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Parque de Oueste is a shady park toward the north of the city. The park is known for its rose gardens, as well as being home to the Temple of Debod, a gift for the Egyptian state in 1968. The overlook of the park offers beautiful views of the Royal Palace and the larger Casa Del Campo. It’s an ideal spot to split a bottle of wine with friends and watch the sunset after a long day of exploring Madrid.

Flagstaff, Northern Arizona‘s winter-playground-college-town, is often overlooked as visitors drive through it on their way to or from the Grand Canyon. But if you have time to linger, this town will reveal its charms. In recent years, it’s become a regional mecca for farm-to-table dining, with new restaurants repopulating its 19th-century downtown. After getting your fill of locavore dining and microbrews, work it off by going for a run or a hike up on McMillan Mesa, an ancient lava flow with superb views of the San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountains in Arizona. Buffalo Park has a two-mile loop through grassland and ponderosa pine forest, connecting to trails that go up into the wooded slopes. Remember, though, that Flagstaff is over 7000 ft/2133 m. above sea level--give yourself time to acclimate to the lower oxygen levels...

The Shanghai Race Club, built by the British in the 1800s, is a lingering reminder that horseraces were once held here, just south of Nanjing Road. Opened to the public in the 1950s, this green refuge charms with landscaped traditional gardens and a reflecting pond with fish and pink lotus blossoms. It’s also a prime spot for people watching. Locals turn up to do tai chi exercises, play cards, and scope out the Marriage Market. Parents hoping to attract a suitable spouse wait under colorful umbrellas pinned with notes listing each child’s age, occupation, family values, and even zodiac sign. Photo by Ira Smirnova.

New Leaf Restaurant & Bar is an upscale eatery located in NYC’s Fort Tryon Park. Perched on one of the highest points in Manhattan, the 67-acre park features pristine views over the Hudson River. New Leaf is a wonderful dining option if you are visiting the park or its crown jewel, The Cloisters, the world-famous museum devoted to medieval art and architecture. The restaurant is housed in what was formerly a food concession facility from the 1930s. A renovation in 2001 enhanced the natural beauty of the cottage’s cobblestone exterior, 18-foot high ceilings and shaded outdoor patio. The food is fresh, seasonal and modern American cuisine - a top-notch Ceasar salad, plus Maryland crab cakes, hickory bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, ricotta ravioli and more. The non-profit restaurant benefits the New York Restoration Project - all proceeds support a cleaner, greener New York City. So feel good while eating well! www.newleafrestaurant.com

The hike from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, is one of the best urban paths I have experienced. Although you’re never far from the city, the walk feels quite scenic at times, and the many beaches you come across along the way are all beautiful. Of course, you can always walk from Bondi to Coogee if you find yourself heading in the other direction. Either way, you’ll find yourself at one of Sydney’s top beach destinations. The hike is an easy walk that will include towering cliffs, sandy beaches, public pools, rock formations, parks, and epic vistas along the 6-kilometer trail. You could do the hike in a few hours, but it would be best to allocate at least three hours to fit in a stop at Bronte Beach for lunch or drinks. And if it is a hot day, you’ll want some time for a swim!

When you’re ready to call it a day on the slopes, take Park City Mountain Resort’s Quittin’ Time run down to High West, the world’s only ski-in gastro-distillery. Tour the space, then try the 36th Vote Barreled Manhattan, made from a pre-Prohibition cocktail recipe that calls for aging the drink for 90 days in white oak barrels. The food goes down pretty easily, too: A bowl of elk chili will warm you right down to the toes of your ski socks. For lighter fare, the popcorn tossed with bacon, caramel, and cashews is sweet, salty, and a nice counterpoint to a glass of double rye.

The Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge, in northern Vancouver, is one of Lynn Valley’s best-kept secrets. The 50 meter high bridge stretches across a beautiful canyon with waterfalls and deep pools below. The best part is, it’s free of charge. Crossing the bridge is always an exciting experience, it bounces up and down and sways from side to side with every step. The bridge is quite narrow, and crossing becomes a little nerve-racking when there are several others trying to cross at the same time. The view from the middle of the bridge is breathtaking!

The site of the premier Academy Awards after-party in 1929, this historic Beaux Arts hotel on the edge of downtown was recently updated for the first time since the 1980s. Today, The Mayfair’s grand, monochromatic lobby features original stone columns, light marble accents, plenty of skylights amid lofty ceilings, and impressive arches and alcoves with gray-velvet seating scattered throughout. The chic M Bar at the back glows under a lit-up, seashell-like sculpture. Rooms and suites have panoramic views of the city skyline and feature patterned wallpaper, black-and-white photographs of the city, and striped canopies draped over the beds.

