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Without a doubt Versailles is the most luxurious palace in Europe, built to astound visitors and impress the king’s subjects into awed submission with crystal chandeliers, gilt, and fine art. This opulent monument is also attractive to those with simpler tastes: Visitors with green thumbs will love the king’s kitchen gardens while others may want to rent bicycles to pedal the lavish grounds, and animal lovers will enjoy the sheep, goats, and chickens receiving the royal treatment at the queen’s quaint hamlet. La Petite Venise, an excellent restaurant on the grounds, offers garden seating on sunny days.

The most famous castle in Germany—and one of the best known in Europe—Neuschwanstein is renowned not just for its fairy-tale architecture (which directly inspired the Disney Castle) but also for its creator, “mad” King Ludwig II. Begun in 1868, it wasn’t completed until four years after Ludwig’s death, in 1892, but was very advanced for its time, with larger-than-usual windows, central heating, an elevator, telephones, and indoor plumbing. However, it’s the castle’s mountaintop setting and soaring towers that really impress. When visiting, be sure to check out the paintings inspired by the operas of Richard Wagner—Ludwig’s friend and the person to whom he dedicated the castle. Also take in the stellar views from the Marienbrücke, and if you want to visit in style, consider a horse-drawn carriage ride back to your car. There’s a restaurant on-site, but plenty of cheaper options are in the town below.

From stargazing in dark sky parks to chasing meteor showers, these travel ideas will excite any astronomy fan.

Before lobster rolls were trendy in New York, there was Pearl Oyster Bar. Open since 1997, this tiny, no-reservations restaurant still has a solid 45-minute wait for a table on any given weekend night. But those who have eaten here will tell you it’s worth it, whether you dine at the namesake bar or in the cozy adjoining dining room (this is not a place to take big groups). Of course the fresh oysters and lobster roll are sure bets, but don’t overlook whatever whole fish they are serving that day, which can be enjoyed pan roasted or grilled.

Lamu, one of the most magical destinations in Kenya, is famed for being the oldest and best-preserved example of a Swahili settlement in East Africa. The Old Town has been inhabited for over 700 years and is made particularly beautiful by the assortment of Swahili, Arabic, Persian, Indian, and European architecture. Since 1370, different cultures have been lured to Lamu, making it an important trading port along the East Africa coast. Nowadays it enchants visitors with its narrow cobbled alleyways, wandering donkeys, weather-beaten stone buildings, hidden courtyards, and the sight of rustic wooden dhows sailing in the distance. Visit the local mosques, wander the streets of quaint Shela village, sail over to the luxurious Majlis Resort for a swim and a cocktail, or while away the hours on an ornate roof terrace.

What was in the mid-20th-century just an inexpensive area to build warehouses and showrooms along the Trinity River has evolved into a vibrant live/work community that’s home to noted restaurants, trendy hangouts, upscale apartment buildings, and—true to its name—a wide array of design-focused businesses. Whether you’re in the market for a French impressionist painting or an edgy installation, the galleries along Dragon Street have got you covered, while Slocum Street is the place for antiques, decorative pieces, and midcentury furnishings, and Howell Street is a treasure trove of vintage and thrift shops. Enjoy an upscale meal at Oak, a beer at the Meddlesome Moth or Texas Ale Project, a cold treat at Pop Star Handcrafted Popsicles, or a cooking class–meets–dinner party at The Cookery. Keep an eye out for Eagles co-founder Don Henley, who built a private recording studio in the area.

Toby’s Estate Coffee has several outposts around the city, but a favorite is their Flatiron Espresso bar on Fifth Avenue. In addition to being surrounded by plenty of shops (and a stone’s throw from Eataly), it shares space with a branch of Strand Books and Club Monaco‘s flagship store. The cafe’s own space is small and doesn’t invite lingering, so grab your latte or espresso to go and head for nearby Madison Square Park, which is known, among other things, for its ambitious public art program.

For ages, Manhattan’s Midtown East was a wasteland as far as great coffee was concerned, with options limited to drips from delis, Starbucks, or Dunkin’ Donuts. Then Pennylane opened on an unassuming side street about a block from the United Nations, and the upscale coffee shop became a hotspot for diplomats and UN employees, upping the ante for coffee in this neighborhood. You won’t see the cafe’s name outside; only a sign with philosophical sayings that change daily will signal you to the artfully pulled espresso drinks waiting inside. A limited selection of Bien Cuit pastries is available, as are only a few seats and decent WiFi.

Pier A has a long and storied history, but its life as a restaurant and bar is relatively new. Opened in 1886 as the headquarters for the Harbor Police and Department of Docks, it served numerous other official government functions before opening in late 2014 in its current iteration. The whispers of the past are hardly visible today, amid the din of happy drinkers quaffing a Pilsener or downing glasses of prosecco or cava while slurping oysters and chatting. Most stick around for sunset: the view of the harbor is stellar.

