Forget the tan, the Mickey Mouse photos and the cliche souvenirs.
These days, travelers want to experience something more than the gated resort and the cruise ship buffet. They want to go on a walking tour, climb a mountain and kayak down a river -- adventures that can make a vacation more meaningful.
The view across the Potomac River from George Washington's Mount Vernon estate will remain much as he saw it more than 200 years ago, thanks in part to a purchase of 63 acres by the National Park Service.
