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A Carioca version of the São Paulo classic, the Rio Astor has two straightaway advantages: It sits on a magical city corner, at the start of Ipanema, just across from the beach, and it has a wide, airy terrace. From there, visitors delight in its drink menu (one of the city’s most complete) as waiters scurry hither and yon at cocktail hour, serving draft beers, which are called chopps and which somehow taste creamier here. The Astor also features a wide-ranging menu that updates Brazilian classics with unusual ingredients and more ambitious presentations of standards like arroz com feijão. The entire mix translates to one of Rio’s winningest combo of bar-rail and white tablecloth venue.

Begin your perfect beach day with a stop at this snackbar on Positano’s Spiaggia Grande for a sweet brioche and a cold cappuccino freddo. In the afternoon, come back for a scoop of gelato or a chocolate-dipped ice cream–bar snack. At the end of the day as the sun drops behind the mountain and the day-trippers leave, perch on one of the high stools at the cocktail bar and sip a cold gin and tonic or draft beer. The bar is attached to a formal restaurant that overlooks the beach.

Hilton’s reentry into the heart of Paris is nothing short of majestic. After a $50 million design overhaul, the 125-year-old hotel, made for the 1889 World’s Fair, has been revived to its 19th-century splendor with a contemporary twist. Formerly the Grand Hotel Terminus and the Concorde Opéra Paris, the property’s landmark status—with its Haussmannian facade and elegant public spaces—demanded it be painstakingly preserved. Among the restored, original elements, the most awe-inspiring are the Corinthian columns, chandeliers, balustrades, hand-painted frescoes, and marble and mosaic tiling. Fortunately, the bar takes pride of place among them, making it the ideal spot to start your stay with a cocktail or glass of wine.

The style in each of the rooms breaks with the traditional stark-white modern codes of most business hotels. Here it incorporates warm accent colors and textiles. With few heritage elements left to preserve, the sense of place is woven in with custom etchings of iconic Paris scenes hung behind each bed. But you won’t be spending much time here, as the action happens in the grand salon.

When most people look at a piece of turquoise, they see a pretty blue stone. The people of New Mexico see water, sky, bountiful harvests, and a source of health and protection. Turquoise has been a valuable stone—in jewelry, for ceremonial purposes, and as an object of trade—for more than a thousand years. Many works of art incorporating turquoise are on permanent display in New Mexico, at institutions like the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe. You can also, however, see (and touch) them at street festivals and markets along with weaving, pottery, silverwork, Kachina dolls, and more. You may even decide to take a bit of New Mexico home with you.

It might be a part of the Colorado River—a man-made reservoir carved out of the river in 1960—but everyone calls the body of water bisecting Austin Lady Bird Lake. On hot summer days, scores of walkers and joggers move along the lakeside paths through nearby Zilker Park, but you can also take to the water by canoe, kayak, water bike, or stand-up paddleboard. You can’t swim here, but the left fork (heading west) in the river will take you to Barton Springs Pool, a popular Austin hangout, where you can splash in the water to your heart’s—and body temperature’s—delight.

The Rocks is undoubtedly one of Sydney‘s most beautiful areas. Follow George Street until the very end and it’s almost like you’ve stepped back in time—there are cobblestones under your feet, quaint stores to browse, and great pubs to visit. One of the best experiences you can have in Sydney is to visit the Rocks Markets, especially on Friday nights during spring and summer for the Rocks Markets by Moonlight. The warmer months in Sydney are the most exciting; pair them with all the beauty of the famous Harbour Bridge, Opera House and this historic hub and you’ve got the best version of this amazing city. There are stalls offering everything from handmade gifts and sweets to unique jewelry and fashion, but the atmosphere is set off by all of the other quirks that you would never have expected—puppeteers and magicians roaming the crowd, dozens of people young and old wearing headphones and dancing at a silent disco, musical performances and pet displays with some of the most enormous cats and rabbits you’ve ever imagined. All of this set among historic buildings and Sydney’s oldest sites makes for a truly unique experience indeed.

Outerlands is an Outer Sunset institution. The small restaurant near Ocean Beach serves local, organic cuisine in a rustic-chic setting. Covered floor-to-ceiling in warm, rough-hewn wood, the interior invites lingering over an artisan cocktail or a ginger-lemon apple cider. Lunch and dinner feature such refined but hearty options as cast-iron grilled cheese brushed with garlic oil and slow-cooked lamb shank with nasturtium leaf pesto. The weekend brunch draws a crowd and is worth the often lengthy wait. Standouts include the Dutch pancakes and the house-roasted turkey. You can always make the most of waiting for a table and head to the beach for a quick jaunt before you indulge.

