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The smallest hotel on our list, Honor & Folly is the place to go if you want to avoid the crowds and feel as if you are visiting family. The second-story guesthouse features two rooms, perfect for couples traveling together or a small family looking for a quiet escape. Hardwood floors and exposed brick abound and guests are welcome to order a picnic basket to go or reserve artisanal groceries in advance.

“If you’re looking to enjoy a quiet drink and you love whiskey, this is your bar. An iPad menu acts as a directory of more than 150 whiskeys and their origins, from Scotland to Japan. Malt Fun also has a list of mostly classic cocktails. Call ahead to reserve a seat.” —Bartender Tree Mao on the French Concession. Read more about his local’s take on Shanghai here. This appeared in the January/February 2015 issue.

Early in the morning take a beautiful walk on the Cascades Trail a short drive from the center of North Adams. Any trail with a refreshing waterfall is a winner in my book. This hidden hike, tucked behind a residential area is minutes away from downtown and short enough to get in and still have plenty of the day left for exploring. There are many additional activities and hikes listed on the web site.

True to its name, this is an old bar, with Victorian-style décor, stained glass, art nouveau lamps, and red velvet sofas. You can find a long list of cocktails, as the manager has history in the Miami cruise ship industry. From the food menu, try the Old Vic steak—or some toast or a sandwich, if you want something lighter. There is a button to call the waiter and another one to regulate the light intensity.

You might recognize this restaurant from the 2013 movie Labor Day. Enter Wilson’s Diner, and you’ve stepped back in time. Built in 1949 by the Worcester Lunch Car Company, it is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Early risers: from 5am during the week you can get a no nonsense, well priced meal, filled with fresh ingredients. Wilson’s also serves great sandwiches for lunch.

The Cathedral of Aachen is one of the most famous examples of occidental architecture. It is the coronation church of more than 30 German kings, burial site of Charlemagne, major pilgrimage church and cathedral church of the Aachen diocese since 1930. In 1978 it was the first German building to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. A guided tour is therefore an essential part of any visit to Aachen and a “must” for anyone who loves historic buildings and churches.

Cherubs hang from the ceiling and flying pigs decorate the bar. Aquarium bathtubs covered in glass are the tables and funky, modern art with Christian themes decorate the walls. Behind the bar a disco ball glitters the rows of liquor bottles and the bartender. The food is modern and classic: cuy and alpaca along a long list of beef tenderloin specialities.

Little-known fact: New Orleans was the first place in North America to license pharmacists (starting in 1769, when the city was still under Spanish rule). After Louisiana became a territory, the U.S. governor extended the requirement, also decreeing that pharmacists take a three-hour licensing exam in order to practice. And no wonder illness got such attention—the city was arguably the least healthy place to live on the continent; it was riddled with yellow fever, malaria, and dysentery. This dark but fascinating history is explored in this atmospheric 1822 town house, which was once the home and shop of Louis J. Dufilho, the first licensed pharmacist in the city—and hence in the country. Exhibits include apothecary jars, tools of the trade, and leeches. (Yes. Leeches.)

This hotel is on our list of The 11 Best Hotels in Chicago.

The world has been waiting years for the St. Regis Chicago, located in the city’s 101-floor skyscraper designed by Jeanne Gang, to welcome guests and owners; in 2023, it finally made its stunning debut. The triple-tower building’s architecture was based on the frustrum shape, which is basically a pyramid with its top chopped off. (Think of a popcorn box.) That form is replicated subtly throughout the hotel, from the exoskeleton to the marble tiles in the inviting lobby on the Chicago River. Each of the 192 guest rooms comes with floor-to-ceiling windows and panoramic city views, a dedicated butler, one of four soaking tubs, brass detailing, and curvilinear furnishings from a collaboration between architectural powerhouse Gensler and boutique firm Simeone Deary Design Group.


Rounding out the amenities: the Miru all-day-dining restaurant that is anything but casual, a new Tuscan steakhouse concept, a truly cossetting seven-room spa, an indoor pool with an outdoor patio, and the finest urban hotel gym probably anywhere. Was the wait worth it? Indeed it was.

