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Surprisingly, great cocktails and an ocean breeze can be hard to find in San Diego, which makes JRDN at the Tower23 Hotel somewhat of an anomaly. It may be a scene—there are bouncers at the door, and the 70-foot-long wave wall would be more at home in Miami—but the wind-protected patio is practically on the boardwalk, offering great views of Crystal Pier and surfers catching waves. On warm evenings, drinks like the cava-based Raspberry Sparkler and the spicy chili-mango margarita make the experience even sweeter. JRDN’s happy hour (Mondays–Fridays, 4 p.m.–6 p.m.) offers discounted beer, wine and sake and coincides with the sunset for much of the year, making it a prime time to score a seat outside.

If you like piña coladas, make a beeline for this overwater outpost on glittering Palm Beach. Situated on a pier, the open-air bar and grill boasts uninterrupted views of the water—as well as Aruba’s spectacular sunsets. Here, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served alongside an extensive array of chilled beverages, attracting a friendly crowd. There’s live music every day during happy hour and, on Sundays, the Travel Session band plays from 7 to 10 p.m. If you’d rather sing yourself, be there on Saturday, when karaoke starts at 8:30 p.m. While the restaurant definitely has a party-like setting, children are more than welcome and high chairs are available for little ones.

My favorite way to start a day in Tianzifang is with a hearty breakfast at Kommune. With a notably large courtyard, it’s a fabulous place to kick off a warm-weathered day and even if you’re a little chilly, the coffee comes in bowl sized mugs that will warm you right up. Open from 7am-1am daily. (They also have a great wraps at lunch and a happy hour from 5pm-7pm.)

The most important lesson that I learned from my time in Ljubljana.... is that I love Bosnian/ Serbian food. I may be suffering some serious Ćevapčići withdrawal when I return to Canada. But while the Bosnian excel at food they are masters of coffee. If you end up at Harambasa don’t miss out on the perfect end to a perfect meal...treat yourself to the Bosnian Coffee!

Travelers should visit Taronga Zoo as much for its harbor views as for the 4,000 resident animals (who get to see them all day long). Ferry 15 minutes from Circular Quay and take an optional Sky Safari cable car, included in the ticket price, and you’re in an exotic land of giraffes, elephants, and bongos as well as native echidnas, wombats, and Tasmanian devils. Wildlife tours, zookeeper talks (including impressive bird shows), and special events such as the Twilight at Taronga summer concert series are on the calendar, and a tented camp accommodates overnight guests who help feed select animals before a sunset dinner set against the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Tent cabins feature decks that lure campers out of bed for sunrise.

Feldman’s—modeled on the classic Jewish deli one would expect to find in New York City—has landed and is thriving on the east side of Salt Lake City. The deli’s hot half-pound sandwiches include multiple variations on the Reuben (sauerkraut or slaw, pastrami or turkey, corned beef and pastrami, etc.) as well as items like beef tongue, which are hard to find in Utah. At breakfast, order a plate of eggs and salami, try a bagel with a schmear or one of the sandwiches for lunch, and go for a bowl of matzo ball soup with some pierogis for dinner. If you know New York delis, the available-all-day dessert selection will make you happy: rugelach (rolled pastry filled with cinnamon and nuts) or blintzes with fruit compote, or maybe a nice slice of Black Forest cake? Feldman’s also regularly offers live entertainment in the evenings.

Once the hip newcomer, this craft cocktail lounge is now a King Street veteran that attracts a more mature crowd than the line-up-outside adjacent clubs catering to the college set. Locals meet here for half-price happy hour (Wednesdays feature bourbon) and before shows at the Charleston Music Hall nearby. The stock of spirits is impressive, as are the intricate ways they’re mixed, like a “Macho Man Dandy Savage,” with house-infused dandelion gin, honey, and yellow Chartreuse. The mixologists here have a history of winning local bartender competitions. Complementing the flavors are the gorgeous environs in an historic building that features exposed beams, leather furniture, and a swanky rooftop garden that’s a welcome respite just off the buzz of King Street below. It all sits atop The Macintosh, chef Jeremiah Bacon’s stunning seasonal fare restaurant that shares a mutual owner.

Steps from the sand on Princess Margaret Beach, Jack’s Beach Bar is the perfect spot for an alfresco lunch, happy hour on the terrace, or both. It’s a good choice for dinner, too, although landside access is tricky, with lots of stairs and rough terrain that’s difficult to navigate in the dark. Whenever you come, look forward to local ingredients, prepared with an international touch. Pair the tropical quinoa salad with the catch of the day, or opt for the famous fried chicken, served with your choice of mango chutney, smoky barbecue sauce, blue cheese dip, or Mama’s Hot Sauce. If you’re having too much fun on the water, order something from the delivery menu and Jack’s will bring it directly to your boat—the restaurant delivers up to almost two miles from the beach.

