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One of the great pleasures of traveling in Mexico is visiting traditional local markets, which sell everything from produce and household goods to handcrafts and textiles. In San Jose del Cabo, the local artisans’ market, or Plaza Artesanos, is open daily. Vendors sell a variety of handmade goods, including rugs, pottery, clothing, and jewelry.

Shopping on Moody Street reflects the ethnic diversity of the city of Waltham. Up and down the eight-block strip, you can find a wide selection of shops carrying clothing, objects, accessories and food products from the four corners of the globe. Looking to learn more about other cultures? Take a stroll down this active location and chat with the friendly owners, while getting your shopping fix.

On the second Sunday of every month, bargain hunters, collectors, designers, tourists, and other curious shoppers head to the historic Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, where 2,500 vendors of furniture, accessories, clothes, crafts, vinyl, and more line the perimeter of this 92,000+ seat venue. The sheer size may be overwhelming, the sun may be beating, and it may be early in the morning—but if you come prepared in sneakers, a hat, and with coffee in hand, you’ll be ready to hunt for treasure.

Miami is all about presentation. The heels are higher, the skirts are shorter, the portions are larger, and the drinks are works of art. Meat Market, in Miami Beach, is a steak house that could fool you into thinking it’s more of a nightclub than a restaurant. At the bar, an esteemed team of mixologists create handcrafted cocktails, including the Some Like It Hot: reposado tequila, raspberry, fresh lime juice, and jalapeño-infused agave nectar, served mild, medium, or hot. The menu features a variety of prime cut meats, fresh seafood, and innovative side dishes, and highlights include the super-size wedge salad, the roasted truffle oysters Rockefeller, the creamy lobster mashed potatoes, and the decadant Gouda Tater Tots. To share, try the Waygu beef tomahawk rib eye that weights a good 30 ounces. Bigger is better. That’s just how it goes in Miami.

Every year from the weekend after Thanksgiving until New Years’ Eve, the typically quiet street of 34th street in Hampden transforms into an over-the-top Christmas light display, affectionately called “Miracle on 34th Street.” Folks moving into the neighborhood know what they’re signing up for as each house on 34th street between Keswick St and Chestnut St in Hampden participates enthusiastically. In the neighborhood, Hampden, which inspired many John Waters favorites (think Hairspray!), the decorations are not your typical suburban light display. You’ll find hubcap Christmas trees, nativity scenes made of old records, and of course the light displays that pay homage to Baltimore pride (crabs, National Bohemian - aka Natty Boh, the Utz girl, and of course, the Ravens). On some nights, a few houses open up their homes - one of which showcases his amazing metal art. This is an excellent activity for kids both young and old and you can always follow it up with a delicious meal from one of the many great restaurants on the nearby “Avenue” (36th St).

Formerly considered East Berlin, Karl Marx Allee is one of the best places to get a glimpse of socialist history, architecture, and local life in Berlin from the past. The famous street is 89 meters wide and 2 km long and still houses some of the “wedding cake” architecture that East Germany was known for. You don’t need a guide. Save your money and simply check out the numerous (30+) plaques along the way (on both sides of the street) which provide you with history, stories, and old photos of the famous street. I suggest that you start at the Alexanderplatz U-Bahn station and walk along the north side of the street, then return along the south side—to get the full scope of the ultra-wide street.

If the Djemaa el Fna is the epicenter of Marrakech, the Rahba Lakdima—otherwise known as the Place des Épices, or Spice Traders Square—is surely the epicenter of the medina itself. Bursting with rambunctious energy and high-voltage color, the market is lined on one side by mysterious herbalists and spice traders selling everything from snakeskins to rose petals to ras el hanout (the famous Moroccan spice blend), and by carpet sellers on the other. Venture to the latter’s lair around 4 p.m. when sellers come down from the mountain villages, and you’ll be treated to the spectacle of them plying their trade with the professionals. And in the middle, heaps of woven baskets and woolen skullcaps are piled high. There’s no better place to sit and watch this daily theater unfold than at the Café des Épices, the first of several that have now opened there, but still our favorite for excellent coffee, fresh salads, sandwiches, and tagines.

A stroll of St. Kitt’s capital, whether started at Port Zante Marina or the centrally located Independence Square, is an entertaining way to learn more about the island’s past. While the French named Basseterre (it means “low land”), the British are responsible for the town’s most recognizable landmark—the green, cast-iron Berkeley Memorial Clock in the center of the Circus, where several streets intersect. Make sure to visit the area, as well as Independence Square, St. George’s Anglican Church, and the Old Treasury Building, which now serves as the National Museum of St. Kitts. Along your walk, you’ll also find duty-free shops and local boutiques, plus a lively produce market by the waterfront if you come on the weekend.

