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Cape Town’s Table Mountain National Park, which hugs the perimeter of the city, is so popular that the line for the cable car to the top can be longer than a queue for a Disneyland ride. But why stand in line when you can put your feet to use? There are several routes that lead to the top of the 3,562-foot, flat-topped mountain, including the two-mile Platteklip Gorge trail. Yes, it’s steep, but startling views of the city and the Atlantic await. Trek, get hungry, then picnic on local provisions—crackers, Dutch-style Gouda, and biltong, the thick-sliced South African jerky—before riding the cable car back down.

A blend of neo-Gothic and art nouveau, the enchanting Livraria Lello bookshop dates to 1906 and is rumored to have inspired J.K. Rowling’s Hogwarts in Harry Potter.

Located in the former warehouse of the American Syrup & Preserving Company, Bastion offers customers a different experience depending on where they perch. On the bar side of the operation, one feels like a guest in the spacious digs of an artist, with mismatched furniture and lights strung from the rafters. Settle in and order craft cocktails and a platter of nachos gussied up with smoked meats. Or head to the other side, around the bar wall, where the staff prepares dinner in a warm, unpretentious space with chef Josh Habiger himself occasionally emerging from the kitchen to change the vinyl records. In lieu of menus, guests are handed bingolike cards with minimal descriptions (Monkfish Liver + Salsify or Black Sea Bass + Black Tea) and mark their choices there, placing their trust in the hands of Habiger and team cooking from an open kitchen.

The stunning landscape of Salineras de Maras features salt pans that are still used exactly as they were at the time of the Incas. As you make your way through the region, you’ll see people doing the backbreaking work of harvesting salt on small family plots. The reward? The salt gathered here is some of the best in the world. Water, naturally salt-infused, flows down from the mountains and settles in the pans. As the water evaporates, salt remains, to be extracted with simple tools. Stop at a store or one of the many small-scale vendors selling the “fruit” of this labor in its pure form or mixed with herbs for use in cooking, bathing, or chocolate bars.

Berggasse 19 is the address of a modest house on a modest street, but it was there that much of the modern world and culture were changed forever. For nearly 50 years, the Freud house—now, officially, the Sigmund Freud Museum—was the home and office of the legendary psychoanalyst, until 1938 when he finally departed for London as Nazi forces were descending on Vienna. The rooms are filled with old books, antiques, personal artifacts, and correspondence, though not the famous couch (which is now at the Freud museum in London). In 2019, the house will undergo a yearlong €4 million renovation to its facade and exhibition spaces. If you walk the Ringstrasse over to the Burgtheater area, you can see the University of Vienna that was once the General Hospital where Herr Professor worked for many years.

Set in a row of shophouses—traditional double-use structures with a storefront on the street level, the owner’s residence on the floors above—the New Majestic Hotel is a small gem in Chinatown filled with quirks and contrasts. Colonial design is plentiful, from the vintage Compton fans in the lobby to furniture from the 1920s–1960s throughout. The rooms are a little more free-form. They range from suites with their own urban gardens to attic-style spaces with loft beds and 20-foot ceilings. Then there are the five rooms in which Singapore artists were told to unleash their creativity (Work, one of these rooms, looks like temporary housing, with plywood sections everywhere). Pieces by local emerging artists include murals with hidden messages or displaying pop art influences. The bottom of the rooftop pool has small portholes that look down onto the Majestic Restaurant, one floor down.

Pairings are everything at Ram’s Gate, one of the first wineries on the drive to wine country from San Francisco. First is the combination of sights: the wonders of architect Howard Backen’s open-concept tasting room in a refurbished barn and the panoramic vistas of Carneros and San Pablo Bay. Next is the marriage of wine and food—winemaker Jeff Gaffner’s single-vineyard designate chardonnays and pinot noirs matched perfectly with seasonal small bites from executive chef Taylr Benham Cuneo. The most popular tasting is called “Palate Play,” which marries five wines with five dishes from the kitchen. For a truly unparalleled afternoon, book the three-hour Vineyard Table experience, an immersion for four to 10 people that includes a glass of bubbly, a guided tour of the winery and on-site gardens, and a custom-designed meal with wine pairings served at a table in the vineyard. There are other, less involved ways to experience Ram’s Gate: seated wine tastings, stand-alone site tours, and picnics down by the pond. Whatever your fancy, just be sure to make a reservation before you go.

