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Big baggy aloha shirts—that could double as canoe sails—goodbye. Instead head to this Chinatown boutique, featuring the sharp, tapered designs of the eponymous Roberta Oaks. She draws on her hippie, farmhouse childhood and mid-century modern Hawai‘ian flair to create prints, which she then combines with a more fitted and form-flattering modern silhouette. These fabrics also take a star turn on graceful day dresses and even doggie bandanas. Open since 2009, this alluring boutique goes beyond attire, selling jewelry, candles, surf photography, and scents like Sándalo (a moody meditation on the islands’ vulcanism with ash, patchouli, and Royal Hawai‘ian sandalwood).

The Jefferson Hotel has been the gold standard for discerning visitors to Richmond (including 13 U.S. presidents) since 1895. Not content to rest on their laurels, the hotel completed a renovation in 2016, restoring its landmarked public areas and refreshing and expanding the guest rooms and suites. The new rooms feel more like posh apartments, with doorbells, foyers to the sitting and dressing areas, and luxury touches like soaking tubs, walk-in showers, and in-mirror televisions. The alligator drawer pulls are a nod to the creatures who used to live in the lobby fountains in the early 20th century. The Rotunda and Palm Court lobbies, with their Tiffany stained glass ceilings, have overlooked many power meetings and celebrations, and provide a magnificent backdrop for decadent afternoon tea or the popular champagne Sunday brunch. The four-star Lemaire restaurant serves a New American menu of Virginia ingredients in their distinctive dining rooms, while the more relaxed TJ’s bistro is open for hearty breakfasts and classic lunch fare. Guests of the Jefferson may work off all that locally sourced food at the 3,000-square-foot gym or in the indoor pool with skylights and an outdoor pool deck.

Tacos. Traditionally Mexican. These days, however, tacos are taking on some new personalities. Though some of the most memorable flavors I’ve ever had on a corn tortilla are still traditional, (pickled onions, please) there are a few new taco flavors that thrill me. Blanco Tacos and Tequila in Scottsdale, Arizona, has created a taco with bbq pork, rich cream, and roasted corn. A nod to the taco’s Mexican heritage, with a hint of the American South.

Park View’s Call Your Mother leans on the “ish” in “Jew-ish Deli” by adding creative twists to their wood-fired bagels. Whether you opt for savory like “The Amar’e,” a middle eastern-spiced za’atar bagel with candied salmon cream cheese, crispy shallots, radish, and cucumbers, or sweet like “The Rashida,” a sesame bagel with apple, honey, and bacon peanut butter spread, Call Your Mother’s playful, carb-centric menu will satiate. While my gluten-free diet only allowed me to sample spoonfuls of their melt-in-your-mouth spreads and schmears, the constant line out the door confirms the food is geshmak. The team’s attention to detail extends from the kitchen to the kitsch decor, including a wall of framed photos of half-Jewish rapper Drake, a nod to founder Andrew Dana’s own half-Jewish upbringing as well as his love of hip-hop. Dana’s taste in music also powers the soundtrack and that, along with the bright turquoise and pink decor, keeps the energy in line upbeat. According to Dana, their success is due to an unyielding work ethic that they honed while opening and running Timber Pizza Company. They love what they do and will never stop giving their all to the community.

It’s easy to take kimchi beef and tempura avocado tacos for granted, now that fancy gringo taco joints are ubiquitous, but it was Taco Boy that brought the trend to Charleston in the mid-‘00s. The original location on Folly Beach stays busy with a tourist crowd, but it’s their downtown expansion—straddling the North Central and NoMo neighborhoods—that’s become a local hotspot for the recently graduated early ‘20s crowd. The location isn’t walkable, but the courtyard and spacious open layout bar stays packed with revelers who come for the hefty margaritas and extensive tequila selection. The treats are served amidst a lively biergarten-esque courtyard scene, and thoughout Taco Boy a colorful and creative décor sets the tone for a party. In addition to namesake tacos, there are pick-your-protein rice bowls, generously sized salads (the Southwest seared tuna add-on is a winner), and daily specials like a smothered burrito and chile rellenos.

If you’re looking for a chic lodging with personality to spare, Park Hotel is it. Designed under the concept of ART—atrium, restaurant, travel—it occupies 10 levels of the triangular Shiodome Media Tower and pays homage to Japan’s natural beauty with a glass-enclosed courtyard (purported to be the largest hotel atrium in Tokyo) and trees and greenery dotting the spaces between the building’s 25th and 34th floors. An artist-in-residence program ensures that every room on the 31^st floor features unique murals and paintings by local creatives, while more conventional rooms come in light, neutral tones, but all are furnished with stylish pieces by B&B Italia. The hotel also houses a wood-paneled spa, an art gallery, and a kaiseki-style Japanese restaurant and casual French bistro where the dishes are pieces of art in and of themselves.

The creative energy of the Garment District in Midtown Manhattan has long been behind closed doors, but Archer Hotel, opened in early 2014, puts that artistic spirit on appealing display. A mix of fabrics, graphic prints, exposed brick, and floor-to-ceiling windows (with dramatic skyline views) pays homage to a neighborhood known for pushing the boundaries of fashion. Beyond its quirky style—including a house art collection with pieces spanning several mediums—this property entices with its rooftop bar, Spyglass, perched on the 22^nd floor with views of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. Archer excels at the small stuff, from in-room Nespresso machines and free Wi-Fi to gorgeous black-and-white subway tiled bathrooms with luxurious walk-in showers. Unwind after your day with an aperitif at the Foyer Bar, complete with seasonal outdoor patio.

