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“Ready!” I grip the bar tightly and lean forward. “Set!” I bend my knees and my heart starts racing. “HUP!” Before I have time for doubts, I take a deep breath, and jump off the platform. The next 40 seconds are a pure adrenaline rush as I soar through the air on a flying trapeze—a thrilling introduction to my first class at the satellite Trapeze School N.Y. in the Navy Yard district of Washington, D.C. I try to stay calm and oriented as my teacher yells instructions to swing my legs and lift my knees up to hang from the bar. This simple move is the foundation for many tricks that we six beginners in the class get to practice many times. By the end of the two-hour class, I’m already doing flips into the net and performing basic catches with one of the instructors. I start to wonder if my childhood dreams of joining the circus are possible after all. Class is over, I’m tired and my legs already ache from the climbs up the ridiculously long trapeze ladder (for me, the scariest part of the class). The school’s motto was right: “Forget about fear. Worry about addiction.” The school offers a variety of trapeze, aerial, trampoline, and acrobatics classes for adults and children.

While New York has its pastrami, Montréal is the home of smoked meat. (The preparation of both is similar: A beef brisket is cured in spices for a week, then hot-smoked and finally boiled before being served.) Though others may question the claim, Schwartz’s boasts that it is the original home of smoked meat, serving it since 1928. Regardless of who was first, Schwartz’s is the most popular smoked-meat option in town. Order a sandwich, on rye with only yellow mustard to accompany the meat, and you’ll soon understand why the citizens of Montréal are so passionate about the dish.

If you’re staying in the Soufrière area, head north to nearby Anse la Raye, a fishing village that hosts a fun Friday night fish fry. It’s not as crowded or boisterous as Gros Islet’s weekly jump-up, but it’s lively enough to give a taste of island “liming,” or hanging out with friends at the end of the workweek. Order your fish of choice, throw back some cold beers, and glimpse a slice of laid-back fishing-village life.

Having recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, Cafe Gandolfi is a bona fide dining landmark in the Merchant City district of central Glasgow. It’s aged remarkably well, thanks to its organic timber furniture by Tim Stead and simple but innovative cooking with mostly seasonal ingredients. Classics in the Gandolfi canon include the smoked haddock chowder known as Cullen skink and the Stornoway black pudding (from the Isle of Lewis), served with mushrooms and pancakes.

Tempted by trendier bistros in the area, tourists rarely stop by this nondescript café on the corner of the Rue des Rosiers at the St.-Ouen flea market unless they are gypsy jazz fans. Aficionados from across the globe know that La Chope is the place to hear the best of gypsy jazz in Paris and where the spirit of Django Reinhardt lingers. Businessman (and jazz guitarist) Marcel Campion saved the historic spot from destruction, opening a jazz school upstairs, sponsoring master classes, and providing accommodations for wandering talent. Concerts are held every Saturday and Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Reservations not required.

If walking through New York’s streets seems chaotic, try getting above it all—with a panoramic view from the top of the city’s most famous skyscraper. From above, the beautifully engineered order of the buildings, parks and thoroughfares below is revealed—and at sunset, the colors reflecting off the glass towers look magical. There are actually two observation decks to choose from: one on the 86th floor, which is grand enough for most; and another more vertiginous option, on the 102nd floor.

It’s not exactly Portland’s highest point but, at 1,073 feet, it’s close. Irrespective of how Council Crest Park measures up, it provides a view of five surrounding mountains on a clear day: Rainier, Adams, Jefferson, Hood, and St. Helens, with helpful indicators showing which mountain is which for those not as versed in freestyle mountain identification as lifelong Portlanders are. Bolder folks may opt to hike to the summit along the trails here, though driving up the hill past suffering road bicyclists is an easier option year-round. The water tower that’s now part of the park was once a feature of the Council Crest Amusement Park, torn down in 1941.

Birders, hikers, and all manner of nature lovers score big with a visit to this former NASA tracking station and U.S. naval base on the northeast coast of Bermuda. Despite its name, Cooper’s Island is no longer an island, having been connected to St. David’s Island via land reclamation since the 1940s. While the U.S. military has moved on, the wildlife sanctuary is still home to the base of a radar tower that tracked shuttle movements in the early days of the Space Race. Today, the 12-acre reserve is crisscrossed with paths and fringed with pristine beaches. Of particular note is Clearwater Beach, which teems with conch and turtles. Inland, a restored lake and marshland are home to crabs and seabirds. The former radar tower makes an ideal perch for bird-watching.