Today, Québec City is decidedly francophone. While 50 percent of Montreal‘s residents describe their mother tongue as only French, the figure is 95 percent for Québec City. This was not always the case, and for much of its history the city had a significant anglophone minority. The Morrin Centre is one reminder of that period. In 1868, the building, which had been used as the town’s jail (the old cells are included on tours of the building), was renovated to become Morrin College, an affiliate of Montréal’s McGill University. It offered instruction in English, though it would be forced to close in 1902 as the number of students interested in an English-language education dwindled. The institution lives on as an English-language cultural center, and book lovers should be sure to visit the elegant library, established the same year as the Morrin Centre by the Literary and Historical Society of Québec, Canada’s first learned society.

Santa Barbara spot prawns roasted under a layer of salt. Nasturtium leaf tacos filled with scallop tartare. Gelée of littleneck clam and chorizo served in the clam shell. These are just a few of the delicacies guests might taste at chef-owner Michael Cimarusti’s seafood mecca Providence. This top Los Angeles chef is so masterful with unusual ingredients that he even serves a course inspired by his travels in Japan called the Ugly Bunch, transforming unattractive ingredients into a breathtaking plate. The game-changing chef is also the West Coast pioneer of Dock to Dish Los Angeles, a restaurant-supported fishery program promoting sustainably caught seafood. Naturally, the menu at this destination, decorated with driftwood chandeliers and ceramic barnacles, changes nightly and always includes three tasting menu options. Those in the know book the four-seat private chef’s table overlooking the kitchen for a special occasion, or go for Friday lunch, when they can enjoy chef Cimarusti’s skills in the light of day. Must-order: One of head bartender Kim Stodel’s “zero-waste” cocktails, like the Tom Kha curry–flavored Muay Thai creation, with a rum infusion made from lemongrass, ginger, and kaffir leaf leftover from the kitchen, and served with a biodegradable straw.

Simplicity reigns at The Charter Oak, the gamechanging restaurant owned by Christopher Kostow (who also helms the kitchen at The Restaurant at Meadowood). The family-style menu by chef Katianna Hong features “elemental” cooking, with dishes that highlight only one or two ingredients at a time. The best representation of this is the crudités, raw vegetables from the restaurant’s farm, served on a bed of crushed ice with a side of fermented soy dip. Another example? Crudo of kanpachi with grilled Rangpur lime and herbs. Most of the menu’s larger dishes are seasonal and prepared in a hearth at the center of the restaurant. Highlights include roasted pork shoulder with spiced molasses and winter squash, and beef rib grilled over cabernet barrels and beets dried over the fire. The most Instagram-worthy part of the meal may be the moment the server explains where to find the silverware—forks, knives, spoons, and napkins are stored in hidden drawers on the side of each table. During warm summer evenings, precede your meal with a few rounds of handcrafted cocktails in the open-air courtyard out front. The happy hour of half-priced beers and $3 shots of Fernet-Branca can’t be beat.

Barcelona’s skyline is on full display at the Mandarin Oriental Barcelona’s posh rooftop terrace. Soak up views of Gaudí’s La Sagrada Familia and Casa Batlló while sipping a pisco sour and feasting on fresh ceviche and sushi from the Peruvian-inspired menu created especially for Terrat by acclaimed chef Gastón Acurio. Sample a variety of tiradito (spicy raw fish) and maki—the colorful Chalaco Maki, with fried prawns, shrimp ceviche, avocado, and sweet potato in a peppery rocoto sauce is a standout. Terrat is open seasonally from April to October; non–hotel guests can enter after 6 p.m. Tip: Book a table reservation for sunset hour; the sun sinking behind the surrounding mountains is a spectacular sight. If the weather isn’t cooperating, the hotel’s ritzy Banker’s Bar is a great spot to splurge on a cocktail.

