Traveling on the level in Switzerland, home of the Alps?

You bet if you can handle the occasional up and down slant. The trick is to take the country's wonderful trains through the mountains to see what else is there.

My suggestion: Head east to the Neuchatel region in the foothills of the Jura Mountains, home to Switzerland's famous watch, cheese and chocolate makers.

The old town of Neuchatel begins across from the lake of the same name and winds up through yellow sandstone buildings from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Tip: If you go in July or August, the tourist train will do the climbing for you. The 45-minute tour, which stops at the 15th century castle, runs four times daily then; Sundays only in May and June, Saturday and Sunday in September.  

 One don't-miss, the Jaquet-Droz automatons in the Museum of Art and History down by the harbor. Like 18th century computers, they are three young figures.

The scribe can write up to 40 words in any language that uses the Roman alphabet. The female pianist breathes and compresses the keys of the pipe organ to play four different tunes. The draftsman draws a cupid, a dog or a portrait of a man. They will amaze you just as they have the crowned heads of Europe since 1774.

Tip: Hotel Beau-Rivage is situated on Lake Neuchatel adjacent to Esplanade du Mont-Blanc, a formal garden interspersed with sculpture - artists include Arp, Vasarely and Robert Indiana - all of which is nice and flat.

Ever spend a day at the beach and return home sunburned, sand burned and exhausted?

Have we got a deal for any of you lucky enough to live or be passing by near Jacksonville Beach, FL.

Cruise over to the beachfront Casa Marina Hotel and Restaurant and sit down to their Sunday Brunch. Linger over the meal and by the time you've finished, your ocean-view room should be ready.

Suit up and stretch out on the soft sandy beach. No need to be hasty, let your repast settle before taking to the ocean waves or beach combing for shells. Shower, nap or survey the surf from your room if you like then head for the Penthouse for a cocktail.

Warning: You'll have to negotiate stairs to the Penthouse but the view and ambiance are worth it.

Sleep tight then watch as the rising sun turns the ocean pearly shades you never knew existed. Enjoy a Continental breakfast and head off for home or office refreshed and glowing.

Best of all, do it for $139 - room, brunch, cocktails and breakfast for two.

Sounds like Leveler heaven to me.

Taiwan rarely makes it into most travelers' Asian bucket list, which is a shame. The country is small, a little larger than Maryland, but filled with amazing sights, natural and man-made.

In Taipei, the capital city, you'll find one of the world's finest museums with arguably the world's best collection of Chinese creativity. The National Palace Museum houses the best of China's cultural heritage which was rescued from invading Japanese by Chiang Kai-shek in 1931 and eventually transferred to Taiwan in  1948-49.
Also one of the finest bookstores, Eslite, five stories of literature that's open 24 hours a day.

Tip: Travelers from the U. S. and a number of other countries who find themselves at the Taipei airport with  at least seven hours to spare between connections can take advantage of a free, visa exempt tour. Depending on the time, it might hit city highlights, nearby villages or night markets.

Gourmets will want to try the world famous dumplings turned out in steamy profusion at Din Tai Fung.

Tip: Levelers, this restaurant is four floors of invariably full tables and booths. Stairs are narrow and there is no elevator, but make the effort if you can. The steamed crabmeat and pork dumplings are to die for. Don't be deterred by the crowd standing around in front of this hole-in-the-wall; most are waiting for take-out orders.

Night markets, the CKS Memorial Hall, temples adorned with brightly-colored Chiao-Chi pottery figures and wonderful wood and stone carvings are just a few of the city's other delights you don't want to miss.

Taiwan is a mountainous country and Taroko Gorge is one of the most mountainous spots (up to 9,000 feet with 27 of the country's 100 tallest peaks) but that's no excuse for Levelers' missing it.

The scenery is phenomenal at Taiwan's Grand Canyon and its surrounding mountains. Marble lined and tree-filled with more twists than an Ocean's movie plot, Taroko will take your breath away.

A 30-minute flight from Taipei to Hualien then an unforgettable 20-minute drive along the sea-hugging Chingsui Cliff will get you there. 

Tip: You can drive or take a motorized tour to many of the high-spots, the best of which is the Tunnel of Nine Turns. This engineering marvel will take you via a relatively flat, paved surface that winds through tunnels and along cliffs for a bird's-eye view of the gorgeous gorge carved over the centuries by the Liwu River. Don't miss it. 

Title get your attention?

Mountain country is usually a challenge to Levelers, but in Dawson County, GA, about 50 minutes north of Atlanta, I recently found ways to get up close without arduous climbs or stairways that go on forever.

Amicalola Falls State Park is the site of the tallest cascading falls east of the Mississippi River and the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, but Levelers can find maximum beauty with limited effort.

 Letting the car do the climbing for you may not be the greenest approach, but if it's that or missing out, I say go for it.

Start at the bottom by following the signs to the reflecting pool where you get a view of the falls from top to almost bottom. It's a great place to let the kids drop a line. 

Tip: It's totally flat here and if the pond has been stocked recently (ask a ranger), expect to catch some trout.

Next, hit the middle via the West Ridge trail. It's a spectacular view at the end of a quarter-mile-long trail. The trail includes a slight elevation change and a few stair steps, but its surface of recycled tires provides a soft, springy feeling underfoot. It leads to a bridge that extends over the falls.

Tip: From here you can see the falls gushing from the top and cascading down and around the mountain. To get the best picture of someone with the falls as a backdrop, walk down to the fourth or fifth step on the switchback of 425 steps (aren't we feeling smug about now?) and aim back up to where your subject is posed at the corner of the walkway. Snap a photo of those steps going down while you're at it. No need to tell anyone you didn't climb them unless they ask specifically!

Continue on up the West Ridge route to the overlook atop the falls for a spectacular look at how the spring-fed creek burbles quietly along until it starts its precipitous fall with a roar.

Tip: A few stone steps and a path with a slight elevation change takes you to another bridge over the falls.

Keep driving up and you'll reach the four-story, 56-room non-smoking lodge where the rooms are comfortable, the food is good and the view across the valley and foothills from a rocking chair on the back deck is down-right therapeutic. Best of all, you didn't have to practically cripple yourself getting there.

Tip: The park also has a few campsites and 14 one- to three-bedroom fully equipped cabins. The upper cabins have fireplaces, the lower ones are by that burbling stream.  The two-bedroom No. 4 would be my pick: not only is it the best designed, it's ADA compliant, all on one level with a deck and fire pit out back and a gentle slope down to the creek.

Who says we Levelers can't enjoy mountain country?