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Nationally known for the annual Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl Game, Pasadena is more locally known for another Rose, the monthly Rose Bowl Flea Market. A short drive or Gold Line train ride from LA, Pasadena is a town worth exploring. Start the day in nature with either a hike or a visit to the Botanical Gardens. Then, wander the quaint Old Town Historic District spotted with coffee shops, specialty stores, art museums, comfort food cafes, and fine dining restaurants.

An amateur baker apprentices with a Paris boulanger and learns the secret of artisan bread.

Finding a place to eat or drink in a resort town is easy, but finding a good place that reflects the atmosphere is a bit more challenging. Try the local whiskey, have a hearty breakfast before a day on the slopes or hiking the trails, and don’t forget to clean your plate at dinner.

There are so many cafes in Cape Town, it’s not hard to find a place for brunch on the weekends or during the work week. A classic breakfast in Cape Town features eggs, slices of broiled tomato, Canadian-style bacon, and toast or pastries. Fresh fruit, granola and yogurt is also a common choice. For a local delicacy, try buttermilk rusks, which are best eaten after dipping for a few seconds in your morning coffee. These brunch spots will start your full day of sightseeing in Cape Town off right.

Alternative new venues underscore Hanoi’s status as the nation’s capital of understated hip. Hanoi has pop-up cafés in the homes of artists, cafés that strike the right balance between quality coffee and youthful atmosphere. Also, tucked-away you will find Hanoi’s bars and music venues purveying heady cocktails, and soundtracks covering all bases from Thai funk to hip-hop beats sampled from scratchy vintage Vietnamese records.

Why we love it: An all-American dude ranch where guests can play cowboy in luxury

Highlights:
- A superb riding program that brings over 150 horses to the mesquite corral each morning
- Luxury amenities like an outdoor pool and spa to balance out the adventure
- Regular dining events like private-chef dinners and barbecues

The Review:
Founded in 1868, this Tucson guest ranch sits below the Rincon Mountains, overlooking the rolling foothills of Saguaro National Park. It’s often ranked among America’s top resorts and wedding destinations—and for good reason. Not only does it deliver Southwestern charm in the form of pink adobe architecture, but it runs one of the nation’s top horseback-riding programs, with everything from team penning and mountain adventure rides to the signature “Harmony with Horses,” which teaches interspecies communication. The ranch also offers a host of other activities, including yoga, hikes, mountain biking, photography courses, and naturalist-led walks to explore the desert’s edible and medicinal plants. There’s even a kids’ day camp for ages four to 12 with tennis, arts and crafts, swimming, and more.

Rooms here feature exposed beams and brick, punctuated with dark wood furniture and pops of Southwestern fabrics. Each has a desk, coffeemaker, and small refrigerator, while the biggest suite also includes a fireplace and sleeps up to six. When guests start feeling saddle sore, they can rejuvenate with a full-body massage in the spa, or grab a prickly pear margarita at the Dog House Saloon. For a full meal, head to the on-site restaurant, which serves Southwestern cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or attend one of the specialty dining events held each week, including private-chef dinners and cowboy cookouts.

Accessible only by boat or helicopter, Biras Creek Resort offers remote luxury. The property sits on 140 acres, between two hills crisscrossed with six hiking trails of varied elevation gains. Couples kayak, snorkel, or just sun on the beach. The walk to the Hilltop Restaurant is worth it for the views alone.

Boutique hotels that appeal to the design-minded and large desert resorts with amenities beyond a dazzling swimming pool: Choosing from the range of accommodations in this glamorous region is bound to present a challenge.

You may know Corona, Tecate, and Modelo, but there’s much more to Mexico City’s bar scene than exported beers. Try domestic craft brews, wine from Baja California that’s rarely exported, and local spirits like tequila, mezcal, and pulque. For something less spirited, visit the many cafes where you can drink coffee or chocolate at any time of day.

Everyone knows about Argentina’s steak culture (and it is strong enough to power every carnivore’s dreams) but that’s not where the cuisine ends. Those handheld pies called empanadas, the alfajores cakes, the wide array of shellfish, the stellar coffee: Buenos Aires has something to offer all passionate eaters.

Mendoza is all about great food and great wine. To experience the best the region has to offer, base yourself at a hotel surrounded by vineyards such as the romantic Cavas Wine Lodge or Algodon Wine Estates or where you can channel your inner winemaker. Foodies should visit the Vines Resort and Spa, which is home to a restaurant from South America’s star chef Francis Mallmann.

Key West doesn’t have many swimmable beaches, but this elegant 1920 oceanfront resort sits on the largest private one in town—an 1,100-square-foot strand punctuated with tall palms. While the shoreline itself is on a rocky shelf, a long dock extends out to the shallows for laps and snorkeling. Just off the beach, two large pools are set into green lawns and lush landscaping in front of the Spanish-style main building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel’s wooden coffered ceilings, arched entryways, red-tile roofs, and other key architectural details recall the hotel’s glamorous heyday, while the clean, refreshed rooms are entirely modern, with sleek wood-framed beds, white linens and curtains, and ocean views. Children under 16 stay for free and babysitting is available for adults who want to take a break at the Spa al Mare, which has an open-air cabana right on the sand for al fresco massages and treatments.

With just three proper resorts (and a handful more guesthouses), Barbuda remains an undiscovered Caribbean hideaway, perfect for an off-the-beaten track holiday. Antigua’s sister island lies just 27-miles to the north, but feels worlds away. Barbuda’s major export is sand, which despite shipping out by the ton, it still has plenty of, in silky pink and white, fronting its gin-clear, aquamarine sea. It’s also home to a thriving reef system providing excellent snorkeling and amazing birdlife.

No matter your passion, Portland has you covered. The tax-free shopping wonderland is loaded with stores to tickle the fancy of shoppers both casual and obsessed. From Powell’s City of Books—easily one of the best bookstores in the United States—to Wildfang, where the coolest patriarchy smashers hang, and, yes, all the chain stores, Portland’s got the goods. Some of the city’s shopping hubs include downtown Portland, Pioneer Place, 23rd Avenue, and the Pearl District. Fuel up with some java at the coffee shop of your choice because there is serious shopping to be done.

Canals, culture, and cannabis are just a few of the reasons Amsterdam, the capital of the Dutch Golden Age, remains one of Europe’s most popular cities. Two of the must-visit Amsterdam museums include the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum. After visiting one or both, step into one of the hundreds of coffee shops—legal marijuana dispensaries—with the more well-known ones located in the Red Light District.