Around 1000 AD a group of Vikings established a village on the northern peninsula of Newfoundland in an area now called L'Anse aux Meadows -- a pre-Columbian European settlement in the western hemisphere commemorated in exactly zero national holidays in North America. This historical event was not forgotten by UNESCO (or Canada), however, and L'Anse aux Meadows was selected as one of the first 12 World Heritage Sites in 1978. After I learned about this Viking settlement in North America in school, I made sure to visit when I took a road trip with my father through Atlantic Canada in summer 2006. The museum at L'Anse aux Meadows offered a comprehensive and informative history of viking exploration in North America, but the highlight of the visit was the archaeological site outside the museum. All that remains of the village are mounds where buildings used to stand; however, sod houses from the settlement have been recreated, and Viking interpreters offer tours explaining how Norsemen lived 1,000 years in the past. It takes a considerable effort to travel to L'Anse aux Meadows, but the Viking history on display and the extremely scenic coastlines of Newfoundland make this an unforgettable site to visit.

Logistics: L'Anse aux Meadows requires an automobile to visit. The settlement is approximately five hours north of Deer Lake Regional Airport and at least seven hours north of the Port aux Basques ferry terminal on Newfoundland.