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Of all the grand palaces in Austria, Esterházy is one you definitely don’t want to miss. It’s second, perhaps, to Schönbrunn. The 13th-century palace was acquired by the Hungarian family in 1622 and remains in their care. Magnificent rooms like the Empiresaal (dining hall) and the acoustically perfect Haydnsaal, a concert hall named for the composer who worked for the family for 40 years, are simply stunning. If the family’s wealth and importance wasn’t clear, one needs simply to visit the palace chapel where they’ll see the relics of St. Constantine.

The magnificent avenue of oak trees that greets visitors at Boone Hall Plantation is, on its own, a Charleston must-see. After taking it in, guests can walk through the plantation mansion or take a driving tour of the grounds, which cover 738 acres. If the car feels too restrictive, opt instead for a garden tour, which highlights a collection of antique roses and a striking butterfly pavilion. Depending on the season, you can visit the U-Pick Fields to harvest your own strawberries or stock up on tomatoes and peaches at an adjacent farm stand. At Boone Hall’s Gullah Theater, historic reenactors recount the dark days of slavery and celebrate the African American culture that marked plantation life in centuries past. .

14th century Château de Roquetaillade is touted as one of Bordeaux’ most visited castles, but don’t let that stop you. I went during high travel season, in August, and it didn’t feel overrun.

Architecturally, it’s an interesting castle to see, because it was carefully restored between 1860 and 1870) by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc , the same gentleman that worked on the Notre Dame in Paris and was asked to design the inside of the Statue of Liberty.

Taking pictures is only allowed outside, and inside the chapel, so you have to take my word for the fact that the castle’s medieval kitchen is fascinating, and surprisingly modern. It has a center island for cooking, without visible above ground vents. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Another lovely detail inside the castle is a secret message from the original stone masons that worked on the castle. Under one of the columns in the front hall, you can see a carved monkey, eating a fruit. This was a signal to future craftsmen, that they were going to be treated fairly and paid well by the owners of Roquetaillade. Had the monkey scratched his back instead? Maybe not a good place to work!


Call/ or email ahead for information on English speaking tours.

In 2019, Tenaya Lodge became a particularly attractive option for families when it unveiled the Explorer Cabins, 50 two-bedroom cabins for groups of up to six people traveling together. The cabins include a living room with sleeper sofa and fireplace, a partial kitchen (with a fridge, microwave, and sink), and a private deck. Some have bunk beds, and some are pet-friendly as well. The Explorer Clubhouse is a common space for these cabins with grab-and-go breakfast and evening wine and charcuterie.


The cabins are about a half-mile from the main Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, a 353-room property near Yosemite’s South Gate. Families can also stay in the property’s collection of cottages, with the cottage suites featuring a bedroom with a queen-size bed and a separate living room with a sleeper sofa. Or they can opt for a room or suite in the main Tenaya Lodge.



Wherever they’re resting their heads, they will have access to the main lodge and its restaurant, and outdoor and indoor pools, the latter being key for colder weather. There’s also a family game room with air hockey, foosball, and Skee-Ball, plus a pool table, Pac-Man arcade game, and ball pit. On-site family-friendly activities include guided nature walks, ice skating (an outdoor ice rink opens on the property in late November for the winter season), and seasonal offerings like an Elf on the Shelf scavenger hunt, gingerbread-making workshop, and breakfast with Santa for the holidays. Tired parents can book a treatment at the on-site Ascent Spa for a bit of calm and stress relief.

the Stockholm city hall building went up in the 1920s and has a variety of styles incorporated into it. Its possible to take a guided tour around the building and admire the architecture, especially the gold room which is made up of millions of mosaics. This is also the building where Nobel Prize winners party with the king of Sweden.

Part dive bar under the palms, part reggae dance hall, and part DJ club. This is the place to come for a great night out with friends. All Pura Vida!

I love staying in a private villa home over a hotel when traveling with a small group, and Breezy Villa by Island Escapes is both affordable and impressively chic. In a secluded hillside location, complete with multiple, swaying palms for privacy and glassy sea-foam green lagoon views that are just a shade lighter than the infinity pool melting into them, it’s easy to check skinny-dipping in paradise off the bucket list when sleeping here. If naked swimming isn’t your thing, no worries, the pool is also perfect for nighttime stargazing floats. And then there is the leeward lagoon location itself -- it is super calm and you can wade for ages through calm and crystalline water here without gaining much depth. There is no direct beach access, but a series of steps wind their way down from the travertine-tiled pool terrace to a small pier where a ladder offers direct sea access. Breezy Villa’s stylish interior is equally appealing. From the arched doorways and pitched roof in the open living room and modern L-shaped kitchen to the square-shaped original ocean-hued paintings hung on either side of the front door to the Grecian-Roman columns on terrace, I love the Zen beach house meets Italian palazzo vibe. Similar-sized sleeping quarters, each featuring a unique wooden bed frame and French doors opening directly to pool terrace, make this three-bedroom home equally perfect for families, especially those traveling with a nanny. It also works well for multiple couples.

The centerpiece of the city’s emerging Vulkan neighborhood, Oslo’s very first food hall is a culinary utopia. Let your nose guide you to one (or five!) of 27 eateries peddling everything from cupcakes to tapas to bento boxes. Can’t decide? Stop at the Torget stall and order the Taste of Mathallen menu to sample mind-altering dishes from the hall’s best restaurants. The communal wooden benches in the center of the hall encourage sharing, so you and your friends can divide and conquer. Finish your visit with a craft beer in the basement pub Smelteverket, which features Norway’s longest bar.

