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With only a couple of exceptions, you can’t soak in Yellowstone’s thermal features (this is for numerous reasons, not the least of which is that most are so scalding hot they’d burn the flesh off you). North of Gardiner, Montana, though, in the no-stoplight community of Pray, Chico Hot Springs has welcomed soakers to its spring-fed hot pools since 1900. Spend the night in one of the quirky rooms in the historic main lodge, originally built as a boardinghouse for miners, or in a refurbished caboose from the Northern Pacific Railroad. If at all possible, plan to be at Chico on a Sunday morning, when it serves the best brunch in Montana.

When the Art family bought the struggling Chico Hot Springs Resort in 1972, some of the earliest improvements they made were to its dining room. The idea was to create one of the best restaurants in the state; if guests came for the food, maybe they’d spend the night. The family succeeded. Today the Chico Dining Room is so beloved it spawned a cookbook, A Montana Table: Recipes from Chico Hot Springs Resort. While ingredients are as fresh as can be—with produce from on-site greenhouses, meat from local ranchers, seafood flown in overnight from the coast—the menu includes some dishes that have been around for more than 40 years. The classic Chico meal is beef Wellington (service for two) and, for dessert, a Flaming Orange, which is exactly what it sounds like.

Before the French Revolution, this park used to be the site of the Royal Palace. Today, the garden, which separates the Louvre from Place de la Concorde, is a place where Parisians and tourists stroll amid Rodin and Maillol statues or relax alongside the many fountains after a long afternoon spent at the city’s museums. Done in a formal French style, the garden features manicured rows of trees and grassy areas punctuated by gravel walkways. There are benches throughout but the green metal chairs are the most popular choice of seating; pull one around the ponds as the Parisians do and enjoy your book or a snack while taking in the view. On warm days, people gather at shady cafés around the park; during chilly months, vendors sell mulled wine. Whenever you come, though, we recommend you don’t wear your finest shoes, as the gravel paths will get your kicks quite dusty.

There is something truly distinctive yet quirky about staying in a former fine department store. Situated in a plum spot on West Broad Street, a convenient 30-minute ride from the Richmond airport, is the Quirk hotel, which is part of the Destinations Hotel Group. This is the labor of love of owners Katie and Ted Ukrop, who spent more than 10 years transforming a 100-year-old department store into a 75-room hotel with a rip-roaring rooftop bar scene, arguably the finest in the city. You’ll sleep on cushy beds made with joists salvaged from the former store, and bathe in the Barbie-like aura of the “love and happiness” rooms (incidentally, Sherwin Williams has a paint swatch by that same name). Rooms have lovely details like scallop-patterned nightstands, Tivoli radios, generously sized bay windows, and well-worn floors that look vintage. You can slake your caffeine addiction at the chic coffee bar in the lobby, or do a bit of retail therapy in the “Gallery” boutique off the lobby. It sells branded pink-and-white plaid pajamas and items like custom Na Nin hand-poured double-wick candles, crafted by Richmond resident Kate Jennings. The coffee for sale comes in brightly patterned signature rose tins that won a packaging award. “There’s no decade or theme to this gallery,” one employee assured me, but the vibe is decidedly mod-chic and whimsical, befitting the hotel’s name. The communal-style restaurant, Maple & Pine, is situated right in the middle of the lobby and is truly convivial. The culinary program is headed by chef David Dunlap, who was formerly with the Ashby Inn. Room rates from $225.

From the outside, the Royal Ontario Museum appears to have been struck by a mineral formation from outer space. When the original building was overhauled by starchitect Daniel Libeskind, many locals were dismayed by the new addition, called the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, but most have come around to its angular charms. Visitors to this museum of world cultures and natural history can work their way through galleries showcasing Chinese sculptures, Canada’s First Nations artifacts and crafts, dinosaur skeletons, and Byzantine artwork. Special exhibits have included everything from the intricate textiles of Mexico to an in-depth look at the culture of tattoos.

