Med in the U.S.A.

Western civilization found its footing in Athens, Greece, and it is in that trailblazing spirit that Philadelphia was originally nicknamed the Athens of America as it set the standard for art, culture, architecture, and politics following America’s birth. (Though Philly’s City of Brotherly Love nickname may be better known now, even that comes directly from the Greek words William Penn fused when naming the city: phileo meaning love and adelphos meaning brother.)

Boston has since tried to lay claim to the Athens of America title and Nashville built a full-scale replica of the Parthenon that stands as an art museum, but for a city that truly captures Greece, venture to Florida’s Gulf Coast, just northwest of Tampa, and seek out the blues-and-whites of Tarpon Springs. Not only does this fishing village have the largest percentage of Greek-Americans of any city in the nation, but it also created a domestic sponge-diving industry that has a prosperous history dating back to Ancient Greece.

Midas Touches 

Poseidon vs. … Wisconsin?: You can’t throw a greasy spoon in America without hitting a quality diner dishing out authentic, delicious Greek delights. But for a truly visceral sensation, get wet at the Wisconsin Dells’ Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park Resort, a wet-and-wild wonderland boasting Cyclops- and Zeus-themed wooden rollercoasters, a larger-than-life Trojan Horse overlooking a go-kart track, and Poseidon’s Rage, a wave pool just as insane as any of the 37 water slides on site.

–Rico Bronte