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You can eat other things at Loveless Cafe, but if you don’t try the flaky buttery biscuits, you’re missing out. Carol Fay Ellison started at Loveless as a dishwasher in 1979. She graduated to the stove a few years later and reigned supreme as The Biscuit Lady until her death in 2010. Fortunately, she passed her recipes for biscuits and preserves on to other capable hands, so her memories survive along with her portrait in the cafe. Loveless isn’t the same without her, but the biscuits are still incredible.

Located in southern Galilee in the Jordan Valley, Beit She’an National Park was created to protect and preserve the site of one of Israel‘s oldest cities. One can easily spend a few hours exploring the vast and fascinating park. Some of the country’s most spectacular artifacts dating back to the Bronze Age are on exhibit, as well as an impressive 7,000-seat Roman amphitheater, public baths, workshops, a temple, and the colonnaded Palladius street. Don’t miss She’an Nights, an evening sound-and-light show in which images of Roman buildings and people are projected onto the ruins along the central street, briefly bringing the city back to life.

Created from two renovated vintage motels in 2016, the 102-room Coachman blends midcentury bones with a modern, outdoorsy sensibility. A few blocks from both Lakeside Beach and Heavenly Ski Resort, it works equally well as a summer or winter base. The seasonal outdoor pool, year-round hot tub, nightly s’mores around the firepit, and lobby beer-and-wine bar make it easy to settle in after a day outside.

Accommodations range from guest rooms to one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites, plus a standalone cabin with a full kitchen that sleeps four. Rooms pair modern-rustic design with Bellino Italian linens, Malin+Goetz toiletries, Apple TV, and rubber flooring at the entryway—a thoughtful detail for wet boots and ski gear. A complimentary continental breakfast is included.

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Yes, New Mexico actually has an official “state question"--since 1996, referring to the ubiquitous chile sauce, it’s “red or green?” Fortunately you don’t have to choose just one; the local way to say ‘can I have both’ is just one word: “Christmas.” If you’re driving through New Mexico on the way to Arizona and points beyond, the only town of any size on I-40 between Albuquerque and Flagstaff is Gallup. For road-trip food here, get away from the Interstate and its humdrum chain restaurants. Seek out Jerry’s--a block off old Route 66. You can’t miss the retro neon sign, and there’s often a line out the door for its New Mexico-style fare. Gallup is surrounded by Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni lands--you might well be one of the few non-Native-Americans eating here at breakfast or lunch. The restaurant allows local vendors to come in and show their wares--usually jewelry and bracelets--while you eat. (You can request a ‘do not disturb’ sign for your booth if you want.) “Hole in the wall” gets overused, but Jerry’s definitely fits that description. Nothing pretentious here--but the flavor of the chile sauce is as good as you’ll find in Albuquerque or Santa Fe. A recommendation: the flat cheese-and-onion-enchiladas, topped “Christmas” style with a fried egg on top. And don’t forget to sop up the sauce with the sopaipillas, saving some of the frybread to top with honey as a dessert afterwards...

Dutch restaurants are not renowned for their customer service. But at Yumi Sushi off Max Euweplein, you control when and what you’re served because you fetch your own selections from a rotating conveyor belt. Plates are color-coded according to price and the bill is calculated by counting plates. At €2.25‒6/plate, you can rack up quite a bill if you’re not careful. But the food is fresh and delicious (nothing stays on the belt for more than two hours), and you can be in and out quickly if time is an issue. The concept is not new, but it’s especially nice in Amsterdam, where hospitality personnel are paid more than servers in America, thus typically don’t exert themselves for tips. Here, you’re on your own at the bar, where fresh offerings come around immediately after they’re prepared by Dutch and Asian sushi chefs as you watch. The interactive component adds to the fun. The sleek, contemporary restaurant is adjacent to Leidseplein, so you have an overview of the people parade through big windows that keep the place bright. It’s not the most gezellig dining option in this bustling area, but it’s a great spot for a fast, no-frills (if somewhat pricey) meal. At tables, €12–40 menus come with miso soup, rice, dumplings, 12–40 pieces of sushi, and fried bananas with ice cream—a better deal than the rotating sushi if you don’t mind the chef’s selections. Hot dishes like chicken yakitori, breaded shrimp, gyoza dumplings and grilled asparagus also can be ordered at the bar.

When I go to Stuart for the day with my husband or my sister, I enjoy shopping, lunch, and then a walk along the river walk. The river walk runs along the edge of town that lies on the banks of the St. Lucie River. The views are beautiful. I see boats, fish, birds, the river, and the amazing structure of the new Roosevelt Bridge. If you are in Stuart for dinner or a show at the Lyric Theater, don’t miss the chance to see the Roosevelt Bridge at night. It is lit up and if you walk the river walk you can walk right up to this structure and view the underside that just glows in the dark. It is quite a beautiful sight. If you enjoy taking pictures while traveling, don’t forget the camera.