The West End neighborhood of Parkdale, once considered an unsavory part of town, has undergone a transformation. One of the new arrivals is the Shameful Tiki Room, a Vancouver transplant with a kitschy Polynesian atmosphere. The cocktail selection emphasizes drinks made with rum and orgeat—tiki ingredients from the 1950s—particularly fruity, boozy punches. The best, dubbed the Volcano Bowl, arrives tableside in conjunction with a smoke machine, a thunderous voice-over, and a flaming “volcano” in the center of the drink vessel. It doesn’t get much more fun than this.

Fuwairit Beach is one of the most accessible beaches in Qatar. 60 miles north of Doha, drive off of Al-Shamal Road (the main highway) to find a place where small eroding hills roll right up to the water’s edge. The area’s sandy bays are perfect for picnics, but there are no facilities or restaurants nearby, so you will need to pack accordingly. Fuwairit is popular with westerners, and it is not uncommon to see a few bathing suits here.

Spend the night nestled under the Golden Gate Bridge in the most dignified of accommodations: the former living quarters of high-ranking officers in the U.S. Army. Cavallo Point is the result of the luxurious reimagining of a cluster of military lodges located within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, just over the bridge in Marin County. Today, the 142-room hotel serves as a retreat for in-the-know travelers and locals looking for an easy, elevated escape from everyday city life. Original brick fireplaces and beamed ceilings mingle with modern finishes and furnishings, such as butter-soft leather sofas and whitewashed Adirondack chairs. The expansive grounds are meant to be explored on foot or bicycle. The Wellness Weekend package includes all meals, prepared with an emphasis on health at Murray Circle restaurant, morning yoga classes, guided hikes, a spa treatment, nightly wine receptions, and plenty of free moments to soak in the serene meditation pool—the very best kind of boot camp.

My island destination has to have very few things to make me happy, but I always insist on them. And if they don’t have then, well that’s a deal breaker. Milos, part of the Island chain of Cyclades has them all. I want a clean room with a comfy bed, overlooking the ocean- check. I’d like a cool drink on a hot afternoon in the village taverna or while enjoying a swim at the beach- yes they have it. I want to sit by the sea and enjoy the sunset turn brilliant shades of orange and gold-yupppers. But Milos has so much more. The Aphrodite of Milos or the Venus de Milo was found here in the 1800’s by a wandering islander. The French soon ran off with the beautiful Greek woman from 100- 130 BC and put her in the Louvre so all could adore her, although she probably preferred the Greek island life, because she was dressed for it. The Franks stopped by and built a castle ostensibly to protect their interests in the Mediterranean. A plethora of hot springs to bathe in dot the island and there is fresh seafood and wine, and stunningly captivating white villages sparking in the sun. This island of Milos is a pearl, and worth a stay during your Greek island tour. How to arrive? Take the various ferries or charter a sailboat or yacht. http://www.milos.gr/en/

San Francisco’s only authentic Eastern European banya experience, Archimedes Banya is where to go to sweat it out in a friendly, clean and contemporary looking day spa environment. Okay, you’ll have to get used to detoxing naked with members of the opposite sex, but as long as you’re not hung up on your body, this is the place to do it. Combining ancient detoxing with heat traditions of Greek laconica, Turkish hammam, German thermen and Russian banya with modern rooms and pools, and a sun-lit deck with stunning views, it makes a great location to recover for jetlag especially. They also have a healthy restaurant and a spa offering a menu of massages, scrubs, wraps and herbal and mineral bathes.

Oenophiles exploring South Africa’s Cape Winelands have a fashionable new place to rest their heads. In the gallery- and boutique-filled village of Franschhoek, Leeu House is a Cape Dutch–style building decorated with a breezy countryside aesthetic. The 12 individually styled rooms have neutral hues, sisal and oak accents, and marble bathrooms; two suites have private gardens. After a stroll through town or a trip to the surrounding wineries, guests can cool off in the hotel’s mosaic pool before heading to its glass-ceilinged Conservatory for such seasonal dishes as masala-spiced yellowtail, caught off Cape Point. Hoping to get even closer to the vineyards? A sister property, the 17-suite Leeu Estates, opens in June on the grounds of a first-class winery of the same name, just a three-minute tuk-tuk ride away. Doubles from $220, including breakfast

The Sir Francis Drake Channel, sort of like an inland sea of the BVI, is named for the famed explorer. It’s fitting, as the channel invites exploring with most of the territory’s islands located along it, from Virgin Gorda to Tortola, the largest island in the BVI. Steady but gentle trade winds blow along the Sir Francis Drake Channel year-round, making it easy to navigate the archipelago, either by sight sailing or on a yacht charter—with stunning anchorages around every bend. There are also a few islands just off of the channel including Anegada, the only coral island in the BVI and a favorite of divers, and Jost Van Dyke, the smallest of the islands and, with a population of only 300, a perfect place if you truly want to escape.

