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A walking path, golf course, fishing pier, paddleboat rentals, and volleyball courts ensure that everyone gets to experience nature in their favorite way at this 76-acre park. In the summertime, listen to one of the frequent live concerts while the kids burn off energy running around on the grass.

More than four decades after Walt Disney World welcomed its first guests, the Four Seasons opened on 26 acres a few miles south of the Magic Kingdom, finally giving parents a true luxury resort option within the park. Well-sized and well-appointed rooms are typical of the brand’s understated elegance, but expect to pay a premium for a room with a balcony overlooking Disney’s nightly fireworks (or just reserve a table at the top-floor Capa steakhouse). Kids get the luxury treatment, too. The resort makes it easy for guests to organize park visits right on site: The Disney Planning Center helps with tickets, handles extended Magic Hours and Fast Pass requests, and books restaurant reservations and transportation to the monorail station and the rest of Disney World. Serious fans can also have a photo op with Goofy and friends at the resort’s character breakfast. A giant pool with a lazy river and two waterslides beckon on days when you’d rather not brave the park crowds, and children get dedicated welcome amenities, toys, and costumes during their stay. The extensive menu of spa services even includes a princess-themed mommy-and-me makeover treatment, including a tiara and wand.

As you speed through the desert on I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix, consider getting off at Exit 219, especially if you have kids in the backseat... ...and even if you don’t have kids in the backseat, feeding ostriches and lorikeets is FUN! This is a classic road-trip must-stop thing to do. Stretch your legs and take a break from dodging eighteen-wheelers while communing with a bit of feathered nature at the foot of Picacho Peak. There are deer and goats to feed as well, and ostrich feather dusters for purchase, along with gigantic eggshells and related desert avian kitsch. The ‘rainbow lorikeet forest’ is a delight--these Australian parrots fly free in this tree-filled enclosure and will happily land on you to feed from the cups of nectar you’ll be offering... I’d passed by this area for years before finally stopping, always curious but skeptical. I can honestly say it’s not a rip-off and you’ll probably end up spending more time than you thought you would...unless you have a phobia of birds. (Keep in mind--mid-summer mid-day temps can be brutal here, and there are occasional dust-storms in this area. Plan accordingly.)

Part of the Grande Lakes resort complex, the Ritz-Carlton Orlando has enough amenities to keep a family happily occupied without ever having to leave the property. Accommodations feature private balconies with garden or lake views and separate tubs and showers, while club-level suites offer snacks and refreshments throughout the day and exclusive activities such as photography lessons with the hotel’s photo concierge, but the rooms aren’t why you came. Cool off at the clover-shaped pool—the lazy river next-door at the JW Marriott is also available—or with a zero-gravity massage, performed while you sway in a hammock in the spa’s rooftop garden. The Greg Norman–designed golf course has a caddie concierge program; kids play free with an adult. Between the two large hotels on the Grande Lakes property, there are a dozen dining options—try Highball & Harvest, where the farm-to-table cuisine is made with local ingredients and served alongside beer from its own nano-brewery. The $35 daily resort fee covers theme-park shuttles, kids’ club activities, daily bike rentals, driving range privileges, and WiFi and phone calls.

Completed in 1614, Johannisburg Palace is one of the most important Renaissance castles in Germany. Located along the Main River, the immense, four-winged complex served as the second residence of the archbishop-electors of Mainz until 1803. Today, it’s home to innumerable cultural and historical treasures, including a unique collection of cork architectural models called Bringing Rome Across the Alps. The State Gallery displays early German and Dutch paintings, with a special emphasis on Lucas Cranach the Elder, while the Princely Apartments offer a fine array of neoclassical furnishings. In the Palace Church, modern technology brings the Renaissance altar to life in a new way, using light and sound installations to highlight the 31 alabaster sculptures and almost 150 relief figures. Also not to be missed is the Palace Museum, showcasing the history of Aschaffenburg, as well as the gardens, where the fruit trees and flower beds are particularly splendid in summer.

It can be a delicate balancing act, offering the luxury that adults expect of a five-star property while keeping kids entertained and happy. But Le Bonne Entente, sited on a former 120-acre estate about seven miles southwest of Old Québec, hits all of the sweet spots that families look for. Nearly a third of its 160 rooms are suites, making them great choices for families who want a little extra room or privacy. On the grounds, surrounded by well-tended gardens, the seasonal swimming pool is a popular hangout on warm summer days (the hot tub is open year-round). In a lovely court beyond the pool, several unique triple-hammock structures are a perfect place to retreat for some outdoor peace and quiet. Guests have exclusive use of La Tempête Golf Club, as well as a Fun Club for kids up to age 18, providing a home theater, video games, and even a special rest area with beds so parents can sneak away to enjoy a late dinner at MC Lounge, the hotel’s cozy steakhouse.