Japadog is one of those odd and wacky combinations of a hot dog with Japanese toppings, but it works! I had the Terimayo, a teriyaki-drenched dog topped with seaweed. Not substantial for the $5 price tag, but a good snack. The location on Robson is dine-in, and there are carts across the city.

Mendoza has suffered devastating earthquakes that have reduced the city to rubble. The earthquake of 1861 destroyed most of the city. Instead of repairing all the damage, the city decided to build a new city center southwest of the original location. They created a large principal plaza—Plaza Independencia—surrounded by four smaller plazas: Plaza San Martin; Plaza Chile; Plaza Italia; and the most picturesque, Plaza Espana. These open spaces created a safe retreat for residents to gather in the event of another destructive earthquake. On weekends the plazas come alive with artisan markets, food vendors, lip-locked lovers and families. Enjoy the people watching and be aware of your belongings.

Surely one of the most extraordinary imperial relics of Morocco, the Palais Bahia (“the brilliant”) doesn’t disappoint. Built at the start of the 19th century by architect El Mekki for Si Moussa, the then chamberlain of Sultan Hassan I, the palace showcases a wide range of architectural styles hinting at the chamberlain’s playful spirit, especially after his son inherited it and added his own brand of flamboyant glamour to the place. Women’s quarters bedecked with crimson-and-mustard–striped ceilings, a marble-tile courtyard the size of a soccer field, and extensive salons lined by stained-glass windows are just some of the features of the 20-acre space. In 1912, General Lyautey, the governor of French protectorate Morocco, moved in and added creature comforts such as fireplaces and central heating. In so doing, he attracted a number of illustrious guests, among them the writer Edith Wharton. She described the palace this way: “They came, they built the Bahia, and it remains the loveliest and most fantastic of Moroccan palaces. Court within court, garden beyond garden, reception halls, private apartments, slaves’ quarters, sunny prophets’ chambers on the roofs, and baths in vaulted crypts, the labyrinth of passages and rooms stretches away over several acres of ground.” Follow Wharton’s lead and don’t miss it.

Don’t expect to find any Beijing residents on Wangfujing Snack Street, home of spiders, scorpions, starfish and pretty much anything else that can be skewered and cooked. This is firm tourist territory, a place for visitors to test their mettle when it comes to snacking on creatures that have six or eight legs or float about in the sea. It’s almost a rite of passage, to experience foods that most locals would turn their noses up at, and one that usually ranks among the top memories of a trip to Beijing. Scorpions on a stick seem to be particularly fascinating to visitors. In fact, during the Beijing Olympics it would have been easier to make a list of the visiting journalists who didn’t write a story about them. But, and this seems to be rarely mentioned, not everything on snack street has a ‘Man v. Food’ feel. The stalls offer far more identifiable snacks. Fried dumplings. Steamed buns. Mountains of noodles. Jellied acorn and chestnut. Corn. And given the overall cleanliness of the spot, perhaps due to its high tourism profile, it is generally safe to eat here. So, don’t feel you have to stick to the scorpions. The steamed buns will do, too.

They intended it as their gift to Mexico, and what a gift it is. Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, two of the most famous artists of the 20th century, worked with renowned Mexican architect Juan O’Gorman to create Museo Anahuacalli, a temple-like structure that houses the 50,000+ pre-Hispanic objects Rivera collected during his lifetime. The museum, whose design was also influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright and his notions about the role of the physical environmental in the conceptualization and construction of buildings, also showcases hundreds of pieces of artisan and craft works representative of Mexico. Note that the museum is not open on Monday or Tuesday.

There are two ways to walk up to the Galata Tower from Karakoy Tram Station: One is to follow the pedestrian traffic and ascend an uninviting steep staircase close to the tram way; the other is to take the more picturesque Kamondo (Camondo) steps on Bankalar Caddesi. Neo-Baroque and early Art Nouveau styles were fused here in the 1870s to create this curvaceous thoroughfare up one of Istanbul’s steepest hills. Abraham Salomon Camondo, of the wealthy Sephardic Jewish Camondo family, funded the construction. He inherited the banking and business success of his forefathers and went on to become the prime banker for the Ottoman Empire in the district of Galata where the stairs are located.

If you are unable to make a trip to the residence of the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala, India, pay a visit to the Tibet House in Delhi. Also titled the Cultural Center of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibet House was founded in 1965 to preserve Tibetan principles and create a safe space for Buddhist teachings. There is a museum, gallery, and library housing valuable art, artifacts, manuscripts, and books. The five-story building is a modest yet sacred facility consistently brimming with activity. Check out the calendar for upcoming festivals, exhibits, conferences, and special events.

What’s old is new again in Saint-Pierre, a city built under majestic Mount Pelée on Martinique’s Caribbean coast. In 1902, Mount Pelée volcano erupted, leveling the city and killing all 30,000 inhabitants– save one lucky prison inmate, whose thick cell walls protected him from the blast. Today, the rebuilt Saint-Pierre honors its fiery past at the Musée Volcanologique, a mini-Pompeii filled with carefully preserved relics. History meets modernity at the southern entrance where seven inspired, contemporary Caribbean artists have created 32 colorful totem sculptures welcoming guests. There are also popular dive sites nearby, where scuba divers can swim alongside century-old wrecks of ships that sunk in the explosion.