Flee the crowds in central Chinatown for an authentic and inexpensive Vietnamese or Thai meal on Baxter Street, which is lined with several eateries. Here on this quiet side street, no-frill restaurants are filled with locals enjoying flavorful “pho” beef noodle soup, summer rolls, barbecued pork and other specialties. The smell of mint, basil, and jasmine rice hits your senses when you walk in the door. Not much to say about the decor, but service is quick and a huge bowl of steaming pho noodle soup averages $6 or $7. Restaurants include Nha Trang One, Thai Son and Pho Pasteur. If you are looking for “xiao long bao” or savory “soup dumplings”, try Joe’s Ginger on nearby 25 Pell Street.

Off of busy West Peachtree is Cypress Street Pint and Plate, a neighborhood bar surrounded by apartment buildings. The welcoming patio and weekly specials make it a favorite of locals. On Mondays you can get their tasty Philly cheesesteaks for only $5 and brunch is every Saturday and Sunday. There are 14 draft beer and 40 bottled selections as well as wine and spirits. Every Tuesday is Beer Geek Tuesday, where the experts at Cypress Street celebrate one brewery or style of beer. The food menu is delicious, especially the aforementioned cheesesteaks, buffalo chicken sandwiches and meatball sliders.

You may not know it, but as you peruse the stalls of vendors at Mercado San Juan, you just might be rubbing shoulders or vying for the plumpest, prettiest chayote with one of Mexico City‘s top chefs. San Juan is the market for serious home cooks and pro chefs alike. Here, you can find everything from just-off-the-boat fish and seafood to wild game. There have even been rumors over the years (urban legend or fact?) that if you know who to ask, you can procure true exotics here, including tiger and bear meats. If you’re not in the market for any goods to go, you can let your nose lead the way to a stall where prepared hot foods are sold. And don’t miss trying chapulines, toasted grasshoppers, which are a Mexican snack specialty.

Despite its name, within this mall are shops selling all manner of electronics, watches, clothing, handbags, suitcases, and, of course, jewelry, including hundreds of pearls in every conceivable shape, size, and color. You can buy jewelry already on display—necklaces, earrings, brooches, bracelets, etc.—or choose your pearls and have something custom made. Unless the design is very complicated, a pearl necklace or bracelet made to your specifications can generally be done on the spot or within an hour or two. Hongqiao Market is a popular place for buying souvenirs, especially tea sets, calligraphy scrolls, paper fans, and chopsticks. Bargaining is essential here, particularly for jewelry. Note that there is a market of the same name and style in Shanghai.

Located next to Main Beach, the much-quieter Cleo Street Beach is a favorite of scuba divers, who come here to explore the Foss 125 Barge. The wreck, which sank just offshore in 1958, is submerged in a mere 55 feet of water, making it easily accessible to even the novice diver. Those up for the adventure will find an extremely well-preserved site, wrapped in coral and surrounded by Laguna’s Marine Reserve, which boasts everything from seals and otters to colorful fish and even some larger sea life. If you’re not a diver, Cleo Street Beach is still worth a trip to stroll the sand with a coffee from the nearby Orange Inn in hand. Just be sure to bring your four-legged friend along, as the beach welcomes dogs.

With the precipitous rise of gourmet street food and market-fresh neo-bistrots, it’s not surprising that Boris Leclercq’s eponymous steak joint ‘Chez Boris’ opened near the Champs-Elysées last year with little fanfare. The conceit of this steakhouse, however, deserves attention particularly for its unique, revivalist approach to steak-frites dining. Boris and his wife Leticia raise grass-fed Aubrac cows on their own farm in the Hérault region, follow a 21-day maturation process in a cold chamber within their own cutting plant (where they employ 2 dedicated butchers), and serve both traditionally superior cuts (filet, sirloin, etc.) and those most often neglected or typically reserved for tartares or hamburgers (flank or spider), accentuating their flavor as a result of their maturation technique and grilling process. What’s more, they won’t begin preparing cuts from another cow until those from the previous one have been entirely used and served. Each steak is served with a simple green salad and crispy fries cooked in beef fat, not in oil. This ‘home made’ from farm to plate approach is, effectively, all in an effort to control the provenance of the meat they serve and ensure quality at all times - crucial as the horse-meat controversy and trend in French restaurants toward using industrial ingredients had the public hyper-aware and concerned about what they’re consuming. Delicious and sustainable - more than enough reason to book lunch or dinner at Chez Boris.

Opened in 2012, the West Street Hotel wholeheartedly embraces its waterfront location. All 85 rooms have views of Frenchman Bay and are decorated in nautical Americana (think navy, red, and cream color schemes and lots of sailboat patterns on the upholstery). The hotel can arrange a lobstering trip on a real-deal commercial boat or an excursion to nearby Acadia National Park. There are more than 120 hiking trails that range from low-key to strenuous: Advanced climbers can summit Cadillac Mountain, the tallest peak on the U.S. Atlantic Coast. For a guided tour of the park with less effort, board Oli’s Trolley, which picks up riders across the street from the hotel.

This appeared in the June/July 2015 issue.