Search results for

Since 1980, when well-heeled Dallasites have needed a restaurant for a special family occasion, power breakfast, proposal, or impressive first date, they’ve come to The Mansion. One of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants—which, over the years, has been the domain of several noted chefs, including Dean Fearing—is set in the 1925 private home that forms the centerpiece of the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek hotel, so the elegant rooms are filled with original details (like oak paneling, inlaid ceilings, and stained glass) and antique furnishings, including a 16th-century stone mantel. The menus are equally refined, while still approachable and creative to keep up with the city’s ever-evolving and elevating food scene. Breakfast and brunch are popular for dishes like the smoked brisket tacos and hazelnut brioche French toast, while lunch favorites include the signature tortilla soup, prime burger with kale, bacon aioli, and truffle fries, and generous salads. Dinner’s fine-dining menus change with the season but may include treats like Wagyu beef tartare or lobster ravioli; opt for the five-course chef’s tasting menu for a handpicked sampling of the current standouts. Vegetarian options are also available, as is an expertly curated wine list that takes you around the globe. If the weather is good, enjoy brunch, drinks, or a more casual meal on the terrace, around the fireplace, or under the lantern-adorned oaks.

The most northern of the Northern Beaches, Palm Beach makes for a relaxing day or weekend trip. Here, a sandy isthmus straddles ocean waves and harbor sails, and the Barrenjoey Lighthouse stands watch a short hike up the hill. Snag a spot on the deck of the Boathouse—a Hamptons-style beach shack complete with crab traps, striped awnings, and all manner of flowers and produce on display—for a bacon and egg roll, croissant French toast, or beer-battered flathead and chips overlooking the water. After finishing that cappuccino, which started with an anchor stamped into the foam, take the ferry across the inlet to the Basin campground in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park to swim, stand-up paddle board, and search for wallabies in the wild.

In 2007, hedge fund investor Jim Manley bought a working cattle ranch on the site of a historic silver-mining claim to stake as his bigger-than-life family retreat. In 2010, he opened up the Ranch at Rock Creek, a toy-filled haven in southwest Montana’s Big Sky Country, with 13 houses with one to five bedrooms, luxurious canvas cabins for “glamping,” or a nine-room granite lodge. All are decorated by designer Jet Zarkadas and feature Oriental carpets, deep leather chairs, cow skin and woven Navajo rugs, custom duvet covers, and period Western photos and memorabilia. Despite the remote location and 5,200-foot elevation, all accommodations have landline, working Wi-Fi, and cell phone coverage; some have moose antlers, a private sauna, outdoor hot tub, and indoor copper bathtub.

Open year-round, the 10-square-mile property encompasses meadows, high country lakes, grassy ridges, and stunning vistas of the Pintler and Sapphire mountains. This self-contained adventureland offers horseback riding; heli-hiking; fly-fishing; river floating; high-tech mountain biking; rope courses; trap shooting; and archery on a 3D course using powerful hunting bows to shoot life-sized models of animals. Weekly rodeo and stagecoach rides underscore the Western theme; in winter, guests cross-country ski, ice skate, and snowshoe on-site. A kids’ club frees parents for spa time and other pursuits.

Walt Disney World’s four remarkable theme parks are part of nearly 104 square kilometers (40 square miles) filled with entertainment. Magic Kingdom is home to the iconic Cinderella Castle and has six themed sections. At EPCOT, guests take a trip around the globe and into the future via exhibits, rides and events. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a working film, television and radio studio lot that features attractions based on favorite Disney characters. Adventures with real animals await guests at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The resort is approximately 90 minutes from Port Canaveral.

Magical, mysterious, magnificent—the ancient madrassas, or Koranic schools, of Morocco are unlike any other, and nowhere are they more extraordinary than in the Fes medina.

These architectural gems are home to students who come from all over the Arabic world to study their religion. The serene environment of the schools provides a welcome balm from the frenetic activity of life in the medina. Several of the oldest in Fes, while no longer in use, are open to the public, which allows a fascinating insight into the almost monastic existence of the former residents. A visit can also reveal layer upon layer of exquisite Islamic architectural details such as carved and filigreed plaster, delicate hand-cut zellij (glazed tiles), elaborate ironwork, and painted wood inlaid with gold leaf.

Among those you shouldn’t miss are the 14th-century al-Attarine, for its extraordinary plaster- and stuccowork that is said to have been inspired by the Nasrid Palaces in Granada’s Alhambra; the Bou Inania, near the Bab Boujloud (Blue Gate) and built around the same time, for its spacious, arcaded courtyard; and the 17th-century Cherratine in the Andalous Quarter, a fine example of Islamic architecture, with ornate carved-cedarwood balconies that go up and up and up, as if ascending to heaven.

