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The Miami Greek festival is a cultural celebration by the Greek community of Miami, showcasing the highlights of their culture, cuisine and church. Food offerings will include mousaka (eggplant), pastitsio (Greek lasagna), spanokopita (spinach pie) and tyropita (cheese pie), lamb, gyros, souvlaki and Greek salads. Desserts will include Greek pastries such as baklava and honey-dipped loukoumades. The festival is by St. Andrew’s Greek Orthodox located on in Kendall. Greek dancers, ages 5 -18, perform traditional folk dances. Arts and crafts will be available for sale, including clothing, homemade jewelry, religious art and devotional items. Guided tours of the Byzantine cathedral will be offered each day, and there will be a children’s area with rides, games and other activities.

Why we love it: An upscale stay in Victor with special fun for families

The Highlights:
- Proximity to Headwaters Club and its golf course
- Spacious log cabins that can accommodate large groups
- Tons of activities in every season

The Review:
Jackson Hole, on the Teton Range’s east side, hogs most of the high-end traffic, but this westside resort offers an appealing alternative, with big, open skies and out-the-door golf on a Byron Nelson–designed course at Headwaters Club. Guests here can also look forward to a 5,000-square-foot spa with a fireplace-equipped relaxation room, an on-site restaurant serving grill fare, and an outdoor heated pool with two hot tubs and a geyser play area for children.

Accommodations are spacious and appealing to families. Luxury suites feature fully equipped kitchens, dining areas, and living rooms with gas fireplaces, while freestanding log cabins—available in three-, four-, and five-bedroom configurations—afford groups some extra privacy. When not relaxing in your room, take advantage of the resort’s extensive activities, including hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, and hot-air ballooning in summer and heli-skiing and snowmobiling in winter.

Why we love it: A top Cabos stay with low-key sophistication and activity-focused fun

Highlights:
- Multi-bedroom villas for easy family vacations
- Activities like water sports, beachfront fitness classes, golf, and more
- One of the best restaurants in Los Cabos, right on property

The Review:
Esperanza has become something of a hospitality legend in Los Cabos, so it makes sense that Auberge Resorts’ sister property, Chileno Bay, has style and substance right out of the gate. Located on one of the area’s only swimmable beaches, the resort makes use of its prime location with a water sports center that offers glass-bottomed kayaks, snorkel gear outfitted with GoPro cameras, and more. If you’d rather stay on dry land, the property also provides access to hiking on UNESCO-protected mountain, camel-back rides through the Baja Outback, and dune buggy excursions on the shoreline.

Of course, no one would fault you for laying low by the triple-tiered pool, which winds down like a river to the beach; relaxing at the holistic spa with a salt inhalation room and reflexology pool; or even simply staying in your room. Here, the 60 earth-and-sea-hued guest rooms provide comfort in the way of spacious bathrooms with soaking tubs and private terraces with outdoor showers; some suites have infinity-edge plunge pools and outdoor hot rubs, while 32 multi-bedroom villas include fully equipped kitchens and expansive rooftop terraces with fireplaces. When it comes time to eat, there’s French Laundry alum Yvan Mucharraz’s modern Mexican restaurant Comal, plus a beachside taco bar and a courtyard coffee shop.

The 165-acre Springs Resort & Spa sits 1,000 feet above the Arenal Valley, higher than any other resort in the area and affording each one of its 47 polished-wood guest rooms commanding views of the Arenal Volcano and surrounding countryside. Impressive as those vistas are, the luxury resort’s biggest draw is its 28 mineral thermal pools, which wind through four lush acres. The setting is undeniably romantic—the resort was featured in an episode of The Bachelor—but families are welcome, with activities for kids of all ages. Club Rio, on the resort’s half-mile of river frontage, offers tubing, kayaking, mountain biking, and horseback riding; there’s also a wildlife preserve for rescued native animals, including monkeys, ocelots, jaguarundis, sloths, and a puma. Five restaurants (and five bars) mean there are plenty of options, from casual poolside dining to tasting-menu elegance.

One of the largest urban parks in the world, Munich’s English Garden was founded in 1789, when Elector Carl Theodor ordered a public park to be built along the Isar River. Having undergone many alterations over the centuries, it now offers a slew of contemporary leisure activities. Cyclists, joggers, and rollerbladers make use of almost 50 miles of pathways, while less-active visitors head to the Japanese teahouse (opened in 1972) or one of several beer gardens (the one next to the Chinese Tower is Munich’s second largest, with seating for 7,000). Additionally, there’s a man-made lake, soccer fields, a small amphitheater, a carousel, a Greek temple, and even a popular surfing wave on the river. The park’s large meadows are ideal for picnicking, barbecuing, and sunbathing, making the English Garden one of Munich’s most popular hangouts in summer. That said, autumn is also a spectacular time to stroll the grounds and peep all the changing leaves.

Named after the great author from Hannibal, Missouri, Mark Twain National Forest sprawls for more than 1.5 million acres in the Ozark Highlands. The only national forest in Missouri, it’s a treasure trove of outdoor adventure, with 750 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding; 350 miles of perennial streams for canoeing, kayaking, and floating; several caves for exploring; and more than 35 campgrounds and picnic areas for relaxing in between activities. The Eleven Point National Scenic River is a particularly lovely area of the park, snaking through the Ozark hills along an underdeveloped, ruggedly beautiful shoreline.

Set on pristinely manicured grounds, the Trident Hotel offers a modern alternative to the traditional properties found throughout Jaipur. One of its biggest selling points is its prime location—across from the stunning Jal Mahal and just a short drive from the majestic Amber Fort—but rooms offer plenty to love, from the Rajasthani archways and rich upholstery to the beautiful views across the property’s expansive lawns. In addition to two restaurants and a handful of event spaces, the Trident offers a sleek fitness center, luxurious spa, and quiet courtyard with a swimming pool, not to mention a kids’ club with activities like arts and crafts and cooking classes.

