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Pat Arnell had a soft spot for miniatures since the 1930s, but it wasn’t until she moved with her husband Walter to Tucson in 1979 that her hobby developed into a full-blown passion. Her collection is now housed in the nonprofit Museum of Miniatures, and it contains over 275 miniature houses and room boxes ranging from the fantastical to the historical. The oldest miniature house in the US (from 1775) is housed here, as well as collections from cultures around the globe. You’ll find artistry, history, and creativity in every piece, and each room tells a special story.

The Independent Hotel is a charming and stylish 24-room boutique hotel located in the heart of Philadelphia’s Midtown Village neighborhood. The Independent boasts a cozy lobby with stunning artwork, unique and comfortable rooms, and personalized service from its friendly and helpful staff. Just a block off of Broad Street on Locust, the hotel is a short walk from theaters, shopping, restaurants, and Rittenhouse Square. Other amenities include continental breakfast, free wi-fi, a wine and cheese reception from Monday to Thursday, and complimentary access to the nearby 12th Street Gym. The Independent is a great alternative to the large chain hotels.

Clemyjontri is not your typical McDonald’s PlayLand. This two-acre playground was the dream of Mrs. Adele Lebowitz, who envisioned a playground for children of all abilities, including those with sensory, motor, and developmental disabilities. With a carousel in the middle, it contains four outdoor “rooms": a “Fitness and Fun” jungle gym section designed to stimulate physical exercise; a “Movin’ and Groovin’ Transportation” area full of transportation-shaped play equipment; a “Schoolhouse and Maze” focusing on educational learning games; and the “Rainbow Room,” which teaches colors of the rainbow. In case you’re wondering about the name, Clemyjontri was named in honor of Adele’s four children, Carolyn (CL), Emily (EMY), John (JON), and Petrina (TRI).

Part restaurant and part performance venue, the Rendezvous is a full night out in one cozy spot. The restaurant has typical bar food (burgers, salads, deep-fried snacks) that’s basic but good; happy hour goes from 3-6 pm daily with food specials. The tiny Jewelbox Theatre is an intimate cabaret-style theatre, where you’ll find everything from burlesque to comedy variety shows to live music and theater. They also have two excellent private rental rooms for parties. Upstairs, the Red Velvet Lounge looks out onto the main dining floor and has its own sound system. Downstairs, the basement-level Grotto is a dark, red-lit cave with its own private bar and plenty of room for dancing.

Don’t expect butlers, room service, or even a receptionist at this six-room lodge set at nearly 7,800 feet in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Owner Christian Keesee vacationed in Green Mountain Falls as a kid. When the New York–based art collector saw the town falling on hard times, he stepped in to restore this 19th-century lodge and start an arts festival. Keesee decorated the Outlook with works from his private collection, including original pieces by Kate Carr. The steep switchbacks of the six-mile round-trip Catamount Trail take hikers through a wildflower meadow. Modern and midcentury furnishings decorate the Outlook Lodge, where a backyard fire pit is perfect for s’mores.

The best views of San Francisco are from the top of Twin Peaks, the two hills that are located in the geographic center of the city. Only from Twin Peaks can you get a 360-degree view of the entire city. If you are lucky, on a clear day you can see all four Bay Area bridges—from the Golden Gate to the Richmond-San Rafael and the Bay Bridge all the way south to the San Mateo. Standing on North Peak, you can look down the tree line of Market all the way to the Ferry Building. All the city neighborhoods, scattered over up and down the hills, from Mission to Bernal Heights to Russian Hill to the Presidio are in your vista. If it’s clear, you’ll be able to see the Marin Headlands, Alcatraz, Sausalito, and even Mt. Tam. From the North Peak, you can walk over to the South Peak and take in the city views from the Sunset District down to San Francisco International Airport. Tips: 1. Bring a jacket with you. Even on a warm summer’s day, it can be chilly at Twin Peaks. 2. Wear sturdy shoes, especially if you want to walk up to the Peaks and or around them. 3. Bring binoculars, if you have them. There are telescopes that you can pay to use if you don’t have binoculars.

Fisherman’s Bastion was built between 1895 and 1902 on Buda’s Castle Hill not to provide protection, but rather as a lookout point—and this fairy-tale castle site, with its seven spired towers representing the seven tribe of Magyar (Hungarians) that settled here in the 9th century, is all about providing stunning views of the city, the Danube, and best of all the ornate parliament building across the river. In medieval times, a guild of fishermen protected this area, giving the bastion its name, and its construction coincided with the restoration of the nearby church. You can just walk around and drink in the beauty, or pay a small fee for a walk up a tower spire, to further amplify the amazing view.

