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At Forage, a two-plus-hour tasting menu is built around trout roe, wild mountain grass, Siberian elm seed pods, and other ingredients foraged within a 500-mile radius. $87, plus $45 for wine pairings. HOW TO SCORE A TABLE: The wait for reservations is around two months. Call on a weeknight and there’s a good chance you can fill a cancellation. INSIDER TIP: This summer, cofounder Viet Pham will open a more casual restaurant called Ember and Ash that he says will “use lots of fire and a very technical, refined cooking style.” Book now. This appeared in the May 2014 issue.

We were only in Geneva for a day, but we were told to take a unique photo with this fountain by our friends and this is what we came up with! While Geneva was overwhelmingly expensive for 2 college students backpacking, it was worth the trip to see the lake. It was a sunny day with the perfect blue sky to white cloud ratio. We picnic’d on the rocks with wine, cheese, bread, and meat with a long lost friend. I would love to go back and do some real exploring one day.

Who’s got the best view up in the Blue Mountains? It’s not Strawberry Hill, it’s the Jamaica Defense Force! The view from the military barracks and training ground—a short drive up from Mount Edge Guest House—is stunning, with the peaks and the coastline stretching ahead. Too bad you can’t stay here. But you can certainly get a ride up and quickly take in the scenery and a snapshot. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot the troops during a drill.

Part of the recent local boom in artisanal and craft liquors, Oola Distillery describes itself as a “micro-distillery” in the heart of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. They create small batches of gin, vodka, flavored vodkas (including rosemary, chili pepper, and citrus — no marshmallow-whipped-cream-cupcake vodka here), and bourbon whiskey on-site. Stop in and sample their award-winning spirits in the tasting room Fridays and Saturdays from 2 to 10 p.m. Tours are offered on Saturdays at 3 p.m.; reserve online or by phone.

Walk into the past as you climb the hill of this small village to La Iglesia de San Pancho, a restored 16th century Franciscan church that appeared in the classic John Huston-Humphrey Bogart film Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Stay the night at the Rancho San Cayetano on the highway at the base of town. This village is 2 km from Zitácuaro, Michoacán. Take a taxi and tell the driver you want to go to La Iglesia de San Pancho.

Spend the night nestled under the Golden Gate Bridge in the most dignified of accommodations: the former living quarters of high-ranking officers in the U.S. Army. Cavallo Point is the result of the luxurious reimagining of a cluster of military lodges located within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, just over the bridge in Marin County. Today, the 142-room hotel serves as a retreat for in-the-know travelers and locals looking for an easy, elevated escape from everyday city life. Original brick fireplaces and beamed ceilings mingle with modern finishes and furnishings, such as butter-soft leather sofas and whitewashed Adirondack chairs. The expansive grounds are meant to be explored on foot or bicycle. The Wellness Weekend package includes all meals, prepared with an emphasis on health at Murray Circle restaurant, morning yoga classes, guided hikes, a spa treatment, nightly wine receptions, and plenty of free moments to soak in the serene meditation pool—the very best kind of boot camp.

The peaceful, elegant Hotel Eden Roc enjoys an enviable location right between the mountains and the scenic Lake Maggiore in the charming Swiss village of Ascona. Interior designer Carlo Rampazzi is responsible for the retreat’s sumptuous visual appeal, which begins in the striking lobby, with its marble floors and palazzo ceiling, and runs through to the high-end fabrics, white granite, and mosaics featured in the colorful rooms and suites. All rooms have a balcony or terrace, free Wi-FI, and a refined but open feel that perfectly suits the lakeside location—especially the newly renovated rooms in buildings I and II. Rooms in the adjacent Eden Roc Marina have a maritime theme, and are connected to the main hotel by a walkway. The private beach is a boon for sunbathers, and there’s a spacious panoramic pier with private yachting marina, a quartet of very good restaurants, and a huge spa area.

Every evening on the North Shore of Kauai, diners pack Bar Acuda for Mediterranean-inspired tapas that highlight local products. “The key is taking the finest ingredients and not doing much with them,” says chef Jim Moffat. He frequently changes his seasonal menu and sources such produce as citrus, avocados, fennel, and herbs from his home garden and the Hanalei Elementary School Garden, a program for local students that he helps run. Moffat often shops at farmers’ markets, but locals know they can also sell their fruits and vegetables at Bar Acuda’s back door. One firefighter even drives his 30-foot ladder truck to drop off cases of tangelos. “If you have a vacation rental and there’s something ripe, bring it to me,” says Moffat, who promises a gift certificate in exchange. His food philosophy creates a dining experience that’s greater than the sum of its dishes. “It’s about the lifestyle more than anything.” This appeared in the May 2015 issue.

