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North of the harbor on Lavender Bay, Clark Park is an ideal spot for a picnic away from the bustle. On the western end, curious visitors discover the garden Wendy Whiteley created from a landfill. 5- to 10-minute walk from Luna Park. This appeared in the August/September 2013 issue.

Opulent is the word that may occur to you as you stroll into this split-level steakhouse. The art deco-inspired main dining room features oak pillars, camel-colored banquettes, and a jaw-dropping six-tiered brass and crystal chandelier. Upstairs, diners sit on a teak terrace with views of the San Diego skyline. A meal here often includes a show: Many dishes from caesar salad to Tournedos Rossini are prepared and served tableside from custom-made carts. The star of the menu is the Creekstone Farms Beef which has been dry-aged in a glass-enclosed meat locker for more than 25 days. Dry-aged duck and lamb, vegan tartares, and vegetable side dishes like leeks roasted over coals, or broccoli with salty bagna cauda round out the menu. Executive Chef Jason McCleod earned two Michelin stars working at Ria at the Elysian in Chicago. While Born & Raised is a high-end venue, the service is friendly and laid back with suit-clad servers sporting sneakers.

Spanning three city blocks in downtown Salt Lake City, the $1.5 billion commercial area opened in 2012 and blends high-end shopping with business offices, residential units, and tree-lined walkways centered on a simulated creek complete with fountains. The open-air architecture fills the walkways with natural light during the day and is well illuminated at night. A 15,000-square-foot retractable roof provides part of the area with some protection from precipitation. The mall includes more than 500,000 square feet of retail space anchored by a Nordstrom and Macy’s, and surrounded by more than 100 specialty shops.

There is so much to fall in love with in Providenciales, the only touristy island in the Turks and Caicos, but there are certain experiences you just must do. The Turks and Caicos are a true paradise, and Providenciales (Provo, to locals) is home to one of the world’s most stunning shorelines, the 12-mile Grace Bay Beach. Other top experiences in the Turks and Caicos include DIY snorkeling, an island fish fry, or taking a homeless “potcake” dog to the beach.

There’s a lot more to the San Fermín festival than the running of the bulls. In Pamplona, a skeptic learns what it’s really like to attend the biggest summer fiesta in Basque country.

Eaton Canyon has a great nature center if you want to learn about the local plants, animals, geology, and ecology. The exhibits and nature walks are kid-friendly. Hiking trails are also easily accessible from the nature center. The Eaton Canyon Falls trail is a fun and easy hike; it’s cooler and more shaded than many of the local trails, and it follows a creek to a wading pool and waterfall—a great place to relax and cool down on a hot day.

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.

An Aboriginal territory turned shipping port between the Rocks district and King Street Wharf has been transformed into a harborfront reserve, modeled after what the headland may have looked like before Europeans arrived. It’s a great area for a walk or a picnic as well as for special events. And the surrounding area is home to dozens of new bars and restaurants. The seafood-centric Cirrus is run by the award-winning Bentley Restaurant team, and 12-Micron celebrates Australian produce through a menu organized around the elements. Early birds flock to cult favorites Micro by Coffee Alchemy and Bourke Street Bakery, while the after-work crowd unwinds at Sydney’s first vermouth bar, Banksii; the tropical rooftop Untied; and Smoke bar, on the top level of Barangaroo House.

Chef Bill Granger started his first restaurant in Darlinghurst at age 24. Since then, his sunny Aussie eatery (most famous for its creamy scrambled eggs, ricotta hotcakes, and crunchy corn fritters) has spread to Surry Hills as well as Honolulu, Seoul, London, and four locations in Japan. The newest Australian outpost of Bills in Bondi Beach is bright and communal, spilling out on to one of the area’s most lively streets. Arrive early to avoid the long queue for weekend brunch, and sample everything from house-cured gravlax to the fried rice bowl with kimchi. Dinner (at the Bondi and Surry Hills locations only) is a more intimate, candle-lit affair, with interesting Aussie-Asian plates like tea-smoked trout salad, fish curry, spicy pork belly, and Japanese-style steak.

