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Watching the river flow by with a margarita in hand is one of the best ways to while away an afternoon in San Antonio, and at Casa Rio, you can do just that. The restaurant’s colorful umbrellas have lined the River Walk since 1946, providing a postcard-perfect backdrop for sampling enchiladas, flautas, fajitas, and, of course, icy-cold margaritas. The oldest restaurant on the riverfront, Casa Rio is beloved for its authentic Tex-Mex cuisine, but its real charm lies in its ambience. Request an outdoor table and let your worries float away with the river. Just be sure to decide between frozen and on the rocks first.

A piragua is shaved ice with syrup. Piragueros (the piragua vendors) and their colorful wooden pushcarts used to be ubiquitous in Puerto Rico many years ago. Now they’re few and far between (usually found in town squares) and with the heat bearing down more than ever, locals run to every piraguero they can find for equal parts refreshment and reminiscence. The most loved syrup flavors include raspberry, sesame seed, anise, and mantecado (ice cream).

La Gintonería, in the less-traversed neighborhood of Gros, could very well be the best gin-tonic in San Sebastián. With two shelves laden with premium and hard-to-find gins, it’s a gintonaholic’s dream. They have a selection of premium tonics and an arsenal of techniques to match. Watch as they instantaneously infuse your gin with cardamom using a pellet of dry ice. Or inhale as they drip just a few drops of bitters into your fishbowl glass. Whatever gin you choose, you are in for one of the best mixed drinks of your life.

Just to the southwest of Tucson, on the San Xavier Reservation, sits the late XVIII-century Mission San Xavier del Bac, one of the finest examples of Spanish colonial architecture in the U.S. The combination of late Baroque and Moorish-inspired design is a beacon any time of the year, but on this winter day, the flooded fields worked some magic—panoramas of reflected landscapes are almost nonexistent in southern Arizona! The ‘white dove of the desert’ is the oldest intact European structure in Arizona, and it still serves as a parish church for the Tohono O’odham people.

Centuries-old catacombs decorated with human bones pepper the crypts at this Franciscan monastery dating to 1774. Decked out in impressive Spanish Baroque architecture, the canary-yellow church and monastery also house a remarkable library with some 25,000 antique texts (some predating the Spanish Conquest) and are flush with romantic courtyards and cloisters. Don’t forget to look up: A magnificent Moorish-style cupola, carved of Nicaraguan cedar in 1625, oversees the main staircase.

Most people who visit Florence know that walking to Piazzale Michelangelo is a must. However, fewer people know that walking a little higher to the old church of San Miniato al Monte is an even better experience. Amble down the Arno River to Viale G. Poggi, up the green pathways to Piazzale Michelangelo, then continue on until you reach the busy square with a bronze cast of Michelangelo’s David at its center. This church facing the square is one of the oldest in the area, a beautiful 12th-century example of Romanesque architecture. Note, especially, the mosaics on the facade and, inside, above the altar; the floor decorations are also worth a look. There is also a small shop next to the church, run by monks. Take in the views from the outside, stroll the grounds, and see the old cemetery. Entrance to the church is free, and if you’re lucky, you might even hear the monks singing.

With killer views of the waves crashing onto Ocean Beach, the Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant is one of the best places to grab a bite and watch the sunset in San Francisco. Before its current incarnation, the 1925 Spanish revival building served as a beach changing room, an Army outpost during WWII, and a VFW hall. The disused building was shuttered in 1970, but spared for its landmark WPA murals and mosaics. Come to see the murals, and stay for the food and Ocean Beach views. Upstairs, above the visitor center, the Beach Chalet Restaurant serves fresh fish and steaks. Downstairs, opening out to Golden Gate Park, the sunny and more casual Park Chalet offers burgers or fish and chips, and live music on weekends.

