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The 25-story curved glass tower of the JW Marriott, opened in 2000 during a construction boom, may be the best-located hotel in Peru’s capital. Aside from its location across the street from Parque Salazar and the cliffside shopping and entertainment complex Larcomar (one of Lima’s biggest attractions), the hotel has sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean (at least when the thick, gray sea mist known as la garua isn’t lingering). From the air, the JW Marriott is one of the city’s most recognizable buildings. It was one of the first large structures to be erected here, though many others have since joined it. Beside the hotel is the almost identical 24-story Parque Mar tower, which connects to the hotel at the base and features a small mall and a popular casino.


Despite the onslaught of other international chains in the city in recent years, the JW Marriott maintains a special foothold here and frequently brings in locals for weekend brunches. For travelers coming for just a day before hightailing it out to Cuzco, it serves as a great base for shopping or indulging in some of the city’s best restaurants, all of which can be found within a five-minute walk.

On Liberdade Avenue, amid famous designer stores, sits this five-star hotel. Each room is decorated in white and black with Victorian-inspired details. Enjoy one of the many sunny days in Lisbon, sitting outside in the terrace.

Barefoot Bar is a place that’s known for just that: bare feet. Located on the shores of the Caribbean Sea, Barefoot is a Placencia staple where locals and visitors mingle, drink, and eat great Belizean food. The bar is known for the lobster grilled cheese—a huge grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with catch-of-the-day lobster. Buy two: one to eat now, and another to bring home for later. Barefoot also makes perfectly crispy salbutes, which are a great tacolike light lunch to go with your $3 drink special.

Jamaica’s interior beauty includes several botanical gardens. Shaw Park, located in Ocho Rios’ surrounding hillside at up to 800 feet above sea level, is a great stop for families, with a large waterfall cascading through, gorgeous flower gardens and plenty of picnic space. When you want to get away from the heat and chaos of downtown Ocho Rios, head up to the hills and relax here. It’s a US$10 entrance fee and the park is open during regular business hours.

Thomas Crean, a member of Shackleton’s Endurance crew, came home to Annascaul to start the South Pole Inn as a pub and inn. Great pints of Guinness, a wonderful meal and plenty of chips for all to enjoy! For a small price, a room is also available above the inn. Come see pictures of the Antartica expedition that made and created history!

Gülhane Park, recently renovated with the zoo and other structures removed, sits on Sarayburnu peninsula at the base of Topkapı Palace of which it was formerly a part. In April, millions of tulips bloom in colorful displays to celebrate Turkey’s national flower, but all year round the promenade, green lawns, and tea gardens overlooking the Bosphorus are a great place to unwind and watch the world go by.

Sacsayhuaman is an impressive Inca fortress on a steep hill that overlooks all of Cusco. The ruins are humongous, but archeologists believe that the original site was as much as four times larger. What remains today are the impressive outer walls constructed in a zigzag formation across three levels. As with many Inca sites, the walls are made from massive, irregularly-shaped boulders that stick together like a jigsaw puzzle without any additional support. The stones are laid together so tightly that a sheet of paper will not fit into many of the cracks. As the night comes down, this is a perfect location to appreciate the stars.

In a country full of beautiful historic sites, this may have been my favorite to explore. It has so much: a beautiful hilltop setting that offers views for miles; ruins that you can clamber over; restored Byzantine churches with incredible fresco work covering the walls and ceilings, and peaceful courtyards draped with bougainvillea; a working nunnery, where you might spot a nun going about her daily business; plus lots of cats. There’s an upper section, which is where you’ll find the ruins and the views. We drove up there first, and the nice woman at the ticket desk told us we should explore the upper section, then drive down to the lower, and drew out a route for us so that we could see everything. We spent about 3 hours total wandering and taking it all in. If you’re into Byzantine art, you could spend longer. And, unlike a lot of sites in Greece, the information panels are helpful and interesting, explaining different aspects of daily life in that era: who got to live inside the walls of the fort; where they got their water; burial practices. It’s a fair amount of walking, so stay hydrated, and take breaks in those peaceful courtyards. Then, if you want a spectacular drive, go from here over the mountains to Kalamata. The scenery is spectacular.

Singapore may not have bicycle lanes on its roads, but the country does have a wonderful and growing network of bike-friendly asphalt paths along its many canals and rivers that are sometimes joined up with pathways in parks and along old rail corridors (in Singapore, they’re called park connectors). An easy 3-mile round-trip stretch to sample runs along the Singapore River. Join the riverside pathway just off Zion Road near the Great World City shopping mall—you can rent your chariot nearby from Bike Connect, at 23 Hoot Kiam Road—or grab a two-wheeler from the now ubiquitous bike-share steeds parked everywhere. Pedal all the way to the old shophouses of Boat Quay where the river empties into Marina Bay and then the South China Sea at the heart of Singapore’s colonial core. From there, get a glimpse of the grand Fullerton Hotel (once the national post office), the Asian Civilisations Museum (originally intended to be the city’s courthouse), and several historic bridges.

