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Not unlike the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Empire State Building in NYC, the Mont Royal acts as a natural landmark for orientation-challenged travelers. The “mountain” (some would call it a big hill) overlooks the entire city and offers unparalleled panoramas of downtown and the Eastern Townships south of the city. The entire mountain is actually a city park, with many things to do besides admiring the view: tam-tam jams, bird watching, cycling, forest treks—and even skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, and sledding in the winter. Brownie points if you make it to the Kodiaronk lookout at dawn, in time to see the sun rise behind the skyscrapers.

Yes, there is Old Montreal and the shops of rue Sainte-Catherine. But Montreal is much more, especially in the Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood, a place famous for its alternative atmosphere. Here you find tons of street art, each piece more delightful than the next. Most murals aren’t spontaneous works by local artists but are part of the many street art festivals taking place on Boulevard Saint-Laurent throughout the year, like MuRAL. Artists come from all over the world to paint, lending an international vibe to the city but also some amazing pieces. This here is one of my favorites, located on the corner of Saint-Laurent and Des Pins streets.

Los Danzantes is a hip restaurant offering contemporary Mexican cuisine. It’s located on Alcalá street, in the same building that houses the Oro de Monte Alban jewelry store. It’s in a large partially covered patio space, with adobe walls and a koi pond on one side, and a bar made of recycled materials. Many of the items on the menu are made with traditional Mexican ingredients, but combined in new and interesting ways, and presented artfully. If you’re not feeling adventurous, there are also a number of pasta dishes to choose from. For dessert, the cascada de chocolate (fondant cake), served with vanilla ice cream will satisfy any chocolate cravings you may have—but order it in advance because it takes about 20 minutes to prepare.

Housed in the former Dominican convent of Santo Domingo, the museum of Oaxacan cultures offers a glimpse at the state’s history from ancient times through the colonial period, and into the modern day. The building was beautifully restored and opened to the public in 1998. You should go in even if just to see the interior of this stunning building, but the exhibits are also excellent. The highlight of this museum is the Treasure of Tomb 7, an offering that was found in a tomb at Monte Alban archaeological site. This is the greatest treasure ever found in Mesoamerica, and contains exquisitely crafted gold jewelry, as well as precious stone, intricately carved bone and more.

Perhaps due in large part to the city’s notoriously harsh, never-ending winters, Montrealers have a profound appreciation of their green spaces, always jumping at the chance of spending a couple of hours outdoors, basking in the sun. The Mont-Royal Mountain is the most popular, however, simply by its size (529 acres!), its fabulous views over the city and its architect — Frederick Law Olmsted. Parc Lafontaine and Parc Sir Wilfrid Laurier are also local favorites, where sunbathers, young families, BBQ-ers and joggers mingle happily, enjoying every minute of the all too short summer months. The two parks are located near delicious take-out counters (Ma poule mouillée and Lapin pressé, respectively) making it a perfect pique-nique opportunity.

One of the most luxurious Western guest ranches, opened in 2005, Paws Up Montana, in Greenough, sprawls over 37,000 acres of classic Montana landscape: elk-filled meadows, rocky peaks, and ponderosa pines in the Blackfoot Valley, with the river of the same name running through it all. The most sought-after accommodations are the “glamping” tents on the banks of the Blackfoot or along Elk Creek that are available May through October and organized into five separate camps, taking just six guests each. The camps combine a Western lifestyle with an African safari formula: canvas suites with private baths, a communal dining pavilion with fireplace and fire pit, private camp chef, and butlers to help organize guest activities. Families and friends who prefer four walls between themselves and nature stay in enormous wood-and-stone villas with heated hardwood floors, fireplaces, leather furniture, huge flat-screen TVs, and panoramic windows; some of these homes come with outdoor hot tubs and tented bedrooms for kids.

