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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.

For the most authentic Mexican food in Laguna Beach, head to Carmelita’s, where the kitchen works tirelessly to prepare each dish from scratch using as much local produce as possible. On the menu, diners will find favorites like made-to-order guacamole and fire-roasted street corn alongside traditional options like veggie-stuffed poblanos, carnitas tacos, and tampiqueña (skirt steak served atop enchiladas with guacamole). Pair it all with handcrafted margaritas in flavors like pomegranate, cilantro-cucumber, and pineapple-jalapeño and you might just find yourself planning a trip 85 miles south to the border.

Opened in 2015, Marble + Rye was one of the first restaurants in Buffalo to offer artfully crafted cocktails—something the city was sorely missing. With a focus on whiskey and creative ingredients, the spot became a fast favorite, serving drinks like the Fantastic Man (bourbon, Averna, coffee-infused Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Aperol, and orange marmalade) alongside New American cuisine. Made from scratch with local, seasonal ingredients, dishes here are often cooked with a Mexican plancha or wood-fired oven for added flair. Don’t miss the pastured chicken with wood-roasted seasonal vegetables, and the patatas bravas with spicy tomato sauce and roasted garlic aioli.

The name says it all: this sleek bar is set right on the south bank of the Arno, just east of the Ponte Vecchio and the sunset views of the bridge as dusk falls are indeed golden. Bag a table in the window, order a cocktail and help yourself from a great selection of snacks laid out on the bar counter. If you want dinner, move to the restaurant next door where there are regular live jazz sessions.

This authentic neighborhood bar, Il Chicco di Caffè (aka Lola’s), is run by Maurizio whose Mom, Lola, cooks for a truly egalitarian mix of local artisans, staff from the nearby Gucci headquarters, students and people like me (I live next door!) at lunchtimes. The place is always packed, so be prepared to wait for satisfying pasta dishes, succulent meat mains and great seasonal veg sides. No frills here, but prices are rock bottom and there’s a cool buzz about the place.

The rooftop restaurant of the Westin Excelsior hotel wins top prize for being the most panoramic spot for a meal in Florence; floor-to-ceiling, wraparound windows permit 360-degree views over the entire city and the hills beyond. Chef Matteo Lorenzini’s superb food lives up to the magnificent setting—so against the romantic backdrop of Brunelleschi’s Duomo and the thousand twinkling lights of the city, you can feast on seared scallops with chestnuts and lime, spaghetti with clams and crab cream, and Barbary duck.

Located on the first floor of the bustling central market, Nerbone’s food stall has been serving up steaming plates of warming nourishment to hungry market workers since 1872 and is a great place to find local color and rock-bottom prices. The specialty is lampredotto (cow’s intestines) served in a bun with bright green salsa verde, but if you can’t stomach that (sorry….), there is also pasta and roast meats. The locals stand at the bar counter to eat, but there are a few tables too.

Head to the deep southern end of Belize and you’ll find yourself in a world of Maya villages. Belize’s first inhabitants continue to live traditionally in the countryside in beautifully thatched homes, close to rivers, cooking by fire hearth, and practicing their medicinal and spiritual beliefs. You can immerse in Mayan culture by doing a homestay, or better yet, spend a full day in Indian Creek Village with EcoTourism Belize—a sustainable tour company that reinvests 100 percent of tour monies into the area’s conservation programs. During the visit, you’ll learn about the Maya way of life, make caldo and tortillas for your lunch, and spend the afternoon hiking and swimming in the river.

Almost unchanged since 1912, the Théâtre Corona (Corona Theatre) in Little Burgundy was built to host showings of silent films accompanied by live music and comedy shows by local troupes. You can still find an orchestra pit and the original dressing rooms under the stage, but since the late 1990s—after coming close to demolition—it has served mainly to host live music, by acts like Buck65, La Roux, and Arcade Fire. The heritage décor, with painted ceiling, gilded columns and heavy jacquard brocade curtains, and the relatively small capacity for 700 spectators, make this a singularly intimate place to see a show. The best sightlines are from the balcony, but there’s nothing like the feel of a smooth wooden dance floor beneath your soles.

Inspired by his time in New Orleans, Chef Steve McHugh brought to San Antonio a vision of a modern, welcoming spot with a killer charcuterie program, and that vision became his buzzy restaurant, Cured. Opened in late 2013 and having survived an on-premise fire, the restaurant has drawn discerning carnivores in for plates like monster 2-pound pork shanks, pork cheek poutine and cabrito sliders, all served in a elegantly utilitarian yet warm space. Not to be missed is the fine in-house charcuterie program -- or the see-through curing room front and center as you walk into the dining room. The wonderfully curated beverage menu features craft beers and wonderfully inventive cocktails. Cured is a must-visit culinary experience on any jaunt to the Alamo City.

