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Once the home of Teddy Roosevelt, this two-story lounge has featured local and world-renowned DJs spinning house, electronic, and trip-hop since 1995, as well as live bands playing jazz, hip-hop, reggae, funk, samba, and Latin. Along with the beats, enjoy the chill, living-room-like ambience, stylish crowd, and strong drinks in a variety of spaces—the Deck Bar is a favorite summertime hangout.

Beneath the path of planes taking off from LAX is an oceanfront runway for beginner hang gliders to get some air of their own. Sign up for a full (seven flights for $140) or half lesson (four flights for $85) with Windsports, which has been operating with A-class instructors since 1974. The experienced Greg DeWolf, whose longest flight clocked in at 6.5 hours, is a recommended guide. His passion, thoroughness, and humor are just what a novice needs to feel comfortable and confident piloting this new flying contraption. Relaxing is key, and once you do, the flights are a calming enjoyable ride. Just make sure to look up so you remember the experience!

Herrsching is a lovely, small town in Bavaria, Germany on Lake Ammersee, about 30 minutes southwest of Munich. It is perfect if you are seeking a relaxed day trip from Munich or a longer stay to unwind from the stresses of daily life. A former fishing village, the town’s current local population is 8,000 year-round and 13,000 in summer. Herrsching is popular for its easy access to watersports (sailing, swimming, paddleboarding, etc), hiking, biking and Andechs, the Benedictine monastery and brewery which is a popular day trip from Munich. The town has a quiet waterfront with a 5-mile promenade that offers a small section for lakeside dining - perfect in the summer months. Sitting by the water under the shady trees, it is the perfect environment to enjoy a romantic dinner in a simple, tranquil setting. For those seeking quiet and a laid-back atmosphere, Herrsching delivers.

This Spring Street café’s name is deceiving—yes, two in-house sommeliers assure there’s a focus on excellent wines, but this isn’t a pecorino-and-prosciutto wine bar—it’s a full-service neighborhood restaurant serving hearty entrees like a cast iron-seared hanger steak, and squid ink pasta alla chitarra with zucchini, chilis, and local shrimp. That’s not to say there isn’t cheese; it’s a fine place for a snack and a glass of wine (over a dozen are offered by the pour). But likewise, don’t let the name steer you away from house cocktails like the namesake Josephine, with its balance of grapefruit juice, yellow chartreuse, and Lillet. House sodas like a passionfruit limeaid with jalapeño syrup appeal to non-drinkers in search of inspired mocktails. Picture-worthy, white-and-gold décor lends elegance to the space, whether you’re sipping in the late afternoon natural light or out on a dinner date after dark.

If you’ve been to Fès, chances are you’ll be familiar with the original Clock. This is the second in owner Mike Richardson’s growing empire, this time housed in a converted schoolhouse in the Kasbah. Like all of his projects, a keen eye for line, color, and detail has turned the space from utilitarian into eye-popping as Richardson invites local street artists to bring life and color to the walls; junkyard finds and vintage Berber cushions provide the decor. It’s a popular hangout for both young Moroccans and those traveling through, with regular cultural events, including its famous storytelling nights that spotlight the best raconteurs from the Djemaa el Fna, translated by youngsters learning the craft, to traditional cooking schools to Gnawa musicians giving it their all in tribal trance for Sunday sunsets. But, of course, no visit would be complete without sampling Cafe Clock’s signature, legendary camel burger.

Ontario has another wine destination, Prince Edward County, affectionately named “The County.” This cluster of towns, about 2.5 hours east of Toronto, is home to some of Ontario’s best wineries. But never was there a great place to stay until summer 2015 when Jeff Stober, the hotelier behind Toronto’s stylish Drake Hotel, opened a rural clone, the Drake Devonshire. It’s the ideal retreat for travelers wanting their Drake by Lake Ontario. Once a 19^th-century foundry, the building is now a contemporary farmhouse-cottage, decked out with 11 individually-designed hotel rooms and two suites in the quaint town of Wellington. The property offers coziness all year round in the communal living room and out back over a lakeside fire pit and s’mores. Guests can hang in the barnlike Pavilion for musical performances, sommelier seminars, seasonal events, or just to gawk at the floor-to-ceiling mural by Brooklyn artist FAILE. It doesn’t hurt that Sandbanks Provincial Park—known for its 60-foot sand dunes—is practically the backyard of the Drake Dev.

