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This sprawl of green—132 acres’ worth—is an oasis for urbanites. The park’s centerpiece, the Nashville Parthenon, is a full-scale replica of the Grecian structure and a physical testimony to Nashville’s “Athens of the South” nickname. The park’s bandshell hosts Shakespeare in the Park and occasionally serves as the site of the popular Movies in the Park, but because this is Nashville, a free live music series called Musicians Corner dominates the summer programming. On Saturday afternoons from May through September, music lovers, families, and pets gather to enjoy an impressive lineup of musicians, as well as local food trucks and a beer garden. Recent performers have included Preservation Hall Jazz Band and local favorites Rayland Baxter, Cale Tyson, and Langhorne Slim.

With a nickname like the “Cave State,” Missouri certainly isn’t short on impressive caverns. Of the more than 6,000 across the state, however, Meramac Caverns is the largest—and stays open year-round for tours. Said to have been a hideout for the outlaw Jesse James in the 1870s, the seven-level, 4.6-mile-long natural wonder was purchased by Lester Dill in 1933 and opened as a tourist attraction in 1935. Today, visitors can take guided tram tours past the cave’s complex mineral formations, stopping at a “wine room” (named for its grape-like botryoids and accessed by a long stairwell). While exploring, keep your eyes peeled for the resident tricolored bats that call Meramac home.

Michoacan can claim only a small stretch of Pacific coastline in comparison with neighboring states, but what it has is lovely and blessedly lacking in tourist overdevelopment. Playa Maruata is the most beautiful of Michoacan’s beaches and the perfect place to get away from it all. Actually three beaches nestled between mountains and coves, the easternmost stretch of sand is perfect for snorkeling and wading and sunbathing. The beaches are located next to a small village where you can find a grocery store and a tiny restaurant or two. You can camp on the beach for a small fee, or you can spend the night in a rustic cabin for a bit more. If comfort is important to you, you can splurge on a room at the Centro Ecoturistico Maruata, situated on a hillside above the coast.

If you’re looking for a unique fine-dining experience under the stars, away from tourists and with gorgeous night skyline views, look no further than Robbie Joseph’s Seahorse Grill. Tucked on the grounds of the Montego Bay Yacht Club, this restaurant is popular among expats and residents and remains a best-kept secret. Classy yet unpretentious, it offers outdoor, waterfront dock, and terrace seating and “global cuisine with a twist of West Indian flair.” From a juicy steak night—hard to find in Jamaica—to pastas and Jamaican seafood specialties, you’ll be talking about that dinner under the stars for a while to come. The cocktails are pretty fabulous, too. This restaurant is a west coast gem.

the Stockholm city hall building went up in the 1920s and has a variety of styles incorporated into it. Its possible to take a guided tour around the building and admire the architecture, especially the gold room which is made up of millions of mosaics. This is also the building where Nobel Prize winners party with the king of Sweden.

The city’s oldest tourist attraction, Zoo Atlanta actually started by accident. In 1889, a traveling circus went bankrupt and sold its animals to a local businessman, who decided to open a zoo in Grant Park to house his new pets. Over the years, he acquired more animals, including some from Cola-Cola heir Asa Candler Jr.’s private collection. Today, the zoo is home to such stars as Willie B. Jr. the silverback gorilla and Lun Lun the giant panda, who gave birth to twins in 2016.

Willemstad’s first colonial settlement started as a hub for Dutch slave traders. Now a World Heritage site, this modern city center has a distinct Euro-Caribbean atmosphere, its preserved colonial buildings housing fashion boutiques, art galleries, and sidewalk cafés. Wander down Punda’s narrow cobblestoned alleys, then snap a signature photo at the Queen Wilhelmina Park’s giant Curaçao and Dushi signs. The neighborhood gets extra lively during the free Punda Vibes event every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., featuring an outdoor market, live music, and local folkloric dancing.

In a picturesque setting near the shores of Lake Geneva and the famous Jet d’Eau fountain, the Grand Hotel Kempinski Geneva is a modern, upscale hotel that serves as a high-end summer and winter retreat. Its 412 rooms, suites, and apartments mix contemporary and classic decor and come with modern technologies such as flat-screen TVs and in-room iPads. If you want views of Lake Geneva and the Alps, you’ll need to book one of the Deluxe rooms, most of which have the added allure of being situated in the historic part of the hotel.

