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Nestled in midtown Miami, Bardot is a lounge that locals love due to its low-key vibe and speakeasy-like setting. The lounge feels more like someone’s home than a bar, with bookshelves lining the walls, filled with random items and stacks of coffee table books. While Bardot offers VIP bottle service, it also brings live music to the living room-like setting, letting concertgoers get up close to the acts, followed by a DJ dance party. The best part? After a late night out, you can hop next door to sister restaurant Gigi for Korean barbecue. Pork buns and cornbread, anyone?

Situated at the top of the hill on Park City‘s iconic Main Street, the Italian restaurant Grappa occupies a beautiful 100-plus-year-old renovated building that over the years has been a brothel, bar, and bed-and-breakfast. The name comes from the Italian brandy distilled from the leftover grape skins, stems, and seeds from the winemaking process. And, of course, Grappa serves it! Founder and owner Bill White blends French culinary influences with regional Italian dishes to bring bold and delicious flavors to his customers. When the weather is appropriate, there are five levels of patios, complete with plants and water features for alfresco dining.

Both of Waikiki’s Outrigger hotels are a good value, but this one is a little bigger and a little quieter. It’s right on the beach, just north of the main resort cluster, and though a short walk to the middle of the action, far enough to feel out of the fray. The hotel itself is a quintessential Hawaiian family resort—big and friendly, with an unmistakable good-time vibe, old-school Polynesian decor throughout, and any number of activities on offer. The pool is set back from the beach and nothing fancy (no waterslides, no swim-up bar, and up against a giant wall), but it’s large enough for a serious game of Marco Polo, and there are plenty of lounge chairs to go around. Perhaps the best reason to stay here is the beach—a fairly narrow but sparkling white strand with more elbow room than its sister beaches; the rocky bottom may have something to do with that, but it’s a good place to learn to surf and a great place to catnap in the sun. One warning: the hotel lobby may feel overly commercial to some, what with a row of gift shops and a hard-to-miss timeshare desk, but it’s easy enough to ignore, if you wish.

The Independent Hotel is a charming and stylish 24-room boutique hotel located in the heart of Philadelphia’s Midtown Village neighborhood. The Independent boasts a cozy lobby with stunning artwork, unique and comfortable rooms, and personalized service from its friendly and helpful staff. Just a block off of Broad Street on Locust, the hotel is a short walk from theaters, shopping, restaurants, and Rittenhouse Square. Other amenities include continental breakfast, free wi-fi, a wine and cheese reception from Monday to Thursday, and complimentary access to the nearby 12th Street Gym. The Independent is a great alternative to the large chain hotels.

If you research “pretty seaside towns in Greece”, Nafplio often pops up on the search. Located in the eastern Peloponnese, Nafplio boasts narrow, bougainvillea-covered streets, rich-hued neoclassical mansions, wrought-iron balconies and cobblestone and marble streets. It is a popular weekend resort for Athenians due to its waterfront cafes and restaurants, fresh seafood, and pretty boutiques. It is also the perfect base to explore all nearby ancient ruins such as Mycenae, Epidaurus, and Sparta. Sip a cold drink in Syntagma Square, the town center; climb 999 rock steps up the Palamidi Castle for the expansive view; swim in the clear blue waters of the local beaches; and take a sunset stroll along the marina waterfront before dinner.

Hotel Monaco is charming, boutique hotel nestled in the heart of historic Old Town on a lively block of King Street, walking distance to the waterfronts and lots of shopping and restaurants. A sumptuous lobby greets guests with rich decor of peacock blue walls, crimson accents and cozy seating nooks. Rooms are colorful, comfortable an roomy. As with most Kimpton hotels, this one has excellent service and personal perks such as complimentary morning coffee and tea service, free afternoon wine receptions, courtesy shuttle service to Reagan National Airport, Dive-in movie nights by the pool, and umbrellas for use on rainy days. This is also one of the few pet-friendly hotels in the area and dog owners can bring their pets to Yappy Hours on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Guests can mingle with Alexandria locals and enjoy drinks with their canine companions on Jackson 20’s patio. TIP: Joining the Kimpton’s free InTouch loyalty program will get you complementary wi-fi access and $10 in credit to raid the mini bar GET THERE: 12 blocks from King Street metro (blue & yellow lines), free King Street trolley between station and hotel, a courtesy hotel shuttle service to Reagan National Airport

