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Hotel Solamar is all about providing warm SoCal hospitality. Mingle in the lobby during the daily happy hour, and rent a free designer bike for beachside cruising. You can even turn your room into your ideal retreat, thanks to an eight-option pillow “menu” and in-room spa services. Wellness-minded travelers should take advantage of the available yoga mats and tune into yoga, Pilates, and core-strengthening exercise programs on TV. Pets are also given special attention with free amenities that include welcome treats and beds.

The chic downtown hotel is design-focused without being stuffy, creating a laid-back vibe throughout the property. Oversized chairs, sleek mahogany furniture, and plush stitched walls adorn the rooms. Sunny days aren’t hard to come by in San Diego, so don’t miss the fourth-floor terrace with its memorable skyline views. You can also take a dip in the heated Shore Pool or catch some rays on one of the lounge chairs.

“What are all those people doing?” This is probably the most common reaction upon stumbling onto the botellón. People of all ages (but tending towards under 40) gather in a public space, toting plastic bags bearing substantial weight. They contain bocadillos (sandwiches) wrapped in foil and litros (liter-sized plastic soft drink bottles) whose contents have been replaced at least in part by hard liquor. In San Sebastián, the seats lining the port are the most popular spot for the botellón. In a botellón there are (almost) no rules...just have something to drink and a friend, or two, or ten. And let the night begin.

Rekondo is a little hidden treasure of a restaurant, started by an aficionado of wine. A real aficionado. His varied collection means the restaurant has a wine list of hundreds of pages. These are wines critics dream about, at prices that are a fraction of the cost in other parts of the world. They are so well-priced, in fact, that the restaurant only allows bottles to be taken off the premises if they are opened. On the outskirts of town, it is rarely completely booked and has a spacious terrace that is absolutely perfect for having a bottle of wine at sunset.

During the day, the Piazza San Marco in Venice is an overwhelming flurry of activity, but once the sun sets, you’d be surprised at just how much a sense of ease and languor settles in. Life simply slows down as the crowds depart. Stop by Caffè Florian for a memorable evening. Opened in 1720, this is Italy‘s oldest cafe, and features ornate frescoed and gilded salons, as well as an outdoor seating area for great people-watching. Sip a drink and enjoy Caffè Florian’s live orchestra and singers as you sit under the beautiful night sky, with an illuminated St. Mark’s Basilica in the background. Looking around at my family, I could see total contentment reflected on each of their faces—the most magical and relaxing night of my trip. While not inexpensive, this evening was worth every Euro to me—a night that I will remember fondly for the rest of my life.

In an otherwise flat and forlorn section of desert between Tucson and San Diego, exit 67 on I-8 is a sweet pit stop: Dateland! A grove of date palms was planted beside the railroad tracks here in the 1920s. Today, it’s more than just a typical refueling station—it’s a true road-trip oasis for your sweet tooth. Sample the variety of caramel ovals, and then get a milkshake! The date shakes are definitely “local-" if not “world"-famous, and prickly pear cactus fruit is also a flavor option. Look for the palms on the horizon about an hour east of Yuma; it’s not a mirage.

When La Soufrière erupted in 1902, lava flowed down to the sea and created a five-mile-long moonscape on the volcano’s east slope. Today, if you visit during a tropical rain shower, you’ll see the riverbed transform almost immediately from a mere trickle to a gushing stream—and, because of its porous lava base, dry up just as quickly.

A recent addition to the Puerto Rican capital’s culinary scene are food hall–style spots where diners can choose among multiple kiosks, or stalls, each featuring a distinct kind of cuisine. Lote 23 is one such spot, located in the working-class neighborhood of Santurce. More than a dozen food entrepreneurs have fare on offer here, from pizza and tacos to bao and burgers. If you just need something to cool yourself off in the tropical heat, there are popsicles and cocktails, too. The alfresco eating area has plenty of picnic tables where you can sit and enjoy whatever you’ve ordered.

