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The de Young Museum, with its perforated copper facade and spiraling tower in the center of Golden Gate Park, is as dramatic outside as it is inside. Follow the widening crack in the sidewalk into the atrium. It’s an Andy Goldsworthy–created nod to the tectonic plates that carved out California, and emblematic of the museum, too: The previous building was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and rebuilt by Herzog & de Meuron, opening in 2005. Inside, Gerhard Richter’s wall-size mural, made from digitally manipulated photographs, greets visitors. The museum specializes in American art, international textile arts and costumes, and art of the ancient Americas, Oceania, and Africa. Visiting exhibitions often focus on modern works and draw massive crowds. Recent blockbusters include Georgia O’Keeffe, Richard Diebenkorn, and David Hockney. Make sure to visit the observation deck at the top of the tower. (It closes one hour before the museum.) It’s a unique view over the low-lying western end of the city.

If you’re looking for a quiet place to have a drink, don’t go to Zeitgeist. If you’re looking to have an early night, don’t go to Zeitgeist. If you’re looking for an incredibly wide selection of beers on tap, gruff but knowledgeable bartenders, good bar food, and an outdoor biergarten filled with picnic tables and young locals—then you should definitely go to Zeitgeist. The place can get pretty crowded, so be sure to follow proper protocol at the bar if you want to get served: order your beer by its corresponding number (it’s all clear on the menu) and remember that this place is cash only. Feeling hungry? Get the cheeseburger and home fries. Zeitgeist is open daily from 9 am to 2 am. .

Yes, New Mexico actually has an official “state question"--since 1996, referring to the ubiquitous chile sauce, it’s “red or green?” Fortunately you don’t have to choose just one; the local way to say ‘can I have both’ is just one word: “Christmas.” If you’re driving through New Mexico on the way to Arizona and points beyond, the only town of any size on I-40 between Albuquerque and Flagstaff is Gallup. For road-trip food here, get away from the Interstate and its humdrum chain restaurants. Seek out Jerry’s--a block off old Route 66. You can’t miss the retro neon sign, and there’s often a line out the door for its New Mexico-style fare. Gallup is surrounded by Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni lands--you might well be one of the few non-Native-Americans eating here at breakfast or lunch. The restaurant allows local vendors to come in and show their wares--usually jewelry and bracelets--while you eat. (You can request a ‘do not disturb’ sign for your booth if you want.) “Hole in the wall” gets overused, but Jerry’s definitely fits that description. Nothing pretentious here--but the flavor of the chile sauce is as good as you’ll find in Albuquerque or Santa Fe. A recommendation: the flat cheese-and-onion-enchiladas, topped “Christmas” style with a fried egg on top. And don’t forget to sop up the sauce with the sopaipillas, saving some of the frybread to top with honey as a dessert afterwards...

Named after dishwasher-turned-James-Beard-Award-winning-superstar-chef Hugo Ortega, Hugo’s is a Montrose mainstay. Hugo’s is housed in a 1925 art deco building by Houston architect Joseph Finger. Here, the dishes dive deep into Mexico’s rich culinary heritage, like fall-off-the-bone tender garlic-marinated goat and lechón (roast pork) with crackling, crispy skin. But save room for dessert—options include churros stuffed with dulce de leche and flan topped with tangy passion fruit glaze, candied pistachios, strawberries, and whipped cream.

Tucked away on a quiet San Miguel Chapultepec street, but just next door to lively Colonia Condesa, this odd restaurant’s yellow façade leads to a culinary experience that goes way beyond the food served. Under the direction of Norma Listman and Saqib Keval, Masala y Maíz is a space of culinary encounter between Mexico and India; entrees often mix pickled fruits and vegetables in Latin American styles. The makai pakka combines Mexican esquites with a similar dish from Kenya. The partner-chefs connect food and current events as well; they commit to a socially responsible work environment and the restaurant serves as a progressive events forum. Open for breakfast and lunch, plus Saturday-only brunch.

With no sign above its unassuming storefront, Tartine is most easily recognized by the line that snakes out its door and down Guerrero Street. People patiently wait for flaky pains au chocolat (the best outside Paris, in my opinion), decadent banana cream tarts, and hot-pressed sandwiches stuffed with fillings like smoked sheep cheese and quince jam. The bakery’s James Beard Award–winning pastry chefs also turn out loaves of stone hearth–baked bread, available every day after 4:30 p.m. Nurse a coffee and nibble on a croissant at the communal table, or take picnic provisions to nearby Dolores Park.

A brother-sister expat duo has opened this chic slice of Brooklyn in Colonia Juárez, the neighborhood currently angling to be Mexico City’s hippest. No complaints on that account at Cicatriz, whose open, industrial-styled storefront is a forum for several daily moods. No-compromise coffee and a variety of alternative baked goods form the morning agenda; lunch means a major emphasis on locally sourced greens in great salads and roasted iterations; the meatball and fried-chicken sandwich are both major crowd-pleasers as well. After five, it’s time to get your drink on; the bartenders deliver superior, crafted quaffs, but free from all the fuss you’ll see at other haute mixology spots. The earnest, healthful menu is enhanced by an overall vibe of do-it-yourself chic.

