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Colorado National Monument is one of those places that many of us drive by a hundred times (it’s right between Denver and Moab, Utah) before finally entering the protected area and discovering the extent of this national treasure—that is so easily accessed from Interstate-70. It consists of a cluster of high cliffs and red-rock formations stretching high above the valley below. Of course the best way to be there for the sunrise is to camp in Saddlehorn Campground, inside the park, perched high atop one of the principle rock formations (photo above from inside the campground). Or you could stay in a hotel in nearby Fruita or Grand Junction (the Grand Junction KOA has a number of options as well, including renting your own RV by the night). Wherever you stay, be sure to set your alarm clock for zero-butt-thirty and get up to one of the many lookout points in Colorado National Monument before the sun comes up. You won’t be sorry and you’ll be able to check off another iconic Colorado experience.

In 1923, the artist Jacques Majorelle acquired a four-acre plot of land just outside the center of Marrakech. Inspired by numerous travels around the country to paint scenes of village life, and funded by painting more illustrious portraits such as that of Pasha Thami el Glaoui, Majorelle was able to build a small studio and house, with enough land to indulge his other passion: ethnobotany. As his career grew, he added a splendid villa, and the garden took on a life of its own, featuring innumerable exotic species from around the world; he added pools and fountains, and, of course, the now iconic, eye-popping Majorelle blue that was lavished on the architecture. The property became so expensive to maintain that the artist was forced to open it to the public until his death in Paris in 1962. The garden gradually fell into a state of disrepair and was slated for development by a hotel chain until French designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé happened upon it during one of their many trips to the Red City. In 1980, they decided to buy it and restore it to its former glory, adding irrigation and doubling the number of plants and gardeners to look after it. They moved into the villa and set about transforming other buildings into what is now the legendary Berber Museum and a boutique. The latter is especially noteworthy for creative director Stephen di Renza’s commitment to reflecting Majorelle’s lesser-known passion for the decorative arts (which is manifest in the exquisite artisanal pieces, leather goods, and jewelry) and Saint Laurent’s inspired use of traditional Moroccan dress, such as the kaftan and djellaba, in haute couture fashion.

On a rocky plateau overlooking the Dead Sea lies the 2,000-year-old cliff-top fortress of Masada. Next to Jerusalem, it is the most popular destination for tourists visiting Israel. In addition to its sheer natural beauty, Masada is also the setting of one of the most powerful and tragic stories in Jewish history. During the First Roman-Jewish War in 73 or 74 C.E., 960 Jewish zealots—men, women, and children—committed suicide on top of the mountain rather than submit to capture by the Romans. Among the ruins are the Northern Palace, an ancient synagogue, and a Roman-style bathhouse with mosaic floors. The ascent to Masada can be done by cable car or by walking up the Snake Path, a moderate climb which should take around an hour.

The Great Wall of China runs more than 21,000 kilometers (over 13,000 miles), not as one continuous wall but rather as fortified wall sections. Some of the sections date back more than 2,500 years, though only 8.2 percent of the existing wall is original. The Mutianyu Great Wall is one of the more accessible portions. Hike (because that is what you’ll be doing, even on the wall itself) up the Great Wall, then slide down the side of the mountain on a toboggan. Alternatively, explore the Simatai Great Wall, which retains a more authentic feel—save, of course, for the fake water town at the bottom. Even more remote is the Jiankou section, which is largely unrestored, so book with an experienced group like Beijing Hikers or Wild Great Wall.

Colca Canyon, a three-hour drive north of Arequipa, is one of Peru’s most popular and extraordinary tourist attractions. The chasm is over 13,600 feet deep, making it one of the deepest in the world, and more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. From the Cruz del Condor viewpoint, it is possible to get a panoramic view of this special place along with the chance to witness the flight of majestic Andean condors. This is a great place for partaking in adventure sports with a surreal view.

Taking advantage of the 20,000 sugar and red maple trees surrounding their 800-acre Madava Farms property, located 90 minutes north of Manhattan, husband and wife Robb and Lydia Turner create arguably some of the purest maple syrup, which has graced some of the U.S. and Hudson Valley finest restaurants even appearing at President Obama’s Inaugural Lunch. Head inside the “Sugar House” and learn about the processes involved in the journey from bark to barrel combined with tastings of their certified organic syrup varieties - Golden, Amber, Dark, and Very Dark - and a farm-to-table lunch. Wondering about the secret to its great taste? It lies in their advanced reverse osmosis machines that evaporate the water from the sap without heating it.

Blackbird Caye Resort is the gateway to the stunning Belize Barrier Reef, but so much more than a stopgap hitching post for scuba nerds. Stretched across two miles of palm-fringed beach on the windward side of the Turneffe Atoll, Blackbird is set against a backdrop of more than 4,000 acres of untrammeled jungle, mangrove forests, sprawling lagoons, and migratory bird habitats. Many guests come to Blackbird to get under the water and at the reef – some of the best diving sites in Belize are a short five or ten minute boat ride from Blackbird’s dock – though this isolated island paradise has plenty to offer visitors looking to stretch their land legs. 18 ocean-view cabanas, each with its own private balcony and hammock, hold dominion over the Caribbean Sea. The Poolside Bar is a great place to unwind after a hot day in the sun, while the gallant High Tide Bar, with at least two feet in the sea at any one time, offers an excellent happy hour and complimentary snacks, including island fare like lion fish fingers, ceviche, conch fritters, and fried grouper. One of the top dive resorts in the world and a postcard-perfect island paradise, Blackbird is at once home away from home, and your own secluded hideaway. Photo Finish: Nikon D800 | 24-70mm f/2.8 lens | Aperture f/7.1 | ISO-640 | Shutter 1/30 sec.

