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Reservations required—and no wonder. The tours at the Neon Museum sell out months in advance. A walk through the museum’s famous “Boneyard” (where neon goes to die) is fascinating, from motel row to the first integrated casino (one that shut almost as soon as it opened), and the Stardust, with its nuclear testing-inspired font. All of this comes alive thanks to the museum’s famous docents, all art history buffs with loads of family history or other personal anecdotes.

Nestled on beautiful Playa Dorado in Puerto Plata, this elegant hotel features 50 stylish suites, complete with neutral decor, flowering orchids, and private furnished balconies. Some suites can be connected, but for even more space book the penthouse, which includes three bedrooms, a large living room, and a freestanding outdoor tub. In addition to a pristine beach, Casa Colonial boasts a sleek rooftop pool, a restaurant that serves fine French-Caribbean cuisine, and a spa with a treatment gazebo above a tropical pond. When staying here, don’t miss the chance to explore Puerto Plata and its charming main square surrounded by Spanish colonial and Victorian buildings, as well as the more-than-500-year-old remains of Fort San Felipe. Fifteen minutes from the resort, you can also swim in freshwater lagoons in El Choco National Park.

Housed in a converted elementary school dating back to 1915, this sprawling hotel complex has long drawn out-of-towners and local Portlanders alike with its bars, restaurants, miniature movie theater, and even a heated soaking pool that’s open to the public for a small fee. While these amenities—along with the hotel’s sprawling school grounds and proximity to the popular Alberta Arts District—are enough to make it one of the most attractive spots to stay in town, its real cred shines through in the 57 guest rooms, many of which are actually converted classrooms (and still have some of the original scholastic features, such as chalkboards, integrated into the room design). Don’t leave without sampling some of the McMenamins signature brews in the Boiler Room Bar, housed in what was once the school’s boiler room.

If you ask anyone who’s visited Atlanta for restaurant recommendations, they’ll almost certainly suggest Mary Mac’s Tea Room. While the spot is a favorite of tourists—and celebrities, for that matter—it’s also a classic American eatery that locals frequent for special occasions. The space itself is sprawling, covering dozens of rooms and feeling much like a teahouse—although the only tea you’ll be drinking here is sweet and cold. The menu has remained relatively unchanged since Mary Mac’s opened in 1945 and includes hearty portions of fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, and Georgia peach cobbler. Go with a group, order several items to share, and don’t be alarmed when goodwill ambassador Jo Carter comes by your table to rub your shoulders. It’s all part of the experience here.

Fresa’s Chicken al Carbon is an Austin-owned restaurant serving charcoal-grilled, locally raised chickens, freshly prepared tortas, salads, sides, homemade ice creams, aguas frescas, and a selection of beer and wine. The family-style meals feature the highest quality pasture-raised birds from Vital Farms. Either marinated in achiote and freshly squeezed citrus or rubbed with fresh oregano and cracked pepper, the chicken is grilled slowly over hardwood charcoal and served with house-made tortillas, rice, beans, and fresh salsas. Don’t leave without ordering the cajeta churros for dessert!

Glockenbachviertel, one of Munich‘s prettiest neighborhoods, is located south of the city center and next to the Isar River. Formerly home to the city’s Jewish community and millworkers, Glockenbachviertel was the center of Munich’s gay and lesbian community in the 1980s. In recent years, rapid gentrification has morphed this area into Munich’s most luxurious neighborhood. Quiet streets are lined with beautiful residential buildings and there are plenty of beautiful bars, restaurants, and shops. Take a stroll in the evening or do some shopping before dinner. Don’t miss Hans-Sachs-Straße and its fun boutiques, cafes, and bistros with outdoor seating. One of my favorite meals during my trip was at Das Kranz, a stylish restaurant that focuses on organic produce. The menu changes weekly to take advantage of seasonal, local ingredients. The flavors are fresh and the presentation is beautiful. The fun, relaxed atmosphere (with outdoor seating in summer) further adds to an enjoyable meal.

One of only two hotels right on Biscayne Bay (the other is the Standard), rooms at Mondrian South Beach are coveted by guests wanting a stellar view. Designed by Dutchman Marcel Wanders, the hotel’s decor is intended to evoke a sense that one is floating around in an underwater world, and the property is described as an homage to Sleeping Beauty’s castle. The slightly whimsical and slightly creepy mermaidlike woman whose face appears on walls throughout the hotel is the “keeper” of this “castle,” where incongruous elements—traditional blue-and-white Dutch porcelain juxtaposed with busy black-and-white patterned wallpaper, say—somehow work in odd, unexpected harmony. Everything about the hotel feels spacious, including oversized rooms, many of which are flooded with sunlight and enjoy bay views.

No one stays at Old Faithful Inn for the amenities: With no Wi-Fi, air conditioning, or TVs in the rooms—some don’t even have private bathrooms—all you can do is watch bison graze unperturbed by the busloads of tourists pulling up, or the namesake geyser spout. The lack of luxury doesn’t seem to deter the crowds, though, who come to sleep under the roof of the original log-and-stone building, which was completed in 1904, and launched the iconic architectural style known as National Park Service rustic, or Parkitecture. Though an east wing was added in 1914, and a west wing in 1927, the lodge remains much as tourists saw it a century ago, with its soaring, open lobby surrounding an enormous four-sided, 86-foot stone fireplace. The pre-existing Crow’s Nest that leads to the roof terrace is off-limits now, but two mezzanine-level interior balconies are coveted seating areas for unwinding with nightly piano performances. While the two wings have better views of Old Faithful and the geyser basin, you can’t beat the Old House for its historic charm.

