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At Little Italy’s Herb & Wood, Chef Brian Malarkey’s wood-fired dishes include roasted parsnips with pickled raisins, parsley-shallot verde, and molten Marin County brie; roasted beets with sherry, walnut pesto, jamón Ibérico, and burrata; and grilled flat bread with whipped eggplant, za’atar, onions, and pine nuts. But the Mediterranean- and California-inspired menu isn’t the only big draw here: The industrial-boudoir aesthetic is equally inviting, with tufted sofas, soft lighting, and feathery fronds under the soaring ceilings of this onetime warehouse. A charmingly tattered edition of Emily Post’s Etiquette book has pride of place on the hostess stand. But the restaurant is unlikely to call guests on any manners infractions except one. In calligraphy at the bottom of the menu, you’ll find the following note: “Substitutions and additions politely declined.”

Bangkok’s most iconic site is a massive palace complex that served as the royal residence until 1925. Of its many buildings, the one with the most architectural interest is Chakri Mahaprasat. It was designed in 1882 by British architects, in a style that could be described as traditional Thai meets Italian Renaissance. Nearby is the 1784 Wat Phra Kaeo, or Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Thailand’s most sacred Buddhist place of worship. Go inside to see the Emerald Buddha, carved not of emerald but of semiprecious green stone, robed in gold and just 66 centimeters (26 inches) high.

The beaches of Bermuda are justifiably famous, but this strand in St. George’s owes its fame to its awesome expanse of sea glass. Sitting under the Alexandra Battery, a fort constructed in the 1860s, the entire stretch of coast is blanketed in weathered, colorful glass pieces. The mother lode of treasures is found in an adjacent cave, which is best accessed at low tide. Among the smoky fragments of amber, green, and white glass, there are scattered remnants of pottery and the occasional blue piece. There’s even more sea glass to be found snorkeling offshore; this area too is easiest to navigate at low tide.

For a Florida seafood experience that dates all the way back to 1937, you can’t beat a stop at this original fish market in Fort Myers. The Dixie Fish Co. was once the delivery site for all manner of scallops, clams, snapper and oysters. Today, however, it’s a bustling restaurant, where people pack in for waterfront views, salty air, and fruits of the sea. Most nights, live music accompanies menu favorites like smoked fish dip, whole fried fish, calamari, and snapper fresh from the Gulf.

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.

Cornerstone Sonoma is a collection of shops, galleries, and gardens that offers an unusual experience in the Sonoma wine country. The series of walk-through gardens showcase the work of some of the world’s best landscape architects and designers. Each space is different and evokes a unique feeling or experience, but all contribute to the sense of creativity of Cornerstone Gardens. You can easily spend a couple of hours here, first walking through each of the garden installations and then checking out the unique shops and tasting wine. There is an outdoor sculpture garden as well. Cornerstone Sonoma is open daily 10:00-5:00, but the gardens close at 4:00. Admission and parking are free. It is located just a few minutes south of Sonoma and about 15 minutes west of Napa Valley.

In 1946, Picasso worked from a studio in the Château Grimaldi of Antibes, creating 23 paintings and 44 illustrations that he gifted to the town. Later, 78 pieces that he designed for the Madoura pottery studios in Vallauris were added to the collection and the château became the world’s first Picasso museum. The nearby Archaeology Museum is housed in a historic fort and explores Antibes’s origin as the ancient Greek town Antipolis.

When you see this UNESCO World Heritage–listed train station, you’ll understand why it’s described as an eastern version of London’s St. Pancras. This imposing reminder of the British raj, designed in an extravagant Victorian-Gothic style with Islamic and Hindu elements thrown in, is often referred to by its colonial name of Victoria Terminus, or VT; a statue of Queen Victoria still lords over the building’s dome. Inside, watch with awe as thousands of people spill on and off the trains—and if you’re feeling brave, have a go at riding the rails yourself.

Vieux Fort Beach is one of the prettiest in Guadeloupe, a small, crescent moon–shaped stretch of light pink sand set next to turquoise water. It is shaded in part with almond trees, but beware the manchineel trees at the back of the beach—they are extremely poisonous and you shouldn’t even stand near them! Located north of secluded Marie-Galante, there is no development on-site. Bring your picnic, settle on the soft sand, and spend a romantic afternoon or sunset here, away from everything.