Expect to be transported back to medieval times during your visit to Château de Chillon. More than 1,000 years old, the beguiling castle has inspired many poetic greats, none more so than Lord Byron, whose poem The Prisoner of Chillon was based on François Bonivard’s imprisonment. Travel across Lake Geneva on a paddle steam boat to arrive at the castle and note that the Rivera Pass, offered by most hotels, grants you half-price admission. Once inside, pick up an audio guide (available in English) and explore everything from cobblestone courtyards and eerie dungeons to secret passageways and castle walls.

This chalet-style lodge takes its name from legendary Norwegian skier Stein Eriksen, the 1952 Olympic giant slalom gold medalist and 1954 World Cup champion. When he agreed to help develop this ski-in, ski-out spot in the 1980s, he drew from his experiences at the best ski hotels in Europe, lending the lodge an Alpine feel. Inside, fireplaces, stone walls, and rich wood ceilings complement the mountain surroundings. Guestrooms are equally thought out, with beamed cathedral ceilings, stone fireplaces, and leather furnishings. Select rooms have jetted tubs and heated floors.

If you’re looking to escape the tourist hubbub in Dubrovnik’s historic core, follow the locals to Lokrum. Just a 15-minute ferry ride from the Old Town, the island offers magnificent nature walks through botanical gardens and olive groves. Paths climb up to sites like the oldest Benedictine monastery in the region and Napoleon’s Fort Royal at the very top, passing native peacocks along the way. Come for a relaxing stroll, a picnic in the shade, or a refreshing dip in the sparkling Adriatic.

If you’ve never been to the Marin Headlands, you MUST go! The views are stellar, but make sure you get there early (well, early enough to get there before all the tourists!) Ht up the headlands for a nice hike and view and then drive to Bar Bocci in Sausalito for lunch or dinner. You won’t be disappointed.

Singapore Zoo has been recognized as a leader in creating naturalistic habitats since its opening in 1973, using concealed moats to separate animals from visitors and incorporating a local reservoir into the landscaping. There are dozens of themed exhibits here! Some highlights include the Fragile Forest, where guests enter a massive biodome that re-creates the diversity of the rain forest, and the Reptile Garden, home to Komodo dragons and giant tortoises. At the adjacent Night Safari experience, guests walk or travel in trams from tropical to mountain habitation zones, where rhinos, elephants, tigers, and some 130 other species can be observed.

Throughout Luzern, so many of the buildings have crazy, wild paintings all over them. Loving it! Wish more buildings in Brisbane were like this!

This 30-square-kilometer (11-square-mile) protected habitat is located in the northeastern part of Saint Martin. Walking trails traverse the varied landscape, and there’s a wooden path through the mangroves, a winding passage over the arid forest, plus multiple lakes and a beach. Among the wildlife are tropical birds as well as iguanas and sea turtles. The surrounding waters are also protected, and dive outfitters provide snorkeling gear and instruction.

Though it is just outside the French Quarter, St. Joseph’s Cathedral is one of the most famous landmarks of the colonial era in Hanoi. The neo-Gothic church was modeled after Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral and sits on the west side of Lake Hoan Kiem. The church dates from 1886, making it the oldest church in the capital city. (Vietnam has a Catholic population of around 4 million people.) After the Viet Minh officially took control of North Vietnam in 1954, following the Geneva Accords, Catholic leaders and institutions were repressed and St. Joseph’s was closed for decades. In 1990, services resumed, and now several masses take place each day, sometimes drawing more worshipers than can fit in the building.

Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night fare, this bistro-style American eatery is located in the lobby of the historical Continental Bank, right in the middle of downtown. Chef Nathan Powers and his team draw locals working nearby, tourists from afar, and businesspeople looking to impress and woo clients. The menu for each of the meals served throughout the day is sophisticated but not overwhelming, and Powers slowly rotates items as the seasons change and new inspiration strikes. Bambara offers a number of seafood dishes and provides a range of portion sizes to accommodate different appetites.

A beautiful 15,000-acre park in Israel’s Negev Desert, north of Eilat, Timna Park offers visitors spectacular views of the arid desert landscape and ancient geological formations. One highlight is the copper mine at Mount Timna, which scientists and historians consider to be the world’s very first. At least 6,000 years ago, the area was mined by ancient Egyptians by order of their pharaoh, as well as by Israelites under the rule of King Solomon. Tours of the park, including highly recommended bike tours, are available daily, as is zip-lining, pedal-boating on the artifical lake, and the Timna Safari Shuttle, which leaves from Eilat.