All guests have the opportunity to hike, rappel, canoe, play paintball, take cooking classes, and more, but the main action is on-site fly-fishing and horseback riding for all levels on 100 miles of private trails or in a 23,000-square-foot equestrian arena; adults and kids 12 and up can help move small herds of Black Angus cattle on sample stock drives. If parents want private adventure time, kid wranglers entertain young’uns. In the evening, communal entertainment takes place in a renovated barn that serves as stock sales venue, dance floor, and movie theater. Despite the busy activity menu and flow of golf carts transporting guests to and fro, the ranch is large enough, and accommodation so widely spaced that guests can survey the landscape and not see anyone.

The stretch of Boulevard Saint-Laurent between Rue Marianne and Avenue Mont-Royal is known as furniture alley, for all the furniture and home appointment stores that exist there. Latitude Nord was among the first to move to the area and remains the best spot to spy cutting-edge contemporary design items like lamps, chairs, rugs and couches. The focus is on European imports, particularly Italian brands like Cassina, Bisazza and Cappellini, but there’s also minimalist American ware from the likes of Emeco (makers of the ubiquitous Navy Chair) and cushy rugs made in Spain by Alpujarreña. The slick showroom is worth visiting even if you don’t intend to buy.

A real Western experience is easy to come by at the Yellowstone Valley Lodge. The Lodge includes a number of beautiful cabins and a restaurant situated along the Yellowstone River in Montana‘s spectacular Paradise Valley. The lodge is known for the bespoke touches found throughout the property, from the food in the kitchen to the design of the cabins. This is one of the finest Yellowstone National Park bases you’ll ever find, and perhaps the only one you’ll ever return to after a night or two of falling asleep along the river.

Visiting the 17th-century Büyük Valide Han in Eminönü is my all-time favorite experience in Istanbul. It’s an Ottoman inn that accommodated traveling merchants over 350 years ago and also stored the Oriental and European wares from the wooden ships moored in the Golden Horn. The han is hidden away in the backstreets of the Spice Bazaar, though got some big-time exposure when featured in a montage in the 007 movie Skyfall. Artisans still make and repair some of Turkey’s well-known handicrafts in the timeworn workshops upstairs, but my favorite feature is the view from the roof. To experience this you need to locate the building off Çakmakçılar Yokuşu. Then go up the steep stairs and say, “Merhaba” (hello) to the craftspeople. If you’re lucky, the caretaker will agree to unlock a door that hides a secret staircase to the roof. Do give him a tip for his kindness and time because the view of the Bosporus, dividing Europe and Asia, is spectacular. A little word of warning: The roof is flat (with some domes), and there are no safety rails—so watch your step. Please respect the history of the building too and collect only memories and leave only your fondness for Istanbul to waft away in the Bosporus breeze.

On a pine-covered summit overlooking the sprawling city of Nice, Mont Gros, a 19th-century observatory, is a local icon. Built by Charles Garnier (famous for his Paris Opéra design) in collaboration with Gustave Eiffel (yes, that Eiffel), the monument has inspired film location scouts and is popular with local couples who come to take in the stunning view of the city together. The observatory is still an active science laboratory focusing on astronomy, astrophysics, and geoscience. The original 18-meter-long lens is responsible for finding 2,000 previously unrecorded double stars. There are two-hour guided tours on Wednesdays and Saturdays year-round, with a more frequent schedule during school holidays.

Lambityeco rose to prominence around the time of the decline the great Zapotec capital Monte Alban, roughly 700 A.D. The site was originally excavated in the 1960s, although some restoration work has been done since that time. Among the buildings to visit there are two important palaces, some temples and a patio, as well as a temazcal steam bath. This is just a small part of what was a much larger city. Evidently, Lambityeco was a salt production center (obtained through distillation of saline groundwater) and was an important stop in the Prehispanic trade route. This site has some examples of elaborate stucco work that are not common in ancient sites in Oaxaca. Besides the figure of Cocijo, the Zapotec rain god, pictured, there are also depictions of Zapotec rulers. This small archaeological site is often overlooked, but it is easy to visit. It is located right by the side of the highway, in the eastern valley of Oaxaca, just before Tlacolula.

