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Two sommeliers walk into a bar—it’s not a joke—and soon it’s the hottest spot in town to drink wine. Sure, it’s a wine shop, but the comfy, welcoming blue-leather booths beg you to pop the cork and stay awhile. Owners Femi Oyediran and Miles White (whose sister runs Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit further down King Street) are among the city’s most respected oenophiles, and Graft lets you hang out, surrounded by shelves of incredible wines, priced reasonably. Spare wall space is decorated with vintage records that match the chill/hype soundtrack of funky jazz and hip-hop, depending on the mood and time of day. The minuscule venue hosts live music on Wednesdays and frequent pop-up dinners, plus a regular light menu of charcuterie and cheeses.

Formerly called ‘Jammin’ on Haight,’ the beloved tie-dye boutique rebranded and reopened in 2017 as Love on Haight in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love. It’s still a hippie fashion emporium and the place to pick up colorful clothing for men, women, and kids, as well as necessities like jewelry, glitter, sunglasses, hats, books, and all things tie-dye. Love on Haight is one of the few artisan shops on the street, bringing customers psychedelic creations made by locals and friends of the owners. One thing that hasn’t change at all: It’s still all about love. Check out the “peace, love, and kindness” wall, that lets buyers know that a portion of all sales is donated to a charity devoted to homeless youth, Taking It to the Streets.

Sacsayhuaman is an impressive Inca fortress on a steep hill that overlooks all of Cusco. The ruins are humongous, but archeologists believe that the original site was as much as four times larger. What remains today are the impressive outer walls constructed in a zigzag formation across three levels. As with many Inca sites, the walls are made from massive, irregularly-shaped boulders that stick together like a jigsaw puzzle without any additional support. The stones are laid together so tightly that a sheet of paper will not fit into many of the cracks. As the night comes down, this is a perfect location to appreciate the stars.

In a country full of beautiful historic sites, this may have been my favorite to explore. It has so much: a beautiful hilltop setting that offers views for miles; ruins that you can clamber over; restored Byzantine churches with incredible fresco work covering the walls and ceilings, and peaceful courtyards draped with bougainvillea; a working nunnery, where you might spot a nun going about her daily business; plus lots of cats. There’s an upper section, which is where you’ll find the ruins and the views. We drove up there first, and the nice woman at the ticket desk told us we should explore the upper section, then drive down to the lower, and drew out a route for us so that we could see everything. We spent about 3 hours total wandering and taking it all in. If you’re into Byzantine art, you could spend longer. And, unlike a lot of sites in Greece, the information panels are helpful and interesting, explaining different aspects of daily life in that era: who got to live inside the walls of the fort; where they got their water; burial practices. It’s a fair amount of walking, so stay hydrated, and take breaks in those peaceful courtyards. Then, if you want a spectacular drive, go from here over the mountains to Kalamata. The scenery is spectacular.

In a country with so many castles, Schloss Greinburg doesn’t rank as one of the most awe-inspiring. It is, however, particularly notable for two things. Greinburg is considered Austria’s oldest residential castle (origins dating back to 1488) and it has been owned by the House of Sachsen-Coburg & Gotha, arguably the most influential European royal family, since 1823. The castle was even briefly owned by Queen Victoria of England. Highlights of a guided tour include the rich stucco ceiling, grand chandeliers and ruby red walls of the Dining Room, and splendid courtyard, and numerous portraits showcasing their royal connections throughout the castle. Views from the castle overlook the small town of Grein and the Danube.

What’s old is new again in Saint-Pierre, a city built under majestic Mount Pelée on Martinique’s Caribbean coast. In 1902, Mount Pelée volcano erupted, leveling the city and killing all 30,000 inhabitants– save one lucky prison inmate, whose thick cell walls protected him from the blast. Today, the rebuilt Saint-Pierre honors its fiery past at the Musée Volcanologique, a mini-Pompeii filled with carefully preserved relics. History meets modernity at the southern entrance where seven inspired, contemporary Caribbean artists have created 32 colorful totem sculptures welcoming guests. There are also popular dive sites nearby, where scuba divers can swim alongside century-old wrecks of ships that sunk in the explosion.

Founded in the 9th century, Santa Maria della Scala was one of Europe’s first hospitals. It was also one of the first hospitals anywhere to disinfect its equipment and only stopped taking in patients in the 1980s. (The writer Italo Calvino died here in 1961.) The early history of the hospital is illustrated in the 15th-century frescoes decorating the walls of the Pilgrim’s Hall, and there is a fascinating archaeological museum housed in the labyrinthine basement rooms.

