buggy.

I went to Mackinac Island a few years ago, and it was wonderful. There are no motorized vehicles for transportation on the island. You either use the horse and buggy taxi service, rent a bicycle, or walk to your destination. It’s a 20-minute ride by water taxi off the northeastern tip of Mackinac City, the last town farthest north in the state. This is where Mackinac Bridge begins and takes you north to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Continuing north on I-75 will land you in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, a short day-trip away, which is usually available through your hotel along with box lunches.

Mackinac Island is one of three islands in a chain that’s located in the chilly waters of Lake Huron. Many of its lodging facilities have no air conditioning because you don’t need it. I stayed at Mission Point Resort, across from the lighthouses used for the main channel next to its neighboring island. With a nice breeze coming through your room’s open window at night, the sounds are relaxing: horses lightly clip-clopping by, a barge or small ship churning the water past the lighthouse, and, most enjoyable, quietness beneath the sky of a billion stars. I stayed awake most of my first night purposely taking it all in.

And then, there’s the famed Grand Hotel, the setting for dozens of motion pictures, and the choice of celebrities, the affluent, and just plain average people who enjoy affordable five-star lodging. Whether you stay at the Grand or somewhere else, the Grand’s High Tea at 5:00 p.m. is delightful with live chamber music, tea (or coffee), and all sorts of fresh-made goodies.

In the evening, there are a few small nightclubs with live music, dancing, beverages, and snacks. Our hotel provided bicycles for our commute to the clubs. And speaking of bicycling, don’t overlook the eight-mile bicycle trek around the island. Box lunches also available. As you return from your ride, stop at one of the many fudge shops for some of that fresh-made confection.

I want to go back! For a preview, rent Somewhere In Time with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, filmed there in 1980.

Remember, the island is only open for tourists from May to the first week in October.

Argentina. Dollar still goes far, there's great wine and food, and a tremendous variety of landscapes to wander in.

Argentina. The exchange rate is very favorable, the wine is fantastic and the food is relatively cheap. Chile could be a good option as well. I just spent two weeks in Greece and it was incredible, although you will definitely not get a "bang for your buck", it will be memorable.