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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!

Since 1862, fresh flowers and plants have arrived by barge from the Dutch countryside to Amsterdam. While this assemblage of flora still shows up daily, it comes by van, not boat, to the Bloemenmarkt, the world’s only floating flower market. Here, you can browse 15 fragrant stalls on houseboats permanently moored on the Singel. Now the best-known flower market in Holland, this colorful attraction is packed with tourists on sunny weekends. Still, it’s a great place to pick up Dutch tulip bulbs in a plethora of shades and varieties, as well as many other types of bulbs, seeds, cut blooms, and houseplants. Ship a bag of bulbs home, or grab a souvenir at one of several shops hawking T-shirts, mugs, clogs, Dutch cheese, and other fun and inexpensive gifts.

Living in Hawaii, I find it’s not hard to appreciate macadamia nuts. After moving to the Islands, I did not waste any time determining my favorite kind of chocolate-covered mac, Mauna Loa. As with many other companies, mac nut orchards dot the Big Island, which has a great growing environment for the unusual nuts. The Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Company operates a visitors’ center on the Big Island along with their orchards and processing plant. A tour of the area includes a farm to final product education and, of course, free samples for your enjoyment. I always keep several boxes on hand to give to my house guests to welcome them to Hawaii, but mac nuts are also a great gift for tourists to bring back home.

Durbuy, Belgium, claims the title of the “World’s Smallest Town,” (or sometimes city, depending which translation you use from the French). This dubious honor dates from 1331, when the town was elevated to the rank of city by John I, Count of Luxemburg, and King of Bohemia. Even though the population dropped to a few hundred residents, Durbuy kept its designation. However, the moniker doesn’t exactly hold true anymore. In 1977, Durbuy amalgamated with 40 surrounding villages. Either way, it’s a lovely place to visit in Wallonia, and a great way to pass an hour is by taking a stroll through the topiary garden. There are more than 250 topiaries in the garden, some of which are over 120 years old. And, being Belgium, the topiaries go beyond the typical animals and geometric shapes to include a dash of quirkiness. You can admire a green Manneken Pis (Belgium’s famous peeing boy), kayakers, and even an homage to Pamela Anderson at the beach. For more information on Durbuy: http://cheeseweb.eu/2013/06/7-reasons-great-visit-durbuy-belgium/

Looking for a great afternoon or evening hike, high above the clouds of the East Bay? Need a few good labyrinths and a volcano to make it desirable? It so happens, I’ve found your place. Located on the border of Oakland and Contra Costa, the parking for Sibley is on Skyline Boulevard. This is a Regional Preserve and is managed by the East Bay Regional Park District. All the perks of hikes in this part of the Bay are here and include a great network of trails, soaring views and many a grassy vista. It also claims an extinct volcano and at least four or five labyrinths for potential meditation. You have two major continental plates to thank for the geological grandeur and a few thoughtful locals for the peace of mind, found within.

This is your view from the top of the Diamond Lake Hike, which starts about 12 kilometers outside of the town of Wanaka. The views are so beautiful from the summit that it’s nearly impossible to ever head back down the mountain. The track starts from the car park and follows an old road to Diamond Lake. The track then climbs to a viewing platform above the lake that is a great spot for a water/snack break and some photos. From here you’ll have two options: 1) A lower-level circuit that takes in the Lake Wanaka viewpoint, with great views of both the lake and its islands. 2) An upper-level circuit that winds its way to the top of 775-meter Rocky Mountain. At the top you’ll be rewarded with views that include the Southern Alps and Mount Aspiring. If you do the longer, second option, your round-trip mileage is just over eight kilometers and a good estimate for time would be three to four hours (with breaks). Note that many walkers do both routes from the Diamond Lake viewing platform.

A 1,200-acre green space filled with museums, theaters, and gardens, Balboa Park is the center of art and culture in San Diego. It’s also one of the city’s most historic sites, built for the Panama–California exhibition in 1915. While the museums are definitely worth seeing, there are also a number of free attractions, including the photogenic Botanical Building, which houses more than 2,100 plants (including Venus flytraps); the Desert Garden, filled with succulents from around the world; and a sculpture court with works by Miró and Rodin. For one of the area’s best views, purchase a timed ticket to climb the California Tower in the Museum of Man. The ornate structure reopened to the public in 2015 after being closed for nearly 80 years and features a spiral staircase to the eighth floor, where you can catch a glimpse of the Cuyamaca Mountains, the Cabrillo Bridge, and even Mexico’s Coronado Islands.

You can’t miss the great signage (cool cursive font) outside The Pantry on Cerrillos Road. For over 60 years, this old classic has been doling out breakfast, lunch and dinner to flocks of hungry patrons, mostly locals. Their filling breakfast sandwich is filled with bacon, scrambled eggs and green chile and an all-American breakfast of chicken-fried steak and biscuits with country sausages.

A cozy new spot from chef Joseph Wrede that blends a dining experience for the vegetable lover like wild greens vichyssoise and a cast iron cauliflower dish with mustard seed, white beans, anchovies, fried capers. The meat inclined will lean towards the flavorful bison ribeye and southwestern lamb burger. Enjoy a great selection of beers on tap and a winner wine list.

Considered by some as a Milan institution, Cantine Isole is a small wine bar/enoteca with a lot of history and great atmosphere. It’s located in the Chinatown neighborhood, near Garibaldi station and the Isola neighborhood. Expect a lot of character.

Isola has become Milan‘s hipster hangout, so you are going to want spend a lot of time here. Best way is sleeping over, and the Isola Apartments are key. Lots of light, minimal decor and all the trappings of home, the loft apartments are great for couples with kids or other kids of third wheels.

What could be better than pulling into pretty little Gardiner after a long day on the road, ordering up a fresh pizza, and staring out over Yellowstone National Park while the sun goes down? Yellowstone Pizza Company is a great dining option whether you’re staying in Mammoth, at a campsite inside the park, in Chico, or Gardiner itself.

The hippest hotel in the city not only has a Rauschenberg (it was commissioned for the penthouse suite) and Corbusier armchairs strewn every which way, it also has an excellent jazz program in its Widder Bar. Among the greats who’ve already played here: Brad Mehldau, Diana Krall and Hank Jones.

Obletter is Munich‘s largest toy store, and with over 16,000 toys it will delight both adults and children alike. The multi-level store has model trains, cars, and airplanes of all price ranges. It’s also a great place to purchase wooden toys, puppets or Steiff teddy bears, which Germany is famous for. Each level has a different theme, and it’s worth exploring all of them.

Avenue Arístides Villanueva, simply known as Aristides by the locals, is Mendoza‘s main nightlife drag. Lined with bars, Irish pubs, restaurants, dance clubs and hostels, Aristides is where all the action happens. In warm weather months, crowds flock to the outdoor tables lining the sidewalk. It’s a great option for bar hopping and getting a dose of the late-night Mendocenan culture.