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March 5th, 2008 If you want steeps you go to Jackson Hole, right on the other side of the mountains. But routinely, as the storms moved toward the east, they dump even more on this side of the range. There isn’t a whole lot of difficult terrain, but as you can see here, its around if you look for it. I look for it... to avoid it. haha. As a solid Blue Square, sometimes Black Diamond skier, Grand Targhee offers a good amount of terrain and probably a chance to ski in the knee-deep.

D.H. Lawrence detested it. Langston Hughes loved it. It’s probably safe to say that no one who has seen bullfighting comes away ambivalent about it. If you can stomach the blood and the inevitable death of the bull (and, perhaps, the injury of the matador), then a Sunday afternoon at Plaza México, the largest bullring in the world, is one place to experience a centuries-old tradition. The Spanish brought bullfighting to Mexico when they arrived in the New World, and though the sport has become increasingly controversial in recent years (it’s even been banned entirely in the Mexican states of Coahuila, Guerrero, and Sonora, and its prohibition has been discussed–but not yet passed– in Mexico City), it’s one of the few places where such formality, pageantry, skill, and–yes, some would say– savagery can be witnessed for the price of a few pesos.

The lifeblood of modern Istanbul is the two-mile-long pedestrian street Istiklal Caddesi (Independence Avenue), running from Taksim Square to the Tünel train station. It’s equal parts touristy and local, commerce and culture, and strolling down the avenue to shop, dine, or just socialize is a favorite pastime of many Istanbullus. (The beloved red-and-white tram is out of service for the foreseeable future while the street gets some much-needed maintenance.) Though many complain about encroaching international chain stores and shopping malls taking the thoroughfare’s distinct character away, there are still plenty of gems if you follow the backstreets and duck into the historic passages. Don’t forget to look up: Many of the art nouveau and Ottoman-era buildings house rooftop cafés and businesses above street level.

There’s a lot of tourists Instagram-browsing in Kyoto’s famed Nishiki Market shops, which hawk salt-pickled cherry blossoms, barrels of other pickled vegetables, and takoyaki (fried octopus balls). But step off the bustling main drag and into this legendary knife shop to discover a rarefied world of chefs deliberating over blue steel boning knives with magnolia handles, or 12-inch Japanese alloy with rosewood and water buffalo horn. The tiny shop is chockful of handmade blades and cutting utensils gleaming like evidence behind glass cases. But Aritsugu is principally known for its custom-made knives, especially popular with lefties. The shop will also engrave your name or initials on your blade for free via the revolving whetstone behind the counter.

The 20 de Noviembre market has a variety of food stalls where you can sample many Oaxacan specialties, but carnivores flock to the one corridor that’s known as “El Pasillo de las Carnes Asadas” (the grilled meats aisle). Follow your nose to find it: smoke and the smell of meat grilling are thick in the air. You can select the raw meat that looks best to you and have it grilled to your specifications as you watch on. Find a spot at one of the long tables with benches and order salsa and guacamole to accompany your feast. Buy some tortillas from one of the passing vendors, and enjoy!

Hike around the ruins of Morne Fortune (“good luck hill”), a former military outpost overlooking the harbor it was meant to protect. The site was hardly good luck during the 18th century: Several bloody battles between the French and the British took place here. The remaining structures on Morne include guard cells and a powder magazine, the building used to store gunpowder and ammunition, as well as French and British burial grounds. At the top of the hill, near a memorial to the British infantry regiment that captured Morne Fortune in 1796, you’ll find a great spot for a panoramic view over Castries and its harbor.

At three times the size of the Big Island of Hawaii, this is South America’s largest island. Split almost equally between Argentina and Chile, Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego is divided from the mainland by the legendary Strait of Magellan that saved sailors the long, treacherous route around Cape Horn. The Argentine town of Ushuaia, on the island’s southern coast, is a launching point for journeys that take travelers through the Strait of Magellan and past the glacier-covered 2,438-meter-high (7,999-foot-high) Mount Darwin off of the Beagle Channel.

The centerpiece of Turks and Caicos is Grace Bay, on the island of Providenciales (known locally as Provo), where the miles-long sugar-sand shore routinely tops “best beach” lists for the Caribbean and the world. The inland area along this stretch of northern shoreline is where you’ll find most of Provo’s hotels, shopping, and restaurants. Grace Bay is part of the Princess Alexandra National Park. It has calm waters and a sandy seafloor with no rocks or corals to step on, making Grace Bay the perfect place for swimming, splashing along the shoreline, parasailing, and stand-up paddleboarding.

