San Juan is the biggest city and the capital of Puerto Rico. It covers an area of seventy-seven square miles and has a population of over four hundred and twenty thousand resident. The city is one of the main sea ports of Puerto Rico and is the center of the island’s cultural, financial, manufacturing and tourism trade. San Juan can trace its history to the sixteenth century, when Juan Ponce de Leon founded the settlement of Caparra, just west of modern San Juan. The following year, this settlement was relocated to a site called Puerto Rico, which in Spanish means “good port”. Thirteen years later, the settlement was given its official name, San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico, to honor John the Baptist. The settlement of San Juan was used by the Spanish as a base for military and merchant ships traveling from Spain to the Americas. Because of its importance in the Caribbean, the Spanish constructed a series of forts to protect the traffic of precious materials traveling from the Americas to Spain. As a result of the gold laden transport ships that were traveling from the area to Europe, soon the city became a target by foreign powers.

In 1595, Sir Francis Drake led a series of attacks on the city during the Battle of Puerto Rico. Three years later, George Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, led a similiar attack against San Juan. While the artillery fire from the forts in the city managed to repel Sir Francis Drake, it did not stop Clifford. He managed to mount a beach head and siege the city. George Clifford was forced to withdraw, however, because his troops began to suffer from illness and physical exhaustion. San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico would once again get attacked twenty-seven years later by the Dutch, but the city was able to repel the assault. In 1746, the name of the city changed from San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico to San Juan Bautista and the island became known as Puerto Rico. For the next fifty years, San Juan enjoyed a nice break from foreign attacks. But, in 1797 that would change. Sir Ralph Abercromby mounted an attack on the city, but once again the city was able to repel it.

During the Spanish American War, the United States Navy sent a force, commanded by Rear Admiral William T. Sampson, to attack the city. In this force were battleships such as the USS Montgomery, USS Detroit, USS Terror, USS New York, USS Indiana and the USS Amphitrite. These battleships pounded the city with heavy artillery, but no ground troops were put into the city. Two months later, General Nelson A. Miles took three thousand soldiers and landed at Guanica. The American soldiers met heavy resistance from Spanish and Puerto Rican forces. The next month, military actions were suspended after French Ambassador Jules Cambon (acting on the behalf of Spain) and American President William McKinley signed an armistice. Later that same year, Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States under the terms of the Treaty of Paris.

Today, San Juan is a popular tourist destination. This is due to its warm climate, beautiful beaches and the many attractions that the city offers visitors. One of the more popular attractions in the city of San Juan is Old San Juan. Old San Juan is the historic colonial section of the city and the oldest settlement that is located within the territory of the United States. This city has narrow cobblestone streets and stone buildings that have flat brick roofs. Most of these buildings date back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when the island was a possession of Spain. Barrios (or neighborhoods) in this area include Mercado, San Francisco, Puerta de Tierra, San Cristobal, Catedral, Ballaja and Marina. This area contains many prominent forts and defensive structures. These include Fort San Felipe del Morro, Fort San Cristobal and El Palacio de Santa Catalina.

Another prominent attraction in the city of San Juan is the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico. This museum was built in the 1920s by architect William Shimmelphening, with a new wing added in 1996. The Museum of Art of Puerto Rico covers an area of one hundred and thirty thousand square feet and the building is designed in the neoclassical style. It is considered to be one of the largest museums in the Carribean and one of the few art museums on the island. This museum has eleven hundred works of art that date from the seventeenth century to the present day. Artists represented in its collection include Ramon Frade, Domingo García, Anaida Hernandez, Manuel Hernandez Acevedo, Marcos Irizarry, Epifanio Irizarry, Antonio Martorell, Jose Morales, María de Mater O’ Neill, Arnaldo Roche Rabell and Julio Rosado del Valle.

Other attractions in the city of San Juan include Acampa, Rocaliza Adventure Tours, EcoQuest Tours, Castillo de San Felipe del Morro, Castillo de San Cristobal, Haitian Gallery, Museo de Casa Blanca, San Juan Cemetery, Segway Tours of Puerto Rico, Paseo de la Princesa, Plaza las Americas, Aventuras Tierra Adentro, San Juan Cathedral, Parque de las Palomas, Legends of San Juan, Teatro Tapia, La Fortaleza – Palacio de Santa Catalina, Maricao Forest Preserve, Plaza del Mercado, Museo de Las Americas, San Juan Gate, Felisa Rincon de Gautier Museum, Cafe Carli Concierto, Museo del Nino, Bacardi Rum Plant, Museum of History-Anthropology and Art, Aquatica, Luis Munoz Marin Park, Puerto Rico Surf Academy, Isla Verde, La Muralla, Plaza de Armas, Puerto Rican Art & Crafts, Parque Central Municipio de San Juan, Fine Arts Cinema, Museo de Nuestra Raiz Africana, Hijos de Borinquen, Condado Lagoon, Statue of Ponce de Leon, Chapel of Christ the Savior, La Princesa Gallery, Casa del Libro, Iglesia de San Jose, Luis Munoz Marin Foundation, Munoz Rivera Park, Convento de Los Dominicos, Flavors of San Juan Food and Culture Tours, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Puerto Rico, El Farolito, San Juan Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino, Galeria las Americas and Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico.