The beauty of running a seafood restaurant that’s not located near the sea is that there’s no regional bias—and Current takes full advantage of this. Chef Alan Brines is able to draw inspiration from seafood meccas such as San Francisco, Boston, New Orleans, Seattle, and others. Located just east of downtown, the simple single-story brick building has been refurbished with a modern feel and can be rented out for private events. Current also hosts special events from time to time, including wine pairings from notable American winemakers.

Cheese connoisseurs, welcome to heaven. Casa Gonzalez has been serving up the widest selection of queso (cheese) with an authentic flair for years. The wine list does not disappoint and somehow the service is always smiling, even when the bar is packed. If you’re not a cheese lover, fret not, there is an assortment of Iberico meats on offer, tapas, and even their olive oil toast is delicious. Expect it to be busy on weekends, as the central location makes it a prime hangout for many Madrileños.

Despite its location in Chueca, to say nothing of its name, Bar Cock is not a gay bar. Rather, it is one of Madrid‘s oldest--and coolest--gin joints. Opened in 1921 by legendary barman Perico Chicote, it managed to stay open during the Civil War, and was a late-night hangout for Pedro Almodóvar and other creative young rebels during the 1970s movida. Today, there’s no better place in town for a classic cocktail and a little ambiance.

This 34-mile paved bike trail wraps around the River Mountains and loops from downtown Boulder City through a part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, past Lake Las Vegas, through the outside corner of Henderson, and back. All told, the route presents bicyclists with a challenging and diverse path on which to spend a day. There are even some spur trails from the main thoroughfare that link to Hoover Dam (through a series of old railroad tunnels), downtown Henderson, and beyond. The most challenging portion of the main trail is between Henderson and Boulder City, where a series of three hills—dubbed the Three Sisters—prompt even the fittest atheletes to huff and puff for a while. Services are available at various spots along the trail, and bike rentals are offered in Boulder City and at Lake Las Vegas.

The Arboretum on the western side of Lake Zurich is a perfect place for a stroll, rain or shine. You can buy a brat and have a beer or watch the sailboats and ferries making their way across the lake.

Reasonably priced food is somewhat hard to come by in the upscale hamlet of Lake Louise, which is why Bill Peyto’s Café is such a find. Located in the HI Lake Louise Alpine Centre hostel and within walking distance of the Samson Mall, Peyto’s has a sizable dining room and an outdoor patio that’s perfect for relaxing on warm, sunny days. The menu is almost as vast as a classic Greek diner’s, including everything from a Thai stir-fry to a traditional poutine, but its dishes are executed flawlessly. (If you’re looking for standard pub fare, you can choose from plenty of burger options.) Servings are generous and cheap, meaning you’ll want to arrive early to lock down a table—especially in the summer.

As one of the most innovative players on the Marrakech restaurant scene, Kamal Laftimi spearheads projects that are nothing if not showstoppers. This buzzy, green-on-green–tiled riad, bristling with courtyard banana trees, is a case in point. It’s a hip hangout by day for locals and expats who meet for coffees throughout the morning and pop into celebrated kaftan designer Norya ayroN’s little boutique, which occupies a small space on the first floor. By night, it sparkles with the light of hundreds of glittering candles while large extended families and cooing couples gather over Moroccan classics such as pigeon pastilla, vegetarian couscous, and chicken tagine with olives and raisins, as well as a handful of crowd-pleasing classics such as steak frites and burgers (no alcohol served).

There are a handful of appealing options in the West Loop, but the most exciting is the Hoxton Chicago, whose laid-back lobby is filled daily with locals and guests working, meeting, dining, drinking, or hanging out with a coffee. Part of the socially focused Hoxton hotel group that launched in London’s East End in 2006, this 182-room hotel has become the West Loop’s top rendezvous spot for meetings (unless you’re a member of nearby Soho House), but upstairs is just as enticing. We love “Flexy Time,” which allows guests to check in and out whatever time of day they like, so long as they book directly through the hotel website.

Most people that backpack in the Maroon Bells Wilderness Area usually either go over West Maroon Pass to Crested Butte or go over Buckskin Pass and camp at Snowmass Lake. A lesser known lake is Willow Lake. With fewer visitors, this is a secluded backpacking trip where the lake feels like it is all yours. You still get the great views of the Maroon Bells because you are in the same area without the crowds of people. Head as if you were going to go to Buckskin Pass and when the path forks with signage toward Buckskin pass to the left, bear right and continue hiking. You could do this as a long day hike for the ambitious.