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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.

Banff and Jasper are top of mind when it comes to Alberta‘s Great Outdoors. Travelers flock to Moraine Lake by the busload for postcard-perfect snaps and zip through the province’s northern parks on the trail of grizzlies, elk, and moose. Waterton Lakes manages to fly just far enough under the radar that it never feels crowded or bustling, even on a wild Canada Day long weekend, which makes it a wonderful alternative for the “been there, done that” crowd. For an iconic view of Waterton Village and Upper Waterton Lake, test your mettle against the Bear’s Hump, a mile-long trek that begins at the Waterton Visitor Resource Center. The trail opens to a grand rocky plateau atop what was once called Bear Mountain by the Blackfoot people. Begin your trek early in the morning or late in the afternoon to have the mountain to yourself, but be warned that the wind atop the Hump can be ferocious. Knock your hat off and dump you off the mountain ferocious. Still, the views of Waterton Valley and Mount Cleveland are worth the challenge. [Flash traveled to Alberta courtesy of Travel Alberta.]

While famous for its namesake and black diamond ski runs, Lake Louise Resort has plenty to keep visitors happy even when the snow has melted. The main lodge – a log cabin built entirely from local trees - greets visitors who come for the 14-minute gondola ride up Whitehorn Mountain. Riders have a choice between an enclosed gondola and an open chair lift. A good way to experience both is to ride the gondola on the way up and the chair lift on the way down, since the views as you face the valley are more panoramic. Keep an eye out on your ride for one of the resident grizzly bears. At the top of the lift, there are a number of well marked hiking trails, as well as the Lake Louise Interpretative Nature Center. Center staff lead a 45-minute interpretative walk which is a great way to get acquainted with the environment and learn about the area’s bears before setting off on your own. Also at the summit, the Whitehorn Lodge offers visitors a surprisingly delicious experience with five-star views. Both the building and the menu have been recently revamped and the results are well worth the price of the gondola ride. The seafood chowder, a meal in itself, is a highlight as is the beef tenderloin burger: a mound of beef tenderloin cooked to order and served open-faced on a giant piece of focaccia with a pile of yam fries. You’ll definitely be full for your ride back down the gondola. [Travel courtesy of Travel Alberta]

Before opening Craving Restaurant in 2013, chef Adam Goetz worked everywhere from the James Beard House to the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Now, he puts his talents to good use in North Buffalo, combining fresh ingredients with highly skilled technique to make the food diners crave. Open for lunch and dinner six nights a week and brunch on Sundays, Craving serves farm-to-table fare in a cozy setting, complete with a small bar and a patio out front. Dishes can be made vegetarian or gluten-free and the chef butchers all meats in-house to ensure nothing gets wasted. The menu changes constantly to highlight the freshest ingredients possible, but recent dishes included ricotta gnocchi, leg of lamb, and whole-roasted trout with asparagus sauce.

What was once a pop-up bar, The Broken Shaker is now a permanent fixture at the Freehand Miami. The James Beard Award-nominated bar is located in the high-end hostel on South Beach serving up a selection of handcrafted cocktails. The bar itself is a tiny room by the pool with a 1950s Havana look. You can grab your cocktail—made with elixirs, syrups and infusions using herbs and spices from the onsite garden—and drink it in the bar, or head outside to the pool and nestle into one of the lounge chairs. Away from the hustle and bustle of South Beach, The Broken Shaker offers a more intimate setting than the lavish pools at high-end hotels in the area.

It’s a big deal when a chef wins a James Beard Award for “Best Chef: Southeast.” It’s an even bigger deal when that chef’s successor wins the same award a few years later, but that’s exactly what happened at this downtown hot spot. Overseen by Mike Lata and helmed by Jason Stanhope, FIG is one of the hallmark restaurants that put Charleston’s dining scene on the map. Seasonal veggies are an important part of the menu, which is inventive and thoughtful without feeling fussy. (Anthony Bourdain raved when he dined at FIG—he had the asparagus salad with fromage blanc, quinoa, green garlic, and carrots—during a 2017 episode of Parts Unknown.) For local, creative food in the Lowcountry, FIG is the model.

The largest zoological park in Asia, the Taipei Zoo is an extremely well curated assemblage of animals from around the world, specializing in Asian wildlife. As with many zoos, the most popular attraction are the giant panda bears, their cute and slow-moving style always a hit with kids. But there’s a lot more to see than just pandas. One of the park’s highlights is the Formosan animal area: a look at animals endemic to Taiwan. The zoo is always busy but is extremely popular on the weekends, so plan a mid-week visit if possible.

“What are all those people doing?” This is probably the most common reaction upon stumbling onto the botellón. People of all ages (but tending towards under 40) gather in a public space, toting plastic bags bearing substantial weight. They contain bocadillos (sandwiches) wrapped in foil and litros (liter-sized plastic soft drink bottles) whose contents have been replaced at least in part by hard liquor. In San Sebastián, the seats lining the port are the most popular spot for the botellón. In a botellón there are (almost) no rules...just have something to drink and a friend, or two, or ten. And let the night begin.

