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In 2007, hedge fund investor Jim Manley bought a working cattle ranch on the site of a historic silver-mining claim to stake as his bigger-than-life family retreat. In 2010, he opened up the Ranch at Rock Creek, a toy-filled haven in southwest Montana’s Big Sky Country, with 13 houses with one to five bedrooms, luxurious canvas cabins for “glamping,” or a nine-room granite lodge. All are decorated by designer Jet Zarkadas and feature Oriental carpets, deep leather chairs, cow skin and woven Navajo rugs, custom duvet covers, and period Western photos and memorabilia. Despite the remote location and 5,200-foot elevation, all accommodations have landline, working Wi-Fi, and cell phone coverage; some have moose antlers, a private sauna, outdoor hot tub, and indoor copper bathtub.

Open year-round, the 10-square-mile property encompasses meadows, high country lakes, grassy ridges, and stunning vistas of the Pintler and Sapphire mountains. This self-contained adventureland offers horseback riding; heli-hiking; fly-fishing; river floating; high-tech mountain biking; rope courses; trap shooting; and archery on a 3D course using powerful hunting bows to shoot life-sized models of animals. Weekly rodeo and stagecoach rides underscore the Western theme; in winter, guests cross-country ski, ice skate, and snowshoe on-site. A kids’ club frees parents for spa time and other pursuits.

One of the largest urban parks in the world, Munich’s English Garden was founded in 1789, when Elector Carl Theodor ordered a public park to be built along the Isar River. Having undergone many alterations over the centuries, it now offers a slew of contemporary leisure activities. Cyclists, joggers, and rollerbladers make use of almost 50 miles of pathways, while less-active visitors head to the Japanese teahouse (opened in 1972) or one of several beer gardens (the one next to the Chinese Tower is Munich’s second largest, with seating for 7,000). Additionally, there’s a man-made lake, soccer fields, a small amphitheater, a carousel, a Greek temple, and even a popular surfing wave on the river. The park’s large meadows are ideal for picnicking, barbecuing, and sunbathing, making the English Garden one of Munich’s most popular hangouts in summer. That said, autumn is also a spectacular time to stroll the grounds and peep all the changing leaves.

The Grand Place in Brussels is the magnificent main square in Brussels. The square is the main tourist attraction in Brussels and is surrounded by numerous cafes and shops. Most of the buildings were constructed in the late 17th century, although market activity in the square dates back to the 12th Century. It’s a great place to hang out, grab a coffee or a liege waffle, and people watch.

Washington Square Park is only a fraction of the size of Central Park, but it is as almost as much of an icon of New York as its much larger counterpart uptown. It’s likely because it sits in the heart of Greenwich Village, and has thus served as a backdrop for many events in the city’s history. In the late 19th century, it was one of New York’s most fashionable addresses (that period was captured by Henry James in his 1880 novella Washington Square, later the basis for The Heiress, a play that was also adapted into a movie). The arch along its northern side dates to 1892 and was designed by Stanford White to replace an earlier one, in wood and plaster, erected in 1889 to mark the centennial of George Washington’s inauguration. When Greenwich Village became the haunt of artists and writers, the park was a green space for the city’s counterculture; folk singers and street performers are still a common sight, and the park is also frequently used for political protests and rallies. On sunny days, especially during the academic year, the park is filled with NYU students, neighborhood residents, and tourists taking in the scene.

Guadeloupe’s most famous dive spot lies off the coast of Basse-Terre, surrounding the Pigeon Islands, and is part of the Guadeloupe National Park’s protected marine assets. Named after Captain Cousteau, who pushed for the protection of this biodiverse marine site and filmed a documentary here, you can find the French explorer’s statue resting in these waters. Dive shops offering excursions to the Jacques Cousteau Marine Reserve are based along Plage de la Malendure in the coastal community of Bouillante. There are dive options whether you’re a beginner or advanced. Snorkeling is also ideal for newbies here, with shallow waters teeming with coral, turtles, and tropical fish.

Pizza is always a good idea. And pizza fresh from a wood-fired oven served at a table as close to the sea without actually being in the water is an even better idea. Downstairs at the Hotel Covo dei Saraceni, this casual brasserie serves inexpensive pizzas for lunch and dinner. The chewy Neapolitan-style crust is slathered with San Marzano–tomato sauce and fresh, creamy mozzarella, decorated with a basil leaf or two. The simplicity is delicious. You can also order your pies for takeout.

Including the travel time to get to the road from the Banff town center, the drive along the Lake Minnewanka Loop takes only about an hour, but the numerous stops and viewpoints along the way make this 24-kilometer (15-mile) side trip worth embarking on. Pull off at Two Jack Lake and the road’s namesake, Lake Minnewanka, the largest body of water in Banff National Park. Views of Cascade Mountain along the way are spectacular, and wildlife sightings are common. Keen cyclists comfortable with traffic can also tackle the Lake Minnewanka Loop for a perfect, easy afternoon ride.

