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It’s not surprising that many Québec City chefs have been trained in classic French cooking. But a number of them are taking those skills in unexpected directions, incorporating unusual ingredients and devising their own signature preparations. One admired member of this new generation is Christian Lemelin, the innovative chef and owner of Le Restaurant SSS (Simple Snack Sympathique) and restaurant Toast! at Hôtel Le Priori. Sadly, Toast! is indefinitely closed following a fire in December 2017 (though hopes are that it will reopen soon). In the meantime, the more causal Le Restaurant SSS continues to serve its signature salmon and beef tartares, foie gras with fig spiced mustard, and mushroom risotto to Lemelin’s loyal patrons and curious visitors to Québec City. There’s a five-course tasting menu at dinner that highlights the best of Québec’s bounty, both from the Atlantic and the province’s farms, and even a young taster’s menu for kids, including croque monsieur and poutine among the options.

The Château Dufresne might not be high on most visitors’ lists of sights to see in Montréal, but as it is just across the street from both the city’s botanical garden and the Olympic Stadium, you may want to drop in if you are in the neighborhood. The mansion was constructed from 1915 to 1918 in the Beaux-Arts style popular in Montréal in those years. The 20,000-square-foot building is modeled on the Petit Trianon at Versailles and is actually two homes in one, as the brothers Oscar and Marius commissioned side-by-side mansions. The château served several different purposes after the Dufresne family lived there, first as a boarding school and later as the home of the Musée d’Art Contemporain. Today many of the rooms have been decorated with early 20th-century pieces, and a permanent exhibition provides an introduction of life in Montréal’s East End a century ago. Temporary exhibitions cover a range of topics, including some that highlight the collections of prominent Montréal patrons and others that focus on leading artists in the city.

Seclusion and tranquility are the new forms of luxury in a world that is so accessible and plugged in. Aqua Wellness Resort successfully marries contemporary luxury accommodations with serene surroundings, providing a memorable and rejuvenating experience for travelers. Accessible by a two-and-a-half-hour drive or 40-minute helicopter ride from Nicaragua’s international airport in Managua, Aqua offers peace and privacy so that you can enjoy the beautifully wild landscape of Nicaragua’s Pacific “Emerald Coast.” 24 Tree Houses accommodating 50 luxurious villas and suites dot Aqua’s forested hillside, which overlooks a private, white sandy beach.

It might be the handpainted Venetian chandeliers, but Quattro elevates the concept of a ski resort restaurant. This is a level of cuisine and ambience you’re more likely to find in New York or San Francisco. On chef Jeremy Trottier’s menu, the prix fixe fare changes seasonally, with certain favorites, like rigatoni pecorari and risotto, always available. Though Araxi and Bearfoot Bistro lead the party charge during Whistler’s wildly successful Cornucopia festival every November, always check the schedule to see what Trottier is stirring up during this wine and food extravaganza.

It’s not often that one comes across a double-decker theater. In fact, the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre is the only still-active stacked theater, and has been designated a National Historic Site. Built in 1913 by American architect Thomas W. Lamb for the Loews theater group, the two venues were meant to serve two separate markets. Today, they frequently host live performances, musicals, and films. The Winter Garden is especially unique, featuring a decorative ceiling hung with dried leaves, a touch that transforms the room into a magical land.

This “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven” was once the heart of Korea. It was the power center of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897), and was originally built in 1395—some new digs for a new dynasty. Like the Forbidden City in Beijing, the palace is a complex of buildings—a throne hall, the king’s living quarters and more—a sort of city inside a city, accented by gardens and pavilions. The Japanese flattened the place in the 1590s, and the site remained a ruin until a complete reconstruction in 1867 brought back more than 500 buildings. At the Gwanghwamun Gate, soldiers, beautifully costumed in red robes, still perform the changing of the guard. Seoul has other palaces, but this is the one to see if your time in town is limited.

The world’s longest wooden fish ladder helps migrating chinook (aka king) salmon on the final leg of their epic journey. As young smolts, they migrate downstream to the Bering Sea. After three to five years, they reenter the Yukon River and begin the two-month 3,200-kilometer (nearly 2,000-mile) swim back to their home waters. The lucky ones—a tiny percentage—will make it to spawn and die there. This 366-meter (1,200-foot) chute allows the salmon to skirt the Whitehorse Dam and avoid its turbines.

Much of the indigenous artwork for sale in the Pacific Northwest is, unfortunately, counterfeit. It’s difficult to tell if the masks and other artwork carved and painted in Salish styles of gentle curving lines, depicting animal icons such as the raven, wolf, and orca, are actually the work of Coast Mountains First Nations artists. Black Tusk Gallery, in the heart of Whistler Village, is a cooperative founded to represent indigenous artists. You can commission an artist to carve a totem that tells the story of your family. The gallery supports emerging teen artists of the British Columbia and Yukon First Nations people through an annual aspiring artists award.