Karlsplatz, the city center nicknamed Stachus after a pub Beim Stachus, is home to local life and history, making it the perfect place to start exploring Munich. Around this central hub you’ll find that farmers’ markets, historical interest points, and traditional life come together for a wonderful mix in Bavaria’s largest city. When one thinks of Munich, Octoberfest is usually the first thing that comes to mind, and while it is an amazing event, Munich offers much more.

Famous for bringing the world the likes of Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone Brewing is nothing if not cheeky. This is, after all, the first American craft brewer bold enough to open an outpost in Germany, a country steeped in beer-making tradition. But Stone’s audacity is hardly unfounded, as you’ll discover when you visit the company’s headquarters in Escondido—ideally, for a private tour and tasting. If you’re not already a fan of San Diego’s particularly hoppy style of IPAs, there will be at least one beer on tap that makes you a convert. But first, you’ll walk through the brew house—past mash kettles and whirlpools and fermenters—to learn all kinds of fun facts, whether it’s the surprise source of the chocolaty notes in Stone’s porters and stouts (mega-roasted malted barley) or what the upcycling options are for spent grains (cow feed and dog bones). Pro tip: After your tour, bypass the lovely indoor restaurant for the even lovelier outdoor gardens—all bamboo and koi ponds and hummingbirds. Sit back in an Adirondack chair with a beer (try one of the extra-innovative brews on offer only here) and warm pretzels with Stone Ripper Pale Ale beer cheese sauce.

Located on Buffalo’s West Side, this farm-to-table favorite comes courtesy of award-winning chefs Steve and Ellen Gedra. Here, the menu changes daily to highlight locally sourced produce and sustainably raised meat, so diners are guaranteed something new every time they visit. Dishes are simple and straightforward to let their ingredients shine, while cocktails incorporate unique spirits like lavender gin and bacon-washed bourbon. Go for dinner and pair the vegetable lasagna with a classic manhattan, or swing by at brunch for the BS Griddle sandwich, featuring eggs, cheese, hash browns, and your choice of bacon or sausage sandwiched between two pancakes.

This is a place where kids can be kids and burn off lots of energy while feeding their imaginations. Fairytale Town is a cute non-profit park across the street from the Sacramento Zoo. Kids love this place (mine included!). Nursery rhymes and fairy tales come alive here: there’s a giant shoe slide, a knights’ castle with roundtable, farm animals, a “crooked mile” that twists and turns through a tiny forest, an Owl’s tree house, Cinderella’s carriage, and much more. Admission is $4 on weekdays and $5 on weekends. Free parking is available on the streets or parking lots behind the park.

In its modern, warm wood-accented digs with retro design touches, FT33 serves up the most talked-about dishes in Dallas. Executive chef Matt McCallister’s profile has grown immensely on the strength of his hugely creative farm-to-table menu, inventive cocktails and well-curated wine list. With each dish as mind-blowingly unique as the next, it’s best to round up a few friends and sample from each others’ plates for a heady culinary adventure!

One of Canada’s most iconic hotels, the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is cradled by the Rocky Mountains, its grand, castle-like structure surrounded by towering peaks and the pristine, protected wilderness of Banff National Park. The hotel was founded in 1890 by Cornelius Van Horne, the general manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway, who envisioned creating a refuge for “the outdoor adventurer and alpinist.” What began as a one-story log cabin ended up helping to kick-start tourism in the Canadian Rockies, launch the Canadian mountaineering scene, and draw a host of notable names to the region, from Marilyn Monroe to Queen Elizabeth II.

Today, guests arrive in a grand lobby outfitted with imposing chandeliers and sweeping staircases. Common areas are decorated with old-timey photos from the hotel’s past, while the 552 spacious rooms and suites are all about showcasing views of the stunning turquoise lake and snowcapped Victoria Glacier. There are plenty of activities to enjoy year-round, from canoeing, hiking, fishing, rafting, and horseback riding in warmer weather, to skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, and snowmobiling in the winter. In between, savor everything from European alpine dishes, authentic Italian fare, and Canadian comfort food to a large selection of bourbons and whiskeys at the seven dining outlets, or head to the spa and health club for a pampering treatment or dip in the indoor heated pool.

The terrace at ETH Zurich—where Einstein was an alum—lords high above the city for catch-your-breath views beyond to the lake and the Alps. A number of trams will take you to the terrace, but the most fun way to get there is on the fire-engine red Polybahn, one of only two funiculars left in the city, and the most conveniently located. It runs every 2.5 minutes from the Central stop.