Salishan Spa & Golf Resort, a lifestyle hotel from Crescent Hotels & Resorts, is a beautifully revitalized property just south of Lincoln City. If you want to escape the dog-days of summer or in winter watch the natural world of Siletz Bay and take a walk along miles of ocean beach- this is the place. Built with quality materials in a thoughtful lodge-style architecture decades ago, covered walkways wind throughout the resort taking you from your room to the common areas of the full-service covered Tennis Center ( with resident pro), outdoor sport court, main lobby, fitness center and pool, conference and event areas, Samphire Restaurant, lobby and Sun Room restaurant. The incredible Salishan Spa, Shops at Salishan, and golf pro shop and golf course are also steps away. Rooms are newly renovated, polished, bright and large. I stayed in the Chinook section and our private patio looked through large firs to the captivating bay across U.S. Hwy 101, perfect for sitting in the rocking chairs with a glass of wine.. The food is also revitalized with Executive Chef Andrew Garrison at the helm, and along with visionary General Manager Steve Hurst they are making a name for themselves in terms of guest care and the jewel of a restaurant here called Samphire. The name Samphire is the name of a salty tasting water plant found nearby. Chef Garrison uses it frequently to ramp up the flavors in his straight-from-the-farm, forager, cheese maker, or fisherman, in his flavorful and fresh cuisine. Tip: Samphire is so popular, book a dinner seating when you make your hotel reservation. So head out to the gorgeous Oregon Coast soon and plan to stay here. You’ll be surprised and delighted. And may not want to leave.

Tensions dissolve immediately when guests arrive at Sparrows Lodge. Take your welcome cocktail—sangria with wild blueberries—straight to the arbor, where the scent of citrus and the soothing fountain flow embody “out of office.” Like much of Palm Springs, this 20-room bolt-hole dates to the 1950s, when it was owned by MGM actor Don Castle and known as Castle’s Red Barn. Fully restored in 2013, the lodge is more rustic modern than midcentury, with russet red walls, exposed beams, and Swiss army blankets. It’s a decidedly unplugged place (rooms don’t have TVs or phones) with a casual atmosphere that’s akin to summer camp. Plan to spend quality time at the pool, tooling around town on one of the free Sole bikes, or in the Out of Africa–style massage tent. The Barn Kitchen’s family-style dinners on Chicken Wednesdays and Steak Saturdays are a can’t-miss. Strangers become fast friends over three-course feasts by chef Gabriel R. Woo (reserve at least a week in advance). Pro tip: Ask for a poolside room with a deep steel horse trough bathtub—and bring a good book.

Among the neighborhood’s art-minded hotels, the Gladstone is the most interactive, with shows, classes, and ongoing events. The 37 rooms, all designed by local artists, have breathed new life into the 128-year-old icon, which filmmaker Christina Zeidler took over in 2003 and revitalized in 2005. The Victorian landmark, named for its avenue (in turn named after four-time Canadian Prime Minister William Gladstone), has been a gathering spot for over a century. And it was home to legendary Toronto characters like cowboy Hank Young, who became a fixture at the hotel as a country singer in 1961 and manned the hand-operated elevator from 2005 to 2009, and Peter Styles, former host of Karaoke Night, with applause sign in hand. The legend of Hank lives on in a framed photo in the stairwell en route to the second floor.

The Gladstone continues to push the boundaries of community and culture with creative events like its educational workshop series, Get School’d, and its annual alternative design event, Come Up to My Room (CUTMR), which runs alongside the city’s Interior Design Show. Begin your stay in this architectural gem with a drink at the Café or Melody Bar (that is, if you’re not first thrust into Fameless Karaoke Night).

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.