#1387 Wandering the World at the Huntington in San Marino, California

Few libraries make for an exciting getaway. This one is all that and a 207-acre complex of botanical gardens. With seven million items, including rare books and manuscripts dating back as far as the 14th century, the Huntington is one of the largest research libraries in the country. Although the archives are only open to qualified scholars, the public exhibition hall offers a glimpse at the collection, which includes the Ellesmere manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and a copy of the Gutenberg Bible on velum. Outside, visitors tour replicas of the world’s most beautiful landscapes including an Australian garden, subtropical garden, rose garden, jungle garden, palm garden, Japanese Zen garden, and the recently unveiled Chinese-themed Garden of Flowing Fragrance.