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Tenaya is not only one of the most beautiful lakes in Yosemite, it’s one of the most accessible—when Tioga Road (the only road in the high country) is open, usually May through October. The fact that it’s easy to get to makes it one of the most popular sites in Yosemite, but because it’s located 8,150 feet about the valley floor, it’s still a lot less crowded than other attractions. The sandy swimming beach on the east end of the clear alpine lake is a favorite spot for sunbathing, with granite domes surrounding three sides. There’s also a smaller, typically less busy beach on the west end, but you’ll have to do a little wading to get there. For landlubbers, there’s an easy 2.5-mile hike around the lake.

Run by well-known chef Jeff Balfour, Southerleigh brings cross-cultural cuisine to the bustling Pearl Brewery complex. Here, the seasonal menu ranges from crispy fried half-chicken with coffee-crusted bacon and thyme red-eye gravy to Gulf red snapper with charred tomato sauce piquant and pickled fennel salad. Housed in a historic building that was once Pearl’s Brewhouse, Southerleigh also references its past with an on-site brewery and nearly two dozen beers on tap.

Founded in 2002, Big Lou’s is famous for its enormous pizzas. Ringing in at 42 inches, the pies have been featured everywhere from the Food Network to the Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food. Cover yours in classic toppings, or order specialty versions such as the white, the veggie, or barbecue, which comes slathered in two types of cheese and barbecue sauce. In case you’re not a pizza person, the menu also features wings, salads, sandwiches, calzones, and pasta.

The name says it all: To dine at Bliss is pure euphoria. In an intimate space with just 52 seats, this Southtown restaurant offers a dining experience you won’t soon forget. Mixing hearty classics with Southwest-inspired cuisine, the menu ranges from braised beef short ribs with buttery mashed potatoes to vegetarian enchiladas stuffed with roasted butternut squash, cremini mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, eggplant, and cheese. Appetizers are equally enticing, especially the Japanese hamachi sashimi tostadas and the oyster sliders, served with candied bacon on buttermilk chive biscuits.

This travel-inspired eatery got so popular that it moved to a larger space on University Avenue in August 2017. Once in the new location, executive pastry chef Kristianna Zabala was able to expand her menu (which changes daily) to include breakfast sandwiches and Montreal-style bagels alongside her usual blood-orange-Creamsicle and blueberry-lavender doughnuts. Available in a range of creative flavors, Zabala’s signature creations feature organic eggs and fresh ingredients from local farmers. Don’t leave without trying the classic ube-taro-coconut variety or the white-chocolate-mint-glazed doughnut with a passion-fruit-jalapeño drizzle, if they are available.

Menton is France’s lemon-growing capital, a fact that the whole town celebrates: The tiles in Menton’s Fontana Rossa gardens are painted with lemons, and local restaurants feature them in lick-your-spoon-clean soufflés. Every winter, the road into town closes for a lemon festival that features huge sculptures made of citrus fruits. It seems fitting, then, that a local shop, Maison Herbin, is dedicated to selling artisanal lemon jam, which is made in small batches to coax the fullest flavor from each fruit. The jam shop has become so famous that tours of the kitchen operations now require advance reservations. The shop offers much more than its citrus jams: Also on sale are strawberries preserved with pineapple, and tomatoes packed with eggplant and ginger, in addition to traditional candies, fruit jellies, local honey, condiments, and pickled onions.

Walk the long shop-lined Via Capodimonte (or, if you are feeling particularly industrious, climb the 921 Phoenician Steps to the very top) to reach the former home of the Swedish physician and author Axel Munthe. This 20th-century mansion, now a museum with magnificent gardens, sits almost 1000 feet above the sea and offers unbelievable views over Capri and toward Naples and Mount Vesuvius. During your visit, follow tradition and make a wish with your left hand touching the ancient Egyptian sphinx statue. There is a café at the top of the gardens and occasional live music on summer evenings.

Deli Board, a small SoMa joint, is nirvana for sandwich lovers, with offerings made from the best ingredients found this side of Cleveland, which is where owner Adam Mesnick grew up. Design your own creation from a selection of bread, meats, and extras (pickles and cherry peppers are a must), or order one of his predesigned, prenamed beasts, which are piled-high combinations of meat, veg, sauce, and extras. Zeke is a Californian’s favorite, with turkey, avocado, bacon, cream cheese, pickled onion, sprouts, and mayonnaise on a French roll, while the Leroy Brown satisfies carnivorous cravings with Romanian pastrami, turkey, kosher salami, American cheese, Muenster cheese, pepperoncini, pickles, and homemade sauce. Check the website for daily specials, or just drop in to stock your picnic basket.

