Thank you, RTW1 and MichaelBrighton

Your comments and suggestions are very helpful.

TRW1, I appreciate the additional suggestions for places to visit. I'll do some additional research into them. I'll also consider the bike rental idea; that might actually be a fun way to explore some of the areas.

MichaelBrighton, I appreciate your comments and questions. I should have been more clear in my comments. When I mention countryside, I'm not necessarily talking about farmland, I'm thinking about less developed areas, smaller roads and small villages and towns to visit. They don't need to be tourist sites or have any special event. We just like to explore very local places. I apologize for any confusion.

Thank you. I appreciate your input and the time you are devoting to this exchange of information.