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Although the salads, soups, and sandwiches at this homey café are among the healthiest lunch options in Cherokee, the decadent cinnamon rolls, turnovers, and cupcakes threaten any good intentions you may have. Sassy Sunflowers does double duty as the town coffee shop, and it’s the rare spot in Cherokee to offer smoothies and freshly squeezed juices. Counter service keeps things moving on busy days, and there’s ample seating in the dining room and on the breezy patio.

This French Concession tailor shop specializes in bespoke and made-to-measure menswear. Come here to get fitted for suits, blazers, and overcoats for a fraction of what it would cost in the States. Germain’s tailors were trained in Japan and Europe, and its fabric selection, sourced from England, Italy, China, and Japan, is expansive, with a whopping 1,000 choices of natural fibers like cotton, wool, and linen. Custom suits start from approximately $530. Bespoke shirts, in which you choose the fabric weight, pattern, and cuff and collar style, start from about $75.

The name translates as “Back Pocket,” an apt description for this one-room restaurant tucked into the side of the Royal Opera House. The tiled room is decorated with opera memorabilia, and sometimes you’ll find yourself dining next to tuxedo-clad members of the orchestra between performances. Diners perch at the counter at little tables affixed to the walls or, during the summer, outside in the sun. The food is traditional Swedish cuisine—husmanskost, as it’s known—with particularly good seafood, and best enjoyed with a Swedish beer.

If you’re visiting Copenhagen, don’t miss a visit to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. It’s an easy 1/2 hour train ride from the city followed by about a 10 minute walk. Everything about our visit was excellent but a highlight is spending time in the sculpture garden which overlooks the Sound (and you can see the coast of Sweden in the distance). This is a great outing with kids. The children’s wing does a fantastic job of creating interesting ways for the kids to plug into modern art and the museum. On our visit there was a sculpture garden detective kit where kids had to seek out certain sculptures and examine different aspects and make some discoveries. Our kids loved it and it kept them engaged -- and it allowed me to leave them with my husband while I viewed the galleries in peace. There is also a great winding slide near the children’s wing that they spent a lot of time on. At the end of the day we got a bite to eat and and a glass of wine (for the adults) on the terrace overlooking the Calder sculpture garden and the Sound. Don’t miss the gift shop with lots of great modern design items to tempt you.

A few minutes from the shops, galleries, and restaurants of Sedona, but tucked away along the banks of quiet-flowing Oak Creek, L’Auberge de Sedona is one of the Southwest’s most romantic hideaways. It has red-rock views, as every accommodation in Sedona must, but its French-country-inn style, in the land of adobe architecture, and its leafy, creekside location, are what define it. Through a series of chefs, its restaurant, Cress on Oak Creek, has maintained a stellar reputation, in no small part because of the romance of dining at a table that in some cases is practically in Oak Creek. And the spa, L’Apothecary, with at least one seasonally offered treatment requiring guests to wade in up to their ankles, draws much of its essence from the creek, too. Extensive renovations done in 2011 included the redesign of the 58 rooms and cottages, and the addition of 29 more, many with fireplaces, private decks, and—because romance matters—outdoor cedar-lined showers. Still there, and still popular, are the early morning duck feedings and the nighttime telescope sessions with a professional astronomer.

The Milan Cathedral, or Duomo, occupies a site that’s been holy since the time of the Romans, but it wasn’t until the early 19th century when the finishing touches were finally placed on this massive building. The Duomo is the fifth largest cathedral in the world and one of the top tourist sites in the northern Italian city. Entrance is free, but a small fee is requested if you wish to take photos. Inside the church is even more magnificent then the outside, with scores of shrines and altars dedicated to saints and notable Milanese. During the Christmas holidays the city’s night market takes up residence next to the cathedral, adding one more reason to visit this central site.

There are some things that are universal, including people’s love of a good dive bar. If you’re looking for a low-key vibe with cheap drinks and greasy bar food, look no further than Cuckoo. Set in the trendy Garusogil shopping area, this unfussy bar and restaurant with graphitized walls and a raucous party vibe is often packed with 20-something locals playing Korean drinking games and downing copious amounts of soju. Although it may serve fried beef tripe, clam soup and stir-fried chicken gizzards with garlic, the beer is cheap and cold and that’s something that can be understood in any language. 4, Dosan-daero 17-gil, Gangnam-gu

After marching within 100 miles of London to restore the Stuart monarchy to the British throne, Jacobite supporters, led by Bonnie Prince Charlie, retreated to this site near Inverness in 1746. Here at Culloden, they were slaughtered by forces loyal to King George I and the House of Hanover during one of the most harrowing battles in British history. The aftermath was equally brutal, as a massive military crackdown across the Highlands followed in order to prevent further uprisings from disaffected Scots.

