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One of the last great free attractions in Las Vegas, the enclosed 15-acre Wildlife Habitat is home to a flamboyance of Chilean flamingos as well as a variety of other critters including exotic birds, turtles, and fish. Ring-tailed ducks and sacred ibises move through the knee-high grass, and hummingbirds dart from branches to feeders and back again. Two rescued brown pelicans are fed daily at 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.; the sight of their massive beaks opening fully to swallow the fish reliably delights visitors, especially kids. After you’ve watched some wildlife, you’ll find shopping mere moments away: The Habitat is steps from the stores of the LINQ Promenade.

A favorite among Hollywood royalty, the Big Island’s Four Seasons is more secluded than its sister property on Maui. It sits on 863 acres of palm-fringed coastline, with little else for miles in any direction, other than two exclusive golf courses and some of the most expensive vacation homes in the state. Yet, conveniently, the hotel is only a 15-minute drive from Kona International Airport, and it isn’t uncommon for guests to fly in, park themselves at the resort, and never leave. Why would they? It’s an immaculate, ingenious playground, shamelessly verdant against the area’s prodigious black lava. There are seven pools to choose from, including one rock-walled rectangle in the ocean, and another man-made lagoon stocked with thousands of reef fish for guaranteed snorkeling success. Kids can camp overnight in a rock amphitheater. Lovebirds can have candlelit dinners on the beach. Even the accommodations are a Polynesian fantasy, with tropical woods and large headboards. All that, along with a tiki torch–lit beachfront, a French head chef, a swank sushi bar, a staff that treats every guest like Hollywood royalty, and honest-to-goodness cultural cred (the on-site museum and cultural center are well worth visiting), and it’s easy to understand why one would happily pay a king’s ransom to spend a few days here.

It all started with a tent. The acquisition of the original tent used by George Washington during the American Revolution was the starting point of what was to become the nation’s premier collection of colonial artifacts, now housed in this museum’s galleries. Visitors can experience key moments in the history of the United States re-created in the immersive displays and exhibits of Revolutionary-era art, weapons, manuscripts, and personal items. Located at Third and Chestnut streets, the museum is a short walk from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Kids will love the cannon in the museum’s plaza.

Sicily has a long tradition of puppet shows, and they’re not intended merely to amuse the kids. These are elaborate theatrical works that tell complex stories through beautifully crafted marionettes. Palermo’s International Museum of Marionettes Antonio Pasqualino (its full name) honors the art as it’s performed in Sicily and in other cultures around the world. The 3,500 puppets on display come from Sicily, Japan, Indonesia, Cambodia and parts of Africa. You can even watch marionettes in action in a theater on the top floor; check the schedule to see what’s playing during your visit.

Newlyweds looking for a luxury boutique villa style hotel experience will dig the Somerset, which has just 53 rooms spread over eight buildings right on Grace Bay Beach (walking distance to DIY snorkeling). A sort of hotel/villa hybrid, digs are in multi-room suites with fully equipped kitchens. It works great for families, especially as dining out in Provo adds up quickly. Beyond the rooms, there is a 70-foot infinity pool to chill by as well as a lengthy list of activities that will keep the kids busy while you do so. A spa and two restaurants -- one casual, the other more formal -- complete the picture. Oh, and on Monday nights, the property’s general manager hosts a cocktail hour with free drinks, tapas, and live music for guests. Tuesday nights are dedicated to BBQs on the beach. The villa resort also works well for couples, as the suites here are beyond spacious and very private and there are a few different swimming pool options.

You don’t have to be old enough to drive to have fun at LVMGP; four tracks, three amusement rides, one super-slide, and tons of arcade games make the destination a fun spot for the entire family. Go-carts headline the action, with three speed tracks (and a course for kids that often devolves into a bumper-cars situation). On one of the speed tracks—dubbed the Adult Gran Prix—cars get up to 60 miles per hour and feature technology that keeps tabs of how fast you’re going; during your “race,” your time is displayed on a leader board so you can compare and compete with your friends. Elsewhere at the facility, there’s a small roller coaster and a giant 90-foot slide. Inside, the arcade takes center stage, with air hockey, video games, and four games of pop-a-shot, as well as a restaurant.

One of the best things about Calgary is the winter playground in the center of town. Canada Olympic Park, on the western edge of the city, features a ski hill, snowboard park, cross-country trails, an Olympic luge track, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, and a glass elevator that takes you to the 1988 Winter Olympic’s biggest ski jump, as well as skating facilities and restaurants. It also offers private and group lessons, so you can brush up on your sport where World Cup and Olympic athletes train. Plan a day to hit the slopes, or forget the skis and come explore the park’s less strenuous attractions that celebrate winter.