Visitors flock to Búzios for the simple pleasure of strolling up and down the Rua das Pedras, the main cobblestone street, as well as the promenade named for Brigitte Bardot, where they can admire fishing boats and pleasure craft in the small bay. The town overflows with historic homes and fine chapels such as Nossa Senhora Desatadora dos Nós (Mary, Untier of Knots) by Praia de Geribá, or Geribá Beach, as well as the spare 17th-century Igreja de Sant’Anna (Church of Sant’Anna), which is on a hilltop.

In a city teeming with markets, this is one of the capital’s only true farmers’ markets. Everything is grown and produced within 100 yards of the city limits. It takes place at the corner of a park in the Roma neighborhood, and wooden benches are set up so that visitors can enjoy mushroom tamales, hippie-style tacos filled with cactus and wheat berry salad, and refreshing ices in flavors like cardamom or cucumber lime. Don’t miss the booth that sells one of my favorite mezcals. It’s made in the state of Guerrero, and at the market, vendors funnel the liquor from huge vats into beer bottles decorated with colored straw and papier mâché animals.

Located well north of the hustle and bustle of downtown Breckenridge, the distillery and restaurant sit along Airport Road (though the airport has since closed). It’s worth the effort to get up here for a visit, be it for the free tour and tasting, the exclusive after-hours distillery tour, or for dinner. Two-time James Beard Award–winning chef David Burke focuses on small plates, bold flavors, and locally sourced ingredients (and his dry-aged steaks are legendary). The craft cocktails are imaginative and tasty—there’s probably something to be said for the fresh mountain water used in the distilling process. Also, keep an eye out for the special events.

The Harvest Table opened Harvest Inn in 2015, and it quickly became one of the go-to spots in St. Helena. One of the main reasons: unpretentious food at reasonable prices. The 110-seat restaurant has a large horseshoe-shaped bar that serves upscale pub food, California style. Burgers are thick and juicy, and the fish and chips are crispy and light. The rest of the dinner menu is filled with hearty fare such as braised short ribs and grilled pork chops. Since its debut, the restaurant has launched its own beer program and now bottles microbrews, too. If you go, be sure to scan the crowd around you. Harvest Table has become the backdrop for many a business deal, and you never know which winery owner might be sitting nearby.

On the corner of a rather scrofulous downtown block and across the street from the Ace Hotel’s event space, Wildfang is a self-described “home for badass women.” Whether it’s street style with a feminist message—even in Portland, it’s not every day that one finds a “Slay the Patriarchy” baseball cap—or high-fashion clothing that works on all sorts of body types, Wildfang packs it all in. For hangers-on who aren’t as interested in shopping or fashion, the bar inside the store provides liquid relief, including beers designed in collaboration with 10 Barrel that were created by women brewmasters.

When the sun sets, Piazza Santo Spirito wakes up and the large square fills with college students and young professionals. Volume is where they gather for strong cocktails and live music. Located in the former workshop of Alfonso Bini, a woodworker who specialized in carved hat forms and later more-creative pieces, the space retains the warm vibe of the local craft studios. Small tables and chairs are set up alongside shelves crowded with books, tools, and art. Seating outside affords a view of the after-dark action on the piazza as well as the striking Santo Spirito church.

Mary Ellen’s is known for its delicious grilled cheese sandwiches, which are made in nine gooey varieties and are accompanied to the table by a wide selection of dipping sauces. The menu makes a half-hearted (a little joke there) effort to promote healthy options like kale salad and avocado toast, but really it’s all about the bar food at this friendly neighborhood joint in Old Town. The game’s always on the television, and there’s a regular schedule of trivia contests, open-mic comedy nights, and beer-fueled spelling bees, all of which go well with grilled cheese.

Named for the overnight train that served Santa Barbara from 1910 to 1968, the Lark restaurant showcases the Central Coast’s seasonal bounty. Located in the Santa Barbara Fish Market Building, in the heart of the city’s Funk Zone, the innovative restaurant combines a farm-to-table ethos with a family-style approach. During most months, the outdoor courtyard seating is as convivial as the tables in the dining room. The menu of small plates is organized by their ingredients’ places of origin (farm, ranch, or ocean): crispy brussels sprouts include sweet medjool dates as well as spicy serrano chilies; pickled fennel and compressed Granny Smith apples accompany the grilled Kurobata pork belly; and passion-fruit vinaigrette and fried avocado enhance the flavor of Japanese hamachi collar. Larger platters are meant to be shared, and restaurant regulars often choose one or two (the Baharat spiced cauliflower and Israeli couscous is a favorite) along with several smaller plates. Pro tip: While it’s tempting to fill up on the herbed popcorn that’s delivered to your table the instant you’re seated, slow down, order a craft cocktail, and make sure you save room for the main event.