If you’re short on time in Atlanta, now there’s a way for you to see most of the sights in a matter of minutes. SkyView, the city’s newest attraction, is a Ferris wheel that soars 20 stories above the ground. You can park at any of the lots surrounding Centennial Olympic Park before boarding a gondola. From above, you’ll be able to see the buildings of downtown, the CNN Center, the Georgia Aquarium, and the World of Coca-Cola. SkyView is open every day until 11 p.m. and beyond. The 15-minute ride is $13.50 for adults, $12.15 for seniors and military, $8.50 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for kids under 2. If you’re feeling like a big shot, go for the VIP flight, which allows you to skip the line to board a plush gondola, complete with leather seats and a glass floor. It will set you back $50 per person, but each capsule can hold five people, making this the ideal place for a special occasion.

I discovered this Marin Headlands view of the Golden Gate Bridge on one of my very first trips to San Francisco. In my three-plus years living in the Bay Area, I still haven’t found a view to top it. My favorite time to visit is just after sunset, when most tourists are fleeing from the evening breeze and the lights from the Golden Gate are just beginning to glow. If you’re lucky, you might witness an illuminated container ship as it exits the Bay on its way to Asia. This vantage point is on the North side of the Golden Gate—for the active traveler it’s a lovely green hike after a stroll across the bridge but alternately you can dive up. There’s also a closer view at the base of the hill.

Nakameguro is a hip and trendy area with many restaurants and shops, especially under the train tracks in a complex called Kokashita. The Meguro River that runs through the residential area is lined with cherry trees for sakura-viewing in the spring. Small boutiques featuring local designers as well as imported clothes are concentrated in the Aobadai area between Nakameguro and Daikanyama. Nakameguro is also home to two of the city’s best pizza shops, Seirinkan and da ISA, and yakitori restaurants Iguchi and Toriyoshi. Popular coffee shops in the area include Onibus, Streamer, and Artless Craft Tea & Coffee.

In the Caribbean’s Windward Islands, a string of some 600 islands and islets dot the sea between St. Lucia and Grenada. It’s a paradise for yachters, where you can drop anchor off an uninhabited island and live out your Robinson Crusoe fantasies. A handful of these islands are home to resorts, including the private Palm Island, first leased to an American couple in 1966 for $1 per year. They established the ten-room Palm Island Beach Club, which over the years has grown—though there are still only a total of 43 guest rooms on this single-resort island.

Mandarin Oriental’s first Caribbean resort has all the amenities you’d expect from the luxury brand—with the price tag to match. Nestled within lush greenery overlooking the white sands of Godahl Beach, the 26 suites and villas, which sit on the grounds of a 1,200-acre estate on the island of Canouan, are elegantly appointed with modern furnishings, marble baths, and rosy accents befitting the hotel’s name. Here, though, it’s all about the public spaces, including a Jim Fazio–designed golf course overlooking sparkling blue waters, a hilltop spa specializing in island-themed treatments, and four elegant restaurants serving every kind of cuisine, from pan-Asian to Italian. At Turtles, a cocktail lounge straight out of the Hamptons, opt for the Pepper Bliss, made with rum, bell pepper syrup, and pineapple juice.

Le Chat has an awesome view, it’s just perfect to finish the day or to have a long lunch. You can enjoy the view over the 25th April Bridge and the Tagus River to the other shore and maybe you will see a cruise ship leaving Lisbon and heading towards the ocean. This glass cube of a joint—near the National Museum of Ancient Art—offers seats inside and outside on a terrace. Even in winter the terrace is appealing, with heat lamps and blankets provided. Rather than ordering a full meal, share some appetizers like sweet potato chips, sautéed shrimp, and a traditional Portuguese dish, Peixinhos da Horta (batter-fried green beans), while enjoying the fresh air and expansive views.

Atop towering Cerro San Cristóbal, there are two municipal pools where many families go to cool off during the summer: Tupahue and Antilén. Conveniently, these all have fabulous views of the city below. However, they do come with a price tag of US$12 for the lower-elevation Tupahue, and US$15 for Antilén, which keeps crowds to manageable levels in January and February.

A winery with an enviable view, Tokara is considered one of the best in the region for its cabernets, sauvignon blancs, and premium olive oils. As compelling as the wines are, though, people flock to Tokara for its restaurant, led by chef Carolize Coetzee. Here, in a stunning building made of glass, steel, and stone, diners enjoy contemporary cuisine, award-winning wines, and dramatic views over Stellenbosch and False Bay. Before sitting down for your meal, enjoy a drink at the bar, which offers views of the kitchen as well as the sun setting through a picture window. Then dig into creative dishes like roasted beef with lemon-glazed shimeji mushrooms, and pork belly with carrot-ginger sauce. The menu changes seasonally, but guests can always expect a life-changing meal.