For a refreshing swim, head to this deep mountain pool, which shines turquoise in the afternoon sun. On the upper reaches of the Hampstead River, the swimming hole even has a natural waterslide, fashioned from smooth, chafe-free rock. Pack and picnic and wear shoes suitable for the moderate rain forest hike in (1–2 hours roundtrip, depending on your route).

This sleek, LEED-certified beech-wood concert hall at Place des Arts is the performance space that Montreal’s award-winning symphony orchestra has deserved for years. Designed expressly for impeccable unamplified acoustics, the shoebox space can transform depending in the needs of the performance, accommodating up to 120 musicians and 200 voices onstage at once. Its flawless sound quality was achieved by building the structure like a box inside a box, protecting the inner sanctum of the hall from all and any exterior noise pollution. Sitting in one of the many balconies, you’ll forget anyone else exists, despite the 2,100-seat capacity – the concentration this space inspires is remarkable.

Delhi is brimming with temples, but the unique architecture of the Baha’i House of Worship blossoms above the rest. The temple resembles a lotus flower with 27 marble petals that shelter a central hall that can accommodate 2,500 worshipers. Many believe the land surrounding the site has an increased energy that raises self-awareness and vibrational frequency. Though not scientifically proven, I did feel a shift after spending 15 minutes of silence in the hall. The temple receives an average of 10,000 visitors each day, so be prepared to share the sacred experience. Note: Closed on Mondays.

Everyone is familiar with the breathtaking Flower Carpet, which takes place in Brussels’ UNESCO-listed Grand Place. Sadly, it only happens for one week, every other year. In an effort to curb the disappointment of tourists who visit during the odd-numbered years, the designers of the Flower Carpet have teamed up with a popular flower exhibition, based in Ghent, to bring us Floralïentime. Floralïentime lets dozens of Belgium’s top floral designers loose inside the dramatic city hall building. There, they create floral displays of all shapes and sizes. The Grand Place itself is transformed into a pretty park area, making the stunning square even more beautiful than normal. Best of all, for the cost of a 5 EUR ticket, Floralïentime offers visitors a look inside Brussels’ stunning city hall building, normally closed to the public. For more information and plenty of photos: http://cheeseweb.eu/2013/08/floralentime-flower-exhibition-brussels-grand-place/

When the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel first opened for business in 1912, Beverly Hills was just a suburb of Los Angeles, and the hotel provided a place for people to stay when looking at parcels of land to live on in the area. But as the city of Beverly Hills developed, the hotel—nicknamed the Pink Palace—became a perennial favorite among the Hollywood set ranging from Golden Age stars like Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe to modern day celebrities like the Kardashians, Saweetie, and Mark Wahlberg. Today the hotel is run by the global luxury hotel group Dorchester Collection, and the famous cursive sign, whose font was created by architect Paul Revere Williams, one of the few Black architects at the time in L.A., still greets guests upon arrival.


The 210 guest rooms in the main building and 23 bungalows sit on 12 landscaped acres. The guest rooms feature midcentury modern–inspired design, some of the most comfortable hotel beds in the game, and marble bathrooms. They include a dreamy one-bedroom, Rat Pack suite in the Crescent Wing that was a favorite of Frank Sinatra; it’s decked out with a full bar, grand piano, and a patio. Each bungalow is unique: Some are themed after famous former patrons. The Marilyn Monroe bungalow is resplendent with touches of pink while the Howard Hughes is aviation themed and features dark woods and forest greens.



The Beverly Hills Hotel feels like an urban resort, with a 19,000-square-foot spa, an iconic pool and lounge area decorated in a Barbie-esque pink, a bar, and three dining options. The poolside Cabana Cafe is best for soaking up those Southern California rays (the McCarthy chopped salad is especially popular), while the Polo Lounge is said to be a favorite among Hollywood executives. The Fountain Room Coffee Room, famous for its pies, cakes, and breakfast options, was where Geffen Records signed Guns N’ Roses onto its label.

Are there any nobler or more beautiful horses in the world than the gray-white Lipizzans who wow audiences with their high stepping at the Spanish Riding School? In the 16th century, the Hapsburg empire used Andalusian horses to create the breed in Lipizza (located in Slovenia). As they have for centuries, the Lipizzans perform their acrobatic haute école dressage in the Hofburg Palace’s Winter Riding School arena, an all-white baroque hall designed by Fischer von Erlach. Riders still wear the traditional uniform of bicorne hats and tailcoats, part of the reason UNESCO granted the Riding School its Intangible Cultural Heritage status. In addition to watching the performances, visitors can also tour the stables and sit in on morning training sessions set to classical music.

Located in historic Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park, the Please Touch Museum has long been a favored attraction for families with kids ages 7 and under. (Parents—who are so often tired of saying no and holding kids in check in public places—are among the museum’s biggest fans.) Not only does the museum’s collection include over 25,000 toys, it houses a working carousel from 1908, and some of its permanent exhibits include a kid-size city, an interactive garden, and a space station. Special changing displays are also part of the fun. Current program updates and discount offers to followers are posted on their Facebook page.