Whether it’s brunch, happy hour, or date night, Barcelona Wine Bar’s shared-plate dining and drinking experience is a D.C. socialite staple. Mingle over pitchers of red wine sangria with a rotation of farm-to-table tapas, including a light spinach and manchego frittata with a bacon crunch at brunch and a spicy eggplant caponata with sweet pepper, basil, and parsley at dinner. People-watch from the garden patio or gather inside the rustic-chic dining room, where the Jamon Mangalica ham being hand-sliced will inspire you to order the charcuterie. After crisscrossing arms with your dining partners to share bites of elevated, familiar flavors, finish on a comfort-food high with a spoon fight over their luscious flourless (gluten-free) chocolate cake. You can do it all again at a second location on Wisconsin Avenue in Cathedral Heights.

Beef is everywhere in Buenos Aires, but there are a few parrillas in town that stand above the rest for quality. Within that category, La Cabrera offers a unique experience. Yes, the focus is on the meat, but the sides almost steal the show—surprising vegetable dishes accompany each entrée, and in sharable portions. It’s typically packed with locals and tourists alike, so expect long waits any night of the week. That said, for those who can live with dinner earlier than Argentina’s customary 9 p.m. or later, La Cabrera offers an early seating they call “happy hour” that’s wait-free and includes a 40 percent discount on all menu items.

A clandestine spot to imbibe in Gastown, the Diamond is the speakeasy when you’re in Vancouver. Bar none, one of the best bars I have been to on recommendation from Nathan at Judas Goat. They will make you anything here, like a tasty pisco sour. Plus, they give you these really cute glasses with flowers on them. We didn’t try the menu, but if it’s anything like the drinks, I’ll be returning for a meal.

Just an hour’s drive from the busiest town in Laikipia County, El Karama Lodge feels like a world away. Set on 14,000 acres of private land, six cottages and two riverfront cabins are simply decorated with locally sourced stone and thatch and regionally made furnishings, giving emphasis to the lush natural surroundings. If total immersion is more your speed, the staff can arrange a personal fly camp before your arrival: after a hike to a remote location, you’re greeted by a suspended tent with a clear view to the night sky, complete with comfortable bedding, a drinks table, and a small barbecue. What you won’t find here? Cell service, though you’ll hardly miss it. A drive through El Karama land is almost certain to include sightings of elephants, giraffes, and zebras, but guests can also see creatures that are unique to northern Kenya, including gerenuk and Laikipia hartebeeste. Back at camp, there’s nothing to do as darkness sets in but lie back, stargaze, and listen to the calls of the wild.

If you’ve come to Siem Reap, you’ve already got architectural wonders on the mind. And though you’ll spend your days learning about a 1,000-year-old civilization, a stay at Viroth’s Villa allows a more recent era of Khmer creativity to be contemplated: the 1960s. The decade saw the arts flourish in newly independent Cambodia, most notably in the modernist New Khmer Architecture style.

Viroth’s Villa’s boxy, petite, two-story building is one of the Le Corbusier–inspired genre’s few remaining examples (there are others in Phnom Penh and Kep, on the coast), and its owners, Fabien Martial and Viroth Kol, went to great pains to honor its clean lines and honest aesthetic when renovating the dilapidated building in 2007. Rooms use local materials to modern effect, with dark gray tiled floors and polished terrazzo baths, woven water hyacinth mats, and teak doors. Decor is kept to a minimum—a single standing Buddha, a giant frond from an Elephant Ear palm in a vase—but expertly curated and placed, lending the property the feel of a Southeast Asian art gallery. The intimate, seductive style can also be found in the couple’s second, larger property, Viroth’s Hotel, a newly constructed 1950s-inspired space that opened in January 2015.

Attached to the hip, retro Calistoga Motor Lodge, MoonAcre Spa & Bath welcomes hotel guests and non-guests over 16 years of age to experience its fun and funky spa. If you’re looking for a soak in one of the area’s natural geothermal hot springs, there are three pools to choose from at MoonAcre, as well as facials, scrubs, and massages galore. The Perfectly Muddled treatment takes the town’s famous mud baths—which typically call for spa-goers to submerge themselves in warm, sticky mud—and instead allow guests to apply the exfoliating mud themselves or have the spa attendant do so, making the mud “bath” a more personalized and, honestly, slightly more comfortable experience. For ultra relaxation, try a CBD massage featuring cannabidiol, an extract derived from cannabis. Stop by for Happy Spa Hour between 4-6 p.m. on Wednesdays, or, for frequent visitors, check out the newly launched Spa Club Memberships. MoonAcre is great for groups, too, with plenty of room to enjoy a friends’ getaway weekend. Treatments start at $70.