I must have missed PROSPECT on my last visit to Park City, when truth be told, Main Street felt a bit generic, ‘ski-town anywhere’ to me. I’m not a big shopper, but I love seeing well executed, new ideas in retail, that stay true to their environment. PROSPECT, with its contemporary urban mountain town feel scores on all fronts. It’s a vivid commune of retail, barber, and coffee bar. Who would’ve thunk, but it works and helps re-energize Main Street. And best of all, it clearly aligns itself with brands that share a serious environmental vision. Sister store Park City Mercantile is just a few doors away.

Rockefeller Center was one of the great construction projects of the Great Depression, a complex of 14 buildings between Fifth and Sixth avenues and 48th and 51st streets built over the 1930s. It’s also one of America’s grandest examples of Art Deco design, from the Indiana-limestone-clad buildings themselves to its interior murals and allegorical figures in panels above the entries to the various buildings. (Daniel Okrent recounts the fascinating history of the complex in detail in his acclaimed Great Fortune: The Epic of Rockefeller Center.) For many travelers to New York, the center is a favorite destination even if they aren’t students of architecture or urban planning. It’s the home of Radio City Music Hall, where the Rockettes perform; its 70th-floor observation deck offers sweeping views of the city; and every morning tourists gather outside the windows of the NBC studios during the broadcast of The Today Show.

The center also hosts temporary large-scale art installations, like Jeff Koons’s enormous dancer and flower puppy in recent years, and the lighting of its Christmas tree marks the unofficial start of the holiday season. Another bucket-list experience here is taking a turn on the small sunken ice rink under the golden statue of Prometheus. Just across Fifth Avenue from Rockefeller Center is another New York landmark, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, looking better than ever after a multiyear renovation that included a thorough cleaning of the Gothic building’s facade.

Witness the destruction wrought by Mt. Vesuvius nearly 2,000 year ago at the archaeological site of Pompeii. The ancient village was frozen in time beneath a blanket of hot ash during an eruption in 79 C.E. Among the ruins that have been uncovered are buildings that shed light on aspects of ancient life both grand and mundane, from the temples, the coliseum and homes with fine frescoes, to public baths, chariot-rutted streets and grain stores which now hold plaster casts of the people who perished that fateful day.

When in Lisbon, most tourists make a beeline to Antiga Confeitaria to try its world-famous pastel de Belém. The legendary custard tart is indeed delicious, especially when dusted with a healthy dose of cinnamon, but what these travelers don’t know is that is that the ones at Manteigaria are just as good—if not better. Plus, Manteigaria features an open kitchen, where you can watch the creamy treats make their way from dough to delivery. Avoid the crowds in Belém and get your pastel de nata here instead, then ride out your sugar rush nearby on the atmospheric Praça Luís de Camões in Chiado.

This is an island original. Not only is this pub home to the namesake Rum Swizzle cocktail, it’s also the oldest watering hole in Bermuda. Still family-run, this famous establishment first opened in 1932. The bi-level restaurant has a patio and newish gift shop, along with the old-school bar with its walls covered in graffiti left by drinkers. The menu consists mostly of pub fare—shepherd’s pie and the fish sandwich are two popular choices. Breakfast is available weekends until 3 p.m. You’ll likely want to order the bar’s signature drink: The Rum Swizzle is a blend of light and dark rums and a variety of fruit juices served over ice. (The place also now boasts a second location, called simply the Swizzle, in Warwick on the western end of the island.)

The ‘Village Artistique de la Croix de Bouquets’ is located in a northern suburb in the Port-Au-Prince metropolitan area, about 40mins by car from the Marriott Port-au-Prince. I began to hear the metal clanging way before arriving, and it became a constant background noise accompanying my visit here. The area is comprised of many different artists workshops, specializing in metal sculptures created from old, discarded oil drums. It’s a treat to walk around and accept the polite invitations to visit the various artists and their showrooms. The work is incredible, and the relaxed atmosphere meant a lot to me, as it allowed me to connect with my surroundings, the artists and of course their kids running around. Because I was on a tight schedule, I only spend an hour in the village and for me that wasn’t enough. There’s so much to see, and it felt good to explore on my own for a bit, it safe surroundings. If you buy anything, please don’t bargain to the bitter end, to get the best possible ‘deal’. Remember that your purchase feeds a family, or two. ___________________ A big thank you to JetBlue (http://www.jetblue.com) for flights to and from Haiti, and of course the Marriott Port-au-Prince (http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/papmc-marriott-port-au-prince-hotel/) for accommodations.