Lahaina is the largest city in Maui County, Hawaii. It covers an area of seven square miles and has a population of over nine thousand residents, though this number can often swell to over forty-thousand people during the tourist season. Lahaina covers the Hawaiian coast along highway 30, through Olawalu and all the way to Honokowai. The name Lahaina can be attributed to the phrase “La Haina”, which is Hawaiian for ”wicked sun”. As of the 2000 census, the city had twenty-six hundred households and eighteen hundred families. Lahaina’s population density is around fifteen hundred people per square mile and the housing density is about five hundred and twenty-six houses per square mile. The racial composition of Lahaina can be broken down in the following fashion; forty-three percent are Asian, almost ten percent are Pacific Islanders, twenty-six percent are caucasian, less then a half percent are African American, seven percent are Hispanic, seventeen percent are mixed ethnicities and one third of one percent are Native American. Of all the households in the city, forty-eight percent were married couples, twenty-seven percent had children under the age of eighteen and twelve percent had a female head of household with no male present. Average household size was three and a half people, and the average family size were four people. Median income in the city was $61,000 and the average household income was $80,000. Per Capita income is just under $30,000.

Lahaina can trace its history back hundreds of years, when it was the royal capital of Maui Loa. Before the Hawaiian islands were unified, Lahaina was attacked by Kamehameha the Great. Between 1820 and 1845, the city was the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii. It was during this time that Betsey Stockton founded the first missionary school. Lahaina was also an important port for the whaling industry during this period of time. The whalers presence in the city often caused terrible conflicts between them and the Christian missionaries living in the area. Several times these conflicts escalated to the point that the whaling fleets would shell the city. Most sections of modern Lahaina can be traced to the early nineteenth century. This is especially true of Front street, which dates back to about 1819. Front Street is home to many restaurants and stores, and during the tourist season is filled with visitors to the islands. It is also the entertainment hub of the city, especially when it comes to West Maui’s nightlife. Another historic portion of the city is Banyan Tree Square. This square features a gigantic banyan tree that was planted in 1873 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of arrival of the first missionaries. The tree has gotten so large that it now covers almost two thirds of an acre.

Lahaina has beautiful natural surroundings and many different attractions to offer visitors. The city also hosts a number of special events and festivals. One of the more well known activities in the city is the PGA Tour’s Mercedes Benz Golf Championship at Plantation Course in Kapalua during the month of January. A lot of tourists choose to visit the city during Halloween. In fact, it has become such a major event in the city that the crowds often top over thirty thousand people. Halloween night is started off by the closing of Front Street to automobiles so that the Keiki Parade of Children in Costumes can begin. Then adults join the festivities and the mood of the celebration changes to a party. Lahaina also hosts the Maui Invitational and the Vic-Maui Yacht Race.

A popular attraction in the city of Lahaina is the Wo Hing Society Hall (also known as the Wo Hing Museum). This building was built in 1912 and served the Asian population that was living in the city and working in the sugar cane fields. By the 1940s, the Asian population of the city began to shrink and the building was abandoned. In 1982, it was placed on the state’s register of historic places. It would be restored in 1983 by the Lahaina Restoration Foundation. After a year of restoration, the building was opened up to the public as a museum. The museum consists of two parts, a main building that contains two floors and a cookhouse. On the first floor of the museum is a collection of Chinese artifacts and early twentieth century memorabilia of the city. The second floor contains a Taoist altar, a Guan Ti altar and various Chinese relics. The cookhouse contains artifacts that are related to cooking and contains a small theater. This theater often shows films that Thomas Edison took of Hawaii during the turn of the century.

Lahainaluna High School is the second oldest high school west of the Rocky Mountains. It was established in 1831 as a Protestant missionary school and was originally known as Lahainaluna Seminary. It was the first school established in Hawaii and has remained in constant operation. The school has a graveyard where several pioneers of the town are buried. The school is place high on a hill and offers the most spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and the islands of Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe. Notable alumni of the school include David Malo, Keali’i Reichel and Samuel Kamakau.

Other attractions in the city of Lahaina include Kaanapali Beach, Safari Boat Excursions, Lanai Passenger Ferry, Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy, Kaanapali Golf Courses, Ocean Project, Scotch Mist Sailing Charters, Lei Spa, Feast At Lele, Kaanapali Sunset Luau at Black Rock, Hula Girl Excursions, Ulalena by Maui Theater, Ironwood Ranch, Maria Souza’s Stand Up Paddle School, Drums of the Pacific Lu’au, Napili Beach, Whalers Village Museum, Zensations Spa, Teralani Sailing, Atlantis Adventures, Lahaina Snuba, Maui Diving Scuba Center Snorkel Shop, Warren & Annabelle’s Magic Dinner Theater, Maui Surf Clinics, Ultimate Whale Watch, Lahaina Kaanapali and Pacific Railroad, Lahaina Jodo Mission, Kahekili Beach, Lahaina Kaanapali Railroad, Waiola Church, Maluuluolele Park, Whale Center of the Pacific, Maui Zen Day Spa, The Spa at Black Rock, Kaanapali Beach Hotel, Lahaina Cannery Mall Free Hula Shows and Teralani Sailing.

