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The mother church of the Diocese of the Windward Islands, St. George’s Cathedral (also known as Kingstown Anglican Church) was built in 1820 on the site of an earlier church that was destroyed by a hurricane in the late 1700s. It’s the biggest church on the island and features a number of unique adornments, from a gilded wood chandelier to a brass lectern and a circular mahogany pulpit. It’s also home to a stained-glass window gifted by Queen Victoria. As the story goes, the queen initially commissioned the window for St. Paul’s Cathedral in honor of her first grandson but was horrified by the angel’s red robe and immediately sent the window abroad to St. Vincent.

Burano is quaint and touristy in the same breath. Some might argue that there is not much to see beyond the multi-colored buildings. But there is definitely something worth eating - sardines! Sit in the sun at Riva Rosa and enjoy along with seafood risotto and spaghetti alle vongole.

A little over a mile from where the deer roam in the saguaro-studded foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, sit down for some izakaya-style dining. Japanese “tapas” might not be a completely accurate description for this genre of shareable plates, but you get the idea. Ginza is family-owned, and a nice surprise in this corner of the desert. After an evening hike in Sabino Canyon, sit down for your choice of izakaya-plates or fresh sashimi—Tucson is only a six-hour drive from the Pacific, and a four-hour drive from the Sea of Cortez. And if you’ve never had a bowl of ‘real’ ramen (just say ‘no’ to maruchan), you’re in for a revelation of toothsome noodles in porky broth. A few of my favorites are the sautéed shrimp with mild green chilies, the gyoza, and (for a main course) the bibimpbap-chirashi bowl. Over sushi-rice, you’re served a generous sampling of fresh sashimi, tamagoyaki (slightly sweet rolled omelet), sprouts, and seaweed, with a quail egg as a garnish. Korean-inspired spicy/sweet ‘bibim’ sauce tops it off. Chef-owner Jun Arai’s wife, Diana, is from Mexico, which explains the homemade flan on the menu. Take a hike, then take a seat. After the cactus, kampai!

The Shockoe Slip in Richmond, Virginia has many quaint shops, good restaurants, and several upscale hotels. One of those hotels is the Berkeley Hotel. This boutique hotel is beautifully furnished. The rooms and bathrooms are richly decorated. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are offered in the hotel restaurant. Access to the Jamestown Center fitness club is included for guests. The attentive staff will be happy to assist you in any way they can. Nearby you will find the Richmond City Hall, the Virginia State Capital, the James River, and many other historic sites. A stroll down Cary Street is fun whether you are going to a restaurant or shopping or sightseeing. I have stayed at the Berkeley several times and have never been anything but pleased with the service and the hotel.

Opened in 2021, the first urban resort from LVMH—the arbiter and exporter of French luxury—feels sumptuous at every turn. A 100-foot pool, the largest of any French hotel, is covered in hand-laid mosaic tiles, while a series of virtual window panels display illustrated scenes of the Seine in perpetual motion as you swim laps. A penthouse apartment has its own 41-foot pool, projection space, and panoramic terrace. Plénitude, the fine-dining restaurant, earned three Michelin stars within months of opening. The hotel was designed by Peter Marino, an American known for his chromatic and sculptural retail spaces in the LVMH universe, including the recently renovated Tiffany’s flagship in New York.

Just a few hours north of Lima, you can visit the sacred city of Caral-Supe, an ancient archaeological site that marks the earliest known instance of complex civilization in the Americas. The ruins at this UNESCO World Heritage Site date to approximately 3,000 B.C., and they are remarkably well-preserved for their age. Caral was almost certainly developed by a highly religious society, as evidenced by the stone monuments and pyramids, the the sunken circular courts, and the remnants of homes that likely belonged to the city’s elite. The physical setting is as striking as the cultural setting: the 626-hectare city is perched on a dry desert terrace overlooking the lush Supe River Valley, framed by mountains, close to the sky. You can hire a tour or take a car to visit this site on a day trip from Lima.

While Victoria Beach is among Laguna’s most famous stretches of sand, it remains blissfully quiet and uncrowded. Park along the Pacific Coast Highway and follow Victoria Drive until you reach the steps, then head down to the secluded beach, where you’ll find everything from a volleyball court and circular pool to caves for exploring and prime spots for skimboarding. Head north and you’ll even come across a pirate tower.

The 60-foot-tall tower is a bit of a mystery to locals, though it was likely built in 1926 as an enclosed staircase to the beach for William E. Brown, a senator from Los Angeles. In the 1940s, the city of Laguna sold the tower to retired naval captain Harold Kendrick, an alleged pirate aficionado who dressed in full regalia. He’d often invite the local children over for scavenger hunts for real cash, and rumor has it that there’s still some money and candy hidden in the tower today.