This family-owned and -managed 1,000-acre guest ranch in Lewis and Clark County is paradise for riders of all ages looking to improve technique while learning about equine psychology and Western working life. The owners, Zack and Patty Wirth, and two of their six children, all direct descendants of 1860s Montana homesteaders, breed and train quarter horses and hold wide-ranging riding rights on a neighboring ranch of 85,000 acres. Guests, a maximum 20 at a time, ride according to their interest and level; time in the saddle (or bareback) might be spent in the ring, on scenic trail rides, endurance training, or learning to rope and work with the Wirths’ 30 Corientti and Longhorn cattle.

Four cozy rooms of the same size but with different bed configurations have fireplaces and mountain views. The atmosphere is communal and convivial, the hosts dining with guests and taking note of the weather and individual interests to plan activities. Many teen visitors fulfill dreams of unlimited horse time; for non-riding family members or partners there is guided shooting, hiking, and mountain biking. There’s also technical fly-fishing on the Little Prickly Pear Creek, a spawning ground for rainbow and brown trout. For rock hounds, fossil-rich shale cliffs sit just a mile away from the barn and guest rooms.

I can think of worse places to be stuck than Bozeman, Montana. And when my flight was recently cancelled, stranding me there for two days, I decided to venture downtown and check out Plonk Wine Bar. Plonk is a term that refers to a poor quality wine. But the 600-plus bottle wine list here was full of surprising selections, like the Celler Cal Pla Black Slate—a blend of Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a bit of Merlot and Syrah from Spain‘s Priorat region. Equally impressive are Plonk’s cocktail and craft beer selections. I snagged a seat at the bar, took in the cowboy-meets-wine country ambiance, and ordered a glass of Torrontes from Argentina. The bartender suggested I pair it with a decadent dish of seared scallops with foie gras and braised short ribs. It was exactly what I needed to make my travel frustrations disappear.

With its world famous pier, bustling beaches, and chill, but lively nightlife scene that draw eight million visitors annually, Santa Monica can feel a bit crowded in the summer high season. But not at Oceana Santa Monica. Set within the posh neighborhood of Wilshire Montana, the hotel is located across the street from Palisades Park, a peaceful municipal outdoor area dotted with fig and palm trees that runs alongside the Pacific Ocean. Just stepping into the lobby feels like a world away from the hustle and bustle of the Santa Monica pier.


Formerly known as the Oceana Beach Club Hotel, the property debuted in 2019 after it was purchased by Hilton’s upscale LXR brand and underwent a $25 million transformation. The 70 apartment-style guest rooms—most of which feature ocean views—are situated around a heart-shaped pool. Each suite has a separate living room and bedroom, Loro Piana bedding, large bathrooms, and walk-in closets. For even more space, there are two-bedroom suites with ensuite kitchens and balconies.The interior design is by Anna Busta of Busta Studio; expect moody blue couches and gold and wood design accents throughou the space that echo the Pacific Ocean.



Though Santa Monica’s dynamic culinary scene sets a high bar, Oceana Santa Monica’s Sandpiper stands up. Seafood-forward menu items include chilled prawns served with summer melons, pan roasted sheepshead fish plated with littleneck clams, and chopped salads with asparagus, broccolini, and zucchini garnished with watermelon radish, corn, and red onions. Pair the meal with a house cocktail like the Stan Laurel (named after the actor of Laurel and Hardy fame who once called the Oceana home), composed of Empress gin, cointreau, lavender syrup, and lemon juice.

“She’s an original yet timeless Québec fashion designer—a rare combination. Marie Saint Pierre is known for using unusual fabrics with soft colors as well as black and white. Her designs feel really classic. I stop in when I need something chic and comfortable,” says Nathalie Bondil, head curator at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.