After the Grand Canyon, Arizona’s second-biggest sightseeing destination is...London Bridge. And unlike many ‘world landmarks’ from up the road in Las Vegas, this is actual Old World stonework, meticulously de-constructed, transported, and re-constructed over the waters of a dammed section of the Colorado River. To be honest, I wouldn’t call this a ‘destination,’ but if you happen to be passing through the area on a road-trip, or if you’re a die-hard anglophile driving through the Desert Southwest, then this curiosity is worth a stop. This early 19th-century bridge began sinking in the early 20th-century as automobile traffic (for which the bridge hadn’t been designed) increased over the Thames, and so in the 1960’s the bridge was literally put up for sale. Arizona entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch paid about two and a half million dollars for it, had it meticulously disassembled, shipped to California via the Panama Canal, and then trucked across to this spot on the the eastern banks of the Colorado River, a few hours south of Las Vegas. By 1971, the work was finished, and now you can kayak or jet-ski under these curious but venerable arches. (Note--Lake Havasu City has become a wildly popular college-crowd spring-break destination...and summers are brutally hot.)

After hopping off a boat off the coast of San Cristobal Island, you enter the freezing water of the Kicker Rock channel (or Leon Dormido). Above you Blue-Footed Boobies perch on the rock, while Frigate birds fly in the clear blue sky. Underneath you an aquatic world awaits, filled with playful Sea Lions, Razor Surgeon Fish, Parrotfish, Sea Turtles, and if you’re lucky you might even spot some (or 40) White-Tipped Sharks...Don’t worry, the locals swear the sharks are vegetarians!

These two castles, both elements of the fortifications encircling the city, stand on either side of La Caleta beach. The fortress of Santa Catalina, entered directly from the promenade, was constructed in the 17th century. Its small chapel and a central patio planted with palms give it the sun-baked look of a Mexican mission. The castillo is now a cultural center where open-air concerts are held in summer. San Sebastián, meanwhile, is an imposing fort built (in 1706) on a small island connected to the mainland by a long stone causeway. This malecón is popular among locals and visitors as a pleasant place to walk for a cool breeze.

The front section of this small spot was crowded with locals having a quick drink and a plate of cicchetti. We had reserved one of the six tables in the back. The menu, written on a blackboard, was all almost all unknown to me. Thankfully my Milanese traveling partners were there to translate. We ordered plates of baccala manecato and polenta, a Venetian style fish lasagna, and a seafood pasta. All washed down with jugs of a cold local white.

Previously known as the Hotel de la Poste, the 97-room property transitioned to the W French Quarter in 2000 and has since undergone a $9-million overhaul. The newly redesigned rooms channel the city’s jazz and voodoo culture, while the new bar and restaurant, SoBou, serves modern Creole fare and has an excellent cocktail program run by Laura Bellucci. Another addition with the renovation, which was completed in 2012, is the FIT gym, open to guests 24 hours a day.

Of course, one of the hotel’s main selling points is its central location on charming Chartres Street, which is lined with antique shops, art galleries, vintage book stores, and the like. And should you want a quiet corner to while away the afternoon, the hotel’s outdoor courtyard is the perfect place to do so.

Inside Spinasse’s charmingly rustic dining room, you’ll feel like you’ve left Seattle for an Italian trattoria. The roasted beet salad with cherries, radishes and marinated La Tur cheese is tangy and refreshing, while the hand-cut egg pastas are buttery and rich. No matter where you sit, you’ll have an excellent view of the open kitchen; step around to the side to see the pastaio making fresh pasta. For the full foodie experience, try the degustation menu, a family-style tasting of every antipasto, primo, and secondo on the menu.

Because it’s a major cruise port there are plenty of tacky restaurants on St. Thomas, but it doesn’t take a lot of effort to get under the skin of the island and find places where the locals eat. One such restaurant, Gladys’ Cafe, serves up traditional Caribbean fare and is known as one of the best on the island. Skip the a la carte menu and instead get one of the lunch plates including curried chicken or goat served with red beans and rice, mac and cheese and fried plantains.

The Swiss Cheese Union declared fondue the national dish in 1930, but the tradition of dipping bits of bread in bubbling pots of melted cheese dates back centuries. Indulge in this typical Swiss meal at Restaurant Engiadina, a cozy pine-paneled eatery in the resort town of St. Moritz. There are several kinds of fondue on offer (all served with pickles), but the champagne variety stands out. The friendly staff will be sure you enjoy la religious—the cheesy cracker-like crust at the bottom of the pot that Swiss natives never pass up.