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Even though you may have never been here before, Montréal’s Place St-Louis, in the Plateau neighborhood off of rue St-Denis, will probably look familiar thanks to the many tourism posters and guidebook covers that display its image. The graystone Victorian row houses, with details in pink, purple, and other eye-popping hues, embody a certain Montréal attitude—grounded in history yet with a playful, contemporary edge. The square was laid out in 1876 and has been described as one of Montréal’s most beautiful, with a European elegance thanks to its tree-lined paths and fountain. Students of poetry may want to pay homage to Émile Nelligan. A monument to the beloved Québecois writer sits in the southeast corner of the square near the house on avenue Laval where he once lived.

Bloody Mary’s, entertaining tourists since it opened in 1979, is one of those Bora Bora experiences that simply must be done. The ambience is beach-bar hip, with sand floors, colored lights, and coconut stools in a dining room under a thatched roof and surrounded by tropical foliage. Even if you don’t eat here, at least come for a cocktail to experience the vibe and mingle with the crowd of local pension, or guesthouse, owners, visiting celebrities, and other travelers. The food’s quite good, too: Fresh fish, seafood, and meats are grilled, American-barbecue style, with tasty results.

The choice of whether to build a church following a Gothic Revival or neoclassical design involved more than just aesthetics in 19th-century Québec. The former tended to be associated with Protestantism, and so the construction of the Catholic Basilica of Notre-Dame in that style raised eyebrows. When the St-Jacques Cathedral was destroyed by fire in 1852, the architects who designed a new church for the site, the Mary Queen of the World Cathedral, opted for the neoclassical style that was more typical of Catholic buildings. Constructed from 1874 to 1895, it is a quarter-scale version of St. Peter’s in Rome, complete with coffered vaults and twisting columns in imitation of those of Lorenzo Bernini’s baldachin in the Eternal City. The building’s green copper dome makes a statement, too, looming as it does over the largely Protestant neighborhood. The stucco crucifix by sculptor Philippe Hébert is one of most important works of art in the church.

Located in Old Québec, not far from the St. Lawrence River, the Musée de la Civilisation (Museum of Civilization) is an enormous (for Québec City, at least) museum with lofty ambitions. Exhibits cover just about every culture imaginable—at any given time you might find Greek sculptures displayed alongside totem poles, or an inquiry into Egyptian ideas of the afterlife juxtaposed with Australian Aboriginal artworks. Most of the time you can count on at least one exhibition focusing on some aspect of Québecois or Canadian culture, from the history of trapping to spotlights on individual Québecois artists and designers. Many of the exhibits, like a recent one focused on cats and dogs, are designed with kids in mind, with engaging, interactive installations. Even if you’ve been here before, every visit to the museum is, by design, a new experience.

On 10 acres not far from Freycinet National Park, is Kate’s Berry Farm. From their shop, travelers can pick up homemade treats for every variety of sweet tooth, from freshly picked organic raspberries and chocolate-dipped walnuts. Or, linger a little while in their café, Just Desserts Café, over sweet specialities like lavender ice cream and French crepes while admiring the view of nearby Great Oyster Bay.

Note that the shop and cafe are currently not open every day (they are open Saturday - Tuesday each week). Be sure to check their website for the latest opening hours and visitation details before making the trip out to see Kate and her beautiful farm.

Who would have expected that an ancient order of nuns would be generating buzz in Québec City’s restaurant scene? The Augustinian Sisters have been present in the city since the 17th century, devoted to caring for the poor and suffering. But as their numbers declined the nuns chose to venture in a new direction, and in 2015 they opened a wellness hotel and a restaurant. The menu is limited—soup, a salad bar loaded with grains and roasted vegetables, and a choice of a chicken, fish or vegetarian entrée. On a recent visit, a dish of chicken and wild rice in green curry sauce proved to be one of the most memorable meals in a city of excellent restaurants. The money raised by the hotel and restaurant helps support the nuns’ outreach programs—which makes eating well feel even better.

No hotel in Jamaica blends better with its surroundings than the aptly named Rockhouse, a string of villas clinging to the top of a sea cliff at the western tip of the island. Local stone, timber, and thatch are the building materials, and a harmony of design and setting is the result. The feel is rustic, but not rough (the showers might be outdoors, but the rooms are air-conditioned), and the feeling carries over to the pool, which sits on a rock platform halfway down the cliff face, from where sunbathers can don snorkel and mask and clamber down into a usually calm Caribbean. Even the restaurant hangs over the water, adding emphasis to the promise of dishes being fresh from the sea.

As does practically every hotel in Jamaica, Rockhouse has its celebrity stories, going back to the early ‘70s when Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones added their names to the guest register. But it wasn’t until 1994, when a group of Australian owners took over, that Rockhouse began to evolve its reputation as one of the most Jamaican of Jamaican hotels. It happened in part because Rockhouse has none of the formality that some of the island’s best-known hotels, with their British colonial roots, still possess. And in part because of its active role in funding local education projects, it’s a valued, and popular, part of the community. That, and the restaurant’s homemade jerk sausage is legendary.

