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Carleton Point is the historic site of the first settlement on Treasure Cay Beach, where 600 Americans loyal to the British migrated in 1783, at the end of the American Revolutionary War, preferring to live in the British-controlled Bahamas rather than the newly independent United States of America. The settlement they built was named Carleton Point after Sir Guy Carleton, a British military commander in New York who oversaw the evacuation of the Loyalists. The settlement was short-lived, however, as the Loyalists abandoned it in 1785 after a hurricane hit, but artifacts have been uncovered at the site, and a plaque now marks its location.

Growing up I did not have access to anything like Disney so for a weekend I too was a kid again and love it :). I loved the rides and I really loved the parade. Both the kids and us were mesmerized by the colors and music. I recommend going during the off season and on a week day. That way the lines are really short and the waiting time is not more than 10 minutes.

Easily El Salvador’s most popular beach, the “Sun Coast” is equally popular among locals and visitors, particularly during the vacation time of Holy Week, or Semana Santa. The 15-kilometer long beach has many services, including restaurants and water and sand sports. While it does not have an off-the-beaten path feel, it is easily accessible.

One of the South’s top art institutions, the High Museum was established in 1905 with a collection of European works. Over time, it has expanded to include modern art, regional artists, and rotating exhibits on everything from designer sneakers to the Terracotta Warriors to the Louvre’s most notable works. Outside, guests can view Rodin’s famous sculpture The Shade, which serves as a memorial to the 106 art patrons from Atlanta who died in a plane crash in 1962. Also outdoors are several interactive exhibits that encourage visitors to get up-close-and-personal with the art.

When most people look at a piece of turquoise, they see a pretty blue stone. The people of New Mexico see water, sky, bountiful harvests, and a source of health and protection. Turquoise has been a valuable stone—in jewelry, for ceremonial purposes, and as an object of trade—for more than a thousand years. Many works of art incorporating turquoise are on permanent display in New Mexico, at institutions like the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe. You can also, however, see (and touch) them at street festivals and markets along with weaving, pottery, silverwork, Kachina dolls, and more. You may even decide to take a bit of New Mexico home with you.

Named 2016’s best new restaurant in America by Bon Appétit, Staplehouse is still Atlanta’s hardest reservation to score. Husband-and-wife team Ryan and Jen Hidinger dreamed up the restaurant after a series of successful supper clubs, which they hosted in their own home. Before they could open, however, Ryan was diagnosed with stage IV gallbladder cancer. Atlanta’s restaurant community rallied around the couple, raising money for Ryan’s treatments and eventually founding the Giving Kitchen charity. Eventually, the Hidingers leased a space and brought in Ryan’s sister Kara and her boyfriend, Ryan Smith, to run the restaurant. Ryan passed away in 2014 but his legacy lives on at Staplehouse, where Jen now serves as the business manager. While Ryan’s story is at the heart of the restaurant—a portion of the proceeds goes toward his charity—it’s Smith’s seasonally inspired menu that has kept Staplehouse on top.

If you’re a fan of Chianti—or Italian wine in general—this is sacred ground. Winemaking has been in the Ricasoli family for centuries (some say this is the oldest winery in Italy, and one of the oldest in the world), and it was the 19th-century Baron Bettino Riscasoli—known as the Iron Baron—who invented the formula for Chianti at Brolio Castle in 1872. It’s worth a visit here for many reasons, including the sheer beauty: The castle is surrounded by nearly 3000 acres of valleys and wooded hills, and is home to 580 acres of vineyards and 64 acres of olive groves. The long list of tours and tasting experiences incorporate both the landscape and the history. Choose from a short Classic Tour, with a bit of background and some tastings, or from several options that take you into the vineyards, the ornate castle, and/or the manicured gardens. There’s also an active vineyard trekking experience, a sunset tasting, a private tasting/lunch inside the castle, and a progressive picnic that takes you to three scenic spots.

Just north of the Red Cliffs National Conservation area and adjacent to the Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness, this recreation area is ready to accommodate day visitors and overnight campers in small or large groups. At 6,900 feet, it’s high enough to break the heat in the summer and provides lots of opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, and fishing. The camping and day-use areas are in a fragrant ponderosa pine forest with some oak trees in the mix. The camping possibilities are easy and inviting: picnic tables, fire rings with grills, tent pads, clean drinking water, public grills. Reservations can be made, but there are also a few first-come, first-serve sites available.

