John Muir National Historic Site

The John Muir National Historic Site is located just between Napa Valley and San Francisco. You can visit the house that John Muir used to live in and learn about his contributions to America and the National Park system. In addition, you'll find part of the Juan Batista de Anza National Historic Trail here. If you're a collector of the National Park Passport Stamps, you'll find stamps for both at the Visitor's Center here. They also have a Junior Ranger program here to encourage children (and adults) to learn about John Muir.

Pantheon

Built over 2,000 years ago, the Pantheon has a rich history. It was originally built as a place to worship multiple Gods, but has seen itself converted into a Christian church and then into a memorial chapel over the centuries.

It is free to enter and you can even see the tomb of Raphael inside. The inside is spectacular and the view of it from the plaza outside is breathtaking. When in Rome, this is definitely a top place to visit.

Cripta Capuccini

The Cripta Capuccini is probably the most unique place we visited in Rome. While the top floor is a museum that goes through the history of the church and monastery that is also on site, the basement is the reason to visit, and something you will never forget.

There, you'll find rooms that are ritualistically decorated with human skeletons (not fake, but real ones) as a way to bury the dead. It is very artistic, but creepy at the same time. Pictures are not allowed inside, but we can safely say that a picture wouldn't do this place justice.

Viator's Vatican City Tour

For our visit to Vatican City, we decided to go on a tour with Viator on their "Skip the Line: Vatican Museums Walking Tour including Sistine Chapel, Raphael's Rooms and St Peter's" tour. This allows visitors to skip the gigantic line that can form in the high season.

Our tour guide was very friendly and spoke excellent English. He was very informative throughout the tour, told interesting stories, some fun jokes, pointed out some interesting things about the paintings and buildings -- overall it was worth it to pay for his guidance during our visit.

When in Rome, a visit to Vatican City is a must. During the high season, a tour like this definitely is worth it. If you're visiting during the off season, it isn't as necessary as there isn't a long line to enter, but it's still something enjoyable and educational.