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Why we love it: A family-friendly resort with a dizzying array of accommodations and activities

The Highlights:
- A range of accommodations, from cozy cabins to boutique hotel rooms
- More than 65 year-round activities to entertain the kids
- A water-themed spa and two championship golf courses for when you need a break from the family

The Review:
Situated on the shores of Gull Lake, the historic Grand View Lodge has been hosting family vacations since 1916. With everything from a kids’ club and indoor water park to a game room and fire pit for s’mores, the resort caters to children of all ages but offers plenty for adults as well, including a water-themed spa and two championship golf courses. Guests here can take advantage of more than 65 year-round activities, including a range of water sports, or venture a short distance to local zip lines, riding stables, and ski resorts. There’s even a newly constructed recreation facility on-site, featuring a 3,779-square-foot pool area, state-of-the-art fitness center, yoga studio, tennis court, ice-skating rink, and more.

Accommodations are equally varied, ranging from lodge rooms and lakeside cabins to garden cottages and entire homes. Come July 2019, a 60-room boutique hotel that’s perfect for company meetings will also be available. When hunger strikes, there are eight dining venues on the property, including a steak house, beachside cantina, and wine bar with a 2,000-bottle cellar. Whether you visit in the summer for the lake or the winter for the nearby mountains, expect cozy accommodations, a high standard of service, and a family trip that will long be remembered.

El Dorado is a favorite in Salinas. The seafood is fresh and plentiful, and the menu boosts some unique twists on classic Puerto Rican dishes. This restaurant is located along the Ruta Gastronomica which has many restaurants each with their own special “mojo” sauce used to create delicious fish specials. Not into fish? That’s okay, there is plenty more on the menu!

If you want to try Puerto Rico‘s take on seafood, then this is a perfect place to experience it!

In the area of the Norman palace, near the market, there are still some little medieval botteghe (shops) below the level of the palace. Via dei Biscottari is where they used to make the pastries and cookies for the king. There is one shop I love to visit where they still make the shells for cannoli by hand. Sicilians love cannoli, of course, filled with fresh ricotta. We have an intense sweet tooth. Via dei Biscottari near Via Saladino

The date-night dinner-and-a-movie standard has been taken to a new stylish height at this acclaimed restaurant in the Mission District. Grab a table on the patio under the strings of lights to dine on seasonal California cuisine while films flicker on the back wall. It’s romantic, and easily one of San Francisco’s most unique dining settings. But don’t think of Foreign Cinema as just a gimmick. The stellar cuisine is the real scene-stealer here, which is why Foreign Cinema is consistently ranked as one of the city’s best restaurants. Chef Gayle Pirie and her partner, chef John Clark, have transformed this into a destination restaurant. Reservations are still tough to get, especially for Saturday night and Sunday brunch, but plan ahead and you’ll be glad. From fresh local oysters on the half shell to caramel pecan sticky buns to a popular sesame curry fried chicken, the food is always as stellar as the setting, making date night or brunch with friends an event you won’t soon forget. The adjacent wine bar, Laszlo, is perfect for predinner drinks or nightcaps.

Fleetwood Mac front man Mick Fleetwood is behind this bar and restaurant, located on a third-floor rooftop in Lahaina. Here, guests sip drinks under beige umbrellas while taking in views of the dreamy blue Pacific. To pair with award-winning cocktails like the Heart of the Jungle (Cynar, Velvet Falernum, coconut rum, and lemon juice), which comes in a tiki artichoke, executive chef Eric Morrissette serves a menu of elevated bar bites, fresh local fish, and meatier dishes like filet mignon with peppercorn reduction. If you’re not a cocktail person, know that the robust drink menu also features beers from Maui Brewing Co. and Kohola Brewing as well as exclusive wines like Krug Brut from Reims, Luberri Gran Reserva rioja, and even a Chateau Musar red blend from Lebanon.

Though Belize is replete with Maya sites, including some spectacular archaeological examples that are open to the public, Chan Chich may well be the only hotel in the country that can claim to sit atop a known former Maya site. In the late 1980s, owner Barry Bowen sought and received permission from the country’s Department of Archaeology to build on the site, whose plaza was beyond repair. No doubt guests are surrounded by the spirits of ancient Maya as well as actual artifacts that remain hidden in the soil around the lodge. Accommodations are individual casitas and cabanas decorated with local art, fresh tropical flowers, and simple but sturdy furnishings. The hotel is part of the historic 130,000-acre Gallon Jug Estate, which is, among other things, a private nature preserve. Guests enjoy wildlife spotting on the property, whose staff has kept a running list of the bird species seen here: the current count tops 350 types.