Every once in a while, the sun shines bright in San Francisco and every city residents flocks to the nearest park or beach to soak up the sun and day drink. Baker Beach, in the confines of SF, seems worlds away from city life. The view of the Golden Gate Bridge is spectacular, and the diverse group of Baker Beach visitors is a testament to what a hodge podge San Francisco truly is. Parking can be a pain in the butt; take the 29 bus and save yourself the hassle.

If visiting a miniature version of a country the size of a postage stamp makes no sense to you, stay away from Madurodam, a top tourist attraction in Den Haag featuring historic Dutch towns, ports, canals, roads and monuments re-created on a 1/25 scale. On the other hand, if you fancy learning about the history of a nation that would be underwater were it not for Dutch ingenuity, by all means visit this interactive park that tells the story behind the battle against water, as well as many historic venues that still exist in Holland today.

Every story about Chatham Bars Inn surely features the veranda, a wide porch with companionable groupings of wicker armchairs and table service that alleviates the need to fetch your own drink—so you never have to look away from the serene view of sailboats and swooping seabirds.

Chatham Bars Inn excels memory making and, in addition to spaces like the verandah that make you feel you’re part of a generous and grand tradition, this Cape Cod resort has created intimate places (a small library, a settee in front of a fireplace, a private deck outside your cottage, chairs arrayed around a fire on the beach) where your private traditions will be forged.

It faces the aptly named Pleasant Bay, calm waters sheltered from the Atlantic surf by barrier islands. And you’ll find it’s impossible to forget where you are: The fleet of sailboats and fishing boats and runabouts keep the ocean top of mind while the creative menus in the dining venues (centered around the catch of the day and the seasonal produce from their own eight-acre farm) are likely the most locavore of any property of this caliber.

Originally built as a private hunting lodge, the inn has been in business since 1914, which means many guests have been coming here since childhood. This curated version of a Cape Cod beach vacation is a decades-long habit for those guests—and one that new arrivals may be inspired to adopt. Pride of place is strong here and guests get caught up in it, too. While you don’t have to shuck the clams or dig the potatoes yourself (though those could probably be arranged upon request), you will never feel insulated from the experience of this distinctive part of New England.

Dining at the Grizzly House is an experience. As soon as you walk in, it’s obvious the place hasn’t changed much since it first opened decades ago. The interior is dark, and the wood-paneled wall is lined with taxidermy trophies. But the novelty of cooking at your own table makes up for it all. The food ranges from decadently simple—cheese, oil, and chocolate fondues—to exotic, like rattlesnake or alligator meat. The only thing more novel than preparing your own food is the rumors of the restaurant’s history as a swingers’ joint. Whether the stories are urban legend or not is hard to say, but telephones at each table that allow you to call any diner in the room seem to suggest there’s some truth to the gossip.

This five-kilometer (3.1-mile) hike starts at Bow Lake, directly in front of the legendary, red-roofed Num-Ti-Jah Lodge. The turquoise waters and historic stone-and-log structure make for great photo ops before you even get on the trail. Then, the path winds around the lake before climbing across a series of moraines left behind as the Bow Glacier has receded—the lunar terrain will make you feel like you’ve landed on the moon! The trail eventually ends at the Bow Glacier Falls, dropping vertically from the rock face towering above. With only a 155-meter (510-feet) elevation gain, this hike offers an amazing payoff for little effort, though footing can be challenging on rocky sections with some loose rock.

The Place Royale in the Lower Town is a modest cobblestoned square lined with some souvenir shops and restaurants, in restored buildings that span the 17th to 19th centuries, as well as Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, which dates from 1688 (making it the oldest stone church in North America). While it may be small in scale, it looms large in terms of its symbolism: This is where Quebec City was founded, in 1608, so it’s a symbolic heart not just of the city but of the province. The church, which sits in the middle of the square, has been rebuilt several times over the past three centuries; its interior has been extensively restored in recent decades to bring it closer to its original French colonial character. On the north side of the square, the Musée de la Place-Royale covers the long history of the square and its inhabitants, beginning with Samuel de Champlain.

It’s not surprising that many Québec City chefs have been trained in classic French cooking. But a number of them are taking those skills in unexpected directions, incorporating unusual ingredients and devising their own signature preparations. One admired member of this new generation is Christian Lemelin, the innovative chef and owner of Le Restaurant SSS (Simple Snack Sympathique) and restaurant Toast! at Hôtel Le Priori. Sadly, Toast! is indefinitely closed following a fire in December 2017 (though hopes are that it will reopen soon). In the meantime, the more causal Le Restaurant SSS continues to serve its signature salmon and beef tartares, foie gras with fig spiced mustard, and mushroom risotto to Lemelin’s loyal patrons and curious visitors to Québec City. There’s a five-course tasting menu at dinner that highlights the best of Québec’s bounty, both from the Atlantic and the province’s farms, and even a young taster’s menu for kids, including croque monsieur and poutine among the options.

With the Old Town spread out below, this picture-perfect spot was once a place of worship dedicated to Saint Ursula, the patron saint of young girls. Today Orsula is a scenic outdoor amphitheater and a nice detour if you take a cab from the harbor to the Old Town. Ask the driver to take you via the Gruž bridge so you can get a bird’s-eye view of the cruise ship port and Gruž Bay.