It’s not exactly Portland’s highest point but, at 1,073 feet, it’s close. Irrespective of how Council Crest Park measures up, it provides a view of five surrounding mountains on a clear day: Rainier, Adams, Jefferson, Hood, and St. Helens, with helpful indicators showing which mountain is which for those not as versed in freestyle mountain identification as lifelong Portlanders are. Bolder folks may opt to hike to the summit along the trails here, though driving up the hill past suffering road bicyclists is an easier option year-round. The water tower that’s now part of the park was once a feature of the Council Crest Amusement Park, torn down in 1941.

Booze Cooperativa is “a brain hub of tribes and nations in creative disruption.” That certainly sounds like millennial trendspeak, but the Cooperativa—a three-story neoclassical textile mill repurposed in 1989 into spaces for art, music, and people-meeting, and eating and drinking, has been promoting local artists, providing community for artists of all sorts (many of whom co-work, or play chess with their friends, at the six-meter-long—almost 20 feet—table by day), and acting as a nighttime watering hole ever since. Booze isn’t just about booze at all, but you can smoke here—its owner registered the building as a political party headquarters to get around the Greek indoor smoking ban.

With all of Orlando’s man-made attractions, it’s refreshing to get deep into nature at this wonderful state park, located north of downtown and the theme-park corridor. Spread across 7,000 acres of pristine central Florida forest, the park centers around the headwaters of the Wekiwa River, a beautiful, blue-and-green-hued spring with a roped-off area that’s safe for swimming (alligators do dwell in the main river). Rent a kayak or canoe at the park and paddle from the spring into the river, where you can spot turtles and alligators sitting on the banks. If you’re seeking a more primitive experience, you can also book one of the park’s spacious campsites, some of which come with hookups for electricity and water.

Also known as the Reunification Palace, this Vietnamese landmark was constructed on the site of an old French-colonial governor’s residence. It has a remarkably varied past; it housed Japanese officials during World War II and was later the home of the president of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The imposing, broad, angular building played a seminal role in Vietnamese history: It was here on April 30, 1975, in an episode that came to be known as the Fall of Saigon, that a North Vietnamese army tank smashed through the gates, symbolically ending the Vietnam War. A tour of the palace is a step back decades in time—you’ll encounter grand, formal rooms used as banquet halls, reception rooms, and government offices. You can also navigate through basement tunnels and former bunkers.

Southwest of Anguilla is one of the island’s top three beach areas: the two-mile-long brilliantly white stretch at Rendezvous Bay. Its long shore, steady breeze, and calm Caribbean waters provide a break from the crowds at Shoal Bay and Sandy Ground. The western end does offer some fun daytime beach-bar action, which grows rowdier at night and on the weekends, when the famous Bankie Banx’s Dune Preserve venue attracts residents and visitors for live music. You can view St. Martin, across the channel, from shore.

While not as large as other ancient Mayan cities in the region, Tulum draws in visitors for its stunning setting of centuries-old temples perched on a cliff by the Caribbean Sea. You’ll pass a large market with souvenirs, a casual Mexican restaurant, and even a Starbucks before reaching the entrance, where a train can take you to the site if you’re not up for the 10-minute walk. It’s advisable to hire a guide to fully understand each structure’s significance and the history behind the ruins; informative signage is all but nonexistent. Don’t forget to bring your swimsuit, as the site encompasses a white-sand beach with soothing waves and beautiful rock formations that’s reached by a long wooden staircase.

Though the beaches of southern Kerala may get more attention, the Malabar coast shores of the northern part of the state are no less beautiful—and offer plenty of their own attractions. Case in point: Bekal Beach, a wide, sandy stretch along the Arabian Sea, set under historic Bekal Fort. The cove-shaped beach offers plenty of room to stretch out and soak up the sun, shallow waters for swimming, and artistic touches like a rock garden, murals, and public sculptures. If you don’t want to get sand in your shoes, take a stroll along the boardwalk, or venture up to explore the Fort complex. Little ones will like the beach’s children’s park, while adults should come back at night, when the beach is illuminated, to enjoy the magical atmosphere. Further along the shores, you’ll spy fisherman bringing in a daily catch that might include mackerel, reef cod, and tuna.

Just five miles from downtown Telluride and accessible by high-clearance 4x4, Alta Lakes is a sonnet-worthy area of crystal-clear alpine lakes, studded on all sides by snow-capped peaks. Camping is primitive—don’t expect running water, much less a hot shower—but it’s precisely this lack of frivolities that keeps the surrounds so pure. Area residents love Alta for its hiking and mountain biking trails, and the fact that it’s an Instagram post come to life. When you’re done exploring in nature, be sure to stop by the hamlet of Alta itself, a former mining boomtown that looks like a spaghetti western set.