Search results for

This bite-size coffee stand in the Victorian-era Strand Arcade building downtown is perfect for a midday lift. Run by the team behind Coffee Alchemy in Marrickville, Gumption serves coffee and only coffee (no food). Six single-origin bean varieties are on offer, three of them filtered hot, the other three dripped cold and served over ice. Don’t think about asking for milk, though, unless you mean a steamed drink. They’ll deny you. The staff is not snobby, just matter-of-fact. The coffees come small and extremely drinkable—even for dairy lovers.

Housed in a Victorian home in the center of town, Explore Booksellers is an Aspen institution. Inside, books on business, history, art, travel, and more are crammed into every corner, with an entire room dedicated to children’s literature. The shop also stocks numerous regional titles as well as cards, journals, and gifts and regularly hosts events with local and visiting authors. When you’ve finished shopping, grab lunch on the second floor, where Pyramid Bistro serves healthy, veggie-forward fare.

On Liberdade Avenue, amid famous designer stores, sits this five-star hotel. Each room is decorated in white and black with Victorian-inspired details. Enjoy one of the many sunny days in Lisbon, sitting outside in the terrace.

In a country with so many castles, Schloss Greinburg doesn’t rank as one of the most awe-inspiring. It is, however, particularly notable for two things. Greinburg is considered Austria’s oldest residential castle (origins dating back to 1488) and it has been owned by the House of Sachsen-Coburg & Gotha, arguably the most influential European royal family, since 1823. The castle was even briefly owned by Queen Victoria of England. Highlights of a guided tour include the rich stucco ceiling, grand chandeliers and ruby red walls of the Dining Room, and splendid courtyard, and numerous portraits showcasing their royal connections throughout the castle. Views from the castle overlook the small town of Grein and the Danube.

This challenging climb leads down to a black-sand cove on the Atlantic (go at low tide for more beach). The sheer descent involves rope ladders, safety lines, and tree-root “steps.” Once you reach the beach, cool off under the 150-foot waterfall, then face the really hard part: getting back uphill. A local guide— who can advise on the best techniques— is a smart investment for this nail-biting adventure.

There’s a reason this is one of the most iconic spots along the Grand Canyon. Located on the Havasupai Indian Reservation and hidden deep within a 20-mile round-trip hike, Havasu Falls’ sparkling turquoise waters are a popular destination for seasoned hikers who come for the amazing views, rock climbing, and swimming. The hike to the falls and back is best enjoyed with a preplanned route and plenty of stops for rest, food, and water. Because tribe members of the Havasupai, which means “people of the blue-green waters,” maintain the trails and work to keep their land as unspoiled and pristine as possible, reservations for campsites are limited and day hikes and drones are not allowed.

Don’t expect butlers, room service, or even a receptionist at this six-room lodge set at nearly 7,800 feet in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Owner Christian Keesee vacationed in Green Mountain Falls as a kid. When the New York–based art collector saw the town falling on hard times, he stepped in to restore this 19th-century lodge and start an arts festival. Keesee decorated the Outlook with works from his private collection, including original pieces by Kate Carr. The steep switchbacks of the six-mile round-trip Catamount Trail take hikers through a wildflower meadow. Modern and midcentury furnishings decorate the Outlook Lodge, where a backyard fire pit is perfect for s’mores.

Founded in 1883 by former schoolteacher James W. Brown, originally a grocery and hardware store, this venerated mom-and-pop institution continues to meet the hardware needs of the community. For any home improvement project, large or small, Brown’s extremely friendly and knowledgeable staff will tell you what tools or parts you need, where to find it, and how to use it. Currently operated by James’ grandson Hugh, it is the oldest family-owned business in Falls Church.

The Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park is a Victorian-style mansion in central Sacramento. The interior’s details, including marble fireplaces from Italy and decorations from France, are beautifully maintained and evoke the rich history of California in the 20th century. The property was built in 1877 and bought for use as the governor’s residence in 1903. The last governor to use it as a residence was Ronald Reagan. Tours are available on the hour from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays and cost $5 for adults and $3 for children over five. Don’t miss the gardens. On-street metered parking is available nearby.

