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The Museum of Glass is in Tacoma, about a half-hour away from Seattle, and it’s well worth the trip for art glass enthusiasts. The permanent collection includes some Chihuly pieces, work by 20th and 21st-century artists, and a charming collection of sculptural pieces interpreting children’s drawings. The temporary exhibits often feature a Northwest theme, and a theater features a rotation of short films about glass art. The real highlight of the museum, though, is the Hot Shop, where resident glassmakers and their assistants blow glass all day long for the entertainment of visitors. Often, their work is being filmed, and a narrator is on hand to explain what you’re seeing. You can walk all around the Hot Shop via overhead walkways, and photography is allowed throughout the museum, so it’s a great opportunity for photographers as well. The museum isn’t huge and takes only a couple of hours to go through, so it’s an ideal destination for a rainy afternoon. But don’t miss the striking outdoor art, like the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, outside the museum (free).

While Tamarindo in Costa Rica is no longer a sleepy beach town known only to a lucky few, we can still settle ourselves onto the sand and feel like we have the vast skyline to ourselves. Staying in Playa Langosta, the beach just south of Tamarindo, provides a welcoming relief from clusters of tourists while keeping us close enough for sunsets like this! Extra bonus: Have a friend or loved one in one hand and a cocktail in the other.

The northern coast of Gozo provides a fascinating introduction to one of the most important traditions on the island: sea-salt production. This three-kilometer stretch of 350-year-old rock-cut salt pans is a tourist attraction in its own right, but the salt pans remain a vital source of income for Gozitans. In the summer, locals scrape up the salt crystals and store them in nearby caves. Several local businesses package the salt in gift jars available to purchase from the island’s souvenir stores.

The Dachstein Glacier offers some of Austria’s most incredible Alpine experiences in any season, but particularly in winter. Head to the easily accessible Ice Palace for a fun look deep inside the glacier, or brave the highest suspension bridge in the country for stunning views over the snowy Dachstein Mountains. The truly daring can explore the “Stairway to Nothingness,” which takes visitors down 14 narrow steps to a glass platform jutting out from the rock face.

For a glimpse into Greenland’s colonial past, be sure to visit the Nanortalik Museum. Comprised of nine separate historic buildings, this is the largest outdoor museum in the country. A tour of the site’s wooden, rock and half-timbered structures will provide insight into the people who settled Greenland—from Old Norse and later-day Danish colonists to the native Inuits. Be sure to check out the world’s oldest umiak: an open sealskin boat (of a type long in use by the residents of this part of Greenland) that dates back 500 years.

Named after its storied sister in New York, this hub of LGBTQI culture on gay-friendly Oxford Street is the only place in Sydney where you can see drag shows every night of the week. Offering everything from stand-up comedy—like the Let’s Talk About Sex show on Friday, where audience members put their “problems” in a mailbox for beloved drag queen Verushka Darling to solve live on stage—to solo numbers and choreographed productions, it’s always a good time. On Sunday, the longest-running drag variety show in Australia, Polly’s Follies, is still being performed after more than 25 years by well-known drag personality Polly Petrie. Pop in on the right night and you might just run into a celebrity like Kylie Minogue or Adam Lambert.

Head five miles out of town for great scenery and a fun family outing. Pick your own seasonal fruits and vegetables (or buy them at the farm stand) and enjoy casual farm-to-table dining, Prince Michel, wines and Bold Rock hard cider—all with an impressive view. Thursday evenings until 9 p.m. from May through September feature dinner, live music, hayrides, and memorable sunsets. The Apple Harvest Celebration starts in September.

Located in Old Québec, not far from the St. Lawrence River, the Musée de la Civilisation (Museum of Civilization) is an enormous (for Québec City, at least) museum with lofty ambitions. Exhibits cover just about every culture imaginable—at any given time you might find Greek sculptures displayed alongside totem poles, or an inquiry into Egyptian ideas of the afterlife juxtaposed with Australian Aboriginal artworks. Most of the time you can count on at least one exhibition focusing on some aspect of Québecois or Canadian culture, from the history of trapping to spotlights on individual Québecois artists and designers. Many of the exhibits, like a recent one focused on cats and dogs, are designed with kids in mind, with engaging, interactive installations. Even if you’ve been here before, every visit to the museum is, by design, a new experience.