Atop Cap Diamant (Cape Diamond), at the city’s highest point, the Citadelle overlooks Old Québec, the St. Lawrence River, and the Plains of Abraham. There have been defensive structures here as early as the French period—in fact, the location of Québec City was chosen because Samuel de Champlain saw the strategic advantages that Cap Diamant offered. The fortifications you see today, however, date to the 19th century: They were built after a failed attempt by Americans to conquer Québec City during the War of 1812. Students of World War II history may be familiar with the Citadelle as the site of the Québec Conferences, when Winston Churchill, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Canada‘s prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, met to plan their countries’ strategies during the war. The Citadelle is still an active military base; the museum inside is devoted to the 22nd Regiment, which makes its headquarters here.

Since launching her handbags and accessories line in 2008, accessories designer Clare Vivier has mastered the delicate combination of Parisian chic, American prep, and California cool. While her brand has spread to seven boutiques across California and New York, her flagship shop in Silverlake may best personify her brand. Two walls of windows let the California sun stream in each morning and afternoon, and shadowboxes designed by local architect Barbara Bestor hold the goods that lure passersby along Sunset Boulevard. Technicolor best sellers such as the La Tropezienne, Simple Tote, and coveted Foldover Clutches may sit on copies of the most recent Paris Review or Louis Vuitton City Guides, which are also for sale. Everything in the well-rounded space has a connection to France, Los Angeles, or Vivier herself. The shop stocks jewelry by her friends Annie Costello Brown and Grace Lee, for example, along with French Veja sneakers and candles from West Hollywood’s iconic Chateau Marmont. Pro tip: Head here for a last-minute gift—clutches and other leather items can be monogrammed on the spot.

Total immersion is the draw of the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, which sits on a bluff 150 feet above the Pacific’s craggy coastline. The hotel delivers Ritz-Carlton’s trademark luxury—two pools with bucolic garden views, beach butlers on the sand—but also an authentic sense of place. Naturalists lead whale-watching and snorkeling excursions, as well as an ocean-inspired art program that was developed by marine-life artist Wyland. Spa treatments include seaweed wraps, marine collagen facials, and a foot massage inspired by the rhythm of the ocean. Even the resort’s marble-bedecked interiors integrate the environment, including a sculpture in the lobby by artist James Aarons made of 225 ceramic and gold pieces inspired by American cliff swallows, which migrate through the area. Shuttles take guests to and from the swimmable, surfable Salt Creek public beach below. Meals at the six restaurants are indulgent but never fussy, whether it’s pasture-raised beef and artisanal cheese at enoSTEAK, or pan-seared scallops with morita-glazed pork belly at the pan-Latin restaurant Raya. Pro tip: Before the sun dips below the horizon, grab a spot by a fire pit at the lounge 180blu, order a tamarind-togarashi margarita, and enjoy the views of the Pacific.

In a country that has more cows than people, you can’t visit Argentina without shopping for leather goods. Prune opened its doors in 1999 and is one of Argentina’s premier brands for quality leather goods that are stylish and great value. They sell European-inspired handbags, clutches, leather jackets, belts and shoes. You can find Prune shops in both Palmares Open Mall and Mendoza Plaza Shopping in Guaymallen.

If you’ve never been to the Marin Headlands, you MUST go! The views are stellar, but make sure you get there early (well, early enough to get there before all the tourists!) Ht up the headlands for a nice hike and view and then drive to Bar Bocci in Sausalito for lunch or dinner. You won’t be disappointed.

For such a remote region, Big Sur has more than its share of amazing places to stay. One of the most unique is Treebones Resort, nestled high in the foothills of South Big Sur overlooking the Pacific. The off-the-grid property offers 16 signature yurts as well as oceanfront campsites, a 500-square-foot “autonomous tent,” and the “human nest,” a spherical dwelling woven from tree branches by local artist Jayson Fann. Even nesters have access to the resort’s pool, hot tub, and restaurant, which highlights produce from the on-site organic farm and houses what has to be one of the world’s most scenic sushi bars.