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For families who want a full-service hotel and non-partiers who can afford it, the Four Seasons Hotel is, at 424 rooms, one of the few moderately-sized (by Las Vegas standards) upscale accommodations on the Las Vegas Strip. Without a casino and situated at the extreme southern end of the Strip, putting it out of earshot of much of the frenzy, nothing about the hotel connotes “Vegas.” It could be a Four Seasons just about anywhere: the same serene ambience, the same classically stylish rooms, the same attentive staff, and the same bending-over-backwards for children. One of the secrets of the hotel’s success, however, is that the Four Seasons is actually a five-floor hotel-within-a-hotel, with a private passageway connecting it to the casino of the giant Mandalay Bay Resort. The pairing works because Four Seasons guests have their own private driveway, entrance, check-in, and concierge service. And if the quiet pool at the Four Seasons should prove too tame for a kid with his heart set on tubing down a lazy river, the Mandalay Bay attractions are all available to him, too.

Den Blå Planet—the Blue Planet—is one of Europe’s biggest aquariums. It’s organized into three main zones—northern lakes and seas, the oceans, and tropical rivers and lakes—so you can explore typical Scandinavian habitats, or view sea otters, herring, and crayfish, or keep the kids entertained by tracking down more exotic creatures such as piranhas, electric eels, and poison frogs. The Danes take a matter-of-fact approach to their wildlife and often do workshops in which visitors are invited to watch an animal being dissected. Located close to Copenhagen Airport, the aquarium is easily reached by public transportation.

If there’s a hub of the hubbub in Kennebunkport, it’s Dock Square, a colorful jumble of onetime fishing shacks that now house galleries, stores, and restaurants. Prowl through the shops to find unusual clothing, distinctive souvenirs, fine art, crafts, taffy and fudge, pottery, canvas bags, specialty foods, presents for pets, and, of course, the usual trinkets and T-shirts. Most of these spots are built on wharves over the tidal Kennebunk River, and it’s worth climbing to second-floor ones, such as Good Earth, for the water—or mudflat—views. The bridge connecting Dock Square to Kennebunk’s Lower Village offers another good vantage point, and the Clam Shack is one of the area’s best places to indulge in fried clams or a lobster roll.

Brooklyn has become a dining destination in recent years, with dozens of restaurants preparing local, organic, and sustainable American dishes—and others serving everything from Korean bibimbap and Scandinavian specialties to Ethiopian stews and Mexican tacos. The borough has an overwhelming abundance to choose from, but Smorgasburg makes it easy to graze and sample a variety of Brooklyn’s dishes. From the beginning of April to the end of October, food trucks and stalls representing around 100 restaurants and other establishments set up at East River State Park, in the Williamsburg neighborhood, every Saturday; on Sundays, you’ll find them farther south, in Prospect Park. The largest weekly open-air food market in the country, it’s popular and draws thousands of visitors, but don’t be deterred by the crowds: Much of the fun is the people-watching and the general festival-like atmosphere. Even if you aren’t visiting New York in the summer, it’s worth checking out the Smorgasburg website as they sometimes have smaller off-season pop-ups, including the Winter Flea & Holiday Market.

Formerly Belcampo.

Each of the 16 rooms at Copal Tree Lodge is a spacious villa-style suite set on the edge of the jungle, which gives a sense of privacy and peacefulness. Guests shouldn’t be surprised to see coatimundi, agouti, and other wildlife while showering in the spa-style bathrooms with their floor-to-ceiling windows. Tile floors, comfortable beds wrapped with gauzy mosquito nets, and private verandas are standard in every suite, as is Wi-Fi and complimentary laundry service, and the hotel has a pool and a restaurant/bar. The numerous outdoor activities include exploring Copal Tree Lodge’s chocolate trail and kayaking or canoeing on the Rio Grande River at the base of the property; various trips can be organized off-site, too. The hotel is closed from mid-September to late October.