An easy day trip from Amman, Shaumari Wildlife Reserve sits at the gateway to Jordan’s eastern deserts, where a pioneering conservation project is under way. The Arabian oryx, with its extraordinary, unicorn-like horns, was hunted to near extinction in the 20th century, but a captive breeding program overseen by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature is attempting to bring them back, reintroducing the dazzling white antelopes on Shaumari’s grounds. Visitors to the park can see several oryx, as well as other desert animals like ostriches, gazelles, and wild donkeys, during safari rides through the park. Tours take place in actual safari vehicles and are led by expert guides, who provide commentary on the park, its animals, and its ongoing conservation work.

Poised on sheets of 440 million year old granite, the view across the ocean from Halibut Point seems to go on for ever. The quarry itself is a dramatic site and the surrounding tidal pools and hiking trails a great spot to explore. The Visitors Center {closes after Columbus Day} spotlights the history of this former Cape Ann industry where granite that now lines the streets and buildings of Boston was quarried.

The Cape Florida Lighthouse, in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on the tip of Key Biscayne, is the oldest lighthouse in the state. The newly restored 95-foot white-brick tower, which sits on sand and rocks, attracts plenty of visitors, who enjoy climbing up to the top for the view of downtown Miami and the Atlantic Ocean. The park also includes a replica of the lighthouse keeper’s 1825 cottage.

Built by Napoleon Lebrun & Sons in 1909, this clocktower landmark was the world’s tallest building until 1913. Its transformation from iconic structure to five-star hotel has brought with it only more reasons to visit, including, first and foremost, the on-site spa—a 39th-floor escape offering build-your-own treatments and a selection of enhancements. Other incentives are the restaurant Clocktower, where chef Jason Atherton delivers Michelin-starred dining by way of updated tavern classics and modern British fare, and the Lobby Bar, which serves signature libations alongside expansive views of Madison Square Park. Once room-bound, it’s easy to stay a while thanks to luxurious details like plush linen sofas, specially programmed iPads, and customized mini-bars.

This Paradisus Resorts first adults-only resort debuted recently with 394 elegantly appointed suites including 120 Royal Service Suites, two of which are Royal Service Presidential Suites. The hotel’s 60 swim-up suites enhance privacy allowing guests to access the free-form pool directly from their terrace. Guests of the Royal Service area enjoy adult oriented amenities including a private pool, bar and exclusive restaurant surrounded by palapas and Bali Beds in addition to a private beach. Discreet but efficient butlers offer preferential reservations for specialty restaurants, spa treatments, activities and excursions. Also featured is Passion by Martin Berasategui, a restaurant collaboration with six-star Michelin chef Martin Berasategui, a first for an all-inclusive resort. Paradisus La Perla and sister resort Paradisus La Esmeralda share a common area referred to as El Zocalo, a term in Mexican culture which signifies a city’s social center. Here, Paradisus guests can sample multiple food and beverage options along with the full service YHI Spa, the “Palapa” Activities Center and Theatre. El Zocalo offers 12 restaurants serving Japanese, South American, Mexican, and Mediterranean cuisines, and 10 bars. The resort is 45 minutes from Cancun International Airport and close to attractions such as Playa del Carmen’s trendy shopping district, 5th Avenue and famous Maya archaeological sites including Tulum and Cobá.

Between 1812 and 1815, the British ordered the construction of 300-foot-long Jasper Rock Tunnel (more commonly known as Black Point Tunnel) to provide better access from the cane field to the sugar factory to the ships for export. Slaves were responsible for the actual building, manually cutting through the mountain with shovels, picks, and sledgehammers. Now part of the Black Point Historic and Recreation Park, the tunnel also served as the site for several scenes in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

The 34,400-square-foot Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre engages visitors on many levels. Socially, it is the first joint cultural project between two separate native nations in North America. The center is also a stunning architectural addition to the community. The design of the concrete, cedar, and fir structure melds the longhouse of the coastal Squamish people with the traditional Lil’wat pit house. Permanent displays of carvings, dugouts, and implements used by the coastal fishermen and hunters are supplemented by temporary exhibitions, including a presentation about Canada’s infamous residential schools. The SLCC also anchors one of Whistler’s most exciting new projects, the Cultural Connector—a path that links six local arts institutions—which is another indication of Whistler’s rising status as a fine arts destination.