If you want to get in touch with nature, spend an afternoon in Piedmont Park, Atlanta’s answer to New York’s Central Park. Spread over 189 acres, the sprawling park boasts a running track, bocce and tennis courts, a swimming pool, a lake, and a dog park. It’s also the site of countless concerts, local events like the Dogwood Festival, and the finish line for the annual Peachtree Road Race. It’s not uncommon to see a movie or television show being filmed here, so grab a picnic from a nearby restaurant and plan to spend a few hours lounging in the shade.

This sprawling 19th-century former gasworks complex west of the Canal Ring was a polluted site for decades after its closing in the mid-1960s. It was cleaned up and reopened in 2003 as a park, and its architecturally significant red-brick buildings were turned into cultural venues, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and shops. The Gashouder, a massive circular structure measuring more than 27,000 square feet, hosts mainly techno parties, while the nearby North Sea Jazz Club is an intimate space for live jazz performances. You’ll also find TonTon Club, a restaurant and arcade with video games, air hockey, and table tennis; Pacific Parc, a café with live rock music and DJs; and a three-screen art-house cinema.

The Bo-Kaap was one of the few Cape Town neighborhoods to escape apartheid’s bulldozers—the cluster of bright buildings, once known as the Malay Quarter, housed many of the slaves who worked for the 17th-century Dutch colonialists. In this colorful area, you can also see some of the oldest, most beautiful mosques in the country, including the Auwal Mosque on Dorp Street. Upscale shops have been moving in lately, but don’t miss one of the originals, the spice merchant Atlas Trading Company. To go back in time, explore the Bo-Kaap Museum, furnished like the house of a typical 19th-century Muslim family.

Taking a nighttime stroll through Brooklyn, retracing George Washington’s footsteps as he was engaging British forces in Brooklyn and Long Island who went on to invade New York City in the summer of 1776 during the American Revolution (I love a good dose of American history). I paused for a moment to admire the ingenuity and design of the Brooklyn Bridge as well as the Manhattan skyline. Then I found myself humming Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind.”

This bowed silver building stands out among the skyscrapers of Downtown L.A. (though it now has an equally interesting-looking neighbor in the Broad). Those stainless-steel curves have a purpose, though. Architect Frank Gehry designed the Walt Disney Concert Hall with top-notch sound quality in mind, and the result is an architectural landmark that doubles as one of the most acoustically advanced concert halls in the world. The venue is home to the always impressive L.A. Philharmonic, a 100-piece orchestra that puts on concerts ranging from classical to jazz, contemporary, and world music throughout the year.

Gold Leaf cofounder Sonya Kemp worked at design collective SoLo in Solana Beach before fulfilling her lifelong dream of opening her own boutique. Now, she stocks her store with everything from kitchen utensils to kids’ toys, drawing inspiration from Zakka (a Japanese and Scandinavian movement that elevates everyday items). Shop for handblown glass lamps from France, midcentury modern furniture from Tijuana, and vintage clutches and jewelry. Then head next door to the Rose, the boutique’s neighbor here in the Historical 30th & Fern commercial center, for a glass of wine.

Café Latte | Quattro Sette is a great find if you’re in need for caffeine, tea, or a snack. It’s a fairly new addition to Merida, frequented by tons of expats, natives, and the occasional traveler. The coffee is delicious and strong, and the service super charming...as long as you play by the house rules below : ) REGALES DE LA CASA – House Rules No se permite hablar por teléfono dentro del Café. (No phone calls inside the Café.) El café Illy es elmejor del mundo: Si le gustaría un descafeinado, tome agua. (Illy coffee is the best in the world: if you’d like a decaf, drink water.) Los niños bien portados son bienvenidos. Los demás los convertimos en postres. (Well behaved children are welcome. The rest will be made into pies.) Hablando de postres: la gente flaca es mas fácil de secuestrar,acompag˜e su café con un pan. (Speaking of pies: skinny people are easier to kidnap, have a pastry.) Don’t bring anyone to Latte | Quattro Sette that you wouldn’t bring to your mother’s house on Sunday. (No triage a nadir a Latte | Quattro Sette que no traería a casa de su mamá el domingo.) OPEN: 8:00AM - 4:00PM +52 999 924 8895 >>>A heartfelt thank you to Yucatan Tourism for an unforgettable 4 days in the Yucatan, my new favorite place in Mexico! @YucatanTourism #TravelYucatan

One of Montréal’s most iconic landmarks was designed by an American, R. Buckminster Fuller. The Biosphere, an enormous geodesic dome, sits in Parc Jean-Drapeau on St. Helen’s Island in the St. Lawrence River. Now considered one of the most important examples of futuristic architecture of its period, it was originally built as the U.S. Pavilion for Expo 67, the world’s fair that took place in Montréal in 1967. It quickly proved to be one of the most popular attractions of the event. An acrylic skin originally covered the building, but that was destroyed in a fire in 1976 and never restored. The skeleton building remained intact, however, and it is arguably even more dramatic and elegant than before the fire. Today the Biosphere houses a kid-friendly Environment Museum, with interactive displays that introduce environmental concepts and address the issue of climate change.