To while away time, you can go people-watching and vintage shopping in Stockholm’s answer to New York’s SoHo—South of Folkungagatan, called “SoFo” on Södermalm (“Söder” to locals). This busy bohemian district boasts some of the edgiest cultural experiences in town. Visit stores like Sneakersnstuff for funky limited-edition sneakers and running shoes, or wade through rows of vintage clothes at Beyond Retro, offering styles from Victorian-era attire to 1990s grunge-rock Pearl Jam–inspired clothes, with every era in between. If you’re into vintage—vinyl records, throwback clothes, paraphernalia, odd knickknacks—you won’t find them anywhere else if you don’t find them in Stockholm’s SoFo district.

The Carré Saint-Louis (also known as St. Louis Square) is one of Montréal’s most important literary streetscapes. Famed Québecois poets Émile Nelligan and Gaston Miron called this home. Brightly painted Victorian/Second Empire graystone rowhouses line the square—one of the best leafy spaces in the city. (It’s been called “the closest thing to a European neighborhood square you’ll find this side of the Atlantic” by the Project for Public Spaces.) A few blocks away is the fabled Schwartz’s Deli. Grab a “smoked meat” to go, then come here to chow down by the fountain, surrounded by trees and 19th-century façades. (The nearest subway is Sherbrooke station on the Orange Line.)

Durango’s Cyprus Café is committed to growing much of their own produce in the gardens and greenhouse of nearby Dance Ranch, and by sourcing natural meats and sustainable seafood. Recommended favorites from the creative Mediterranean-inspired menu include the stuffed poblano pepper appetizer, as well as a warm duck salad with orange segments, green olives, and manchego cheese. The setting, in a renovated Victorian house, means seating inside and out: tables in the dining room and at outdoor tables on a patio and under a breezeway. The restaurant has received two Best in Durango awards: Best Patio Dining and Best Health Food.

Eons of running water are responsible for Hawaii’s escarpments and canyons. After a rainfall, innocuous streams, pools, and waterfalls can swell to impressive sizes. For an easy hike, walk along the Maunawili Falls trail on Oahu to glimpse the 20-foot cascade. There’s a lovely swimming hole, and you can scramble to a rocky overhang to dive into the pool below. On Maui, hike to the Makahiku Falls and climb to the overlook above to view two very different representations of water: the thundering 181-foot cataract below and the vast panorama of ocean beyond. Kauai, “The Garden Island,” is known for its spectacular waterfalls. The beautiful double streams of the Wailua Falls are easily seen from a roadside viewing point.

From the 16th to the 19th century, drovers were the men responsible for leading cattle out of the rugged Highlands to the markets in nearby towns and cities. Today, they serve as the inspiration for the Drovers Inn, a hotel and pub just north of Loch Lomond. Nestled near the banks of the River Falloch, the property offers a rustic setting for filling meals, frosty pints, and drams of malt whisky. Come for bar-food favorites like steak-and-Guinness pie, fish-and-chips, and venison casserole, and stay for the live musical acts that play every weekend. As the inn has been in operation for some 300 years, tales of various hauntings are part of its appeal.

Get ready for crowds in October in western North Carolina; leaf-peepers from all over the Southeast converge in these mountains, when the Blue Ridge erupts into red and gold...Come during the week, though, and you won’t have to fight for a parking space near the waterfalls. The stretch of U.S. highway 64 between Franklin and Highlands is known as the “Mountain Waters Scenic Byway.” Be content to drive slowly on its winding path, and just a few miles north of Highlands (one of the highest towns east of the Mississippi), you’ll see a sign for “Dry Falls.” Don’t worry--it’s not a dry ditch that you’re pulling off for. Look down into the gorge formed by the Cullasaja River and you’ll see the six-story-tall cascade. It owes its name to the fact that the river shoots off an overhang, leaving just enough space behind the waterfall for a trail--you can stay relatively dry as you walk behind Dry Falls. During periods of high flow, though, you WILL get wet; cover your camera as you walk behind the roaring water.