Given its prime La Jolla location—with a Pacific panorama to match—this stylish, modern bar could get away with serving almost anything. But lucky for spirits enthusiasts, George’s Level2 (one of three venues that make up George’s at the Cove) literally wrote the book on San Diego’s craft cocktail scene: Stephen Kurpinsky, head barman and director of spirits and beer, collaborated with his staff to produce Neighborhoods of San Diego, a beautifully bound compendium of drinks, each representative of—and photographed in—a distinct corner of the city. As you flip through the book, which doubles as the bar’s menu, you’ll get the local lowdown—learning, for example, that around 25,000 pedestrians enter the United States via the San Ysidro border crossing daily. But mostly, you’ll learn that choosing a drink here is nearly impossible. The most popular option is the La Jolla: tequila infused with mango, lime zest, and chili blended with fresh lime juice, agave syrup, and a saline-and-suspended-seaweed ice cube. If you’re looking for something with fizz, the Little Italy—with prosecco and balsamic strawberry shrub, among other treats—is the way to go.

Back in the days when there was no road to White Bay, on the island of Jost Van Dyke, boaters would anchor in the bay and swim ashore to belly up to the bar on the beach. They’d pay for their drinks with the cash they’d carried in their pockets—hence the name, the Soggy Dollar Bar. Some patrons still arrive the traditional way, settling in to enjoy the Soggy Dollar’s signature cocktail, the Painkiller, a potent mix of Pusser’s Rum (a BVI brand), pineapple juice, orange juice, coconut cream and a generous grating of fresh nutmeg.

Why we love it: An amenity-filled property that sits near all the action

The Highlights:
- Amenities like four pools, a treetop spa, and an open-air yoga studio
- An on-site diving school and expedition boat
- The sunset views from the Bay View rooms

The Review:
Located near St. George’s University, the all-inclusive True Blue Bay Boutique Resort is also right on a marina and just a five-minute drive from the airport, putting it at the center of all the action. Though it doesn’t have its own beach, it does offer shuttles to Grand Anse, which is a mere 10 minutes away, plus there’s plenty else to do on property. There are four small but well-maintained pools; a spa that uses local ingredients like chocolate and nutmeg for its treatments; an open-air yoga studio with treetop views; and a top-notch dive school that offers quick courses as well as multi-day PADI certifications. Guests already certified to dive can take advantage of four dives per day included in their stay, while landlubbers can opt for rum and chocolate tastings, cooking classes, non-motorized watersports, and fun kids’ activities.

When hunger strikes, head to on-site restaurant Dodgy Dock, which regularly hosts theme nights like Street Food, Romantic BBQ, and Cocoa Thursdays. Should you prefer to cook for yourself, accommodations here, which range from rooms to suites to villas, include kitchenettes and outdoor seating with epic views. Villas can even sleep up to six people and feature private plunge pools for added luxury.

Designed by Oscar de la Renta, who was also a guiding force in the original vision for Puntacana Resort, Tortuga Bay Hotel has 13 freestanding villas comprising 30 suites, each with Frette linens, a kitchenette, and a balcony or terrace with views of the Caribbean or La Cana Golf Club. Hotel guests landing at Punta Cana International receive fast-track passage through customs, pickup by a private driver, personal concierge check-in, and keys to a golf cart for getting to the resort’s Oscar de la Renta Tennis Club, two golf courses, and Six Senses Spa.

No one stays at Old Faithful Inn for the amenities: With no Wi-Fi, air conditioning, or TVs in the rooms—some don’t even have private bathrooms—all you can do is watch bison graze unperturbed by the busloads of tourists pulling up, or the namesake geyser spout. The lack of luxury doesn’t seem to deter the crowds, though, who come to sleep under the roof of the original log-and-stone building, which was completed in 1904, and launched the iconic architectural style known as National Park Service rustic, or Parkitecture. Though an east wing was added in 1914, and a west wing in 1927, the lodge remains much as tourists saw it a century ago, with its soaring, open lobby surrounding an enormous four-sided, 86-foot stone fireplace. The pre-existing Crow’s Nest that leads to the roof terrace is off-limits now, but two mezzanine-level interior balconies are coveted seating areas for unwinding with nightly piano performances. While the two wings have better views of Old Faithful and the geyser basin, you can’t beat the Old House for its historic charm.

You could travel to Antigua a dozen times and never know about Bushy’s 1 & 9 Best Matured Rum, but you would be missing one of the island’s most treasured spirits... and now perhaps rarest. Made by one man: John Gonçalves, better known as Bushy, this rum begins life as an overproof base obtained form Antigua Distillers Ltd—the folks behind, among other things, English Harbour Rum. After a bit of aging in oak barrels and the addition of several secret ingredients and blending techniques Bushy would never reveal, you get a rum that’s surprisingly smooth, dry, and even a little spicy with vanilla and nutmeg coming through. That explains why it’s treasured, but why is it rare? Well, that’s because Bushy passed away back in 2013 leaving no one to follow in his spirited footsteps. Should you find yourself in a proper local bar, try asking for Bushy’s, or, if you’re really in tune with the local scene, simply 1 and 9. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a last taste of an Antigua classic.

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.