Most people know the Lou Ruvo Brain Health Center by its appearance—the nonlinear building was designed by Frank Gehry and bears the architect’s signature curves and twists. Inside, however, medical professionals perform incredible feats daily. The facility treats patients with degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s. Because the center is an active medical facility, access to the public is limited, but architecture fans are welcome to swing by, marvel at the undulating walls, and wonder how Gehry does what he does with metal.

Be Tulum describes itself as a resort, but with 64 rooms and a no-child-under-12 policy, the property feels considerably more intimate than its name and marketing might suggest. The hotel enjoys beachfront status, with powdered-sugar sand inviting guests to do little more than lounge around all day. For those wanting a bit more activity, bikes can be borrowed from the front desk and used to cycle out to the Maya site of Tulum. The spacious rooms—all suites and all at least 500 square feet in size—most of which have either a Jacuzzi or their own pool, as well as polished wood floors and rough, white stone walls.

An often overlooked fishing village located just 10 miles south of Negril, Little Bay’s small, crescent-shaped shores and white sands will tug at your inner beach bum. There are a couple of local guesthouse options in these parts, and not much else happening within walking distance—except a slice of daily Jamaican life and some sea activities such as kayaking and snorkeling off the nearby reef. Bob Marley loved Little Bay so much, he had a house here and wrote lyrics from this beach. It’s an easy day trip from Negril and a nice spot for shutterbugs.

For those wanting an active adventure on the water, Captain Alan’s Boat Charters offers snorkeling as well as clothing-optional boat trips. Their Snorkel and Beach excursion allows you to experience four hours of snorkeling and swimming around St. Maarten, Pinel Island, and the uninhabited Tintamarren while riding in one of their 30- to 38-foot off-shore power boats. Enjoy a swim with tropical fish and sea turtles, and then head back onto the boat for snacks, an open bar, and music. Captain Alan’s Boat Charters also offers a 6-hour adventure, trips to nearby Anguilla and St. Barth’s, and a clothing-optional nude cruise.

Why we love it: An all-American dude ranch where guests can play cowboy in luxury

Highlights:
- A superb riding program that brings over 150 horses to the mesquite corral each morning
- Luxury amenities like an outdoor pool and spa to balance out the adventure
- Regular dining events like private-chef dinners and barbecues

The Review:
Founded in 1868, this Tucson guest ranch sits below the Rincon Mountains, overlooking the rolling foothills of Saguaro National Park. It’s often ranked among America’s top resorts and wedding destinations—and for good reason. Not only does it deliver Southwestern charm in the form of pink adobe architecture, but it runs one of the nation’s top horseback-riding programs, with everything from team penning and mountain adventure rides to the signature “Harmony with Horses,” which teaches interspecies communication. The ranch also offers a host of other activities, including yoga, hikes, mountain biking, photography courses, and naturalist-led walks to explore the desert’s edible and medicinal plants. There’s even a kids’ day camp for ages four to 12 with tennis, arts and crafts, swimming, and more.

Rooms here feature exposed beams and brick, punctuated with dark wood furniture and pops of Southwestern fabrics. Each has a desk, coffeemaker, and small refrigerator, while the biggest suite also includes a fireplace and sleeps up to six. When guests start feeling saddle sore, they can rejuvenate with a full-body massage in the spa, or grab a prickly pear margarita at the Dog House Saloon. For a full meal, head to the on-site restaurant, which serves Southwestern cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or attend one of the specialty dining events held each week, including private-chef dinners and cowboy cookouts.

From the porte-cochère entry at the Westin Puntacana Resort & Club, you’ll catch an inviting first glimpse of coconut palms, manicured grass, and a long swimming pool that seems to end at the sea. The view only gets better upstairs, where all 200 rooms—including 16 suites—offer swoon-worthy ocean vistas. On the hottest of days, the high-ceilinged, open-air lobby is a great place to hang with a cold one while catching the ocean breezes. When it’s cooler, have lunch by the pool or at the beachside La Palapa, and plan for dinner at the open-air Brassa. As a guest at the Westin, you also have access to Puntacana Resort & Club’s eight restaurants, two golf courses, tennis center, Six Senses Spa, aquatic center, and Grupo Puntacana Foundation activities.

If Torre Latinoamericana, whose construction was completed in 1956, looks familiar, it shouldn’t be hard to place the resemblance: this skyscraper, once Mexico City‘s tallest at just under 600 feet, looks quite a bit like New York City‘s Empire State Building. What makes the torre significant, other than that fun historical fact, is this: It has survived many earthquakes, including the devastating 1985 earthquake. As such, it is widely considered to be the first major skyscraper in the world to be built on active seismic land. From its mirador, or observatory, you can see for miles and miles, getting a true appreciation of the city’s vast expanse. You can also take some excellent photos of the Palacio de Bellas Artes, which is just across the street.

Most people have heard of the Kuekenhof tulip gardens of the Netherlands, but few know about the even larger Arcen Gardens in the south of the country, near Venlo. This massive, 42 hectare, garden complex is on the grounds of the 17th century Arcen Castle. The gardens begin in a traditional formal style, with roses, hedges and statuary. But it doesn’t end there. As you wander through, you encounter gardens designed to resemble Japan, Italy, Thailand and more. There are woodland gardens and tropical gardens (inside an enormous greenhouse). There is a small on-site zoo featuring ring-tailed lemurs, plenty of children’s activities, mini-golf and a large cafeteria. In fact, you could easily spend an entire day and still not see everything. Arcen opens for the 2013 season on April 26th.