Rio is a model of urbanity gone very, very wrong. The rich live in 20-story-tall seashells on white sand beaches and the poor live in dense, dirty slums where murdering your rival drug lord is as common a chore as taking out the trash. We took a tour and partied a little bit in the City of God favela. Starring: Trace Crutchfield, Elias Abreu Jr.

WABC Travel Show Host Erik Hastings tours Jackson, Vicksburg, and Natchez. Jackson, the cultural center of the state, is known for metropolitan sophistication, culinary surprises, museums, and family-oriented recreation. Vicksburg's National Military Park and museum chronicle the 47-day Civil War siege of this famous antebellum town. Natchez has preserved much of its pre Civil War aura, and carriage tours make it easy to see historic homes built by some of the wealthiest families in the nation.