Isla Blanca is in fact a narrow peninsula some 30 minutes north of Cancún, with the lagoon to the west and the Caribbean to the east. Seemingly no one except the locals come to this untouched, isolated beach, dotted with tiny seafood restaurants, the occasional vacation cabin, intermittent lounge-chair rentals, and a growing camp of kite surfers. You’ll need to arrive by car via coastal highway that quickly turns to rough dirt path, but the experience transcends the rusticity once you hit the Caribbean’s pristine white sands and cool turquoise surf; the lagoon’s shallow, brackish waters, just steps from the ocean, provide ideal fly-fishing and kite-surfing conditions.

Deep in the wilderness about an hour’s drive north of Kingstown, Dark View Falls cascade off a cliff and into a pair of natural pools, where everyone gathers to swim in the crisp, clear water. The hike to the falls takes only about 10 to 15 minutes, but involves crossing a jungle-style bamboo bridge across the Richmond River. After passing through a clearing in a picturesque bamboo grove, you’ll arrive at the first fall, where you’ll find a gazebo, changing room, picnic area, and viewing platform for enjoying the beautiful scenery. Another short, more difficult walk will take you up to the second fall, directly above the first.

Also known as the High Test Deli & Sweet Shop, this local standby—situated just over the state line in Bryson City, North Carolina—has fueled hikers, area residents, and tourists for more than a decade. The signature Cuban is a best seller, but every sandwich is customizable, with more than a dozen bread varieties, nearly as many cheeses, and all the proteins you’d expect from a top-notch deli. Still, you wouldn’t be blamed for skipping the meats altogether and heading straight for the “frozen sandwich” section, where you can choose from a creative selection of ice cream sandwiches that will challenge even the most decisive sweet tooth.

Unlike the gussied-up lodges on the north flank of Yosemite Valley, Curry Village offers decidedly more casual fare, catering to the crowds in the campsites and tent cabins that sprawl along this side of the valley. The Pizza Deck has indoor and outdoor seating and, conveniently enough, shares space with the Curry Village Bar—a particularly popular place in nice weather. The Meadow Grill serves burgers and grilled sandwiches, while the Pavilion offers all-you-can-eat buffets for breakfast and dinner, including a salad bar, pasta bar, make-your-own taco station, and dessert table. Note: There are food options available from January through November.

Mirroring a Parisian bistro, La Plage is simple, chic, and unassuming. Carefully tucked away in North Goa, the restaurant has a laid-back atmosphere that complements its stellar French menu of crispy sardines in lime zest, prawn lollipops on sugarcane, beefsteak, grilled calamari with eggplant, and fresh fish soufflé. Frequented by celebrities and locals, it sports a casual vibe, with up to five friendly house dogs roaming around. Save room for the chocolate thali: A play on the savory Indian dish, this sweet version features several decadent samples of truffle, soufflé, ice cream, crepe, and mousse. During high season (December to February), reservations are a must for the evening hours.

Buddha statues in lower Pak Ou Cave on the Mekong River north of Luang Prabang, Laos. Pak Ou is a series of limestone caves which contain hundreds of Buddha statues palced there over the centuries. It is a popular pilgrimage site for local people, especially during Lao New Year in April when the caves are crowded with devotees who gain merit by ceremonially washing the Buddha statues. The caves can be reached by boat from Luang Prabang in about 30-40 minutes.

Once upon a time, Europe (mostly Switzerland, France, Belgium, and the UK) dominated the chocolate market and through aggressive marketing and downright colonialist extraction methods, became erroneously known for being the world’s experts on cacao, yet cacao came from South and Central America and didn’t grow anywhere near Europe. Recent years have seen the best chocolate rightfully return to the source where it originated—Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela, where a boom of quality chocolate has replaced reimported European milk chocolate sold to those cacao producing countries for generations. But Switzerland is back in the game with this excellent new chocolate shop by local food expert Dieter Meier and his patented cold pressed extraction method that brings out the botanicals and nuances of these sourced cacaos in ways other chocolate manufactures cannot. The results are Cuban, Bolivian, and Guatemalan single bean bars ranging from white to 80% dark that are unlike anything else on the market. The tiny shop overlooking the Limmat River opened in December 2017 and is not cheap, but worth every rappen for its exquisite expression of flavors.