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The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is the nation’s first museum and school of fine arts, and home to an outstanding permanent collection of American art, including Thomas Eakins’ medical painting “Gross Clinic”. Throughout the year, PAFA presents special exhibitions and work by some of the region’s most talented contemporary artists. The galleries are contained in two separate buildings, the Historic Landmark Building (pictured), a spectacular architectural gem designed by Frank Furness and George W. Hewitt, and the new Samuel Hamilton Building at 128 North Broad Street. Be sure to visit Lenfest Plaza, a public space adjacent to the Academy to check out Philadelphia artist Jordan Griska’s fantastic sculpture made from a former US military plane. PAFA’s gift shop, housed in the new Hamilton Building, is a wonderful place to shop for unique accessories, arts, crafts and paper goods.

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/

The Contemporary Art scene in Brussels is thriving, but it can also be intimidating to newcomers. Many galleries can feel cold or stuffy, and visitors can be put off by the high prices of the works on display. Maison Particulière is a different kind of gallery. Here, nothing is for sale and the space is warm and inviting. Visitors are encouraged to relax on comfortable furniture and enjoy the art as if it was in their own homes. The art on display is on loan from private collectors, passionate about sharing their art with the public. They choose which of their works to include, based on a particular theme. Each room, in this beautiful gallery, reflects the personality of the individual collector, and stepping inside is like taking a peek into their own private world. Maison Particulière makes contemporary art feel accessible and demonstrates how you can live with art in a non-confrontational way.

Visitors seeking an immersive-history experience can get a chance to travel back in time and check out the homes, stories, and daily routines of early Philadelphians, from everyday citizens to the city’s better-known inhabitants from the past. Buildings along Elfreth’s Alley, the country’s oldest continually occupied residential street, reveal the lives of the city’s earliest residents. Most of the houses on the block are private homes, but houses numbered 124 and 126 have been preserved as a public museum. Guided tours begin in the Museum Shop (Number 124). Private tours of the Alley and Museum House are available all year round.

The Camel Racing Festival is free and open to the public, and celebrates a sport that has deep cultural roots in the region. Much like the city itself, the current festival has a modern twist (as you can see): robot-jockey-mounted camels gallop toward the finish line during Dubai‘s Camel Racing Festival.

The hike from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, is one of the best urban paths I have experienced. Although you’re never far from the city, the walk feels quite scenic at times, and the many beaches you come across along the way are all beautiful. Of course, you can always walk from Bondi to Coogee if you find yourself heading in the other direction. Either way, you’ll find yourself at one of Sydney’s top beach destinations. The hike is an easy walk that will include towering cliffs, sandy beaches, public pools, rock formations, parks, and epic vistas along the 6-kilometer trail. You could do the hike in a few hours, but it would be best to allocate at least three hours to fit in a stop at Bronte Beach for lunch or drinks. And if it is a hot day, you’ll want some time for a swim!

Seattle’s largest public park sits on a sea bluff that’s high enough to pierce the city’s infamous fog, revealing gorgeous views of the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges. Wander its 11 miles (18 km) of paths through forest groves, meadows fringing coastal cliffs, and active sand dunes on the protected tidal beaches. Once a military installation, the area now serves as an open space and wildlife sanctuary. Stop into the Daybreak Star Center, which celebrates American Indian culture and hosts the city’s powwow in mid-July. Around 25 drum groups and 500 dancers converge here for the event, along with close to 10,000 spectators.

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.

Commissioned as a public artwork for the Memorial Park Cemetery, Crystal Shine Grotto is the largest—and perhaps only—man-made quartz cavern in the country. In 1938, Mexican artist Dionicio Rodriguez had a 60-foot-deep cave dug into the hillside in the middle of the cemetery, then set to work creating a magical attraction out of sculpted cement and almost five tons of colorful quartz crystals. He even carved niches in the walls, which were later filled with biblical statues to complete an unusual but heartfelt religious shrine that now draws thousands of visitors each year. Accompanied by a loop of harp music, the Grotto can be a peaceful place to pray, though it’s also eminently Instagrammable and has become a favorite posing spot for special-occasion photos.

Following the lead of mixed-use space Deus ex Machina in Camperdown, Rising Sun is a motorcycle workshop cum café and restaurant built for the Newtown community. That means garage space with tools and repair bays for members as well as regular workshops (one just for women), art events, and a public night ride on the last Tuesday of the month. Then there’s the rustic-chic café that whips up Asian-fusion cuisine that’s as rootsy and beautiful as the bikes. Come in the morning for breakfast ramen—bacon, roasted tomatoes, and a fried egg floating in bone broth—and a Japanese twist on a bloody mary. Then return for creative tapas and share plates in the evening complemented by a stellar list of Australian beers and wines.

In Carnac, row upon row of some 3,000 upright stones cover three fields (Ménex, Kermario, and Kerlescan), creating a magical atmosphere. Though the exact meaning and purpose of the prehistoric stones—some dating as far back as 4000 B.C.E.—remains largely a mystery, a number of them were revealed to be tomb markers, concealing remains and funerary objects.

Start your visit at the Maison des Mégaliths, where you can watch a film about the site in English. The stones are now fenced off to the public, so it’s best to book a guided tour if you want to fully experience the site. When you’re done exploring, take the 10-minute walk to the Museum of Prehistory, which houses one of Europe’s finest collections of prehistoric objects.

This 248-room hotel in one of the city’s tallest skyscrapers—Roppongi’s glass-sheeted Tokyo Midtown—offers some of the best views in the city, but the interiors are just as eye-catching. The property starts on the 45^th floor and espouses classic European decor, with four colorful abstract works by California painter Sam Francis, each 12 feet high, dominating the lobby. Rooms and public spaces look onto Mount Fuji, the Imperial Palace, and Tokyo Bay; inside delicate woodwork, hand-tufted carpets, patterned chiyogami wall coverings, a lobby waterfall, and Murano chandeliers set the scene. The hotel proudly touts the most expensive guest room in Japan, the Ritz-Carlton Suite, yours for the princely sum of $16,200 per night.

Updated in 2017, the rooms and public areas in this attractive, airy resort have an island-themed decor. Rooms now come equipped with marble bathroom vanities, Smart LED Samsung televisions, and Starbucks Coffee. But the star attraction remains a prime, crowd-free position on Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach, famous for clear water and powder-fine white sand. Resort sun loungers are spread far apart to give guests a sense of privacy. A day camp with fun activities and a healthy meals program for kids (ages 4-to-12) means parents get guiltless downtime (or scuba diving and other water sports). Shopping and alternative dining are within walking distance.

Near the northern end of Eleuthera, Coral Sands is one of the few hotels fortunate enough to sit directly on Harbour Island’s famous Pink Sands Beach, declared one of the world’s prettiest shorelines. Opened in 1968, the hotel has recently been updated in typical Bahamian style with bright colors and crisp whites, plus plantation shutters, soaring ceilings, and inlaid-wood furnishings with seaside themes. Public spaces follow suit: classic black-and-white tiles anchor the restaurant, where continental specialties are served beneath elegant plaster arches, and an open-air bar is backed by the island’s turquoise waters. Because the beach is protected by a barrier reef, its surf is hardly ever more than ankle-high, but swimmers find comfort in the heated freshwater pool.

With Monaco facing the Mediterranean, it is no wonder Prince Albert I was passionate about marine biology and conservation. Looking to promote marine sciences and educate others, the prince opened the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco in 1910. There are now more than 6,000 fish, as well as a shark lagoon and an important collection of live coral. Still dedicated to ocean conservation, the museum works closely with scientists and artists to inspire public interest.