As glassy high-rises sprout up on the site of a former gasworks complex on the Amstel River, this early-20th-century red-brick house, where the factory’s director once lived, has been preserved and turned into a smart café and art space. All rooms in the two-story home have been outfitted with mod, vintage furnishings and rotating artwork from area artists, and you’re free to grab a drink or coffee at the bar and enjoy them wherever you wish. The riverfront terrace is the perfect spot for a coffee and a bite; the menu includes sandwiches and goods baked on-site using locally sourced ingredients. Arrive early for a table for the busy Sunday brunch, which occasionally features live music.

Mexico City is a rabbit hole for architecture enthusiasts: one could get lost for days—if not weeks—exploring just one era’s edifices: the pre-colonial, colonial, and contemporary among them. There are buildings the likes of which you won’t find elsewhere in the world, and exceptionally preserved and restored structures that serve as testaments to various chapters of Mexican history. Examples of fascinating contemporary architecture abound, ranging from installations built for the 1968 Olympics to ambitious cultural institutions like the Polyforum Siquieros. The exterior has been described as diamond- or star-like in appearance: a dodecahedron with 12 massive vertical panels featuring the work of muralist David Siqueiros, who was a contemporary of Diego Rivera. Inside, you’ll find performances, exhibits, and other cultural activities. If your visit doesn’t coincide with a guided tour, consider taking one to learn more about Siqueiros and his work.

My daughter came up with the idea for Yotel. " Mom, lets try this cool place in NYC for our trip” she says. We were doing one of our once-every-few- years mom and daughter trips and this time it was NYC. As you are aware a trip to NYC must be planned carefully and if you are on a budget the ticket item is the lodging. Yotel is a concept hotel that started in London‘s Heathrow Airport. In NYC slender bunk beds and fold out motorized queen bed/ futons in tiny cabins much like some Tokyo hotel rooms are offered. In London this proved a way more popular space to sleep for weary travelers than the dirty airport floor. But here in NYC it is much more than the airport floor alternative; the building in NYC is in midtown a couple avenues over from the cacophony of Broadway and Time’s Square, it has it’s own restaurant and a great seasonal roof deck. Our room was a queen with a bunk bed overhead and private bath with view to the river. We found it fun, if tiny (you have to plan how much luggage you are bringing very carefully- no closet). But younger travelers will love it here ( check out the robot that stores your luggage) and the rates and friendly staff are very cool for NYC.

Every April, thousands of visitors descend upon Augusta, Georgia for The Masters golf tournament. While the azaleas and dogwoods that line the fairways are beautiful, the streetscape outside the Augusta National Golf Club is a car-dominated aesthetically unfortunate collection of chain restaurants and strip-mall-churches--not exactly what you’d expect if you were to believe the city’s official nickname of “The Garden City.” Drive just ten minutes away, however, and you’ll end up in the Augusta Downtown Historic District, set aside by the National Park Service due to its collection of architecture from the 1780’s to the present. (Sherman didn’t march through this part of the state, sparing it the Civil War damage that destroyed Atlanta.) Georgia’s second-largest and second-oldest city might not be a ‘destination’ in the way that Savannah and Atlanta are (unless you love golf), but if you’re in town and architecture interests you, it’s worth spending some time down by the Savannah River. One of the tallest structures is the Lamar building--built in the 1910’s. In the mid-1970’s it was topped by a glass penthouse, designed by...I. M. Pei--the same architect who is perhaps best known for the now-iconic glass pyramid that dominates the courtyard of the Louvre in Paris. Augusta’s piece of Parisian-linked-architecture-fame is locally known as “the toaster.” Just slightly irreverent...

There aren’t too many opportunities in the Caribbean to ride on horseback to a cave. In Los Haitises National Park, located three hours west of the resorts of Punta Cana, Fun Fun (pronounced “Foon Foon”) Cave is officially known as the largest cave in the Caribbean. Though the cave itself is in the National Park, access to the land goes across a private ranch and requires a guided tour. While the nearly three-hour drive from the resorts of Punta Cana is a lengthy, bumpy, journey into the interior, the scenes from the window provide an authentic glimpse into rural Dominican life. Sugar cane sways, schoolchildren wave, and mangoes drip from the trees. Upon reaching the ranch where you begin the tour you are shimmied into a jumpsuit and saddled onto your horse. A 45-minute ride through the shaded forest brings you to the edge of the National Park. From here it’s another 30 minute walk through sun-swallowing trees until you reach the entrance of Fun Fun Cave. Sliding into a harness and climbing gear, entering the cave requires a 50 ft. repel into a tiny hole which can barely fit your shoulders. Once at the bottom, it’s a one hour slog through the depths of the darkness before reaching the other exit. Inside the cave, stalactites and stalagmites pepper the areas which fall in the beam of your flashlight, and at some areas you are forced to swim through the soothing, subterranean waters. Here, a lone rope helps guide visitors through the hidden recesses of the cave.

