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The Glenn Miller Orchestra introduced America to the Chattanooga Choo Choo and Track 29 in the 1940s, but the train and its home at Terminal Station date all the way back to 1909. In 1973, the original Pullman train cars were converted into luxury hotel rooms, transporting guests to a past era of travel—albeit with modern amenities like high-speed internet, refrigerators, and coffeemakers. Spend the night at the hotel, or simply explore the former terminal complex, which now features multiple restaurants, bars, retail outlets, a comedy club, and a beautiful rose garden. At Gate 11 Distillery, you can even sample artisanal spirits straight up or in carefully crafted cocktails.

Kitty Fisher’s is the antithesis to the New York exposed brick brand of cool. Named after a Georgian courtesan, this tiny restaurant in Mayfair is rather a wood-clad room flickering with candles and exuding a intimate, “make yourself at home” vibe. The food is some of the best in London: the original chef, Tomos Parry, won the Young British Foodie award during his tenure, and his successor George Barson, formerly of the River Cottage, continues to surprise with innovative dishes cooked on the wood grill. If you can’t get a booking, fear not: a second restaurant, Cora Pearl, named for a 19th-century courtesan this time, recently opened on Covent Garden’s Henrietta Street.

“The Medina is like Brooklyn in that there are all sorts of neighborhoods within it. The Old Jewish Quarter is still a very local place. It feels like Marrakech 30 years ago—a bit rugged and run-down, but it’s cool to wander around in. There are a bunch of shops selling herbs and spices and crafts such as jewelry.”-Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj This appeared in the August/September 2014 issue.

Dive bar enthusiasts will appreciate the laissez faire attitude of the Hair of the Dog Pub a short walk from the Tennessee Aquarium. It’s designed like an English pub, but carries a full selection of American craft beers. It’s not a family spot to speak of, as smoking is allowed and you must be 21 years old to enter. The food is equally good, like the Turkey Reuben or the fish and chips.

Yes, there might be a line. Yes, you need to go anyway. The Breakfast Klub is a Houston institution for good reason—you’ll find simple food, done right. Choose from classic breakfast dishes like French toast, omelettes, and biscuits and gravy, or order a more imaginative combination, like the Wings & Waffle (six chicken wing pieces and a Belgian waffle topped with a fresh strawberry and powdered sugar) or the Katfish & Grits (catfish fillet with grits, potatoes or eggs, and a choice of toast or biscuit). Despite the restaurant’s name, breakfast isn’t served all day here—catch it from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

I love checking out local zoos while traveling—especially when they’re clean, humane, and informative. The Aurora Zoo in Guatemala is definitely a great spot to take the kids for an easy day of excitement. It’s been open since 1924 and actually helps both conserve and rehabilitate animals. Oh, and tickets are less than $5. Worth a stop!

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. ~ Marcel Proust. For my inaugural highlight on AFAR, I am starting with my wife’s favorite quote, and a local sight in Chicago. Sometimes people feel they must jet off to some far off exotic place in order to ‘travel.’ However, if you gaze anew at your immediate surroundings with fresh eyes, you will discover an entire host of wonderful surprises. Here we have Cloud Gate, located down in Millennium Park, back before they buffed out the seams. The contrast between the organic form of ‘the bean’ and the structured grid lines, along with the warped fun house mirror quality of the city, makes this a truly unique destination.

Ollantaytambo’s namesake archaeological site is one of the best examples of Incan architecture in the region. It’s easy to spend a half day exploring the temples and other structures there, especially if you factor in time to hike up beyond the ruins. Meanwhile, the quaint town itself remains much as it was in Incan times, with original houses, streets, and waterways. Some buildings are open to the public, offering a fascinating glimpse into a centuries-old way of life. Most Machu Picchu–bound trains leave from the station here.