Why we love it: A photogenic inn that draws design aficionados to Saguaro National Park

Highlights:
- Design-forward suites with fireplaces and private patios
- A scenic location right on Saguaro National Park
- Unique amenities like a chef’s kitchen and yoga room

The Review:
This five-suite inn, set on 40 acres bordering the western side of Saguaro National Park, comes courtesy of Sara and Rich Combs, known for their popular Joshua Tree House rental. Just 30 minutes from Tucson, the whitewashed adobe property draws the desert sunshine indoors, where it dances with rough-hewn beams and terra-cotta-hued textiles. A variety of potted plants help connect the chic, design-forward interiors with the surrounding desert, while a 5,000-square-foot patio blurs the lines between indoors and out. Available to rent through Airbnb, all rooms feature fireplaces and refrigerators, and most have private patios or balconies.

Book a single suite or buy out the whole property for an event, workshop, or reunion, then take advantage of amenities like a pool, rooftop lounge, chef’s kitchen, dining patio, fire pit, yoga room, and projector for movie nights. While Posada intends to add a chef-in-residence program, it doesn’t currently offer food service, so plan to pack groceries and grill outside, cook in one of the kitchens, or head out to a local restaurant like the Ocotillo Café at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, just 10 minutes away.

Fifteen minutes south of the Puntacana Resort & Club, Eden Roc at Cap Cana is the most exclusive of the six hotels in the gated Cap Cana Reserve. At this Relais & Châteaux property, guests have their choice of beachfront suites with kitchens; stand-alone suites with private pools, gardens, and verandas; and oceanfront villas that come with butler service. Whichever you pick, you’ll also have access to an oceanfront infinity pool, a 30,000-square-foot spa and wellness center, and a private, Blue Flag–certified beach. There’s even a kids’ club in a lagoon-side treehouse for when adults need some alone time.

When hunger strikes, head to La Palapa for seafood and Caribbean fare, or Blue Grill Bar + Restaurant for Nikkei and robatayaki cuisine. Should you want to venture off-property, know that Cap Cana is home to an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus signature golf course. Bespoke helicopter outings, visits to the Punta Espada equestrian ranch, and days at Scape Park (a natural theme park with attractions like zip-lining and cave expeditions) can also be arranged.

Among Charleston’s two dozen thriving breweries, Revelry may have the best digs. It’s located in the peninsula’s NoMo neighborhood and sports a spacious, laid-back rooftop deck bar that’s perfect for viewing sunset over the Holy City skyline. The whole place is adorned with art—including on its cans’ labels—by recognizable local artist, Chris Kemp. Fortunately, what’s inside the cans is equally memorable. Brews like “Gullah Cream” and “Poke the Bear” (an American Pale) are among the city’s signature ales for any beer lover seeking the best of Charleston. Happy hour features live music Friday through Sunday, making Revelry a go-to gathering place.

Reaching the remote Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge is part of the fun. The four-hour boat journey from Seward to the only lodge within the 700,000-acre Kenai Fjords National Park is a prime opportunity to spot porpoises, puffins, and whales. On arrival, guests disembark and make their way to the lodge, where they’re briefed on bear safety: No food allowed in the 16 cabins. Calving tidewater glaciers provide the wake-up call for days filled with sea kayaking, canoeing, and hiking. Come evening, relax in the main lodge with a cocktail or with a book from the lodge’s natural history library. From $725, all-inclusive. This appeared in the June/July 2015 issue.

Established in 1925 in the diverse Mount Pleasant neighborhood, this public library was one of three in DC funded by the steel magnate Andrew Carnegie and is the third oldest public library still in use in the city. Today, over 50,000 books and printed materials are housed on its three floors which include one of DC’s largest collections of graphic novels and Spanish-language literature. Head upstairs to the children’s section on the second floor and take note of a hidden treasure: two alcoves bearing Depression-era murals of cartoon animals painted by DC native and neighborhood resident Aurelius Battaglia, who went on to illustrate Disney classics like “Dumbo,” “Fantasia,” and “Pincocchio.”

Opened in 2005, the Jasper Brewing Company was the first brewpub within a Canadian national park. It is now a local’s staple hangout. Seven different beers—like the Rockhopper IPA and Honey Bear Ale—are brewed on location, so make sure to order a brewery tour along with a fresh pint. The food menu is pub fare with a special flare to help bring out the flavors of the beer. The brewpub, open daily from 11:30am to 1:00am, is child-friendly, too, as the venue is divided into two, with both a restaurant and pub. Beer from $5.50. Contact 1-780-852-4111.

Most people that backpack in the Maroon Bells Wilderness Area usually either go over West Maroon Pass to Crested Butte or go over Buckskin Pass and camp at Snowmass Lake. A lesser known lake is Willow Lake. With fewer visitors, this is a secluded backpacking trip where the lake feels like it is all yours. You still get the great views of the Maroon Bells because you are in the same area without the crowds of people. Head as if you were going to go to Buckskin Pass and when the path forks with signage toward Buckskin pass to the left, bear right and continue hiking. You could do this as a long day hike for the ambitious.