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Up a dirt road that feels more like someone’s private driveway, past the village cemetery with its handmade crosses framed against a dusty hillside, the Penitente Morada in Abiquiu sits crouched on the earth, a wonderful secret, discreet against one of Georgia O’Keeffe’s signature vistas. A simple bell and three wooden crosses hint to the secret society that gave rise to this chapel, recently restored but dating back to the 1700s. New Mexico‘s depth of history always astounds at these northernmost reaches of the search for Cibola. I like to remember I was hardly trying for a perfect shot when I framed this picture after a two-hour private tour of O’Keeffe’s home; my senses were already on overload. Everything is just clearer and crisper in the high desert light.

The Atlanta of today owes much to the 1996 Summer Olympics. In preparation for the games, the city transformed a seedy neighborhood into a tourist-friendly destination, creating Centennial Olympic Park as the center of all activity—including, unfortunately, the tragic bombing that marred the entire event. Today, the park is still a hub, now for tourist attractions rather than medal presentations. Surrounded by everything from the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola to CNN Center, the College Football Hall of Fame, and the Center for Civil and Human Rights, it often hosts concerts, movies, and popular events like the Music Midtown Festival. It’s also home to a playground and the Fountain of Rings, which puts on daily water shows.

Chiseled from a sandstone-and-brick wool factory on the site of Sydney’s first hospital, the Harbour Rocks Hotel is one of the most historic accommodations in the Rocks—and maybe the most haunted. Hotel staff say part of the building, named Scarlett’s Cottages after a well-known lady of the night, is watched over by Eric, a man who once lived here and who still searches for Scarlett in the labyrinthine corridors after she swore her love to him and then disappeared. Ghosts aside, the hotel’s 59 rooms are peaceful, with high ceilings, Georgian arched windows, brick walls painted dark gray, Old West–style textiles, and wool carpeting that recalls the building’s former life. The place is filled with fun artifacts, too, from the ancient luggage lift to old maps and letters framed on the walls. The early-20th-century history that pervades the building is also found in every direction outside its doors.

Among the original guests to pop in at Dr. Thomas Bond’s 1769 Georgian home on South Second Street was none other than Benjamin Franklin. Together the duo chartered Pennsylvania Hospital, the first public hospital in America, and Bond was an influential figure in Philadelphia throughout the Revolutionary War into the first turbulent decades following the founding of the country. Today, the four-story red-brick home within Independence National Historical Park has been meticulously restored, offering history buffs a taste of Philadelphia at the dawn of America. Original architectural details restored to their full 18th-century splendor include the modillion cornice at the roofline, the parlor’s Rumford fireplace, and the grand staircase connecting the third and fourth floors that was subsequently copied in other prominent buildings around town, including the still-standing City Tavern.

Each guestroom has been furnished with Federalist-style reproductions, with a few antiques sprinkled around. Ten rooms offer queen beds, with the two original bedrooms nearest the first floor adding small sitting areas with working fireplaces.

Ask someone who’s stayed at Number 31, a downtown Dublin house-hotel, what it’s like and he or she likely won’t get past the breakfast: the pears poached in vanilla syrup, Wexford strawberries, eggs scrambled with smoked salmon from the west coast, and slices of zesty cranberry loaf. Such homey food served in a sunlit dining room is part of what makes Number 31 feel less like a hotel and more like the pied-à-terre you’ve always dreamed of. Comfortable rooms and unobtrusive staff add to the urban townhouse vibe; the hotel owners, Noel and Deirdre Comer, manage to be warm and welcoming while also leaving guests to make themselves at home around the peat fire in the sunken lounge.

A wild garden separates the hotel’s two buildings, a Georgian terrace house and the coach house, and the overall modernist-meets-classic design owes to architect Sam Stephenson, who lived in the house as he renovated it in the 1950s. Number 31 is a favorite of Dublin insiders, from artists to architects to the designer John Rocha.

If you ask anyone who’s visited Atlanta for restaurant recommendations, they’ll almost certainly suggest Mary Mac’s Tea Room. While the spot is a favorite of tourists—and celebrities, for that matter—it’s also a classic American eatery that locals frequent for special occasions. The space itself is sprawling, covering dozens of rooms and feeling much like a teahouse—although the only tea you’ll be drinking here is sweet and cold. The menu has remained relatively unchanged since Mary Mac’s opened in 1945 and includes hearty portions of fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, and Georgia peach cobbler. Go with a group, order several items to share, and don’t be alarmed when goodwill ambassador Jo Carter comes by your table to rub your shoulders. It’s all part of the experience here.

If you’re short on time in Atlanta, now there’s a way for you to see most of the sights in a matter of minutes. SkyView, the city’s newest attraction, is a Ferris wheel that soars 20 stories above the ground. You can park at any of the lots surrounding Centennial Olympic Park before boarding a gondola. From above, you’ll be able to see the buildings of downtown, the CNN Center, the Georgia Aquarium, and the World of Coca-Cola. SkyView is open every day until 11 p.m. and beyond. The 15-minute ride is $13.50 for adults, $12.15 for seniors and military, $8.50 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for kids under 2. If you’re feeling like a big shot, go for the VIP flight, which allows you to skip the line to board a plush gondola, complete with leather seats and a glass floor. It will set you back $50 per person, but each capsule can hold five people, making this the ideal place for a special occasion.