Along with the Isla de los Pájaros (Bird Island), the Isla de los Lobos (also called Sea Lion Island) is another of the main wildlife sights along the Beagle Channel. The rocky outcrop is home to hordes of South American sea lions—characterized by large heads and orangish color—as well as South American fur seals. Depending on which vessel you are on and how close you get, it may be possible to hear the animals’ barking chorus. If you think you can see small penguins on the island, note that they’re probably cormorants.

Bill Miller’s Sasquatch Country Adventures is one of the most unique travel experiences you’re likely to ever come across. Bill was my host on a day filled with exploration - of both the stunning Harrison region, as well as the myth and legends associated with Canada‘s rarest creature. Bill and his partner Thomas Steenburg have been chasing wild beasts throughout North America for decades, and today offer a rather unique program to visitors keen on exploring the outdoors and coming to grips on what may - or may not - be lurking in the wild.

The River of Golden Dreams that connects Alta and Green lakes is a calm, meandering stream that gently conveys your kayak or canoe with hardly a riffle in sight. The self-paced three-mile voyage, typically about three hours, takes you under willow branches and between the second growth alder forests. This rare alpine riparian zone is a habitat for breeding yellowthroat warblers, great blue herons, and all manner of amphibians and reptiles, as well as wildflowers like foxglove and Indian paintbrush. Most rivers in the Coast Range have whitewater passages and require guides, but on this run between Whistler’s largest lakes, a novice will feel comfortable behind the paddle. Vessel rentals, guides, and return shuttle services run throughout the summer.

You can’t miss the Stawamus Chief Mountain when you travel to Whistler via the Sea to Sky Highway. The granite edifice, the tallest monolith north of Yosemite, provides a fine introduction to how stone shapes and defines this landscape. Fathom Stone Art is a gallery dedicated to artists’ work in the local granite as well as marble, jade, quartz, and many other minerals. The grizzlies on display here, carved by founding sculptor Jon Geoffrey Fathom, are particularly popular. Examples of iconic inuksuit, the tall stone markers used by peoples of the Arctic region, are displayed alongside contemporary sculptures from leading stone artists across the region. Many of these sculptors began their careers as Fathom apprentices. You can, too, by signing up for a soapstone art carving class.

I’ve heard there is a nice shawarma stand at the top of Jebel Hafeet to go along with the view, but on my trip up the mountain, it was so busy with Eid celebrations, that I had to drive straight down again without finding any parking! On the United Arab Emirates border with Oman, just outside the city of Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, are a series of jagged rocky hills. One such outcropping is Jebel Hafeet - the highest point in the UAE. The 1,249-meter mountain is a popular place to visit, barbecue, or just enjoy the scenery. A nicely paved road to the top is quite fun to negotiate by car. The mountain road is also a challenge for bicyclists who can climb the curves, switchbacks, and steep incline. Hikers, too, can find a route or two up the mountain. For those wanting to spend the night, the Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet Al Ain Hotel provides a comfortable four-star environment where you can be close to the stars at night and the sunrise at dawn.

A city of red-tiled rooftops, pine- and cypress-shaded hills, and sparkling turquoise waters, the Old Town of Dubrovnik stuns with both its architecture and scenery. Its surrounding stone walls, built between the 11th and 13th centuries to protect the city from war and epidemics, stretch for a full 1.3 miles, comprising an immense system of forts, bastions, and walkways that offer breathtaking views. Hike along them, then be sure to check out the Lovrijenac Fortress, built atop a 100-foot rock looking out toward Venice (Dubrovnik’s historic rival). The Old Town’s main street of Stradun, known locally as Placa, is also worth exploring. It’s especially nice in the late afternoon, when the sun shines off the historic buildings and swallows soar in the blue sky above.

Brandywine is just one of half-a-dozen provincial parks that surround the Sea to Sky Highway like a fir wrap. A trailhead located just 12 miles south of Whistler leads to a 15-minute walk through the mixed hemlock forest to a 200-foot cascade. The falls overview is merely a picturesque appetizer for the fantastic wilderness beyond. The Lava Lake trail provides a marvelous meander through the forest, and if it’s a hot day, you might want to hike all the way to Swim Lake. You can also access the Sea to Sky Trail and head north to the Whistler Train Wreck then hike to the Valley Trail through Whistler and beyond. The park tripled in size in 2010 to fully enclose the habitat of the endangered red-legged frog, so keep an eye peeled for peepers.