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While there’s much to do in Milan, there’s also a lot to do outside the city. Hop on a train and enjoy lunch by a lake, see a contemporary art collection in an 18th-century villa, and dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Then take a stroll in a walled city, go winetasting, or climb a tower. All you need is an adventurous spirit.

Trans Pecos is magic, and it happens once a year: a gathering of friends, music, art, camping, sandlot baseball and a night sky full of stars in Marfa, Texas. The festival leaves you plenty of time to explore Marfa and the surrounding high desert. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

24 hours in Montreal—mission possible? Absolutely. Visitors trying to craft the perfect day can eat their way through Montreal’s legendary food scene, admire its most popular attractions, from Old-Montreal to Outremont, mingle with its friendly locals, and visit classic Montreal cultural attractions such as downtown art museums or the designer shops on boulevard Saint-Laurent.

Finding a charming alpine town snug at the base of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains may make skiers, hikers, and lovers of beauty feel like they’re having a fever dream, but the dream is real. Whether you come in winter for the world-class downhill skiing and snowboarding, or in summer for mountain biking, hiking, gallery-hopping, and long evenings spent on restaurant decks, you’ve found Whistler Village, one of the jewels of British Columbia.

A group of Chicago artists took over the Flatiron building in Wicker Park and turned the triangular building into an art gallery comprised of 2 floors worth of unique art studios. In this building artists can rent gallery space to work and display their art and they have artistic control over the room, the halls, the ceilings and even the floors. The entire building is now an artistic wonderland and even if you don’t buy any of the art pieces, it’s worth a walk through just to see the creativity on display here. The Flatiron building is open all day and there are always artists in their galleries working, selling and willing to talk to visitors. The first Friday of each month is the best time to visit because all the artists open their studios between 6-10pm and turn the neighborhood into a block party. Go support a local artist and have a glass of wine. It’s good for everybody.

WOMB Gallery, located in Oklahoma City’s Automobile Alley district, is the work of The Flaming Lips front man Wayne Coyne. This place likes to call itself am “experience” and not a gallery as some displays are interactive and if you’re lucky you may even get to add your own piece of art in the collaborative 3-D room.

While most people think of Italy as a summertime destination, there are wonders to be found in this northern port city any time of year—especially winter! With hardly any tourists in these cooler (and slightly wetter) months, the city is quiet and calm and opens its doors to some incredible art exhibits, live operas, and wintertime flavors.

Postcard-pretty cities, turquoise lake waters, and Alpine peaks are just some highlights of day trips from Zurich. Among the Swiss Alps lies Mount Rigi, a mountain almost completely surrounded by water and so beautiful is often depicted in works of art. Luzern attracts visitors for its mountain/lake beauty which is enhanced by the 14th-century Kapellbrücke Bridge, and the Wasserturm water tower.

From its ancient roots and colonial treasures to modern-day craftspeople, this city lives and breathes art and culture. And Oaxaca’s museums brilliantly showcase it so you can easily take it all in.

Just north of the city center, Isola is Milan’s slightly offbeat, somewhat hipster, and completely all-natural neighborhood. On any given day, its vibe is friendly and local. The area offers amazing boutiques and specialty stores, boasts the best barber in the city, and features colorful street art.

New Mexico is known as the Land of Enchantment, rich in landscape and topography. Must-do experiences include exploring New Mexico’s mysterious Sangre de Cristo mountains, deep canyons, mesas, and river gorges; a stunning nature drive; a mountain hike; a night at the opera; and deep immersion into the rich New Mexico culture, arts, and history.

This gallery has two locations and both are jammed-packed with artwork. When you walk in you have to maneuver around the paintings and artwork that are not only hanging on the walls but propped up on the floor. Every square inch of space is utilized. This contemporary gallery fashions art from all different types of artists using all different methods, oil, acrylic, sculpture. They have paintings that evoke serenity and others that are vibrant and in your face. It is truly a diverse collection.

An indigenous-owned art gallery located at the busy junction of the Arnhem and Stuart Highways a half hour outside Darwin, The Didgeridoo Hut prides itself on selling genuine Aboriginal artwork from remote Top End communities, with whom the owners Dennis and Janis have personal relationships. In fact artists often come to the shop to demonstrate their painting and didgeridoo making skills and to share their stories with visitors. The works on display are high-quality and overwhelming; thankfully, the friendly staff are very knowledgeable about the artists and their symbolism—spiral circles represent waterholes and tool imagery usually stands for a man or woman. The prices are fair, but some have a little bargaining room built in.

Even after chatting with the owner, I’m still slightly confused as to why this lovely women’s shoe boutique/art gallery is called Plastic Passion, but like so many things in Genoa, we just go with it. Drop by this lovely little shop to pick up Italian-made suede heels, or my favorite, the kitten-heeled black t-strap beauties. And take a minute to check out the upstairs art gallery before you head out.

Whether your passion is for art, music, science, history, or aviation, Seattle has museums for you. Sometimes the museum itself is a landmark, like Seattle’s colorful Experience Music Project Museum building, designed by Frank Gehry. Add some educational value to your Seattle vacation when you spend an afternoon at one of these family-friendly destinations. If you plan to visit multiple museums, check out the Seattle CityPass to save on admission.