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Connect with the great outdoors without having to rough it out.

Overview

A trip to the Big Easy isn’t complete without a muffuletta (or two).

Tahiti is the birthplace of surfing, and the island offers a few excellent beginner breaks as well as one of the world’s most powerful waves, Teahupo’o. To hone your surfing skills, visit the Tura’I Mataare Surf School in Paea, which offers both single and multi-day lessons by qualified instructors that include equipment rentals in the fee. Located on the southern half of the island, known as Tahiti Iti, the monster wave at Havae Pass, also known as Teahupoo, is the wave that experts make pilgrimages to ride – please don’t attempt unless you know what you are doing. This is where the Billabong Pro Championships are held each year over a week in August.

The Te Papa museum combines New Zealand’s dramatic history with its high-tech present. Don’t miss the traditional greenstone and wood carvings or the 60-foot wall of constantly changing images, videos, and words manipulated by remote-control-wielding visitors. 55 Cable St., 64/(0) 4-381-7000. This appeared in the October 2012 issue.

I’m not one for posting food photos, but I had to make an exception for this one. I was seated at a table at the Le Puy bed and breakfast in Newberg, OR. As this wonderful dish was placed in front of me, the innkeeper informed me that the eggs used to prepare this meal were taken from the farm right out the window. Now, I’ve heard the phrase “farm to table,” but I’ve never eaten a meal where I could actually SEE the farm FROM my table. Breakfast was great, and I applaud the innkeeper and the chickens.

Why we love it: An intimate stay with Pujol connections

The Highlights:
- Just two bedrooms, so you feel like part of the family
- The chance to meet members of chef Enrique Olvera’s acclaimed team
- Regular chef-led dinners

The Review:
When renowned chef Enrique Olvera had to move his multi-award-winning Pujol restaurant into a larger space, he kept the original Polanco location and turned it into a creative hub for his team—a place inspired by artist residences, where creative minds from a variety of fields (though primarily culinary) can come together to exchange ideas. Centered around an open kitchen and a communal dining table for 10, the Casa hosts a regular program of talks, events, and workshops—many open to the public—that help facilitate discussion.

Those who want some extra time to get the creative juices flowing—or just a truly unique base in Mexico City—are also in luck, as the Casa houses two bedrooms that are now available to book via Airbnb. Simple and airy, with wooden desk-cum-closet units, attached bathrooms, and fluffy white beds, the rooms are perfect for resting, clearing your mind, and seeing what comes to you. Though you’ll definitely want to hang out downstairs, too, both for the food (a chef-cooked breakfast is included) and the chance to mingle with members of Olivera’s team as they make use of the library and workspaces. Check ahead to see if any chef-led dinners are taking place while you’re there—then be sure to book a spot.

New Orleans takes its sandwiches as seriously as it takes its festivals (which is to say, very seriously). And a trip to the Big Easy isn’t complete without a muffuletta from Central Grocery, a debris sandwich from Mother’s, and a po’ boy from Parkway Bakery & Tavern, a banh mi from St. Roch Market, or maybe one of the tasty meat concoctions from Cochon Butcher, like maybe a duck pastrami slider. In short, make room for sandwiches.

The qi pao dress, also known as a cheong sam, is a long, form-fitting Chinese gown that became popular in 1920s Shanghai. New Age Designer on Mott Street in Chinatown sells off-the-rack dresses as well as custom dresses for weddings and parties. Founded in 1976 by Susan Ding, New Age Designer uses a team of Shanghai tailors to create the famous silk dresses with the dramatic high-cut openings. The store also sells ladies shirts and jackets, clothing for men and children, and items for the home (pillowcases, fabrics, curtains). Browse through racks of Chinese silk and brocade in a vibrant array of colors and beading to create a dress that is guaranteed to fit you perfectly. I should know - I changed into a custom red cheong sam at my wedding. Custom dresses take six weeks for delivery and start at $350. Hand-beaded dresses start at $600. 38 Mott Street, New York, NY

This complex of Taoist religious buildings was constructed in the early 15th century under the Yongle Emperor, who also commissioned the Forbidden City, just to the north. The temple’s central building is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, a 38-meter-high (125-foot), three-tiered structure atop a three-tiered marble base. The wooden hall was built entirely without nails. Inside, the beautifully painted walls and ceiling make it a riot of color. On spring and summer mornings and on sunny winter afternoons, locals gather here to sing, dance, play games such as mah-jongg, and sip tea while catching up on neighborhood gossip.