Botswana’s most famous crafts are baskets woven from fan palm fibers. They are dyed with natural pigments: blue from fever-berry leaves, dark brown from magic guarri shrubs, and yellow from the roots of red star apple trees. Some baskets take a month to make. Nearly all lodges sell baskets, but you can also purchase them online.

One of New York’s most iconic landmarks is also one of America’s: the Statue of Liberty, standing in the middle of New York Harbor as it has since 1885. The statue was famously a gift from France, built to a design by sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and with structural engineering overseen by Gustave Eiffel. The statue was one of the first large-scale curtain wall structures—that is, one where weight is supported by an internal frame and not by the exterior walls. As one of New York’s most visited sights, some tickets sell out far in advance. There are two different levels of tickets: pedestal and crown. Tickets to the pedestal and especially those to the crown are often gone months in advance, so plan accordingly.

The cobalt-blue-and-brick-red residence where now-legendary Mexican visual artist Frida Kahlo grew up—and at times lived with husband Diego Rivera—is one of the city’s most consistently packed attractions; buying tickets in advance is strongly recommended. That said, the visit is essentially (and justifiably) mandatory and offers fascinating glimpses into this extraordinary woman’s life and work. In addition to holding some of her paintings, the house also functions as a showcase for her library, astounding wardrobe, and collection of pre-Columbian artifacts; it additionally bears witness to her close association with left-wing politics. What’s more, the museum portrays the artist’s struggles with depression, marital infidelities, disability, and illness. The house’s garden—home to a modest café and mostly bashful felines—makes for a great breather before more strolling in the Coyoacán neighborhood.

We hopped in a pick-up truck with a bench in the back (aka a Caribbean taxi) & headed toward Honeymoon Beach, St. John. I never would have discovered this hidden beach if it weren’t for the wonders of social media, but thank goodness I did, as it’s possibly the most pristine stretch of sand I’ve ever seen. After a short walk down a dirt road, we arrived at the beach - nearly empty, despite the fact that it was spring break season. Virgin Islands Ecotours has a small stand there where a $49 day pass gets you snorkeling equipment, kayaks, stand up paddle boards, floats & beach chairs. We grabbed a tandem sit-on-top kayak & headed out into the pristine blue water. We paddled up & down the shore, exploring the waters near Caneel Bay Resort, admiring beautiful 50′ sailboats, checking out the National Park Service Head Ranger’s house & beaching our boat on Saloman Beach, where a friendly hiker helped pull us in. Before long, I could feel my legs beginning to get sun burned (& oh did they burn!) under the strong Caribbean sun & we decided it was time for a swim. Decked out in our snorkel, masks, fins & lifejackets, we snorkeled over to some rocks, where we explored the coral reef hand-in-hand. We saw a lot of black & white fish & a few sting rays. We swam back to the beach & lounged for a while before heading back out to snorkel where we saw sea turtles!

Since 1862, fresh flowers and plants have arrived by barge from the Dutch countryside to Amsterdam. While this assemblage of flora still shows up daily, it comes by van, not boat, to the Bloemenmarkt, the world’s only floating flower market. Here, you can browse 15 fragrant stalls on houseboats permanently moored on the Singel. Now the best-known flower market in Holland, this colorful attraction is packed with tourists on sunny weekends. Still, it’s a great place to pick up Dutch tulip bulbs in a plethora of shades and varieties, as well as many other types of bulbs, seeds, cut blooms, and houseplants. Ship a bag of bulbs home, or grab a souvenir at one of several shops hawking T-shirts, mugs, clogs, Dutch cheese, and other fun and inexpensive gifts.