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My ideal habitat is a warm day on a tropical beach. I’m also a sucker for beauty in all its most unusual forms (part of the reason I’m on the Board of Burning Man). So, when I heard about the Harbin International Ice & Snow Festival in northeast China (Manchuria meets Siberia: that just sounds frozen!), my initial reaction was, “How far would I travel and how cold would I get all in the name of experiencing an aesthetic phenomenon?” So, after 90 degree humidity in Malaysia, two planes delivered me to this cursed, desolate part of China (20 degrees below zero). Amidst the Siberian wind gusts and short days of daylight, Harbin is a revelation, a place where the light of collective aesthetic joy is experienced by 800,000 visitors annually for the Ice & Snow Festival (90% from China as this is one of the country’s top winter destinations). Oddly, I kept having Burning Man flashbacks...night being preferred over day due to the psychedelic visuals enhanced by the dark, the fact that thousands of artists (15k in Harbin) labor 15 days around the clock to create something out of nothing only to know that these beautiful structures will either melt (Harbin) or burn (Burning Man), and, finally, the sense that no picture or video can capture the sensory overload of being surrounded by spectacle. Think: “You had to be there.” Remember the spectacle of the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony? I heartily recommend this trek that takes place late December through February.

Why we love it: A design-forward stay in Kansas City’s sophisticated Country Club Plaza

The Highlights:
- A playful design inspired by Spain
- The creative American cuisine at the rooftop restaurant
- A rooftop swimming pool and fire pit

The Review:
The Fontaine fits right in with its surroundings in Country Club Plaza—an area styled after the plazas of Seville, Spain. In the hotel lobby, the marble floors are inlaid with tile mosaics, the walls are hung with large-scale Renaissance artworks, and the ceiling is crowned by a brilliant blue, hand-blown Murano chandelier. The 132 rooms and suites, on the other hand, have an almost coastal feel, complete with a palette of blues, charcoals, and whites. Beds are super comfy, with tapestry headboards and Egyptian cotton linens, while the Carrera marble bathrooms further pamper guests with oversize showers and rainfall showerheads.

There are loads of restaurants in Country Club Plaza, but like the shops, many are chains. This makes The Fontaine’s dining options all the more appealing. Start with a pre-dinner cocktail at The Bar, which hosts a weekday happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m., then head to dinner at Parker, the hotel’s rooftop restaurant. Even with such top-notch F&B, the Fontaine’s finest amenity remains its small rooftop pool, which is bordered by a fire pit and backed by panoramic views.

Ready-to-wear and made-to-measure dresses, shirts, pants, and skirts are just some of the beautiful things you will find in this pretty store. Around the corner from the flashier names on the Via Camerelle and a short stroll down the hill, the family-owned Laboratorio Capri is where Michele and his mother design and sew for movie stars as well as Capri locals. Shop the sandals and bags, whisper-weight scarves printed with images of old Capri, and colorful jewelry that will remind you of the island.

There aren’t too many opportunities in the Caribbean to ride on horseback to a cave. In Los Haitises National Park, located three hours west of the resorts of Punta Cana, Fun Fun (pronounced “Foon Foon”) Cave is officially known as the largest cave in the Caribbean. Though the cave itself is in the National Park, access to the land goes across a private ranch and requires a guided tour. While the nearly three-hour drive from the resorts of Punta Cana is a lengthy, bumpy, journey into the interior, the scenes from the window provide an authentic glimpse into rural Dominican life. Sugar cane sways, schoolchildren wave, and mangoes drip from the trees. Upon reaching the ranch where you begin the tour you are shimmied into a jumpsuit and saddled onto your horse. A 45-minute ride through the shaded forest brings you to the edge of the National Park. From here it’s another 30 minute walk through sun-swallowing trees until you reach the entrance of Fun Fun Cave. Sliding into a harness and climbing gear, entering the cave requires a 50 ft. repel into a tiny hole which can barely fit your shoulders. Once at the bottom, it’s a one hour slog through the depths of the darkness before reaching the other exit. Inside the cave, stalactites and stalagmites pepper the areas which fall in the beam of your flashlight, and at some areas you are forced to swim through the soothing, subterranean waters. Here, a lone rope helps guide visitors through the hidden recesses of the cave.

Puerto Princesa Underground River is set in a protected area of the St. Paul Mountain Range in Palawan. It’s a five-mile stretch of the Cabayugan River that runs through a huge limestone cave and directly into the West Philippine Sea near Sabang village (the bottom half of the river is tidal). Announced as one of the New7Wonders of Nature in 2012, it’s hard to fully envision unless you experience it for yourself. Reservations are required for the tours, which enter the underground river on a small boat. The boatman manually paddles you in as the light fades, the water becomes pitch-black, and you almost lose sight of the person beside you. The boatman will then start flashing his tiny light on the stalactites, stalagmites, and other rock formations you pass. The tour takes about 45 minutes and covers only a mile or so of the river (the inner portion is closed to the public).

When President John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas in November 1963, the world was introduced to the Texas School Book Depository building, which became the primary crime scene for the assassination. It was from a sixth-floor window in this brick warehouse that the shots are said to have rung out toward the Grassy Knoll and the motorcade along Dealey Plaza—and it’s that same floor that now houses this excellent museum dedicated to the event and its aftermath. The engaging permanent exhibits focus on everything from the political climate of the era and the actual assassination to the immediate chaos, the investigations, and even the conspiracy theories; you’ll also have the chance to watch and analyze the Zapruder film, and stand at the famous window itself. Rotating temporary installations may showcase topics like artwork inspired by the event, while a library and reading room offer opportunities for a deeper dive.