This popular Mexican-food mainstay in the heart of San Francisco‘s Mission District is one of two places in the city that claim to have invented the Mission-style burrito (the other is El Faro): a hefty, elephant-leg-size wrap distinguished from other burritos by its size and the inclusion of rice and other ingredients. The restaurant was first opened as a meat market in 1967 by Mexican immigrants Raul and Michaela Duran, who are said to have served their first burrito in 1969 after noticing that local workers needed a substantial yet portable meal. The Mission Burrito was born, containing most of the food groups: protein, vegetables, dairy, and grains. The Durans converted their meat market into a full-time restaurant in 1972. Taqueria la Cumbre offers a full menu of Mexican food, all made fresh. The burritos are made assembly-line style. (Fun fact: When the Durans first came to San Francisco, they hired a high school kid to make flour tortillas before school. The kid, Jorge Santana, would go on to be a popular musician, like his brother Carlos.)

Visiting a country’s Supreme Court may not rank high on your list of things to do, particularly when the building in question has been covered in scaffolding for almost 10 years. Brussels’ Palace of Justice (Palais du Justice) has been mired in controversy from day one. It was the largest building constructed in the 19th century and, at 160 by 150 meters, is even larger than St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Constructing this monster of a building required leveling an entire section of Brussels. It just happened to be a working-class area. The wealthy landlords received pockets full of cash, while the residents ended up out in the cold. These days the Palace of Justice is controversial because of the on-going battle to remove the scaffolding, left behind by the now bankrupt renovation company. Peek behind the scaffolding however and you may be surprised to find sweeping staircases, marble statues and a grand reading-room. It is free and open to the public year-round, unless a sensitive trail is taking place.

The government said the cliffs of Calcata, a medieval hill town 30 miles north of Rome, where crumbling and the residents would have to abandon the village for a new one a half mile away. They were right. Sort of. There was a government policy, created during the Fascist era, that stated any village that was so decrepit it was dangerous, the government would destroy it and build a new town nearby. The residents of this cramped hill town, tired of the poor living conditions, took advantage of this law. By the 1960s, the new town, Calcata Nuova, was ready and the old residents slowly moved. At the same time, hippies and artists discovered this slowly abandoned village and bought up the houses, knowing the village was to be condemned. They eventually had the law reversed, saving the village, and went on to fix up Calcata. Today home prices have soared and it’s become one of the most beautiful (and bizarre) places in Italy.

Looking for Las Vegas locals? Stop by Downtown Container Park, where boutiques sell their wares out of recycled shipping containers and locals sip wine while their kids run around the playground (also made from a recycled container). This hub in downtown Las Vegas features an ever-evolving rotation of shops and restaurants that highlight local artistic talent. Check programming for live (and often free) concerts, movies, and other events that take place on the stage toward the back of the park.

Open daily, even on Sundays, the Condamine market is a combination covered and outdoor market where residents come to stock up their larders with regional specialties, local produce, and fish directly from the sea below. Grab a coffee at one of the old-fashioned cafés, or savour the regional “socca” chick pea pancake as you watch the Monegasque go about their daily business—visiting the newsstand, gossiping with neighbors, letting their kids loose in the play area. Photo : Sylvia Sabes

Experience East Africa at Serengeti, a two-tiered restaurant with a jungle ambiance. Great for families, the space features shady trees, (fake) wild animals, hidden caves, and waiters dressed as hunters. This Indian version of the Rainforest Cafe is located on the top floor of the Ohri Building, so step out on the terrace for lovely views. Try the Kalimirch Tava Chicken and be sure to have your kids ask for animal stickers at the exit.

Luili is an ancient Chinese word for ‘glass art’. Showcasing over 250 glass pieces from the Warring States through the Qing Dynasty, history is present in this collection of crystal. But this isn’t just about an old art form, contemporary glass art is represented as well, not least of which is the signature collection for co-founders Loretta Hui-shan Yang. Often overlooked, but well worth a visit. Hours: 10:00-17:00, Closed on Mondays Tickets: 20 RMB for adults, free for kids

Eaton Canyon has a great nature center if you want to learn about the local plants, animals, geology, and ecology. The exhibits and nature walks are kid-friendly. Hiking trails are also easily accessible from the nature center. The Eaton Canyon Falls trail is a fun and easy hike; it’s cooler and more shaded than many of the local trails, and it follows a creek to a wading pool and waterfall—a great place to relax and cool down on a hot day.

At Rawacou Recreation Park, near the airport in Argyle, a breakwater creates a safe place to swim. On either side of the park, you can see the Atlantic surf crashing onto the black-sand beaches typical of St. Vincent. You’ll also find picnic tables for lunching and broad lawns, where kids can run and play.