The service is immaculate, with a concierge team that can work miracles. The hotel has three restaurants and a second-floor bar with a fantastic terrace. Weary travelers can revive themselves at the spa. For the ultimate health break, you can also take advantage of the hotel’s on-site pharmacy and dentist.

The Atlantis Hotel is the focal point of Dubai‘s giant cluster of man-made isthmuses that jut out into the Persian Gulf. Even if you can’t afford to stay at this spectacular hotel, you can still go see what the decadent expat lifestyle feels like for the day by swimming with dolphins in Dolphin Bay or splashing about in the rivers, slides, and pools of Dubai‘s largest water park: Aquaventure. If that doesn’t float your boat (sorry), there’s Atlantis’s dive center, in which you can go diving in a nearly 3 million–gallon tank. You’ll literally be swimming with the sharks (and stingrays) this time. In Atlantis, don’t be surprised to find yourself feeding the rays next to a celebrity—this is one of the places they stay in Dubai.

The central hub of downtown Amsterdam is Dam Square, and it’s been at the heart of the city’s history since the 13th century. Today, the open-air public space is ringed by shops and restaurants and packed with people, including street performers and tourists en route to nearby attractions like the Royal Palace, the National Monument, and the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), where you can catch a horse-drawn-carriage tour of the city.

Older than both Stonehenge and the pyramids of Egypt, the monument at Newgrange was built around 3,200 B.C.E. Its use is a mystery, although it was most likely a place of worship, and there are legends that it was used as a burial chamber. The main circular mound has a passage with small chambers off it, and each year on the winter solstice, the sun travels along the passage and lights up the main chamber. Many of the curbstones at the front and stone slabs lining the passage have decorative examples of megalithic art, with zigzags, spirals, and other geometric designs. Access to Newgrange is by guided tour, and it’s part of the Brú na Bóinne complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which also has the passage graves at Knowth (on view by guided tour) and Dowth (not open to visitors).

The Cayo District is home to many of Belize’s ancient Maya sites, including one of the largest, Xunantunich. Located atop a ridge near the Mopan River and the Guatemala border, Xunantunich’s “El Castillo,” the main pyramid, is certainly the most impressive. Visitors who brave the steep steps to the top are rewarded with unsurpassed views into Guatemala and neighboring areas of Belize. While the climb up can be pretty steep and rough, there are other routes to get down along the backside that make the descent a little easier. It took me multiple visits to finally gather the courage to climb to the top, but I’m grateful I did, as the views were absolutely worth it! Organized tours to Xunantunich often combine with other activities like zip-lining, cave tubing, or even trips to the Belize Zoo. Travelers who wish to explore all of Xunantunich’s six plazas, which contain more than 26 temples and palaces, should plan to book a private tour or visit on their own.

This twin-peaked headland—and the ruins of the 18th-century Fort Shirley garrison—preside over Prince Rupert’s Bay, Dominica’s largest wetlands and a docking area for smaller cruise ships. An 1802 revolt here led to the British Empire abolishing all slave soldiers, making this Dominica’s most important historic destination—and now a worthy World Heritage site. A short climb leads to the restored buildings and a splendid viewpoint, complete with cannons. Longer trails spike out into the dry coastal woodlands, populated by crabs and grass snakes (Liophis juliae, known locally as kouwes).

Backed by the green of mountains flecked by red rooftops, Lorient Beach is an unspoiled stretch of white sand and beautiful blue water. Favored by locals, fishermen, and visitors, this north coast beach has excellent surfing at one end and calm water for swimming, snorkeling, and stand-up paddle boarding at the other end. The nearby village of Lorient, the site of the island’s first French settlement, is rich in culture. Here visitors are drawn to the 19th century Catholic church, historic bell tower, and Ligne Saint Barth—a famous luxury soap, shampoo, and perfume manufacturer.

Built for the 1968 Olympic Games, the Palacio de Deportes remains an architectural icon of the second half of the 20th-century. Its unusual exterior somewhat resembles the exoskeleton of an armadillo, and its texture stands out as you look at Mexico City from the air just before landing at Benito Juárez International Airport. Today, the Palacio is the site of concerts and sporting events, including motocross and American football, among others. For a full listing of current and upcoming sports events, check the venue’s website.