If the coffee scene in Paris is as robust as it is today, it’s thanks in large part to Thomas Lehoux, one of the city’s star baristas and co-owner of Ten Belles, just off Canal St-Martin. He collaborated with two Englishwomen, Anna Trattles and Alice Quillet from Le Bal Café, to open this intimate espresso bar in the fall of 2012, and success was immediate. Lehoux and his team turn out some of the finest, if time-consuming, drip coffees in the city, while Trattles and Quillet serve up a small menu of comforting fare—soups, sandwiches, and salads—that rotates daily. The Anglo-inspired desserts—cakes, scones, peanut-butter brownies, and raspberry crumb bars—go down beautifully with a host of coffee drinks. Escape the crowds by heading to the mezzanine, where there are usually seats available, along with a view of the bar from above. But if the weather permits, grab one of the stools and take your coffee outside, or opt for a takeout cup and enjoy it alongside the canal.

Mile-long Newbury Street, lined with handsome 19th-century brownstone homes, is synonymous with shopping in Boston; it’s also the place to go to get your hair done up nice. Between Arlington Street and Massachusetts Avenue you’ll find an eclectic mix of boutique and designer shops, hair salons, art galleries, and restaurants that generally skews upscale (Tiffany’s, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana) but also includes the original location of the Newbury Comics record store and a T.J. Maxx. Eminently strollable and dotted with sidewalk cafés, Newbury Street is the hip heart of the Back Bay neighborhood, perfectly distilled at eye-candy drinks-and-dining hot spots like Sonsie and Stephanie’s on Newbury.

Call ahead and owners Patrick and Sophie will pick you up and bring you to their relaxed island restaurant and only non-hotel bar in Rangiroa. The small plates menu is limited, but what is offered tastes delicious and is quite impressive (think charcuterie from Spain and France or more simple crepes) considering the middle of nowhere location. What the menu lacks in variety, the booze concoctions more than make up for. The cocktail menu is extensive and there are even beer choices from around the globe, another impressive feat considering the locale. There is also a good dessert selection. Te Mao is also very popular with locals, who come for socializing, free wifi, and maybe some karaoke after dark.

With more than 250 acres of grounds, the New York Botanical Garden manages to fit a number of different landscapes and experiences into its garden walls. The garden was established in 1891, the inspiration of Nathaniel Lord Britton and his wife, Elizabeth, who returned from a trip to England determined that New York should have its own equivalent to London‘s Kew Gardens. They found backing among New York society and created one of the country’s leading research institutions that also happens to be an ideal place to commune with nature right in the city. The rose garden designed by Beatrix Farrand is a highlight, while an abundance of azaleas reaches their peak in May. In all there are some 20 different gardens, including one dedicated to native plants, a rock garden, and a wetlands trail. The conservatory, constructed in 1902, is the largest in the country and includes 11 different climatic zones. When the last of the fall foliage has fallen from the trees, the conservatory hosts the popular annual Holiday Train Show (from the end of November to mid-January).

This is the oldest and grandest art institute in a city that’s long captivated artists. The Neoclassical building sits amid the greenery of massive City Park (conveniently at the end of the Canal Streetcar Line). It’s an especially good destination for admirers of Edgar Degas, who spent an extended vacation in New Orleans visiting relatives in 1872; a number of his works are displayed here. Just outside the museum is the beautifully landscaped and well-curated five-acre Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, which perfectly melds the old and new. Some 60 sculptures are arrayed amid reflecting lagoons and 200-year-old live oaks.