An epic canyon, Wadi Mujib serves as the last gasp of the Great Rift Valley. Where one of its many mouths opens to the Dead Sea, you’ll find the Mujib Biosphere Reserve—the lowest nature reserve in the world. Within the park, there are a series of marked trails that lead through the canyon or over the hills from the reception center, as well as stylish chalets overlooking the water that guests can book for longer stays. Winter is a particularly good time to visit for bird-watching, as flocks stop here on their migration between Europe and Africa. That being said, most people come for the chance to walk, or wade, up the canyon along the Siq Trail, a nearly two-mile path that ends at a spectacular waterfall. Don’t bring anything that can’t get wet, and know that the Siq Trail is closed in winter and early spring due to the risk of flash floods.

Four thousand modern art pieces throughout public areas and guest rooms liven up this Pudong waterfront hotel, which opened in April 2013. The highlight is the lobby’s Glass Murals, made from almost 72,000 mosaic tiles and inspired by local artist Miao Tong’s painting Sound of the Wind. Elsewhere in the lobby, guests will encounter Chinese screens, sculpted furnishings, and bronze tones that mimic the glow of sunset on the river. Rooms have taupe furnishings, with flashes of indigo and lotus-green, and abstract ink paintings of traditional Chinese garden landscapes. Some have hypnotic Huangpu River views. As with many hotels in Pudong, the property is set within a larger complex, in this case the 61-acre mixed-use Harbour City development.

Every afternoon about 5:30 PM, islanders and connoisseurs of sunsets arrange themselves at their favorite beach side vantage point on the west and south shores of Oahu for a chance to see the legendary “green flash”. In all of my years of living in Hawaii, I have only seen it twice, but sometimes I think it was a result of a very strong Mai Tai and staring at the sun too long. If you’d like to try for a glimpse of this phenomenon, you might as well be sitting in a comfortable spot with a great drink in hand. SWIM is a poolside bar with views over the statue of Duke Kahanamoku out to Waikiki beach. On an upper deck of The Hyatt Regency Waikiki, you are above street level so nice treetop and beach views are yours. I recommend the Lychee Martini ( pictured). The pupus are really good here too and if you plan it right, might serve as dinner. If not, hop over to SHOR American Seafood Grill. Visible across the pool with indoor or outdoor seating, start with amazing Baby Kona Abalone with garlic herbed butter, the tremendous seafood tower or the catch of the day you pair with a sauce you select from the list like Pineapple Shiso Relish, Hamakua Mushroom, Soy Radish etc. Insider Tip : Valet your car gratis with purchase – so get your ticket stamped and tip your valet.

See proof that the idea behind national parks—preserving spectacular landscapes—has been successful at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. In 1871, William Henry Jackson took more than 100 photos with an 8x10 plate camera. (His photos were a large part of why Yellowstone was, in 1872, named the world’s first national park.) Jackson took several shots of various places in the 24-mile long Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, including of the Upper and Lower Falls. In 2017, Jackson-based photojournalist Bradly J. Boner published the book, Yellowstone National Park: Through the Lens of Time, in which he rephotographed all but one of Jackson’s images. The book shows Boner’s modern-day photos side-by-side with Jackson’s. It turns out the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is very little changed.

If you’re into trains (or your kids are) this museum is a ferroequinologist’s (a person who studies trains) paradise. This museum houses over 100 steam and diesel locomotives, passenger cars, and cabooses as well as a G-scale model railroad in its 15-acre rail yard. There is also a restoration facility and working round table that will wow curious minds and train fans.

No one quite remembers when the hipsters started flooding into what is still a rather Kiwanis-club-style banquet hall for Mexico’s Spanish community, but they’re here to stay. Arts and media types, often in large, vociferous groups, favor the ground-floor cantina—a wide-open, too-brightly-lit space featuring a fabulous midcentury bar—where they rub elbows with domino-slamming old-timers. Yes, drinking is the big idea, but the menu of old-school Spanish fare (tortilla omelettes, croquetas, seafood, and pork dishes) is entirely serviceable, particularly after midnight when attendance peaks (it’s said it only closes after everyone clears out, almost always in the wee hours). Everyone who’s anyone claims to be “over” Covadonga, yet there they are, nightly, cutting up with beloved friends; keep your eyes peeled for genius writers you wouldn’t recognize anyway.

The trek to the HOLLYWOOD sign may be the most famous L.A. hike to outsiders, but if you’re looking for downtown views, celebrity sightings, and a typical L.A.-style glamour hike (not necessarily strenuous, but very fashionable), the 3.3-mile Runyon Canyon loop is your best bet. You’ll still get a great view of those giant letters, but you’ll also be able to spot the who’s who of the Hollywood Hills, with plenty of locals out on their routine pre-Sunday-brunch ritual. (And there are lots of grade-A brunch spots nearby, such as the Griddle Café, if you too are in search of a pancake-heavy menu.) The trails are dog-friendly, and dog-loving Angelenos take full advantage, so your pooch will have no shortage of company if you decide to bring him along.

Imagine dining right on the beach, toes in the water, under swaying palm trees along a perfect little crescent bay in Savaneta, Aruba’s charming fisherman’s town. Add a fine selection of delicious fresh seafood, an extensive wine list, and exceptional service for a romantic evening that exceeds all expectations. Go early to catch the sunset.

Nestled in the rain forest leading up to the famous Boiling Lake, Titou Gorge features cool, deep waters and smooth cliff walls formed by molten lava. If you’re wearing water shoes and a flotation device, you can actually get down in the canyon and make your way upstream through a series of pools that ends at a waterfall. If you’ve seen Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, then you’ve seen Titou Gorge before—portions of the movie with Orlando Bloom were filmed in this very spot.