A novel way to combine great food with a classic city tour, the double-decker Crystal Bus provides delicious sightseeing. Nibble Chinese dim sum prepared by the restaurant One Dim Sum (which was awarded a Michelin star in 2012), while driving past more than 20 of Hong Kong’s most famous sites (and stopping at one for photos), from the Hong Kong clock tower to the 1881 Heritage Building, a 197-foot-high Ferris wheel, and Portland Street, the city’s famous red-light district, known for its neon. Each tour—one at lunch goes from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island and another at teatime from Kowloon to New Territories—lasts about 2.5 hours. Both start at No. 7 Hankow Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, in Kowloon.

The flavors and textures of a banh mi—crispy, chewy, spicy, sweet, tangy with ingredients of mayonnaise, pâté, pork (or sometimes chicken or tofu), pickled vegetables, cilantro, and chili, all piled into a crusty baguette—help to explain the allure of this iconic Vietnamese sandwich, and why it’s been successfully replicated at restaurants around the world, from New York to Sydney. Hoi An has many fine banh mi sellers, but among the top two are undoubtedly the holes-in-the-wall Madam Khanh (or Madam Queen) on Tran Cao Van Street and the always-busy Banh Mi Phuong on Phan Chu Trinh, popularized by Anthony Bourdain in his program No Reservations.

The Electric Pickle is a boutique entertainment and music venue located in downtown Miami‘s Design District/Wynwood area. This area is the most popular location for those wanting to escape the velvet rope of South Beach. The beats pump inside the diverse bar filled with crowds from every Miami background. The Pickle was named #8 Bar that Rocks by Rolling Stone. If you like to dance, this is the place. Celebrity DJ’s take the stage from time to time and there are always specials on drinks. Step away from your regular rum and coke to try one of The Pickle’s specialty drinks, they are full of flavor and fresh ingredients.

Verde is actually two stores in one. It carries one-of-a-kind accessories, jewelry, and gifts, which makes it stand out as one of several unique shops in the Midtown Village district of Center City. Serendipitously, the boutique shares space with Marcie Blaine Artisanal Chocolates. In fact, you can watch the chocolate confections being made in the back room by peeking through the large window. A shopa-choco-holic’s dream! While in Midtown Village, venture across the street to another notable shopping stop, Open House, which sells Philly-themed items as well as a curated selection of housewares and accessories.

This unassuming two-story plaza has become a popular Friday- and Saturday-night hangout for 20- and 30-something locals. In addition to its shops, Plaza Paseo Cobá is home to several restaurants and bars with a trendy, bohemian vibe that’s far removed from the beach area’s bump and grind. Feast on artisanal Italian at indoor-outdoor Casa Sofia, or dance to live music at the Public Place.

Chapulín is a restaurant that aims to fuse Mexico‘s traditions and contemporary influences into a single experience. That idea isn’t found just on the menu—where diners will find dishes like scallops with jicama and green melon—but also in the music and the restaurant’s decor. And yes, diners can put in an order for chapulínes, the grasshopper for which the restaurant is named.

Vi Ai Pi is a mix of everything really. Located right on the Legian party strip, it boasts a nightclub, underground bar, restaurant and live music venue. Most people I know skip the rest and head straight for the party and cocktails, but that might just be the people I know...

Rusty Spur Saloon was a bank in the 1920s but today it’s one of the best places for dancing with live country music 364 days of the year (they’re closed on Christmas). Tiny and historic, it’s a come-as-you-are bar where everyone from John Wayne to Vince Vaughn has knocked back a few.

With nearly 50,000 square feet of breathing room, the Children’s Museum of Phoenix is a great place for the kids to get involved in the exhibits. The museum offers a wide variety of different activities—with classes ranging from yoga to music to math—and boasts an art studio as well as a book loft.