Today, travelers can tour the richly researched Culloden Visitor Centre, which features artifacts from both sides of the battle as well as interactive displays that detail the background of the conflict. You can also walk the front lines where the Jacobites made their final stand, then look inside the newly restored Leanach Cottage—the only surviving building from the battle.

The owners of this playful shop, Jo and Micko, are passionate about handcrafted, natural body care. That led to the launch of a range of sensory products in 1999. But their love for design and vintage fashion got the better of them, resulting in a limited-edition range of garments as well. In addition to the racks of timeless dresses and petticoats, visitors can buy fragrant perfumes, soy candles and soaps made from essential oils, clays, seeds, and no palm oil. Varieties range from coconut and spearmint to “pussy wash,” “ass wash,” and “cock wash"—for the cats, donkeys and roosters among us.

Set in City Hall, now part of the National Gallery Singapore, this lovely dark-wood-paneled restaurant reflects the country’s rich Peranakan Chinese heritage in both design and fare. Traditional tile floors, marble-topped tables, nostalgic bentwood chairs, and vintage photos set the scene for a feast of rich dishes that mingle Chinese and Malay flavors. if you’ve never had this combination of cuisines before, prepare to be forever changed. Dive in headfirst and try the spicy chicken stew (buah keluak ayam), the zesty beef rendang, the chili crab, or the fish-head curry. If you’re with a group, order a spread of plates to share, like the fried eggplant with sambal sauce and the deep-fried tangy prawn, crab, and chicken dumplings.

A bowl of warm juk (Korean rice porridge) is a gratifying way to start the day. Commonly topped with vegetables or meat, the dish is believed to contain healing and nourishing properties. Though mainly eaten for breakfast, juk can be enjoyed at any time of day. There are many specialty porridge shops in Seoul, but Migabon is considered the standard-bearer. Located in the heart of Myeongdong, the unfussy restaurant offers more than 20 types of juk, ranging from a signature abalone version to sweeter pumpkin and red bean options. For those who don’t want porridge, a flavorful ginseng chicken soup is also on the menu. All orders come with complimentary—and refillable—banchan (side dishes) and tea.

Who hasn’t daydreamed about being an astronaut at least once? Thankfully, Space Center Houston makes it easy to learn about the great beyond. It’s the area’s No. 1 attraction for international visitors and the first Smithsonian Affiliate in the greater Houston area. The center features more than 400 space artifacts and several exhibits related to the past, present, and future of America’s human spaceflight program. It’s also home to the world’s largest collection of moon rocks and lunar samples for public view, and offers guests the opportunity to go behind the scenes to see NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Terraced like the surrounding rice paddies, Soori Bali occupies an undeveloped stretch of fertile coastline roughly 25 minutes from Tabanan, a town northwest of Denpasar known for traditional farming and artisan crafts. The resort’s modern design plays on the shapes, colors, and landscapes of the surrounding area and incorporates local stone. (At the recommendation of the surrounding village’s elder, the property also constructed 10 stone temples onsite within the property.) Outdoor spaces feature bright green trees and grasses along with infinity pools, while high ceilings, cool colors, and marble floors inside create a tranquil escape from the heat. The property’s spacious rooms and wood-slat shades give off an art-gallery vibe, and the reading-room lounge displays the works of the hotel’s artists in residence. Food is another big focus here, both at the resort’s three restaurants and in tours that explore rice cultivation, exotic ingredients found at the Kerambitan market, and the spices, cacao, and coffee from nearby Jatiluwih.

Being in nature is being in my happy place. The US’ National Parks provide plenty of unspoiled nature. The Rocky Mountain National Park is huge, beautiful and abundant with wild life. It’s a pleasure to go and make all your senses happy. If you have kids, it’s even better. Running in fresh air, checking out the wildlife is bliss for them. This particular shot was on the Trail Ridge Road. A portion of it was closed and this is as far as we could go by car.

225 meters below the surface of the earth, visitors make their way through dim passageways that miners in the late 1800s had navigated in search of gold. The tour guide ‘jokingly’ points out that if for some reason we get stuck down there, the only way out is a via a steep emergency exit tunnel. In the photo for this post, there is a miner located beyond the struts (which are used to support the ceiling), who’s job it is to demonstrate what it was like in the past when miners excavated the gold bearing ore with nothing but a candle for light! During the tour, you’ll learn about the gold rush that caused the formation of Johannesburg and you’ll also be shown some interesting historical items, like dynamite which was manufactured by Alfred Nobel