Set across from the University of Pennsylvania, the Inn at Penn holds its own against the new Center City crop and is one of the most technologically advanced hotels in Hilton’s portfolio. Built in 1999, the hotel was renovated top-to-bottom in 2011, solidifying a stuffy-enough Ivy League air. Above an efficient wood-paneled check-in, a double-fireplace library lined with classic tomes creates a sophisticated lobby-cum-cocktail lounge. A Frank Lloyd Wright–inspired aesthetic is pervasive with geometric lamps, wood-paneled walls, Craftsman wood furnishings, and the hotel’s riff on the architect’s iconic font on all signage. The Inn is teched out with free, fast Wi-Fi; TeleAdapt MediaHubs connecting phones, tablets, or computers directly to high-def TVs; and iPads accessing hotel services and information in multiple languages. The Inn’s environmental stance is also impressive: fabrics, wall coverings, and bathroom tile are made from recycled materials; energy-efficient lighting, heating, and cooling is state-of-the-art, and WaterSense showerheads ensure no water is wasted.

The 245 guestrooms and suites are classy, efficient, and relatively spacious, though it’s worth upgrading to a suite for a separate sitting area. Gold, leather, and wood hues are complimented by pops of red and orange with large work desks. Thanks to the 2001 renovation, the bathrooms are big, have glass-encased showers, and are stocked with Crabtree & Evelyn amenities.

A midsize resort with all the expected amenities for an international clientele (including a casino on the property), the Hilton Curaçao is just a 10-minute shuttle ride to Willemstad—but removed enough from town to encompass 20 full acres. The two private beaches are small but pleasant and exclusive to guests (a rarity in Curaçao), while the lagoon-like pool is large and inviting. A family-friendly resort, the Hilton also features a kid’s splashing pool, small playground, and rec room with games. There’s even interesting snorkeling in front of the hotel, as well as dive and boat excursions to surrounding Piscadera Bay.

Decorated in a casual, beachy style, rooms boast private balconies with either island or ocean views, while suites offer access to an executive lounge with a breakfast buffet and evening hors d’oeuvres. There are also several restaurants and bars; guests recommend seafood and tacos at Celeste Beach Bar and the Sunday barbecue nights on the beach.

Festive Plaza in La Villita, a complex with shops run by local artisans, offers a more unique experience than the souvenir-selling El Mercado. Aside from shopping for authentic handmade goods, you can learn about its rich history. Self-guided walking tours (you can find many online for free) are a great way to explore this area. Browse shops while you learn about the surrounding landmarks and buildings.

Acquired by Vail Resorts in 2014 and combined with Canyons in 2015, Park City Mountain now boasts 7,300 skiable acres with 324 runs accessed by 41 lifts. That includes four gondolas and 32 chairlifts. Those lifts also provide access to eight terrain parks, including six half-pipes. There’s even a lift right from the middle of town. And the fun doesn’t end when the sun goes down, with night skiing on three runs open until 9 p.m. Child care is available, too, for babies as young as six weeks old, while two- to six-year-olds can add on the Ripperoo kids ski lesson. For experts, there’s great tree skiing and off-piste options to explore and enjoy.

The Japanese-inspired Nobu Ryokan Malibu, located on the ocean just north of Los Angeles, sets the tone with its smooth teak exterior. An entrance gate leads to a garden where water flows over honey-colored rocks into a pond, and palm trees shade stone paths lined with black Japanese grass. In the 16 guest rooms, there are no exposed nails or screws, just smooth surfaces of teak and Jerusalem limestone and linen. The art on the walls is original—a watercolor of sparrows in muted tones, a panel of delicately carved black lacquer depicting waves and leaves. The furniture is oak, all right angles and brass fittings, and the bedside lamps look like lanterns. The bathrooms feature skylights, rain showers, and deep teak soaking tubs.

Hotel guests get first dibs on reservations at Nobu restaurant, just two doors down. If that seems too far away, you can get Nobu food delivered to your room: think scallop tiradito, salmon sashimi, and smoked duck with cherry and hibiscus. Another highlight of a stay here are the well being experiences, including yoga with partner studio ALO and an affiliation with Malibu Fit Concierge that offers private fitness classes and guided hikes.

Nobu has partnered with Surf Air to transport guests from various cities in California and Texas. Surf Air flies small planes out of regional airports (if you’re coming from the Bay Area, for example, it’s a 90-minute ride). A car in L.A. takes you on the 40 minute ride north on the scenic Pacific Coast Highway.

September 2,1935, Labor Day - a hurricane hit the Florida Keys and was the first Category 5 Hurricane to make landfall in the United States. It was devastating! It struck at night and was terrifying as was recorded by any survivors.185 mile sustained winds fed the storm.The storm surge was 18 -20'. It destroyed everything in its way. Most buildings in Islamorada were leveled. The ramshackle camps of the railway workers in Windley Key and Lower Matecumbe Key were swept away. About 200 WW I Vets at the camps were killed. Henry Flagler’s dream of a railway that would connect the Keys to the mainland died that night. The railroad was torn up and was never rebuilt. A roadway -The Overseas Highway, US 1- was constructed in its place. The Keys were accessible by the road and its bridges. Only Gilbert (1988), and Wilma (2005) have surpassed the strength of the 1935 storm. The monument at MM 82 in Islamorada was unveiled in 1937 and about 4000 persons attended the dedication. The stone crypt in front of the marker holds the victims’ ashes from the makeshift pyres after the storm. In 1995, the memorial was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places. Locals, hurricane survivors, and descendants of the victims care for the monument. I stopped to visit the site. I stood there picturing the howling winds, the wall of water and recalled the stories and photos from that September, 1935. So many lost their lives and so many survivors’ lives changed overnight.