Located in a former home built more than 100 years ago, this intimate restaurant excels in ambience and Caribbean specialties. Outdoor tables sit next to a pool and pretty tropical gardens, while the dining room boasts an array of European antiques. A son of the restaurant’s original owners, the current chef specializes in such dishes as bouillabaisse, crunchy okra, and cinnamon-and-brown-sugar sweet potato mash. Also on offer is seafood prepared with local spices and coconut milk. Whatever you choose, don’t miss the wine cellar, which once functioned as the home’s cheese room and now features nearly 2,000 bottles by 120 labels.

Located a quick drive north from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the WinStar offers a world-class casino practically at our doorstep. Among the largest casinos in the world (yes!), the theme at this Oklahoma complex is, well ... the world. Different nations are represented through festive decor in various corners of the facility, giving the place a welcoming global feel. Dining options abound from pizza to steaks, as well as the requisite casino buffet. One super-big draw to this place -- besides the bingo, poker room and slot machines -- is the world-class entertainers who perform here. From Bob Dylan and Toni Braxton to Keith Urban, a concert in the on-site music venue adds an extra level of pizzazz to any visit. Don’t forget to make time to visit the Spa Habitat for treatments or a massage. Pro tip: You should definitely shell out for the $30 Friday night seafood buffet, and fill your belly with mounds of King crab, fried shrimp, fried catfish and so much more.

The Samoa Cookhouse has been serving all-you-can-eat family-style meals since 1890. It used to be just for the loggers who worked in the company town of Samoa, just outside of Eureka, but since the ‘60s it’s been open to the public, for people like me who don’t work nearly as hard as a lumberjack but can still eat like one. There’s a set menu for every meal. Breakfast on a Sunday means sausage, scrambled eggs, biscuits, and gravy, and best of all, thick slices of French toast made from enormous loaves of just-baked bread. The waitresses are as friendly and energetic as you’d expect of people who have to serve a room that holds hundreds at huge tables covered in red-gingham vinyl tablecloths. Giant saws hang on the walls, and there’s a little museum off the dining room full of old mill equipment and great old photos. Hearty food, nice people. This place is good for your soul.

Rugged Monhegan, aka the Artists’ Island, lies about a dozen miles out to sea, and is reachable only by passenger ferries. About 60 hardy souls live here year-round, most making a living from the sea. If you get a sense of déjà vu when visiting Monhegan, it’s likely because so many of the island’s icons and vistas have been painted by American masters, including Robert Henri, Rockwell Kent, Jamie Wyeth, George Bellows, Edward Hopper, James Fitzgerald, Andrew Wyeth, Alice Kent Stoddard, Reuben Tam, and William Kienbusch. Artists and art lovers come in summer; bird-watchers flock here in spring and fall. Hiking trails access remote rocky beaches and craggy headlands. Go for the experience, the art, and the hiking, and don’t miss the museum at the lighthouse.

When I hear the word lagoon, I don´t envision it being a place I´m going to want to swim. Laguna de Apoyo, located between the cities of Masaya and Granada, completely changed my mind. This warm, fresh water lagoon (actually the size of a lake) with a stunning view of the Mombacho Volcano, is the perfect place to spend a hot day in Nicaragua. You can access the water either from the public beach or through a hotel like Posada Ecologica la Abuela. If you access it through a hotel you’ll either have to pay $6 or spend about $8 at the restaurant. It’s an easy trip from either Managua or Granada, and you can hang by the Apoyo during the day and make an afternoon trip to the Artisan Market in Masaya.

One of the greatest walks in New Zealand, the Milford track is just over 50 kilometers and leads into the famous Milford Sound. Considered one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand, the Milford Track is categorized as one of New Zealand’s “Great Walks,” prompting many people from near and far to come hike the 5 day circuit. Giant waterfalls crash down from vertical cliffs, and mist usually hangs about the tops of the peaks creating a mysterious, almost legendary feel to the place. Whether you are hiking the track or cruising in a boat around the fiords, or even kayaking the Milford Sound, definitely don’t skip this remote part of New Zealand on a visit.

Every Thursday evening from 6-9pm there is a “happening” in Downtown Jensen Beach on Jensen Beach Boulevard. Local artists display their works, jewelry is laid out, chainsaw sculptures are available, there are hats, clothing, household goodies, soaps, candles, and many more choices for you to select. While you peruse the offerings, bands are playing and the lines for the local restaurants are long. (Try CrawDaddy’s (New Orleans style) or Mulligans). Don’t forget to end the evening with an ice cream from Jan’s or Baskin Robbins at Dunkin’ Donuts. Other places to eat would be Peter’s Steak House, 11 Maple Street, Kona Cafe. Jensen Beach is a small Florida town and Jammin’ Jensen gives that “old Florida” feeling. There are many regulars when I go to Jammin’ Jensen but the “snow birds” really enjoy the fun and entertainment, too. The weekly “Jammin " makes Jensen Beach a fun spot. Kids young and old love it. Try it some Thursday night.