The calm seas and winds aren’t only a boon for sailors, but also for anyone interested in water sports. Whether you want to don a mask at the famous Baths on Virgin Gorda, try surfing at Josiah’s Bay, or pursue any other activity on the water, you can expect ideal conditions on most days.

The Galleria Borghese, which is set in the large public Villa Borghese park, was born in the 16th century as the collection of Scipione Borghese, a powerful Cardinal and nephew to Pope Paul V. The Cardinal amassed an enormous number of ancient sculptures, many of which are displayed on the ground floor where several Bernini statues and Caravaggio canvases also appear. The upper story, on the other hand, is home to Renaissance and Baroque paintings. Seek out Titian’s Sacred and Profane Love, Raphael’s Deposition, and Cranach’s Venus and Cupid. Unlike other collections of the era, which were kept in private palaces, the Borghese collection was intended to be open to the public, much like the surrounding grounds known as the Villa Borghese. The family collection is now property of the Italian state. Due to its dimensions and popularity, visits are limited to a fixed number of visitors every two hours and for a maximum of two hours. Be sure to book tickets well in advance and don’t bothering going to the museum without a booking.

When in Lisbon, most tourists make a beeline to Antiga Confeitaria to try its world-famous pastel de Belém. The legendary custard tart is indeed delicious, especially when dusted with a healthy dose of cinnamon, but what these travelers don’t know is that is that the ones at Manteigaria are just as good—if not better. Plus, Manteigaria features an open kitchen, where you can watch the creamy treats make their way from dough to delivery. Avoid the crowds in Belém and get your pastel de nata here instead, then ride out your sugar rush nearby on the atmospheric Praça Luís de Camões in Chiado.

Manhattan can, famously, feel like endless rows of apartment blocks and office towers for most of its length. At least above 14th Street, a regular grid of streets and avenues, bisected only by Broadway, has transformed the city into a dream for real estate developers. The green spaces interrupting the pattern—Union Square, Gramercy Park, Madison Square Park—are few and far between, with one enormous exception: Central Park. Running from 59th Street to 110th Street, and between Central Park West (Eighth Avenue) and Fifth Avenue, it is one of the world’s largest urban parks, measuring some 843 acres. It is the masterpiece of the 19th-century landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted working in collaboration with Calvert Vaux. Inside its borders are stately allées and naturalistic scenes, ice-skating rinks (in the winter), an enormous reservoir, and a faux castle. The park is hugely popular, and so to call it an escape from the bustle of the city is often not accurate, especially on mild summer days and the first warm ones in the spring when thousands of residents head to its playing fields, bike and run along the road that loops the park, and enjoy picnics on the Sheep Meadow or one of its other lawns.

One of Italy’s landmark hotels, the Grand Hotel Savoia is an icon in the heart of Genoa, a grande dame founded at the height of the Belle Epoque boom by one of the country’s original luxury hoteliers, attracting aristocrats, royals, and other elite international travelers to the renowned port city. Not only was it the first hotel in Italy to have hot and cold running water in private bathrooms (in all rooms), but it was the first in Europe to have a centralized climate-control system.

Though its groundbreaking heyday is past, the Grand Hotel Savoia is far from falling into obscurity. The opulent building has been lovingly restored in the seafaring tradition of Christopher Columbus’ hometown, with antique travel trunks, 1950s-yacht-inspired furnishings, and panels of vintage Genoese postcards adorning the rooms. Original accents like parquet floors, Murano chandeliers, and marble columns complement overstuffed leather chairs and carved wooden tables, all contributing to a pervasive sense of drama and history. That drama and history is no more obvious than on the rooftop terrace, where the most discerning locals flock for unparalleled views of the harbor and city—whether that’s over a cocktail or from the relaxing perch of the spa’s hot tubs.