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Centro Cocina Mexicana showcases the regional foods of Mexico with fresh ingredients made in-house every day. Here you are likely to find Mexican dishes you have never heard of, all with bright, vibrant flavors. From Oaxacan mole and fish tacos to enchiladas with corn and zucchini, the food here is never boring. Centro is proud of its tequila, and the bar offers more than 150 kinds. Fruit-infused tequilas are made in the back of the restaurant, and some are on display behind the bar—look for the glass containers with colorful cut fruit inside. Some favorite tequila infusions are strawberry-pineapple and vanilla-pear. Centro is located in the Sutter District, named for the nearby historic Sutter’s Fort, on a lively block of J Street in Midtown Sacramento. Grab a table outside or by the window, enjoy drinks and small plates at Happy Hour, and watch local residents gathering for the evening here or at one of the other trendy neighborhood establishments.

The family-owned Yandup Island Lodge is located on a private island across from the remote Playon Chico community on the Caribbean coastline of San Blas, Panama. The eco-lodge offers two tours a day: a visit to a beach on one of the archipelago’s deserted islands and a cultural tour that connects guests to the local Kuna Yala indian community.

I was in the Ribeira district of Oporto. I wanted to see the Gothic and Baroque Church of Sao Francisco. So I wandered into the church that was listed as one of the most important and beautiful churches of Oporto. It was said to be very ornate. I was mesmerized by the beauty of this huge edifice with the elaborately decorated interior said to have more than 300 kilos of gold dust covering altars and other decorative surfaces. I stood there and tried to think of the work involved in completing this church. It must have been a huge undertaking ( as were so many of the monuments the world over). The church was built originally as a small building in 1245 by the Franciscan friars in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. In 1383, a much larger church was built.It was finished about 1425. The structure is a basic Gothic church with the large rose window. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Baroque architecture was added. The Franciscan friars were buried in the catacombs which you can visit. There is also an ossuary with thousands of human bones. The interior is very large and you need at least an hour to peruse this monument. This is an attraction that you should not miss while in Oporto.

San Juan Cemetery lies on the coast adjacent to El Morro (San Juan’s beloved fort) and nestled in the district La Perla, a rougher part of town. Its statues and tombs make it as beautiful as a New Orleans cemetery. Exiting El Morro, head down the grassy field to your left to catch this flustering overhead view. On this day, a powerful storm was rolling in, casting everything in gray.

San Antonio’s west side is one of the city’s cultural hubs. Latin and Mexican-American influences are vibrantly displayed through public art and murals. The area around Guadalupe Street is an especially rich place to explore. You’ll find art around every corner, cultural centers, theaters, coffee shops, and bakeries. One of the best resources I came across was the San Antonio Neighborhood Tours sponsored by the City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs. You can download free PDFs of the guides here: http://www.saculturaltours.com/. We did the West Side Murals Y Mas Tour. It was an awesome experience that included more than 50 unique sites.

Each Saturday from October to July (and once a month in August and September), the marina of Cabo San Lucas becomes a stage for local artists, musicians, and performers to peddle their wares and showcase their creative skills in the Circuito Cultural (Cultural Circuit), an event started by local entrepreneurs. Artists display their work from noon to 10 pm and live music and dance keep crowd entertained from 6 pm to 11 pm. The performances aren’t just Mexican in inspiration or origin; recent highlights even included Scottish country dancing.

The church of the mission of San Jose del Cabo is simple, both inside and out, but one of its charms is a special area where locals tie ribbons with petitions for divine intervention or expressions of thanks written on them. If you’d like to join in on the tradition and express your thanks, choose a white ribbon and write about what you’re grateful for on it. Then, tie it to the rack near St. Charbel Mahklouf, the somewhat obscure Lebanese saint who is believed to work miracles.

The beloved Cambodian breakfast dish of nom banh chok is a love-it-or-hate-it dish for most foreigners, who would probably prefer to have this cold to luke-warm noodle dish served hot. The process of making these rice noodles is depicted in bas reliefs on Angkor temples, suggesting that the dish dates back to the Khmer Empire and traveled to Thailand at the end of the Angkorian era. In Thailand, there is a similar noodle dish called kanom jeen. In Siem Reap it’s typically served at street-side stalls and by roaming women vendors who carry baskets of ingredients on their shoulders. Like anything in Cambodia, you can expect to find an array of versions but a favorite comes with a yellow kroeung curry, a mound of thinly sliced banana blossoms, pickled cucumber, and fresh fragrant green herbs.