What must life have been like back in 1739. That was the year the foundation stones were laid for Fort James on the northern entrance to St. John’s Harbour. Upon completion of the fort, it became customary for every vessel passing to pay a fee of 18 shillings to the captain of the fort or risk a shot being fired across its bow! With 10 cannons capable of firing 24 lb balls for over a mile on the ramparts, as you can imagine, ships generally paid the fee. Today, Fort James still sports its signature cannons pointing menacingly out into the harbour. Most of the other structures within the fort though, have crumbled. In their place, at least on the north side of the fort, is a quaint restaurant: Russels. There you can cap off your trip back in time with “old-fashioned rum punches”, fresh fish, peas and rice, and other traditional fare... Something like they must have eaten back in 1739.

Hidden out past quaint Five Islands Village, Hawksbill resort is seamlessly sprinkled over 37 acres of Caribbean gardens right on the water. Sure, Antigua is known for its 365 beaches so it shouldn’t be a surprise when a resort has more then one beach, but Hawksbill has, an impressive, four secluded strips of sugar-white sand easily accessible to guests with a fifth accessible to truly intrepid sun worshipers. Besides the sheer quantity, Hawksbill also sports a one-of-a-kind beach for Antigua. Beyond the southern point of the the 99 non-smoking guest rooms, down a little path, through a white fence, and around the bend is Eden Beach — Antigua’s one and only extremely concealed clothing-optional shore. It’s here, a matter of meters into the Caribbean Sea, that you’ll find majestic Hawksbill Rock (so named for its uncanny resemblance to a hawk’s profile) from which the property gets its name.

Sanur is a beautiful and quaint part of Bali with hotels along the boardwalk that lines the beach. The boardwalk really makes Sanur special, as walking in Bali can be treacherous in most of the towns with narrow streets and tiny sidewalks, but this paved path in Sanur is great for biking and long walks along the beach. Walk to the south end of the boardwalk for a great view of the sunset and find a nice little cafe to have a Bintang (beer) or a Bali kopi (coffee).

There are bigger and flashier moonshine distilleries in East Tennessee, but none are more fun to visit than this humble facility in the quaint town of Piney Flats. The distillery is run by the ironically nicknamed “Tiny” Roberson, a mountain of a man who learned how to master steel and steam as a boiler technician in the Navy. After mustering out, Roberson used his experience to start his own business distilling fine corn liquor and, thus, Roberson’s Tennessee Mellomoon was born. Today, visitors can tour the facility to witness how Roberson’s self-described “hillbilly engineering” is used to craft White Lightnin’ and flavored moonshines, all of which are available for purchase in the distillery’s gift store and bottle shop.

This quaint neighborhood corner joint, on Charleston’s rapidly gentrifying Westside, serves Charleston food with a French accent. That’s not nouveau fusion-and-foams French—it’s rich old-school braises, and buttery, mounted sauces over braised local fish and pork ribs. Although the fancier entrees shine, it’s hard not to defer to the tempting double burger with pickled lunchbox peppers, or the French dip with its fall-apart brisket and intense au jus. Start with artichoke heart au gratin dip, the crab gnocchi with smoked bacon lardons, or a salad made with pears, figs, burrata, and toasted pine nuts. Pair everything with an excellent wine list and local beers. The best seats in the wood-ceilinged, cozy dining room overlook the kitchen (and can be reserved), where conversation with the cooks is welcome.

This is a peaceful spot to land when you want to soak up the tranquil breezes off the Chesapeake Bay. Head down south and enjoy a quaint stay in this hopeful little town still showing forth the glory of its historic roots. Grab a bicycle from the Hope & Glory Inn’s bike stand and head on over to their namesake vineyard. Taste a few of the delicious wines and dine at the Inn’s restaurant where the grub gives ‘country’ food a new meaning.

Hyde Park is happening. Catering to the University of Chicago crowd and its visiting dignitaries, the five-year-old Sophy takes inspiration from hometown literary and musical heroes, whose artworks ornament the walls in the popular and always convivial Mesler restaurant. Taking the title of the first boutique hotel on Chicago’s South Side when it opened in 2018, the property occupies a prime spot on 53rd Street—a vibrant commercial hub lined with shops and restaurants owned and frequented by a diverse population that range from academics to local politicians to the city’s cultural influencers. Former UofC professor Barack Obama’s home (and his under-construction presidential library) are nearby.