UNESCO got it right when it declared Quito’s historical center the world’s first Cultural Heritage site. Hidden among the baroque churches, cobbled streets, and colorful markets lies a square of endless entertainment. If you find yourself in Plaza Grande on Sunday, then cancel your plans for the rest of the day. From morning to night, this square, no bigger than two soccer pitches, chimes with traditional music, vendors peddling their wares, theatrical performances, and religious preachers. On stone benches, gray-bearded men strum the hypnotic sounds of pasillo music. Sprawling up one side of the Catedral de Quito’s steps, hundreds of locals watch a group re-enact Ecuador’s fight for independence. Up the other side, howls of laughter bellow against the 16th-century white walls as a face-painted comedian delivers his routine. Then, as the clouds above the Presidential Palace turn a deep red later in the day, suited men divulge the secrets of the Bible in front of studious locals.

You’ll hear no highway traffic at these twelve lakeside cabins and 3 bunkhouses, which sit beyond roads’ reach and are accessible only by boat. Supplies are delivered via barge, and even the accommodations float upon the water: Initially built to house logging crews, the resort’s wood-shingled cabins and docks sit right on Ross Lake, supported by massive red cedar float logs measuring more than 3 feet in diameter. Azure waters lap against your front porch, where deck chairs face a row of mighty mountains (the largest, Snowfield Peak, reaches 8,347 feet). You can spend your days gazing at those views, or you can use the resort as a base for exploring North Cascades National Park and Ross Lake National Recreation Area. Rent one of the resort’s motorboats, canoes, and kayaks to access trailheads sprinkled along the lakeshore, or just hike from your cabin: The Big Beaver Trail winds past the resort. There’s no onsite restaurant, but all accommodations include kitchen facilities, so pack in all your own food and beverages. After the 2.5-hour drive from Sea-Tac, you have two options for reaching the resort: You can hike about a mile to Ross Lake, where the resort will pick you up by boat ($2 per person), or you can catch a ferry/truck combo from Diablo Dam ($14 per person, ferries run twice daily at 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.). Just don’t wait till the last minute to make your booking, since reservations typically fill a year in advance.

If you’re going to Acapulco, you might want to consider staying in Pie de la Cuesta, 10km to the north. It offers relaxation and tranquility that are hard to come by in Acapulco but is still close enough so that you can take a taxi into the resort town if the mood strikes to party all night. During the day, however, Pie de la Cuesta can’t be beat. It has a pretty beach to the west with spectacular sunsets; a lagoon to the east with its own bird sanctuary; several nice beachside hotels, and the best huachinango al mojo de ajo (garlic red snapper) you will ever eat at the beachside Restaurant Tres Marias.

Nothing is a more powerful symbol of the City of Light than the Eiffel Tower. Designed by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Paris Exposition, it’s one of the world’s most-visited monuments, with nearly 7 million people ascending the 1,062-foot wrought-iron structure each year. Glass elevators spirit you to the top—hardy souls can take the stairs part of way—where in addition to unparalleled panoramic views of Paris, you can toast your arrival with a glass of bubbly at the Champagne bar. Evenings there’s a grand light show: every hour on the hour, the tower sparkles for five minutes with 20,000 bulbs.

This former royal palace is one of the largest museums in the world, and its art collection is considered one of the most comprehensive. It contains around 400,000 works, although—mercifully, perhaps—not all are on display at any one time. There are some pieces that never get taken off the walls. The Mona Lisa and her smile attract millions of visitors each year. Other must-see masterpieces include the sculptures Winged Victory of Samothrace and Michelangelo’s Rebellious Slave, and the Eugène Delacroix painting The Death of Sardanapalus. There’s no real trick to avoiding crowds at the always-packed museum. The best you can do is try to go in the off-season, early or late in the day, and on a weekday. Your chances of being alone with the Mona Lisa will still be slim to none, but you might be able to actually see that enigmatic smile behind the Plexiglas.

I awoke at 6:30 this morning to find this view greeting me from our 12th floor balcony. This is looking eastward across Memorial Drive and Buffalo Bayou Park toward the Houston downtown skyline just about an hour before sunrise. Waking up at this hour every morning to see what uniquely beautiful view the dawn has to offer has become my ritual. So far, no two have been quite the same. A larger version of the photo can be seen by following the link below to my online gallery.

Fushimi Inari Taisha on Inariyama mountain is dedicated to the Shinto gods of rice and sake, but Inari is also the god of merchants and that brings a lot of businesspeople to worship here. Everyone else stops by to see the thousands of vermilion torii, or gates (each of which is funded by a Japanese company). They lead to the main shrine, which was built in 1499. Walking underneath the gates is like passing through a fiery tangerine tunnel, and visitors leave behind tiny torii replicas as part of their prayer.

Crowds may swarm upon it daily from sunrise onwards, but exposure hasn’t dulled the impact of the largest religious monument in the world. Commissioned by King Suryavarman II in the 12th century as the centerpiece of the mighty Khmer empire, the structure is inspired by Hindu sacred design and is estimated to have taken around 30 years to build. The biggest surprise upon visiting might be learning that the vast complex of spires, moats, frescoes, cloisters, and balustrades was constructed in such speedy fashion. You won’t be alone while witnessing it, but sunrise over the iconic temple remains one of the essential experiences in Southeast Asia. A return in the afternoon when the camera-toting hordes have dispersed is also advisable.