Routinely crowned the city’s top seafood restaurant, Blue Water Cafe is also among the continent’s best. After honing his skills at Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe, executive chef Frank Pabst opened this Yaletown classic to marry fine-dining techniques with local, sustainable ingredients. Eventually, the restaurant became a founding member of the Ocean Wise program, which helps consumers make ocean-friendly seafood choices. When visiting, you can belly up to the bar—which boasts more than 200 whiskeys and 1,000 wine labels—or reserve a table in the elegant brick-and-beamed dining room, housed in a heritage warehouse. Come summertime, however, you’ll want to head straight to the patio for sushi and premium sake. Fancy a splurge? Go for the seafood tower, which showcases the bounty of British Columbia.

There are several small towns around Alaska that make visitors of years past smile. Talkeetna sits pretty high atop that list. A good stopping point between Anchorage and Denali National Park, the town is at once a history stop, arty spot, beer fill-up, hearty food destination, and mountain climbing mecca. Talkeetna is the first step for everybody setting out to climb Denali. But it’s also the go-to for visitors who enjoy quirky little towns with huge personalities. Thanks to cruise-ship bus tours, the town does get a bit overrun during the summer months—but it’s still worth swinging in. And if you happen to be in Alaska during the winter and want to attend a very Alaskan event, don’t miss the Bachelor Auction. The entire town gets revved up and pretty darn drunk. It’s damn fun.

Despite its unappealing name, Dead Rabbit is one of the most popular bars in all of New York City and has also charmed the judges behind the World’s 50 Best Bars list, which listed it second in 2015. Drinks are served in two discrete spaces: The first is the downstairs Taproom, where you can have “craft beer, bottled punch, and whiskeys of the world"; the second is the upstairs Parlor, which features “72 historically-accurate cocktails dreamed up by the 19th century’s most celebrated bartenders.” The names, however, aren’t very 19th-century (and frankly, not all of the ingredients are, either). Take the Snake Charmer, for instance, a concoction of mezcal, New York and Oregon gins, blanc vermouth, yellow chartreuse, and gentiane. Whatever time and place they’re trying to evoke, no one who comes to drink here really seems to care; the cocktails and service are just so great, that’s all that matters.

Here is a museum dedicated to the art of photography and placed, um, picture perfectly for views of Stockholm. The museum building sits along the waterfront with a view of the Old Town (Gamla Stan) and the Tivoli Amusement Park. Exhibitions change throughout the year, but while I was there they had three exhibitions that were fabulously curated and equally compelling. The exhibitions are curated in Swedish and in English—plus the museum offers guided tours of the exhibitions. In addition to photography, the building has a gift shop full of photography books and prints. A bistro on the top floor looks out over the waterfront and offers weekend brunch, wine tasting events, concerts, and in the fall and spring they even turn the space into a dance club. If you are in Stockholm for a longer period and have an interest in improving your photography, they offer seminars and workshops by well-known professionals.

Imagine dining right on the beach, toes in the water, under swaying palm trees along a perfect little crescent bay in Savaneta, Aruba’s charming fisherman’s town. Add a fine selection of delicious fresh seafood, an extensive wine list, and exceptional service for a romantic evening that exceeds all expectations. Go early to catch the sunset.

The landscape surrounding Phinda Private Game Reserve is totally different from what you’ll experience in Kruger, Madikwe, or the Kalahari. Here, moisture from the Indian Ocean breathes life into gently rolling hills; flat, grassy wetlands attract hippos, antelope, and far too many bird species to list; and dense forests house the Big Five and even cheetahs. The 25 rooms at &Beyond’s Phinda Rock Lodge sit atop a granite outcropping, overlooking these lush surroundings. No matter which one you’re in, you’ll feel as if you’re hovering high above the treetops and the valley below.

A stay at Phinda Rock Lodge is all-inclusive, complete with twice-daily safari drives, a Zulu village tour, bush walks, and other conservation experiences. Since the lodge is so close to the Indian Ocean, guests also have the unique opportunity to explore South Africa’s marine life. In the summer, you can join a nighttime excursion to watch leatherback and loggerhead turtles lay their eggs on the beach, or go snorkeling or scuba diving to explore the coral reefs near Sodwana Bay. While Phinda is approximately a two-hour drive from Richards Bay Airport, Airlink flies direct from Nelspruit to the lodge’s private airstrip, making it easy to connect a safari in the Greater Kruger National Park with a visit to Phinda.