Granada is a city in Spain that is located at the base of the Sierra Mountains and is situated at the intersection of the Beiro, Darro and Genil Rivers. It covers an area of eighty-eight kilometers and has a population of over two hundred and thirty thousand residents. Granada lies at an elevation of seven hundred and thirty-eight meters above sea level and is the capital of the province of Granada. This city is well known for its superb educational system and also for its nightlife.

Granada can trace its roots back the fifth century BC when it was a Greek colony named Elybirge. It remained in the hands of the Greeks for several hundred years until it fell under the rule of the Roman Empire. The Romans changed the name from Elybirge to Illiberis and used it as a prominent trade hub for the better part of sixty years. The city was then transferred into the hands of the Visigoths, who used it as a military installation. It would continue in this capacity until the eighth century when the Moors captured it and renamed it Ilbira. This period of Moorish rule would last until the eleventh century when civil turmoil caused the destruction of the city. This unfortunate event was followed by a reconstruction phase where the Jewish suburbs of Garnata were successfully incorporated into the city. The name Granada is taken from the name of this suburb. In 1013, Granada became an emirate called the Taifa of Granada. With its new status it began a period of growth that witnessed the city expanding across the Darro River. By the end of the fifteenth century, Granada was surrendered to Isabella and Ferdinand after the city was laid under siege.

Today. Granada is a city with spectacular architecture that is influenced by not only European architecture but is also influenced by Moorish and Islamic architecture. As a result, Granada is a city that is beginning to enjoy a rise in tourism. One of the most popular tourist attractions in the city is Alhambra Palace. Alhambra Palace is a fortification that was constructed in the fourteenth century by the Moors. It sits on a plateau that is twenty-four hundred feet by six hundred and seventy-four feet and covers an area of over four hundred and twenty-six thousand square feet. Alhambra Palace consist of a fortified wall that has thirteen towers and encloses various palaces and other key features. These include the baths, the Court of Lions, the Court of Myrtles, Hall of the Ambassadors, Hall of Two Sisters, Torre del Agua and the Torre de les Damas. Another popular attraction in the city is the Palacio de Generalife. This beautiful palace was built in the fourteenth century to be used as the residence of the Granada’s Sultans. Its composed of the Patio de la Acequia and the Jardín de la Sultana. The Patio de la Acequia consists of a pool that is surrounded by colonnades, pavilions and flowerbeds. The Palacio de Generalife lies just east of Alhambra Palace and sits on seventy-five acres of land.

Another popular attraction is the Palace of Charles V. The Palace of Charles V was built during the Renaissance and is situated on Assabica Hill. Its construction was ordered by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. The palace encompasses an area of one hundred and eighty-nine feet and features a circular inner patio. It has two levels, with the lower levels containing doric columns. Not far from the Palace of Charles V is Granada Cathedral. Granada Cathedral foundation was laid in 1518 right on top of a mosque located in the city. It took over one hundred and eighty years for the cathedral to be built and several architects worked on the project over that time. These include Juan de Maena, Juan de Orea and Ambrosio de Vico. The main features of the cathedral include two statues of the Catholic King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel. There are also busts of Adam and Eve and the famous Chapel of the Trinity.

The Castril palace is one of the most prized Renaissance palaces in the entire city and was constructed in 1539. It was designed by the architect Sebastián de Alcántara and is a beautiful example of the Spanish Renaissance style. Housed within it is the Archaeological Museum of Granada. The Archaeological Museum of Granada contains many ancient artifacts from the Egyptians, the Romans, the Greeks and the Carthaginians. It also contains many beautiful examples of Moorish art.

The architecture of Granada is so rich and diverse that a tourist could spend weeks looking at the beautiful buildings and neighborhoods in the city. Some of the more prominent ones include the The Charterhouse, Calle Calderería, El Cármen de los Martires, Santa Ana Church, San Salvador Church, El Corral del Carbon, Hospital Real, Santo Domingo Church, San Jose Church, Almorabitín, Sacromonte Abbey, Bermejas Towers, San Juan de Dios (also known as Basilica of St. John of God in English), The Gate of Elvira, Casa de los Tiros, The Cube, the garden of Fuente Nueva, the garden of Federico García Lorca, the garden of Carmen de los Mártires, Botanical Garden of the University of Granada and the Zaida Building. The city streets also bustle with the many street merchants, restaurants and cafes that litter the streets of this magnificent city. And there are many hotels for the tourist who visit Granada. These include the Hotel Macia Real de la Alhambra, Hotel Las Almenas and the Macia Condor.