Speakeasies and secret bars are an ongoing trend in Australian cities, namely Melbourne and Sydney. Down an unassuming alley off Crown Street, behind an equally unassuming doorway, lies Shady Pines Saloon—if it weren’t for the alcohol license on the door and the bouncer outside, you would never know it was there. Inside, the décor is reminiscent of an old hunting lodge or saloon in the American West, with mounted animal heads, vintage beer trays, dim lighting, Johnny Cash on the stereo, and peanut shells coating the floor. Mustachioed bartenders mix craft cocktails and can advise you on their selection of bourbons and whiskeys. The fresh-pressed apple juice and whiskey is always tasty, while the mystery moonshine in the “leg bottle” makes for an adventurous choice.

When Rush Creek Lodge opened in the summer of 2016 less than a mile from the park’s west gate, it was the first new resort in Yosemite in 25 years. A classy, family-friendly addition, it’s set amid 20 forested acres about 25 miles from Yosemite Valley—close enough for exploring the park by day, then leaving the crowds behind at night. The vibe here is log-cabin chic, with contemporary furnishings and amenities like Keurig coffee machines, satellite radio, and feather pillows. TVs were deliberately left out to encourage “an authentic and rewarding mountain experience,” but each room comes stocked with games as well as a private deck for leisurely tree-gazing. The 143 rooms fall into three types, most created with families in mind. Lodge rooms can accommodate up to four; suites feature sliding barn doors that separate the bedroom from the living area, which includes a queen sofa-bed and cast-iron fireplace; and large one- and two-bedroom hillside villas can fit up to six people. The onsite tavern serves the same impressive menu as the restaurant but in a more casual setting, plus there’s a bar in the pool area for sandwiches and snacks. There’s also a huge game room with billiards, shuffleboard, and a climbing structure as well as nightly s’mores by the fire.

Uncorking Switzerland’s Secret

Hike into Bear Canyon on the northeastern edge of Tucson, and you’ll be rewarded (most of the year) with a view of Seven Falls, gushing out of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Even though the hike in and out is around seven miles, it’s mostly flat. You’ll find that, as you’re zigzagging across the creek on large boulders, with cliffs above the cacti all around, traffic and strip malls are a world away. When you arrive at the falls, the rushing waters are a balm for the soul. Midwinter through the middle of spring is a good time to visit this oasis; the higher-elevation snowmelt guarantees flowing water and the daytime temperatures are comfortable. Midsummer monsoon rains can also fill this canyon, and flash floods can be a sudden danger.

What started as an outback resort known as Wrotham Park Station in far north Queensland was bought by Indigenous Business Australia, dismantled, and loaded on 18 triple road trains (each roughly the length of three semi trucks) for the journey 1,740 miles across rain forest and desert to the Northern Territory’s Mary River Wetlands, about an hour and a half from Darwin, adjacent to Kakadu National Park. Safari tents from Kenya were added to the modern “Habitats” and restaurant and bar to complete the immersive Australian wilderness retreat. Like the world’s best safari camps, Wildman Wilderness Lodge has a spacious wooden deck with an infinity pool and daybed-style lounge chairs that encircle a fire pit. This is the place to watch the sun set and look for the area’s wallabies, dingoes, water buffalo, wild pigs, native birds, and two resident saltwater crocodiles known as Big Arse and Fat Arse.

The Mary River Wetlands are known for having the highest concentration of saltwater crocodiles in the world, and the lily-studded floodplains are prime habitat for barramundi, which the restaurant often cooks for dinner. Open March through November, the lodge treads lightly on the landscape and is culturally connected to the native Limilngan, Unwynmil, and Wulna people, who have lived in the area for thousands of years.

Woolloomooloo’s quirky name was sourced from a town in Australia, as are the coffee beans used to make its signature “flat white” coffee drink (served in a glass, Aussie style). Opened by a Taiwanese-Australian architect, this popular eatery offers a solid menu of Western dishes in an industrial-chic space. Though it’s called a “cafe”, Woolloomoolo is more communal canteen than intimate coffee shop, boasting long wooden butcher tables and steel-clad walls. Though its menu includes staples such as pizza and pasta that are found in almost all of the many Western-style cafes throughout the city, Woolloomoolo stands out from the pack through specialties like Aussie meat pie and Greek moussaka. Avoid the lunch rush on weekdays, when Woolloomoolo transforms into a sophisticated cafeteria, with crowds of nine-to-fivers squeezed around the tables to take advantage of the hearty lunch specials. Patio seating is also available at the Xinyi location, a perk rarely seen in Taipei eateries. When weather permits, enjoy a flat white made with imported Aussie beans while sitting in the sunshine. 886/(0)2-8789-0128 (Xinyi Store)