This five-star beachfront hotel toes the line between being a hub of activity and a luxurious, only-in-Southern-California hideaway. For restoration, head to the sprawling spa for a customized wellness-oriented treatment or a meditation class. Mind cleared, make your way to the on-site outfitter Compass Sports—where staff will coordinate local mountain biking, paddleboarding, hiking, and surfing expeditions—or to the palm tree–lined, mosaic-tiled pool. Big ocean views and a light, airy design define the 250 rooms; for guests seeking extra solitude and space, there are bungalow suites, which are essentially private beach houses. At the hotel’s three eateries, it’s all seasonal all the time, from the fresh morning juices to evening cocktails. That ethos peaks at the fine-dining restaurant Studio, where executive chef Craig Strong creates elegantly plated French-meets-California dishes using locally sourced fish and meat, along with vegetables picked from the hotel’s 1,000-square-foot garden. Pro tip: In a setting this transporting, you almost want to break into song. Good news—the hotel will rent out mini guitars to guests for the duration of their stay.

The modern minimalism of Le Méridien Chambers boutique hotel is accented by all things art. Graffiti-covered stairwells and hallways lead to rooms, each with their own original piece of art by the likes of Brits Damien Hirst and Gary Hume. Located in the vibrant Theatre District, entertainment from live music to stand-up comedy is just outside the door. As a guest, you’ll be granted free admission to the popular Walker Art Museum one mile away. Aside from the art, there are thoughtful amenities like the rain shower and heated floors, and fresh Italian cuisine at the hotel’s Marin Restaurant & Bar.

A Montreal favorite, this wine bar is known for its elegant food and drinks— and comes recommended highly by Ritz-Carlton concierge Simon Bajouk. The wine selection is vast and the staff is extremely helpful in guiding visitors to something that they like. “Trios,” aka flights, are another good way to taste through a well curated selection. (Cocktails and local Quebecois beer are also available.) The food ranges from snacks like gougeres and nuts to porcini arancini and short ribs. A dish of green beens with truffle oil and almonds was fresh, light, and delicious; the charcuterie plate was a generous offering of various local salumi.

When Bouillon Bilk first opened in 2011, Montréal’s restaurant critics were intrigued. The chef, François Nadon, had worked at several of the city’s top restaurants but was largely unknown, and the restaurant was located on an undistinguished stretch of boulevard St-Laurent. But it soon became both a critical and popular favorite. The contemporary, minimal space is decidedly unstuffy compared with many of Montréal’s leading restaurants. Similarly, the menu may be gourmet but it’s also daring, with ingredients and preparations from Asia complementing French dishes and techniques. You can start with Japanese yellowtail, move on to a pasta dish, and end with a selection of Québecois cheeses, if you choose. There are also fresh oysters on the menu at both lunch and dinner.

As you walk through Stellenbosch’s town center, you’ll probably smell the bread baking at Boschendal at Oude Bank before you even arrive at the café’s main entrance. Owned by Boschendal Farm Estate since early 2017, the local favorite is a bakery, bistro, and farm shop in one, serving seasonal dishes made from locally sourced, farm-fresh ingredients. The warm interior features cozy dining nooks, but you should really sit outside, where you can sip your matcha latte while people-watching on Bird Street. Go for breakfast and order the brioche French toast, or stop by for lunch and pair the trout salad with a glass of chenin blanc from the farm.

La Casa de La Abuela is a Oaxaca mainstay, on the corner between the Zocalo and the Alameda, Oaxaca’s two central squares. Find the entrance on Hidalgo street, and climb the steps up to the second floor. As soon as you enter you’ll see a big clay comal and a woman making fresh tortillas, the sign that this is the real deal: authentic Oaxacan food. They serve local specialties including four kinds of mole (almendrado, coloradito, amarillo and mole negro). Choose a spot by the window to enjoy your meal while you watch the action in the square below.

It might be the middle of the City, and it might be at the major concert hall in Honolulu, but Wednesday evenings are typically reserved for the Ward (aka Honolulu) Farmers Market. Tents go up, and local food vendors and farmers display their products with music drifting through the air. This farmers market is a great place to pick up some produce for the kitchen, grab dinner on the go, or try something new and different - like flavored butter from the only dairy left on Oahu, or farm fresh macadamia nuts, or locally made ice cream.

One of my favorite spas in Jamaica is located at the well-known Jakes Resort, in Treasure Beach. Small, cozy and away from the big resort towns, it’s a wonderful place to unwind. Opt for a long full body massage in one of only four oceanfront treatment cabanas, with doors open on the sea ahead. The spa prides itself in using fresh ingredients from its on site gardens. When you’re done, walk over to Jack Sprat for a quick bite with a view and take a nap on the beach—not necessarily in that order.

You’ll constantly find this small Marietta restaurant packed with customers for their biscuits and burgers. Local Food Network star Alton Brown named Red Eyed Mule’s burgers on the show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” It’s also a favorite of the members of the nearby Air Force base. This hometown favorite opened in 2010 and was instantly beloved. If you’re there for breakfast, grab a biscuit before heading to work. It may be hard to find a seat for lunch, but order at the counter before sitting down. Their burgers are handmade fresh ground beef between pieces of Texas toast with your choice of toppings.