Shorty’s is a throwback to an era where you hopped in your ’57 Chevy, put the kids in the back, and rolled to the drive-in for a bite to eat on a summer night. Featuring the usual selection of American hotdog and hamburger fare, Shorty’s also has selections to please the healthy side as well. There are five different salads to choose from, small plates featuring hummus and pizza bread, and larger plates that range from wood-fired P.E.I. mussels and salmon to grilled chicken sandwiches and barbecue pulled pork delights. And if that doesn’t work, you can also customize your pizza with a huge array of toppings. It may be called Shorty’s, but the menu options are anything but that.

Situated in the center of the USA’s largest Japantown, this Joie de Vivre Hotel unveiled a $32 million renovation in May 2018. While the property’s historic exterior hasn’t been changed—it was once a 1960s Community Center and the former Japanese Consulate—the interiors have been redone by Brooklyn-based MARKZEFF Design with custom leather furniture, shibori accents, and contemporary Japanese art. Each of the 13 new Garden Suites face the Japanese zen garden that includes a koi pond, firepit, and a custom Godzilla mural by San Francisco-based artists Yukako Ezoe and Naoki Onodera of Bahama Kangaroo. At the center of the renovation is the living-room like lobby decorated with mid-century couches and lit with vintage factory pendants. The seasonal cocktail menu at the lobby bar focuses on Japanese whiskey and sake, while the bar menu includes Japanese-inspired bites like shishito peppers and chicken katsu sliders. There are happy hour specials every weekday from 4 to 6 p.m. and every Monday between 5 and 6 p.m. the bar hosts a vinyl hour where you can pick a record to play from the hotel’s collection of classics. For wellness-minded travelers, the new 3,000-square-foot fitness center located one level below the lobby looks out onto an open-air tea garden and features a yoga room and a Peloton bike (guests also have complimentary access to the nearby Kabuki Springs & Spa communal baths).

Located on Goat Island in Narragansett Bay, Gurney’s feels secluded even though it’s just minutes from downtown Newport. Guests enjoy 360-degree water views from the expansive grounds, which include 257 guestrooms as well as three restaurants, a full-service spa, an outdoor saltwater pool, and more event space than any other property in town. Done up in soothing blues and greys, rooms feature king beds with plush pillows, soft sheets, and down blankets; large bathrooms with granite countertops and jet-stream tubs; and oversized desks for working in between lounging on the sun deck. Some premium view rooms boast harbor vistas from private balconies, while suites include spacious living rooms.

In the morning, guests can grab breakfast at Corso, an Italian-style coffee bar in the lobby, before catching the complimentary shuttle to downtown Newport for a day of exploring. Bikes are also available should they prefer to take in the famous mansions on two wheels. Of course, there’s also plenty to do on-site, from hanging at Newport’s only outdoor hotel pool, getting pampered at the Seawater Spa, and breaking a sweat at the 24-hour fitness center to scheduled activities like yoga classes, crafting sessions, wine tastings, and movie nights. Come evening, enjoy cocktails around the firepits at Regent Lounge, followed by an Italian-inspired dinner at Scarpetta. During the summer months, guests can also look forward to poolside dining at The Pineapple Club as well as a kids’ club for children ages 4 to 12.

There are two ways to arrive at this exclusive Deer Valley perch—ski in from the slopes, or hop on the Swiss-crafted funicular and climb the 250-vertical-foot ridge. The 12-acre, 181-room St. Regis is literally and figuratively in rarefied air, bringing swanky suites, signature butler service, and celebrity chef–driven dining to the high Wasatch Mountain range. Après-ski is a treat at the ski “beach,” which features loungers, an outdoor fire garden, and a menu by Jean-Georges Vongerichten. From there, guests can enjoy a slope-side dip in the steamy pool, or descend a spiral staircase into the 14,000-square-foot Remède Spa for a massage. Come dinnertime, book a window-side table at the J&G Grill.

Natural elements in the lobby and library—stone fireplace, exposed wood, leather furnishings—complement the mountain setting without devolving into log-cabin kitsch. The contemporary aesthetic continues in the spacious guestrooms and suites with dark-wood furniture, state-of-the-art electronics, toasty gas fireplaces, and massive marble bathrooms.

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.