You have to be a little bit loco to want to visit Central de Abasto, much less actually go there, but it is the ultimate market experience. Central de Abasto is the market that supplies all of the other fruit and vegetable markets in the city and many others throughout the country. More than 30,000 tons of fresh produce enter and leave the market daily, or the equivalent of 80% of the fruits and vegetables consumed in the capital. It’s not for the faint of heart, though; this market is all business and hustle is the name of the game. Browsing and taking photos of towers of colorful vegetables are not recommended because aisles are crowded and fleet-on-their-feet workers moving hand trucks of goods don’t tolerate dawdling slowpokes.

As with most structures and sites in Mexico City, the Estadio Olímpico, or Olympic Stadium, located on the grounds of the university (UNAM), has played an important role in several historic episodes. First is its role in mid-20th-century Mexican architecture. Built in 1952, it is a marvel- designed to resemble a volcano in structure. It also has some important historic design elements, namely the decorative Mexican symbolism added by Diego Rivera. Second is its role in the 1968 Olympic Games. Even the spectators and viewers at home who had not paid much attention to the Games knew that the stadium was the site where American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave the Black Power salute during a medal ceremony. The image of the athletes standing next to Australian silver medalist Peter Norman (who wore a badge in support of Smith and Carlos), is an iconic image of the Games. Today the stadium is the home of the Pumas soccer team, and during home games, the stadium often fills to capacity.

The 1950s facade of The Laurel Inn reveals that this property—now a Joie de Vivre Hotel—has been part of San Francisco‘s Pacific Heights neighborhood for many decades. But a multimillion dollar renovation in 2017 refreshed the boutique hotel’s 49 guest rooms, while keeping the retro charm intact with midcentury modern furniture and rich velvet and wool textiles. Located within a few blocks of the Presidio and mere steps from the shops and restaurants of Sacramento Street, many of the spacious rooms have been designed with kitchenettes to add to the residential feel of the hotel. Ask for a room with a city view—watching the fog roll in over Pacific Heights and the downtown skyscrapers beyond that each morning from bed is an experience not to be missed.

In 2001, hotelier Ian Schrager tapped French designer Philippe Starck to reconceptualize The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel’s wildly modern interiors. A complete contrast to the building’s historic facade, the lobby is dark, edgy and filled with a quirky smattering of cool furniture—among them chairs by Ray and Charles Eames, a coffee table by Salvador Dali, and a surreal stool by Renee Marguerite. Upstairs, splashes of lavender brighten more neutral rooms, which feature wheelbarrow-shaped chairs and sleigh beds designed by Starck. Merino wool blankets are primed to battle foggy nights, while MALIN+GOETZ bath products soothe well-traveled skin with natural ingredients and science. Downstairs in the Redwood Room, a see-and-be-seen crowd nurses drinks. The swanky lounge sports sleek backlit shelves, its original redwood paneling, and a bar supposedly crafted from a single redwood tree. Though The Clift sits just up the street from Union Square, it feels far away from the tourists.

The colorful murals in Balmy Alley are the lower Mission’s own version of the better-known Clarion Alley murals. Stroll through the small, pedestrian-friendly alleyway to see public work by local artists, a tradition that began in the mid-1980s in response to human rights and political abuses in Central America. Today, you can see murals depicting scenes from human rights abuse to local gentrification to natural disasters. Want to learn more? Take a tour with Precita Eyes Muralists.

Burma Superstar lives up to its name. Opened more than 20 years ago, the Inner Richmond restaurant has gained a following for such specialties as hand-wrapped samosas filled with meat and potatoes, chili lamb, and traditional rice salad. Known for its curries and use of spices, Burmese cuisine combines the flavors of India, Laos, China, and Thailand. All these influences come together seamlessly on Burma Superstar’s wide-ranging menu, which features home-style dishes prepared with traditional recipes. The restaurant also has locations in Oakland and Alameda. Reservations aren’t accepted.

Wood and ferns, creping vines, and abundant natural light abound in this new outing from the owners of Galanga Thai Kitchen. The menu features Thai classics like tom kha gai soup and green papaya salad, as well as Vietnamese favorites like rice noodles and beef broth with galangal ginger and lemongrass, pok-pok wings, and bahn mi. The gastronomy is notable not just for proven comforts, or even because of freshly harvested ingredients from the garden they maintain in the town of Hidalgo, Morelos; you’ve also got Chef Somri “Anna” Raksamra’s hand when it comes to seasonings. Start out with chicken, beef, pork, and shrimp skewers that you charcoal-roast on a colorful, open-air cart (an homage to food carts that abound along Thai streets). For dessert you’ve got a sweet potato tart—something you won’t find anyplace, anywhere in Mexico City.

Mérida is, with every year, an increasingly popular destination among travelers to the Yucatan peninsula, as well as with expats who are settling in the city. What it has largely lacked,when compared to many of Mexico‘s other colonial cities and towns, are stores with curated items representing the best of the region’s crafts. Casa T’hō is helping to change that. The small shopping center has a half-dozen shops featuring local textiles, guayaberas, soaps, fragrances, and more. There’s also a café/restaurant serving light dishes and cold drinks. The boutiques are located in the rooms of one of the 19th-century mansions that line Paseo Montejo, now meticulously restored with a lovely courtyard dotted with several towering palms.