Vietnamese love the cool climes of this town 5,000 feet above sea level in the highlands of southern Vietnam. Da Lat was “discovered” as a site for a potential town in 1893 by French bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin; before long, it was established as a refuge where French Indochina’s colonial administrators living in Saigon could cool off during their downtime. French villas—many still standing today—and summer palaces of Vietnam’s last emperor, Bao Dai, soon followed. Today many visitors still come to escape the tropical heat typical of most of the country, wander round the man-made lake in the heart of town, and enjoy the locally grown fruits and vegetables sold at the morning market—strawberries, peaches, avocados, artichokes, and more. The Hang Nga guesthouse here is a small hotel with an unusual surrealist design. Da Lat is also a great destination for adventure travel, with outfitters offering mountain-biking, kayaking, white-water-rafting, and canyoning excursions; Phat Tire Ventures is the best operation in town.

Visitors often want to bring a souvenir from San Miguel back to the kids or friends at home...nothing too elaborate, but authentic nonetheless. Head to the three-block Mercado de Artesanías for a leisurely stroll amid the stalls. Start at the west end and work your way east to find silver, crafts, jewelry, pottery…if it fits in a suitcase, you can buy it here. To the east of the artisans’ market, visit the Mercado Ignacio Ramírez, where you’ll find head-high pyramids of fruits and vegetables, perfect for great photos; nightstand-worthy flowers; and food stalls offering everything from custom-made licuados—think smoothies, Mexican style—to peeled cactus leaves freshly prepared for a nopal salad. Good hunting!

Convenient to Montevideo’s cruise ship terminal, the Mercado del Puerto was first inaugurated in 1868 and long served as the city’s principal meat and produce market. The clock here is almost as famous as the building itself. Constructed, like the entire market, in England and then shipped to Uruguay, it dominates the central hall of the cast-iron building. The Mercado del Puerto no longer operates as a market and today houses a number of popular restaurants serving typical Uruguayan dishes.

The city’s most emblematic daily flea market occupies a couple of old hangars on the road to the Palmeraie. Design-loving Marrakchis and their Western counterparts have haunted it for years, looking for bargains with which to decorate their homes. One section is dedicated exclusively to ancient cedarwood doors and wrought-iron windows—all of which can be shipped for a price—but it’s the smaller shops that offer up the real gems. Every time La Mamounia has been renovated, for example, much of its furniture and accessories end up at Souk el Khemis; it’s said locally that nearly everyone has some piece of memorabilia or other from the hotel in their home. These days it’s rather less reliable in terms of finding something fabulous, and prices have increased as traders have gotten wise to the desirability of tulip tables and chairs, butterfly chairs, and cowry-shell lanterns. But those prepared to dig deep and haggle hard are still likely to come away with a gem or three. Indeed, the main problem with spending a morning at Souk el Khemis is the ensuing need to buy a house to put it all in.

On most days in Prague, it feels like every tourist in town has gathered on the Charles Bridge. And for good reason — this 14th-century cobblestone span crosses the Vltava River, connecting the Old Town with the Lesser Town (Mala Strana) and providing picturesque views of both sides of the river, medieval churches, towers, and Prague Castle on the hill. King Charles IV commissioned the bridge in 1357. The bridge has 16 arches and protected by towers on either end: the Old Town Bridge Tower in Old Town and the Judith Tower and Lesser Town Bridge Tower on the Mala Strana side. The bridge is lined with 30 large statues of religious figures and luminaries, dating from the Baroque era to the present day The best time to go is at dawn, sunset or after dark after the crowds have thinned and romance is in the air.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, this 1,700-year-old palace sits on the Adriatic seafront, serving as the focal point of Split. It was built by the Roman emperor Diocletian as a seaside retirement home and has served as a refuge for many a conqueror over the centuries. Today, some 2,000 locals reside within the compound’s thick walls, making it a lively urban quarter. Getting lost in the labyrinth of surrounding streets is the best way to explore downtown Split—as you meander around, you’ll stumble across lively cafés and shops tucked into millennia-old buildings. Be sure to check out the Peristil, an imperial square framed by two colonnades, where Diocletian used to address the public. Towering above the square is Split’s major landmark—a 187-foot-tall belfry that you can climb for panoramic views of town.

If you have a design in mind, there’s a good chance the Tahiti Pearl Market can make it in a few hours. It’s great fun to sort through the loose pearl bins to find the perfect specimen.