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Having recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, Cafe Gandolfi is a bona fide dining landmark in the Merchant City district of central Glasgow. It’s aged remarkably well, thanks to its organic timber furniture by Tim Stead and simple but innovative cooking with mostly seasonal ingredients. Classics in the Gandolfi canon include the smoked haddock chowder known as Cullen skink and the Stornoway black pudding (from the Isle of Lewis), served with mushrooms and pancakes.

Tempted by trendier bistros in the area, tourists rarely stop by this nondescript café on the corner of the Rue des Rosiers at the St.-Ouen flea market unless they are gypsy jazz fans. Aficionados from across the globe know that La Chope is the place to hear the best of gypsy jazz in Paris and where the spirit of Django Reinhardt lingers. Businessman (and jazz guitarist) Marcel Campion saved the historic spot from destruction, opening a jazz school upstairs, sponsoring master classes, and providing accommodations for wandering talent. Concerts are held every Saturday and Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Reservations not required.

If walking through New York’s streets seems chaotic, try getting above it all—with a panoramic view from the top of the city’s most famous skyscraper. From above, the beautifully engineered order of the buildings, parks and thoroughfares below is revealed—and at sunset, the colors reflecting off the glass towers look magical. There are actually two observation decks to choose from: one on the 86th floor, which is grand enough for most; and another more vertiginous option, on the 102nd floor.

It’s not exactly Portland’s highest point but, at 1,073 feet, it’s close. Irrespective of how Council Crest Park measures up, it provides a view of five surrounding mountains on a clear day: Rainier, Adams, Jefferson, Hood, and St. Helens, with helpful indicators showing which mountain is which for those not as versed in freestyle mountain identification as lifelong Portlanders are. Bolder folks may opt to hike to the summit along the trails here, though driving up the hill past suffering road bicyclists is an easier option year-round. The water tower that’s now part of the park was once a feature of the Council Crest Amusement Park, torn down in 1941.

On the banks of the river Zaan, time stopped three centuries ago at Zaanse Schans. In this recreation of a Dutch village in the 17th–18th centuries, stroll down streets lined with typical green wooden houses, manicured gardens and graceful bridges. Poke into tradesmen’s workshops, historic windmills and tiny boutiques. See how wooden clogs are made and watch pewter jewelry fashioned before your eyes. Discover how artisanal Dutch cheese is crafted and purchase a wheel of Gouda or Edam to take home. Refuel with coffee and apple pie in one of numerous restaurants within the village. Explore a few museums and round off your visit with a boat trip on the river. Although several museums at Zaanse Schans charge for admission, there’s no entry fee at the popular tourist attraction created by relocating houses, windmills, storehouses and barns to form a replica of a typical Zaanse village. Alongside clusters of windmills, characteristic wooden houses and unique shops, traditional Dutch crafts are showcased and the lifestyles of people who lived in Holland long before sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll entered the picture are revealed.

Birders, hikers, and all manner of nature lovers score big with a visit to this former NASA tracking station and U.S. naval base on the northeast coast of Bermuda. Despite its name, Cooper’s Island is no longer an island, having been connected to St. David’s Island via land reclamation since the 1940s. While the U.S. military has moved on, the wildlife sanctuary is still home to the base of a radar tower that tracked shuttle movements in the early days of the Space Race. Today, the 12-acre reserve is crisscrossed with paths and fringed with pristine beaches. Of particular note is Clearwater Beach, which teems with conch and turtles. Inland, a restored lake and marshland are home to crabs and seabirds. The former radar tower makes an ideal perch for bird-watching.

Southwest of Anguilla is one of the island’s top three beach areas: the two-mile-long brilliantly white stretch at Rendezvous Bay. Its long shore, steady breeze, and calm Caribbean waters provide a break from the crowds at Shoal Bay and Sandy Ground. The western end does offer some fun daytime beach-bar action, which grows rowdier at night and on the weekends, when the famous Bankie Banx’s Dune Preserve venue attracts residents and visitors for live music. You can view St. Martin, across the channel, from shore.

Cozy Dolina serves a lovely breakfast spread with an Eastern European bent. Try the nutty granola atop Greek yogurt with fruit, ricotta pancakes, and a hearty breakfast burrito with organic eggs, hash browns, and asadero cheese (topped, in good New Mexican fashion, with red or green chile). There’s also robust espresso and coffee, local bone broth, and baked grab-and-go sweets like chocolate croissants, banana pie with a flaky, buttery crust, and Slovakian-style vanilla cream puffs.

At 300 meters, Mount Lycabettus is the highest peak in Athens. Every half an hour a funicular whizzes up to the summit. Among other attractions, there’s a restaurant with sky-high prices and views to match. On a clear day, you can see the island of Aegina shimmering on the horizon. The tiny chapel of St. George is a magical place to watch the sunrise (especially on Sundays, when the church service starts at 7:30 a.m.) or sunset.

Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs is a family vacation resort and conference center whose showcase feature is a 50,000-square-foot water park, heated to a humid 84 degrees Fahrenheit (a treat in the middle of the high Colorado desert). It’s next to Interstate 25, just north of Colorado Springs. Though the water park is accessible exclusively to guests at the hotel, the Adventure Park is open to the public, with completely dry activities including a ropes course, climbing wall, mini-golf, gem-panning, bowling, arcade, and several hotel-wide scavenger hunt games. Meals are not included in the room price, but there are restaurants on the property, including healthy options, allergy-friendly kitchens, and, exclusive to the Colorado property, Barnwood, a farm-to-table restaurant and bar in the lobby, which sources as many local ingredients as possible. To avoid crowds and lines, the water park at Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs is only open to guests of the hotel, which has 311 suites, differently configured, themed, and sized to accommodate families of all sizes; rates begin at $199 per night and include access to the water park. In celebration of the grand opening, they’re offering discounts of up to 30 percent on multi-night stays through the end of March. Pro tip: bring your own bathrobe and flip flops.

This Spring Street café’s name is deceiving—yes, two in-house sommeliers assure there’s a focus on excellent wines, but this isn’t a pecorino-and-prosciutto wine bar—it’s a full-service neighborhood restaurant serving hearty entrees like a cast iron-seared hanger steak, and squid ink pasta alla chitarra with zucchini, chilis, and local shrimp. That’s not to say there isn’t cheese; it’s a fine place for a snack and a glass of wine (over a dozen are offered by the pour). But likewise, don’t let the name steer you away from house cocktails like the namesake Josephine, with its balance of grapefruit juice, yellow chartreuse, and Lillet. House sodas like a passionfruit limeaid with jalapeño syrup appeal to non-drinkers in search of inspired mocktails. Picture-worthy, white-and-gold décor lends elegance to the space, whether you’re sipping in the late afternoon natural light or out on a dinner date after dark.

“I’ve never seen so much red – except at a French brothel,” a fellow guest said to me as we rode the elevator together. She was right. From the moment you enter the lobby, the Rouge lives up to its colorful name with its red quartz tile, red lamps, and the Red Hot Room (for meetings). You’ll find crimson headboards and velvet drapes in each room -- although there’s plenty of zebra print, too. One of eight Kimpton hotels in Washington, DC, Rouge is certainly the rosiest. Stylish and eclectic in that Kimpton fashion, my street-facing room was both comfy and oversized – and convenient. It’s just three blocks to DuPont Circle and then only a bit further to Rock Creek Park (great for jogging, biking, or just walking). The White House is five blocks away and Whole Foods Market just two. For the athletically minded (like me), the good news is that each room has a yoga mat in the closet and nearly all are large enough to do a complete Vinyasa flow. The less good news: the small fitness room in the basement is dreary (but for $5 you can get a pass to the local “Y,” which has every amenity, including a 25-meter pool). The Rouge’s guests are as idiosyncratic as its décor. Families, business warriors, and hipsters seem to be the main human food groups –converging for the hotel’s wine hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and at then, again, breakfast. If eclectic’s your thing, the Rouge is your place. Leave the rose-colored glasses at home – you won’t need them here.

A Greek Revival family mansion built at the turn of the 20th century, Hotel Ella owes both its name and its grandeur to its very first lady of the house, Ella Wooten. Known for her impeccable style and grand tastes, Ella was a fixture of Austin high society who hired the stone carver responsible for the Biltmore Estate to craft her house’s columns and verandas and worked with Neiman Marcus’ Stanly Marcus to redecorate the interiors in 1925.

Nowadays, Hotel Ella pays homage to her good taste with fashionably understated decor, a locally sourced restaurant, and an art collection that the original proprietress would have coveted. Works include original Ansel Adams photographs and Wooten family portraits and jewelry. The owners pride themselves on making guests feel just as pampered as Ella might have, with perks like a free town car service—even though the hotel is within walking distance of downtown—and a concierge team for whom no request is too much.

While Heath Ceramics is over 60 years old, having been founded in 1948 in Sausalito, their colorful bud vases, dinnerware and tiles have enjoyed a boom in recent years. Straddling the line between a rough, hand-crafted aesthetic and an elegant, understated quality, their pieces are hard to miss in the pages of design magazines as well as at the homes of some of your most tasteful friends. The new retail location on 18th Street includes a workshop alongside a café serving Blue Bottle coffee. There is also a smaller location in the Ferry Building.

In the native Hawaiian language, the word “Lahaina” literally translates as “cruel, merciless sun.” Given the name, it should come as little surprise that not only is Lahaina the hottest place on the island, but it can be five degrees warmer than neighboring Ka’anapali, just three miles down the road. When walking around town, one of the best ways to beat the heat is to cool off with a syrupy shave ice. This sweet treat has become synonymous with Hawaii, and its origins date to Japanese plantation workers who would combat the heat by shaving ice off of blocks. Today, no visit to Maui is complete without enjoying a refreshing shave ice, and the best shave ice on the west side of the island can be found at Local Boys West. Conveniently situated across from the Banyan Tree, Local Boys is an island favorite for all of the free add-ons which accompany each serving. In addition to the soft, melt-in-your-mouth ice flakes that can be flavored with multiple syrups, Local Boys includes ice cream on the bottom and Kauaʽi Cream on top, completely free of charge. For those traveling with kids, you can even top the treat with gummy bears for exactly the same price. While waiting in line for your syrupy treat, take a moment to watch the surf films or shop for locally-made merchandise. This store was opened by a man and his young son who humbly sold snacks on the street, and it’s grown into arguably the best place in Lahaina to enjoy the island flavor.