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Honolulu’s last great tiki bar is tucked behind a row of warehouses, six miles northwest of Waikiki. Set on the edge of Keehi Lagoon, it shelters under plumeria and coconut trees—and will be familiar to fans of Hawaii Five-0. La Mariana defies the kitsch label: All those shell chandeliers, puffer-fish lights, and fishing floats suspended in nets are the real deal, with most items dating back to 1957. Carved tikis abound, alongside high-gloss tables fashioned from koa, the rich-hued wood from endemic acacias and the source of weapons and voyaging canoes for ancient Hawaiians. Go for the ambience and strong mai tais; the menu is straight-up, old-school surf and turf, perfectly tasty but uninspiring.

Step into a little slice of Santa Fe bliss at the BODY of Santa Fe which functions as a multi-purpose yoga studio, spa, shop with organic clothes, and vegan cafe with raw options (try the green juice, chocanana smoothie, or ginger tea) for an optimal calming and healthful experience.

For a decade and a half now, Tucsonans have been coming here for fresh-baked bread...and much much more. Get some challah French toast in the morning...or a chicken-green-chile omelette...and no shortage of croissants and scones... Mid-day, if you want one of the best sandwiches around, try the “Everything Reuben,” which won 2nd place in the World Food Championships in Las Vegas last year-- corned beef, vinegar slaw, Swiss cheese and house made Russian dressing on a fresh pretzel roll... Summer brings gazpacho, zesty and cold... ...and every Friday, there’s BABKA! Cinnamon or chocolate--(I pick the chocolate every time)--in a big ‘loaf’ or as a shareable ‘baby babka'--it’s an unexpected big-city-bakery taste here in the Southwest desert. Note the cycling gear on the wall--yes, they sponsor the spandex-clad, those helmeted pelotons who definitely earn their carbs...(Tucson is one of the nation’s biking meccas.) Ahh, “Tucson Born and bread,” read the jerseys and socks... The patio has mountain views and misters to counter the ‘dry heat.’ Years ago, when I first visited Tucson before deciding to move here, this was one of our stops--one of those places that makes you think ‘yeah, I could live here...’

In a haven for healthy eating like Laguna, The Stand stands out for its vegan menu full of plant-based, cruelty-free dishes. Established in 1975, the Thalia Street mainstay has switched hands from one local to another over the years, but has always maintained its focus on good-for-you fare. Come here for everything from freshly squeezed juices and nut-milk shakes to sandwiches, salads, and burritos made with steamed whole-wheat tortillas. If you’re feeling adventurous, opt for the special tamale and guacamole plate, which features a homemade vegetable tamale with organic pinto beans, guacamole, salsa, cabbage salad, and The Stand’s original sweet-and-sour dressing. Just be sure to save room for the fresh fruit soft serve, which you can top with vegan chocolate chips, raw almonds, big flakes of coconut, and more.

Not so long ago, Reykjavík’s restaurants focused almost exclusively on meat and fish dishes. Nowadays there are a growing number of vegetarian and even vegan spots, plus several places with a focus on healthy eating—such as the pioneering Gló, which opened back in 2007 and now has several other branches throughout the city. Gló’s menu changes daily to reflect the season and the market and features four main dishes, one of which is usually raw. Besides the entrées on the main menu, the compelling list of desserts provides further proof that it’s possible for healthy food to taste great too.

Peru hotly contested a UNESCO recognition of Mexican food as cultural heritage, arguing its cuisine was equally worthy. While diners wait for that second designation to be made, they can drop in at San Miguel’s La Parada—literally “The Stop”—and enjoy a local taste of the Andean nation. Owner Juanito is best known for his ceviche—seafood cured in citrus juices—but also offers Los Fresquitos, coastal dishes served tapas-style; romantics should order the arroz afrodisiaco, accompanied by an artisanal Peruvian cocktail, such as the most authentic pisco sour in town. Visitors dining in large groups often go for the whole tapas menu.

The terraced organic garden that steps down the hillside in front of the Stanford Inn (above Mendocino Bay) provides some of the vegetables and herbs for the innovative cuisine in the hotel’s Ravens’ Restaurant. A stroll through the farm, with a visit to the donkeys and horses and llamas, helps work up an appetite for the vegetable-based whole-food meals that raise the bar on all-vegan fine dining. Innkeeper Jeff Stanford puts his ethics on the plate: Vegan for both health and philosophical reasons, Stanford collaborates with certified nutrition consultant Sid Hillman and the Ravens’ chefs to create dazzling meals, including one of the most innovative and tempting brunch menus I’ve ever encountered. The Inn, a large boutique hotel with panoramic ocean views, an organic farm, luxury amenities, and a bookstore and wine shop, gains additional points for being dog-friendly--even in a special dining area.