Wine is an integral part of life on the Dalmatian Coast, a region with many indigenous varietals; a visit to Dubrovnik shouldn’t go by without a glass of local wine. Tucked away on Palmotićeva Street off the main Stradun, D’Vino offers cozy interiors as well as atmospheric seating at tables set on the narrow thoroughfare outside. Try a glass of something new from the impressive selection of local producers—the knowledgeable staff can help guide you in choosing one. D’Vino features several tasting experiences that highlight the region’s star wines: the Konavle Valley’s refreshing Malvazija, potent Plavac Mali reds from the Pelješac Peninsula, and Korčula Island’s fruity Pošip whites. Pair the wines with a platter of prosciutto and Croatian cheeses for a wonderful welcome to Dubrovnik and its wine region.

Guarded by the Hammering Man sculpture outside, this superb museum collection romps from native tribal art to African masks to carvings from Oceania. Highlights include the 16th-century wood-paneled Italian Room and The Studio, a portrait of the Seattle home of Jacob Lawrence, arguably the most acclaimed African American painter of the 20th century. Check the calendar for world-class temporary exhibits, not to mention lectures, performances, film screenings, and evening SAM Remix dance parties. If you need some air, head for the waterfront Olympic Sculpture Park to catch a glimpse of art in the wild. Free to visit, this green space offers stunning views of Puget Sound and the ferries trundling across it.

Thermal springs dot the countryside just north of San Miguel, some as close as a five-minute taxi ride away. Newest—and closest among them—is the Spa at Los Senderos (pictured above), with an adjacent sandy lakeshore for a day-at-the-beach facsimile. In fact, this is a wider residential and ecological project that includes vineyards and organic orchards. Older spas like La Gruta, Escondido Place, and Taboada merit daylong excursions, with lunch being served while you recline in your chaises longues. And the Mayan Baths, with an underground rock-walled grotto complete with candles and piped-in music, can make for a romantic evening, even including a buffet dinner. (That said, double-check the somewhat irregular schedule.)

If you look at a map of Rio, you’ll see a giant green spot: the Tijuca rain forest, one of the largest urban jungles in the world. This park includes more than 9,900 acres where visitors climb rocks, hang-glide, bike, or even take a drive (this last the easiest and fastest). The foliage—typical of Brazil’s huge rain forest, the Mata Atlântica—was nearly wiped out by coffee production in the 17th century. Thankfully, in the 19th century Brazil’s Emperor Pedro II encouraged reforestation here, and this national park displays the lush results.

The edges of the iceberg (technically, bergy bits) are a great place for animal sightings. Harbor seals ride the floes, basking in the sun; orca whales prowl just around the ice barrier, waiting for an unwary seal to come out to where the whales’ sonar can reach. Humpbacks feed off krill upwellings, and bald eagles are as common as sparrows. Those who are very lucky (and who have good spotting scopes) can see mountain goats on occasion. They’re a wonder in the wild: How does a goat get up 3,200 meters of rock?

In the 17th century, the British and French were fierce rivals for control of St. Kitts. The only thing that eventually brought them together was the existential threat of an attack by the island’s native Carib inhabitants—a fear so real that, in 1626, a joint force of British and French soldiers cornered and massacred more than 2,000 Caribs at what came to be known as Bloody Point. Today, guests can visit the historic site by hiking along the river—which was said to have run red for three days after the slaughter—from the village of Challengers through Stone Fort Canyon, where they can also find 100 petroglyphs carved into the rocks.

In recent years, the craze for artisanal beers has given rise to a burgeoning market. One brand, Hocus Pocus, has gone so far as to open its own taproom, where its ever-expanding variety of beers is on offer. The setting is a former workshop with exposed-brick walls and shared tables that add a twist to the usual Rio beer hall (though be prepared for crowds and the possibility of not finding a table). There’s also a full portfolio of the Brazilian snacks called petiscos, notably a tongue sandwich with mustard, tube steaks, and lots of deep-fried nibbles. Classic rock serenades the scene.