The [incredibly luxurious] Terrace Hotel might seem almost like a black sheep, located as it is in the downtown heart of the steel-and-glass CBD of Perth in Western Australia. Don’t be fooled! The hotel is more like a spotless, white sheep, my experience so wonderful and luxurious that for almost the first time ever in my years as a traveler -- I forgot to take photos. [Image above courtesy Terrace Hotel FB page.] I was blessed to spend my 32nd birthdday at The Terrace and everything, from the food to the bed linens to the champagne and petit fours which were waiting in my room after check in, to the impecable way in which I was treated by staff -- was beyond reproach. Since the hotel is fairly new, you may find growing pains during your stay. Bear with them. I truly believe this hotel is destined for lasting greatness on the Perth hotel scene which is so desperately in need of great boutiques such as The Terrace. You’ll find it ideally suited for walking to most major attractions, in particular the river front -- with ferry to Rottnesst Island or Fremantle -- and even Kings Park. Don’t skip eating a meal at the restaurant, the food is as excellent as the night’s sleep you will have in their beds. And come prepared to share your Apple login if you want to access the complimentary Apple TV in your room.

Based in Barcelona since 1992, Holala! Plaza is the best Barcelona shop for vintage clothes, furniture, video games, accessories, books and more. It’s hard to leave empty-handed, but even if you don’t have cash to spare, stop by to check out their awesome window dressings. This shop is within walking distance of pretty much anywhere in Barcelona’s city center, but the nearest metro stop is Universitat (L1, L2).

Located along a stretch of coastline that’s sometimes called the birthplace of jerk cuisine, the Boston Bay Jerk Center is hard to miss. Various meats are cook on open pits using a technique that may explain why jerk never tastes so good at home: Uncured pimento logs are placed over a bed of hot coals, and the meat is laid directly on the green logs. The whole operation is then covered up by a sheet of corrugated zinc and cooked until it’s black on the outside and tender underneath. You can place your order by the quarter, half, or full pound. Don’t forget to add jerk sauce, which you can also buy by the bottle as a souvenir.

For a spectacular hike near Nairobi, head to the Ngong Hills, just a 40–minute drive away. These knuckle-shaped hills offer panoramic views of Nairobi and the surrounding mountain ranges, and you can choose to turn back at any point if you don’t feel like scaling every peak (the highest rises to 8,071 feet above sea level). The easiest option is to leave your car at the Ngong Town entrance and pick up a ranger to guide your walk. Be sure to bring a picnic—the satisfaction of reaching the final peak is best celebrated by sprawling out on a blanket, enjoying a sandwich, and soaking in the views extending out from all sides.

This bite-size coffee stand in the Victorian-era Strand Arcade building downtown is perfect for a midday lift. Run by the team behind Coffee Alchemy in Marrickville, Gumption serves coffee and only coffee (no food). Six single-origin bean varieties are on offer, three of them filtered hot, the other three dripped cold and served over ice. Don’t think about asking for milk, though, unless you mean a steamed drink. They’ll deny you. The staff is not snobby, just matter-of-fact. The coffees come small and extremely drinkable—even for dairy lovers.

All of Mexico City‘s neighborhood markets are fun to browse, with their rows and rows of colorful stalls and equally colorful characters, and you can’t go wrong ducking into any one of these mercados as you come across them in your wanderings. Mercado Medellín is particularly favored among expats from other parts of Latin America, as it specializes in foodstuffs from Caribbean and Central and South American countries. This is also a superb market to visit if you’re hungry. Vendors sell everything from Colombian ajíaco to Cuban ice cream, so don’t hesitate to graze your way through the treats on offer.

If you’ve ever longed for a ride down a river to spot crocodiles—and who among us hasn’t? [editor’s note: me!]—you can do just that on the Black River in southern Jamaica. The river cruises are a popular tourist attraction, but they never feel overrun. Enjoy an hour-long cruise past tall mangroves and ferns, spotting tropical birds and stopping when the guides greet crocodiles. The enormous reptiles swim right up and even open their jaws while passengers cringe and wonder if the guide’s hand is about to disappear. Don’t miss this fun chance to see some of Jamaica’s wildest interior.

Apparently, you don’t need a rockin’ house or an haute hotel to throw a massive pool party. The only thing missing from the poolside shindigs at these downtown Scottsdale bars are the floaties. First, there’s Spanish Fly Mexican Beach Club with its private cabanas and day beds. Then just down the street is Maya Day and Nightclub, which not only has private plunge pools but also a taco bar, LED video screen and floating stage that hosts DJs and live music. Rounding out the trio is El Santo, a cantina and patio bar with a 15,000-square-foot Mexican resort-style pool.

One of the largest craft museums in India, the National Handicrafts and Handloom Museum displays tribal and rural art and artifacts. With over 35,000 pieces ranging from textiles to clay, the space is a welcoming community of artisans and art lovers. The museum was created over a 30-year period to preserve the sacred and traditional artistry of the region. Each month, approximately 50 craftspeople from across the country are invited to reside on the property and demonstrate their talents. Don’t miss the Village Complex, an exhibition that displays village life from varying regions in India. Note: Closed on Mondays.