Pizza Brain, located on Frankford Avenue in Fishtown, bills itself as the world’s first pizza museum and restaurant. With pizza-related toys, artwork, and memorabilia on display around the eatery, fine dining becomes fun dining. An added bonus? An outpost of Little Baby’s Ice Cream—revered around Philly for its handcrafted batches of exotic ice cream flavors—is right next door, making this the perfect address for kids and foodies of all ages. The geniuses behind Pizza Brain have now opened a second restaurant, Pizza Dads, in Brewerytown. Both locations are BYOB.

Formerly Belcampo.

Each of the 16 rooms at Copal Tree Lodge is a spacious villa-style suite set on the edge of the jungle, which gives a sense of privacy and peacefulness. Guests shouldn’t be surprised to see coatimundi, agouti, and other wildlife while showering in the spa-style bathrooms with their floor-to-ceiling windows. Tile floors, comfortable beds wrapped with gauzy mosquito nets, and private verandas are standard in every suite, as is Wi-Fi and complimentary laundry service, and the hotel has a pool and a restaurant/bar. The numerous outdoor activities include exploring Copal Tree Lodge’s chocolate trail and kayaking or canoeing on the Rio Grande River at the base of the property; various trips can be organized off-site, too. The hotel is closed from mid-September to late October.

The Basilica San Marco is Venice‘s crown jewel. Situated at the eastern end of Piazza San Marco, the cathedral was built around 1078 on the site of an earlier house of worship. It is famously the home of the remains of the apostle Mark, which were said to have been smuggled from the Holy Land by Crusaders in a barrel of pork. The basilica is not just a wonder from the outside; its glittering gold mosaics make it one of the most breathtaking examples of Byzantine design in the West.

A pioneer of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement, chef Mark Ellman showcases his thoughtful approach to cooking at Mala Ocean Tavern, a harbor-front eatery with dramatic sunset views. Come here for well-executed fusion fare like ahi bruschetta, whole wok-fried Hawaiian fish, and a vegan mushroom Bolognese pasta with local shiitakes, as well as signature cocktails like the Spa Day (cucumber, vodka, fresh watermelon juice) and the LBC (gin, passion fruit, basil simple syrup, fresh lime, and soda). Party animals will be happy to learn that the restaurant also offers a late happy hour each evening from 10 p.m. to midnight, plus live music and DJs spinning vinyl on Friday nights.

You haven’t truly experienced Texas until you’ve visited the hallowed grounds of the Alamo. Established in 1718 as the Mission San Antonio de Valero, the building is best known as the site of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo, a 13-day siege under Mexican president General Antonio López de Santa Anna that ultimately killed nearly all of the Texan defenders. To stroll past the limestone facade and envision the battle that played out here is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For a real treat, book an after-hours tour and get the Texas landmark all to yourself as you walk in the footsteps of the fallen soldiers.

Viñedos San Lucas is a new multi-use development fifteen minutes outside downtown. Its gracious, yet rustic hacienda vibe is attracting new neighbors plus locals and visitors to a complex that includes a quaint hotel and spa, two Mediterranean restaurants, one of the region’s finest wine cellars and even a polo ground. Vineyard excursions (don’t miss the lavender and olive groves) offer a glimpse of a Mexico few know; the mood is divinely bucolic. Time flies painlessly over wine and conversation, both outdoors and in.

Austin’s very own grand dame, this landmark hotel opened in 1886 as the city’s first iconic hotel, both a testament to and display of the success of cattle baron Jesse Driskill, who wanted to build his beloved frontier town a palace to rival those in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. The city fared better than Mr. Driskill did; financial troubles forced him to sell the hotel just two years after opening, and he died of a stroke just another two years later. After some initial ups and downs, his hotel ultimately flourished, housing a rotating cast of Texas elite and hosting important political events in Austin—in particular, gubernatorial inaugural balls—in the 20th century. President Lyndon Johnson had an especially close relationship with the hotel, from his first date with his wife to awaiting presidential re-election results in one of the suites.

Multimillion-dollar renovations in 2008 restored the hotel to its original grandeur, maintaining its historic charm alongside all the amenities of a modern luxury hotel. Brave guests might request a room on the reportedly haunted fifth floor. And, no stay at the Driskill is complete without a cocktail in the elegant Driskill Bar, where cattle, oil, or railroad barons would still fit in.