Because the Hershey’s Chocolate World store overlooks a replica Brooklyn Bridge at New York-New York Hotel & Casino, it contains a replica Statue of Liberty—a replica made out of almost 800 pounds of Hershey’s milk chocolate! This megastore carries more than 800 different types of goodies spread across three floors, with a special area for fanatics of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, as well as a bar where you can taste chocolate, hot chocolate, and even chocolate cocktails. Visitors can purchase giant (read: more than 10 pounds) chocolate bars, customize chocolate-bar wrappers, sample new flavors of Jolly Rancher candies, or buy plush pillows that depict other Hershey’s brands. If you’re going with little ones, consider arriving shortly after opening at 9 a.m. to avoid the crowds.

Much more than just a restaurant or smoothie stop, Choice Health Bar is a culinary fusion of food, lifestyle, and positivity. This small restaurant in the Lahaina industrial park serves fresh kale salads and heaping acai bowls. The place is a favorite hangout for island locals from surfers and paddlers to vegans. Just because it’s healthy, don’t think the food will taste like cardboard. Creative concoctions pepper a menu that is constantly being reinvented, and you’d never expect that a quinoa quiche could possibly taste so good. Locals also love Choice for the laid-back atmosphere and powerful, positive vibes. A sign on the door informs all patrons that this is officially a “bummer free zone,” and instead of simply “super-sizing” your meal, you can “make it epic” with ‘superfoods’ like kale and cacao. Consistently voted as the island’s top pick for healthy, vegan cuisine, Choice is the absolute best spot on the West Side for infusing your body with nutrients.

Established in 1917, this cantina keeps tradition alive while not shying away from new, trendy touches. Swing through saloon doors to find live music, drinks served in mason jars, and lots of free regional nibbles in a lively barroom that extends to a large open-air patio. On weekends the space fills up with twenty- and thirtysomethings swinging to salsa beats and sipping cocktails or some ice-cold, locally brewed Montejo beer. The limonada eléctrica, a drink in the namesake shade of blue that’s charged with a powdered-chili rim, is a real crowd-pleaser.

Named after the Creole word for “almond tree,” this flower-filled, open-air restaurant enjoys pride of place at the pioneering eco-boutique Rosalie Bay Resort. The kitchen employs healthy ingredients fresh from its organic garden in dishes like vegan gumbo, hummus with plantain chips, and a beet-goat-cheese salad. Omnivores should try the grilled lobster tail or citrus-honey chicken.

Krishnas cuisine offers vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options, and is probably one of the cheapest places to eat in all of Oslo. As the name suggest, the dishes are inspired by Indian culture. This restaurant has been a favourite with vegetarians and students for years and years! PS. Also offers take-away.

Tucked away in a quiet area outside of town, Flora Farms is an excellent place for lunch, dinner, or — better yet — a cooking class. While there, we learned how to make vegetarian tacos (tortillas and all) after going through a tour of the gardens. I’d highly recommend.

They also have a lovely garden in the front of the restaurant with an ice cream stand, perfect for nice days.

The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles occupies the top four floors of a 26-story, LEED-certified tower in downtown L.A. Here, every room, restaurant, fitness machine, and rooftop poolside lounger has unparalleled panoramic views of the Los Angeles basin. That alone would be enough to rest on, but this is the Ritz-Carlton, so the hotel is also home to two Wolfgang Puck restaurants, one seriously decadent spa, and sleek, modern guest rooms with everything you’d expect from the classic luxury brand.

The other impressive thing about the hotel is its location at the heart of the entertainment-residential complex L.A. Live. This puts the best of downtown’s entertainment quite literally at guests’ feet, with the Staples Center, Microsoft Theater (formerly Nokia Theatre), Grammy Museum, and loads of restaurants and shops all right there. Outdoor movies and concerts, red-carpet events, and sports events happen right here all the time; if you don’t have tickets, just ask the concierge.

Don’t go looking for Casa Grande, the national monument of pre-Columbian ruins, in Casa Grande, the sprawling exurb of a town about halfway between Phoenix and Tucson. You have to drive about 20 miles away to the small town of Coolidge to find the site. This may not be the most scenic stretch of desert, it must be said, but the destination is worth the detour. The Hohokam culture built this complex of dwellings and irrigation canals—one of many—late in their tenure here. Erected in the 1300s, this particular site was abandoned by the mid-1400s—the end of perhaps a thousand years of irrigated agriculture in the Sonoran Desert. The network of villages and canals continue to fascinate archaeologists and urban planners. The “big house” (Casa Grande was named by the first Spanish explorers in the area) stands about four stories tall. In the 1930s, the current shelter was built to protect it from further erosion. (Look carefully: you might catch a glimpse of the resident horned owls.) The timbers needed for construction came from the mountains about 50 miles away; at the time there were no pack animals, and thus no wheeled vehicles in this desert—makes you think... The surrounding ballgame-courts show influence from Mesoamerica. Desert civilization in North America is often thought of as a recent phenomenon—take the 20th-century explosions of Las Vegas, Phoenix, etc. Dig deeper, and get off the interstate. The past is not remote, and this is an easy day trip from Tucson.