Southwest of Anguilla is one of the island’s top three beach areas: the two-mile-long brilliantly white stretch at Rendezvous Bay. Its long shore, steady breeze, and calm Caribbean waters provide a break from the crowds at Shoal Bay and Sandy Ground. The western end does offer some fun daytime beach-bar action, which grows rowdier at night and on the weekends, when the famous Bankie Banx’s Dune Preserve venue attracts residents and visitors for live music. You can view St. Martin, across the channel, from shore.

Cozy Dolina serves a lovely breakfast spread with an Eastern European bent. Try the nutty granola atop Greek yogurt with fruit, ricotta pancakes, and a hearty breakfast burrito with organic eggs, hash browns, and asadero cheese (topped, in good New Mexican fashion, with red or green chile). There’s also robust espresso and coffee, local bone broth, and baked grab-and-go sweets like chocolate croissants, banana pie with a flaky, buttery crust, and Slovakian-style vanilla cream puffs.

At 300 meters, Mount Lycabettus is the highest peak in Athens. Every half an hour a funicular whizzes up to the summit. Among other attractions, there’s a restaurant with sky-high prices and views to match. On a clear day, you can see the island of Aegina shimmering on the horizon. The tiny chapel of St. George is a magical place to watch the sunrise (especially on Sundays, when the church service starts at 7:30 a.m.) or sunset.

True, it would be impossible to pack that incredible vanity in your luggage, but that shouldn’t stop you from visiting Década if you love vintage furniture. After all, the staff can pack any object for shipping, and there are plenty of smaller items that will fit in your suitcase, no problem. This shop specializes in mid-century pieces. Plan ahead: it’s appointment-only.

This Spring Street café’s name is deceiving—yes, two in-house sommeliers assure there’s a focus on excellent wines, but this isn’t a pecorino-and-prosciutto wine bar—it’s a full-service neighborhood restaurant serving hearty entrees like a cast iron-seared hanger steak, and squid ink pasta alla chitarra with zucchini, chilis, and local shrimp. That’s not to say there isn’t cheese; it’s a fine place for a snack and a glass of wine (over a dozen are offered by the pour). But likewise, don’t let the name steer you away from house cocktails like the namesake Josephine, with its balance of grapefruit juice, yellow chartreuse, and Lillet. House sodas like a passionfruit limeaid with jalapeño syrup appeal to non-drinkers in search of inspired mocktails. Picture-worthy, white-and-gold décor lends elegance to the space, whether you’re sipping in the late afternoon natural light or out on a dinner date after dark.

A five-year restoration and renovation project transformed a factory on the Williamsburg waterfront, originally built in 1901, into the stylish but laid-back Wythe Hotel. This property has a distinct Brooklyn stamp, from the Brooklyn-made wallpaper to the Brooklyn-sourced minibar. The little details here stand out, including concrete floors with under-floor heating and the use of reclaimed wood (from the former factory) in the ceilings. The spacious lofts are particularly noteworthy for their floor-to-ceiling views of the Manhattan skyline and standalone pedestal tubs. Visitors and New Yorkers mingle over cocktails on the rooftop bar as well as at the spacious restaurant, which was recently taken over by restaurateur Jon Neidich and his team at Golden Age Hospitality (owners of popular New York spots ACME, Slowly Shirley, and The Happiest Hour).

“I’ve never seen so much red – except at a French brothel,” a fellow guest said to me as we rode the elevator together. She was right. From the moment you enter the lobby, the Rouge lives up to its colorful name with its red quartz tile, red lamps, and the Red Hot Room (for meetings). You’ll find crimson headboards and velvet drapes in each room -- although there’s plenty of zebra print, too. One of eight Kimpton hotels in Washington, DC, Rouge is certainly the rosiest. Stylish and eclectic in that Kimpton fashion, my street-facing room was both comfy and oversized – and convenient. It’s just three blocks to DuPont Circle and then only a bit further to Rock Creek Park (great for jogging, biking, or just walking). The White House is five blocks away and Whole Foods Market just two. For the athletically minded (like me), the good news is that each room has a yoga mat in the closet and nearly all are large enough to do a complete Vinyasa flow. The less good news: the small fitness room in the basement is dreary (but for $5 you can get a pass to the local “Y,” which has every amenity, including a 25-meter pool). The Rouge’s guests are as idiosyncratic as its décor. Families, business warriors, and hipsters seem to be the main human food groups –converging for the hotel’s wine hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and at then, again, breakfast. If eclectic’s your thing, the Rouge is your place. Leave the rose-colored glasses at home – you won’t need them here.