After years of development, San Antonio’s revived Pearl Brewery district is now a hotbed of activity, with an array of restaurants, shops, and residential buildings, plus an outpost of the Culinary Institute of America housed in a former 19th-century brewery. At its core is the 146-room Hotel Emma, set in the complex’s former brew house, and named for the wife of the original brewer. Envisioned by noted design firm Roman and Williams, the décor melds salvaged items with lots of rich woods, buttery leathers, and handwoven textiles, resulting in spaces that are warm and cushy. Adding to that cozy feel are higher-level rooms that feature claw-foot tubs or fireplaces, a bi-level library stocked with over 3,700 tomes, and the clubby Sternewirth Bar, which serves potent cocktails in an old fermentation silo. Food is also a focus here—in addition to Chef John Brand’s Supper, serving farm-fresh New American fare, and Larder, a café and gourmet market set in the former fermentation cellars, the hotel offers a Culinary Concierge to help connect guests to the best of San Antonio’s booming food scene.

The Belmond Villa San Michele knows something about history. Michelangelo designed its facade, Franciscan monks tended its gardens, and Brigitte Bardot stayed here. But, like any elegant host, it’s not brash about its pedigree. Manicured Italian gardens—designed by 15th-century friars—beckon you for sun-soaked strolls. The colonnaded loggia is a pleasant place for a sunset aperitivo or candlelit dinner, especially with a view of Florence and the Arno Valley. The hotel’s expansive rooms are already decked out in the most tasteful, almost understated interpretation of Renaissance luxury—terra-cotta tile floors, heavy wood furnishings, just a dash of red velvet, and plenty of cream-colored walls—and then the panoramic views, original frescoes, and modern Carrara marble bathrooms steal the show. There’s a real-deal cooking school, where the chef actually works with each person in hands-on preparations—no demonstrations-only here. Other perks include the hillside pool, the concierge service that can get you into the Uffizi outside of operating hours, and, from the Loggia Restaurant, a view of the ancient Roman road that once connected Florence to Fiesole.

Inspired by his time in New Orleans, Chef Steve McHugh brought to San Antonio a vision of a modern, welcoming spot with a killer charcuterie program, and that vision became his buzzy restaurant, Cured. Opened in late 2013 and having survived an on-premise fire, the restaurant has drawn discerning carnivores in for plates like monster 2-pound pork shanks, pork cheek poutine and cabrito sliders, all served in a elegantly utilitarian yet warm space. Not to be missed is the fine in-house charcuterie program -- or the see-through curing room front and center as you walk into the dining room. The wonderfully curated beverage menu features craft beers and wonderfully inventive cocktails. Cured is a must-visit culinary experience on any jaunt to the Alamo City.

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.)

Carmen lies at the crossroads where quality, creativity, and sustainability (plus every other big-city culinary trend) meet. The namesake proprietress, alongside musician husband Rob Pevitts (both San Francisco Cordon Bleu graduates), is the genius who imported the restaurant’s California-sybarite style to Cartagena. She also brought a passion for everything that comes from the sea, and even imported her father, who’s responsible for serving up crab, lobster, fish, and octopus in line with standards he picked up on his many travels in New York and Japan.

Sunny days should be cherished, and Puerto Rico offers plenty of them. Beaches are wonderful when you’re seeking to escape the heat, but Old San Juan will have you embracing the rays and feeling just as wild and free. The whole family will have a blast running around the fields of El Morro, tirelessly trying to keep a cat- or airplane-shaped kite soaring through the air. At the Plaza del Quinto Centenario, where water shoots up from the ground in foamy jets, join the locals as they gather around to frolic and cool off.

Two of my favorite things are beer and bikes, so it was no surprise that I fell in love with the Blue Star Brewing Company in San Antonio. The beer is top-notch and all organic. It also has a stellar food menu and offers great ambiance, both inside and out on the expansive patio. I love the layout of the brew pub, which also includes a bakery and a butcher block. The cool bikes on display are a bonus. My favorite beer on tap is the Pale Ale, but there are many options to please any beer aficionado.

I don’t want to use the word overrated. Many people rave about Coctelería Dickens, but I stopped going there after I paid five euros for a coffee. However, those who are loyal to the bar manage to see past the exorbitant prices to the man behind the bar. Joaquín Fernandez is at the helm, and he is a regular feature in the local press for his cocktail knowledge. He stands definitively in the old-school corner, which means he fits perfectly in this classic San Sebastián bar.