Just a mile off Messinia’s coast is the beautiful Proti Island, which is said to resemble a crocodile in shape, and is a haven for history buffs. On land, you’ll find archeological sites and ruins from ancient temples and citadels. Additionally, Proti Island is great for diving due to its clear visibility, 15 dive sits and mix of reef, cave, wall, wreck, canyon, and drift diving. As you swim through turquoise Mediterranean waters, keep your eyes peeled for blue-spotted rays, painted combers, damselfish, sea turtles, and myriad colorful corals and sponges. One company that can take you diving off Proti Island is Navarino Sea by Aqua Divers Club, a Padi Five-Star IDC Resort.

Third Man Records, the Nashville outpost of musician Jack White’s record label and store, is hard to define. It’s both a retail outlet for vinyl and offices for his label, sure, but it also includes a “novelty lounge” with coin-operated video jukeboxes and whimsical contraptions. What draws the crowds, though, is Third Man’s music venue (decked out with curved blue walls adorned with taxidermy), which regularly holds live performances, shows movies, and hosts record-release events. Visitors also can step into the tiny Record Booth, a refurbished 1947 Voice-o-Graph machine, to record up to two minutes of audio that they can take home on a 6-inch phonograph disc.

The state-of-the-art, 36,700-seat Marlins Park in the heart of Downtown is the home of the Miami Marlins baseball team. It has a retractable roof that takes just 13 minutes to go from fully closed to fully open, and there’s a floor-to-ceiling glass-walled concourse that overlooks glittery downtown Miami. The venue also houses a nightclub and several bars and restaurants—even one with a swimming pool. Take a group tour to see one of the country’s most high-tech baseball fields up close, including the field, the clubhouse, the batting cage area, the home run sculpture, the bobblehead museum—and the aquarium at home plate.

Located in a historic trolley barn, the original Big River Grille and Brewing Works is conveniently located within walking distance of the Tennessee Aquarium and other popular attractions. Inside you can see the brewery behind a glass wall, where beer is made right before it comes to you. Big River’s beers have won countless awards and none more so than the Iron Horse Stout. The Southern Flyer Light Lager and Big River Vienna Lager are also favorites. The extensive menu of pizzas, sandwiches, burgers and entrees pairs well with the beers.

Some of the best snorkeling we did on Oahu didn’t cost a cent—including Sans Souci Beach, a walkable distance from the Waikiki hotels and close to the aquarium. But why pay to get into the aquarium when you can wade right into the water and see all kinds of colorful needlefish, triggerfish, butterflyfish, and more? This smallish, family-friendly beach is low-key and fairly quiet, considering its touristy location. Swim over by the rock wall for the greatest variety of fish and tiny black crabs. And don’t forget your underwater camera! (This is not a great picture, but at least you can see the aquatic diversity on display.)

From the dingy exterior, you might expect Little Village Noodle House to be a hole-in-the-wall, but it’s surprisingly cute and nicely decorated inside, with fountains, decorative woodwork, and nice tables and chairs. The chef’s special fried rice is justifiably a signature dish: piled high with pork, shrimp, duck, egg, and other goodies. The orange chicken was intensely citrusy with lots of orange flavor — but not that gross, sickly-sweet syrupy coating that usually makes the dish a soggy mess. Lunch items are around $10-12, and portions are decent, though not huge. Considering the unexpectedly fancy decor and fast, friendly service, this is a great choice for a meal in Honolulu‘s Chinatown.

The Samaria Gorge is considered the “Grand Canyon” of Europe. This 16km trek is best started in the mid-morning to allow enough time to hike and to avoid the crowds that start the trek early. The gorge became a park in 1962, and is famous for the “Iron Gates” - a narrow spot where the walls of the gorge tower to over 1,000 feet, with a width of only 13 feet! You may even spot a kri-kri (a wild and rare Cretan goat)! This photograph was taken in October (late in the season) when I led a kayaking expedition in Crete.

Unicorn is one of my favorite places to take visitors because there’s just so much to look at: the lurid circus-painted walls, the costumed and accessorized taxidermy, the lavishly painted bar that seems to have been pulled off a carousel. During happy hour, load up on discounted snacks like “narwhal balls” (deep-fried potato croquettes with dipping sauce), hand-dipped corn dogs, and bacon popcorn. They recently expanded into the basement, now known as Narwhal, which has another full bar and a selection of vintage arcade and pinball games. It gets wild on weekend nights, but you can stop in on a weekday afternoon or evening for a more sedate experience if you just want to soak up the colorful surroundings.