Guests of sports bar Taco Mac in Sandy Springs might not know that there’s a secret beer heaven at their feet. Formerly known as The Fred Bar, named for beverage manager Fred Crudder, it is only available to members of Taco Mac’s Brewniversity and their guests. It’s now called the Georgia Chapter Room. Signing up for the program is free, but you must be at the “pledge” level, meaning you’ve sampled at least seven of their beers. To enter, go down to the loading dock area where the door on the left has a red button. Press the button, and an employee will let you in after verifying your credentials. The decor is swankier than upstairs, with leather chairs and curtains. The entire menu is available on an iPad placed on your table. The secret locale is also a step above when it comes to both food and drinks. The beer selection includes aged, rare, and lesser-known brews curated by the knowledgable staff. This is the place to splurge, as the staff can recommend something you will enjoy.

Café Du Monde is always open; it’s the clientele that changes—from visiting families and local pensioners early in the morning, to couples in the evening, to Bourbon Street refugees looking for coffee and ballast in the night’s thinnest hours. This huge coffee stop is a rarity—a tourist trap that locals actually love (although they will rarely wait when lines are long). It’s been around for more than a century, and basically serves two items: beignets and café au lait. The beignets are similar to Spanish buñuelos, fried fritters of dough, and are one of those French traditions that’s survived here more durably than in France. While probably not on anyone’s diet list—they come piled with powdered sugar—they’re surprisingly light, and an order (which equals three beignets) disappears with unusual haste.

A handsome pueblo revival adobe building with a peaceful garden and courtyard, the New Mexico Museum of Art mounts small, rotating exhibits from its impressive 20,000-piece permanent collection. It includes well-known artists like Georgia O’Keeffe, Gustave Baumann, and members of the Taos Society of Artists (Ernest L. Blumenschein, Bert G. Phillips, Joseph H. Sharp), and noted 20th-century Southwest photographers like Ansel Adams. Don’t miss the special exhibits or the free Friday evenings (5–8 p.m.). The adjoining gift shop is a great place to pick up books, postcards, and jewelry.

Fans of Georgia O’Keeffe should definitely book a stay at this quaint adobe hotel in her old painting grounds. Not only is there a well-stocked gift shop where you can buy O’Keeffe prints and books, the property arranges tours of her home and studio, and is located near the Ghost Ranch retreat center and the White Place rock formations, both of which the artist loved to paint. Wood-beam ceilings and New Mexico antiques adorn rooms. Request one of the cottages with wood-burning Kiva fireplaces, or if you come in winter and book economy like I did, you’ll likely get upgraded to a nice room with a gas fireplace. My best meal in New Mexico was also enjoyed here. I ordered trout stuffed with corn pancakes and a chardonnay from nearby Black Mesa winery. My partner’s chili rellenos with green chili and Monk’s Ale—brewed at the Christ of the Desert Monastery about an hour away—were also tasty. It was a lovely introduction to the beautiful state.

Set on what was once the original campus of the University of Washington, this downtown landmark was opened in 1924, and now sits on the National Register of Historic Places. Its stately spaces have played host to generations of weddings, proms, banquets, and other opulent events, as well as a number of notable guests; John F. Kennedy stayed in the Presidential Suite during his visit to Seattle, for example.

Following a renovation in 2016, the Fairmont Olympic Hotel now features 450 rooms and suites with sophisticated décor, comfortable furnishings, and Le Labo products. Among the dining options are the elegant Georgian, a much-lauded favorite for breakfast, lunch, and the famous Afternoon Tea; The Terrace Lounge, for great drinks and live music; and Shuckers, one of the city’s oldest (and best) oyster bars. The latter pairs fresh seafood with local microbrews, including the hotel’s signature honey ale, made using honey from the building’s rooftop hives. Other amenities include a day spa and salon, and a health club with Jacuzzi, sauna, and indoor pool.

In Atlanta, Sweetwater Brewing Company is king. Its success story is not unlike that of Samuel Adams, although less commercial. They started as a hometown craft brewery with humble operations and now are distributed throughout the country. Their motto is “don’t float the mainstream,” and their beer names certainly show that. While you have a standard IPA, there’s also the 420 Pale Ale, Blue, a blueberry beer, Exodus Porter, Georgia Brown and the LowRYEder IPA. Throughout the year they also offer special brews, many of which you can only find at the brewery. They include a Festive Ale, Happy Ending and Road Trip, among others. The Dank Tank is one experimental keg to try at the brewery. On a sunny afternoon, you and the many locals will enjoy live music and food trucks at the brewery. Many of the beers and events at Sweetwater benefit local causes, namely Camp Twin Lakes and the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, so you’ll be drinking for a cause. For $10, you get a pint glass and 6 samples to try. Alternatively, you can skip the pint glass for a plastic cup and get 6 tickets for free. They are open Wednesday through Friday from 5:30-7:30 and on Saturdays from 2:30-4:30 pm.

Copenhagen is one of the world’s most sophisticated cocktail cities. Bars as far afield as Tokyo and New York keep a close eye on what is shaking—and stirring—here. Ruby, among the more elegant of Copenhagen’s bars, opened in 2007 with a focus on classic cocktails. It can be hard to find, but look for the flag of Georgia to guide you there, as it’s in the same building as that country’s embassy.

When in Kingston, make time for a stop at Devon House, a grand 1891 Georgian mansion that was built for George Stiebel, Jamaica‘s first non-white millionaire. The lovely upright house and its 11 surrounding acres are now protected as a National Heritage Site, but that doesn’t mean that there’s not fun to be had. The sprawling grounds include shops, restaurants, a bakery, and a popular ice-cream shop, I-Scream. House tours can be arranged, but the grounds, landscaped with stately palms and fountains, are the highlight—it’s a great spot to take a stroll, read, shop, or dine. The mansion and its manicured lawns are also used for weddings and lavish events.