This unassuming trailer in a parking lot opposite a port in Kawaihae serves what may be the best shave ice on Hawaii Island, and possibly in the whole state. Why? First up, the syrups (divided into artificial, creamy, and fruit) really taste of what they are supposed to. This is one shave ice where you need to be careful which flavors you combine, because they don’t just bleed into each other. (Also note that the li hing mui comes with the powder, too, so get ready for that strange salty/sour/sweet hit.) More importantly, however, is the texture, which is smooth and creamy and more like compacted snow than ice. It was so different from anything we’d had before that we asked the staff whether they used a different machine than everyone else. Nope—they just make it using the technique their grandmother passed down to them.

Scandinavian Shave Ice is Hawaii Island’s most iconic purveyor of the frozen treat—though it’s not quite so big a deal on this island as some of the others. That said, Scandi’s is everything you want your shave ice shop to be. Dozens of flavors to choose from, including some with no added sugar? Check. Choice of ice cream for the center? Check. Snow cap and other, more exotic, toppings available (like li hing mui powder or mochi)? Check. Sassy servers? Check. The result is a carefully sculpted ball of colorful ice the size of your head (go for the small size!), with a soft but cohesive texture, flavors more subtle than they look, and the ice cream in the center rather than the bottom—meaning you get to it even quicker! Yum.

The Caramoan area, on the eastern tip of the Caramoan Peninsula in Bicol, is a rugged and remote landscape of white-sand beaches, rich woods, swampland, lakes, and caves. Numerous seasons of the reality TV show Survivor have filmed around this region, including at Gota Beach. Most travelers explore the pristine Caramoan Islands by small outrigger boat. There are too many to scope out in one trip, but don’t miss famous Matukad Island with its pure white sands, exotic rain forest, limestone rock formations, and even a hidden lagoon. Another must-visit is Manlawe Island, a one-kilometer-wide sandbar surrounded by ankle-deep water. Other highlights include Cotivas Island, Gota Island, and Sabitang-Laya, a triangular landmass with powdery sand, caves, and superb snorkeling. Accommodations in Caramoan include family-run inns that are equipped with modern amenities but rustic enough to accentuate the region’s remote and unspoiled ambience.

Ask anyone you know who grew up in the Bay Area about the Exploratorium, and they’ll likely be able to share stories of class trips and seeing their hair stand on end at an installation about electricity or fun-house mirrors that taught about optics and visual perception. This is not, however, a museum simply for kids—though curious kids will definitely be entertained while learning. Instead, its exhibits aim to raise the scientific literacy of visitors of all ages, by providing engaging, amusing, and hands-on experiences. Long housed at the Palace of Fine Arts, the Exploratorium opened in its current, and much larger, space on Piers 15 and 17 in 2013. One advantage of the new waterfront location is the North Gallery and its outdoor spaces, focused on environmental phenomena like the wind, rain, and tides. The completely dark Tactile Dome and the disorienting Monochromatic Room may prove not just the highlights of your visit to the Exploratorium but the most memorable, or at least strangest, moments of your time in San Francisco.

The sky above Jasper National Park comes alive at night. Celebrated as a Dark Sky Preserve, the national park is one of the best places in the world to stargaze. Light pollution is that orange hue often seen above cities, which is caused by the large amount of iridescent light omnipresent in populated areas. Jasper, home to only 5,000 people in a 10,000-square-kilometer area, is essentially light-pollution free. Because of this, the skies are darker—the area around Columbia Icefield is one of the darkest places in North America—so it’s possible to clearly see more stars than nearly anywhere else. Although the dark skies are best viewed in autumn and winter, from September to March, the best time to learn about the stars is during Jasper’s annual Dark Sky Festival that takes place at the end of October. The best part? It’s absolutely free.

Built in the 14th century as a villa for a powerful shogun, Kinkaku-ji temple, commonly referred to as the Golden Pavilion, is an easy bus ride from the main bus terminal in Kyoto. The temple is one of the most popular buildings in Japan, so expect a lot of fellow gawkers. It exemplifies several different Japanese architecture styles, and the top two levels are completely covered in gold leaf. The extensive gardens are beautifully manicured and serene, despite the abundance of visitors using selfie sticks.

If you are a fan of the old-fashioned brick-and-mortar bookstore, then you’ll be in heaven at the Strand, on Broadway at 12th Street. The store boasts that it has 2.5 million books, or 18 miles of them. While we aren’t sure how they measured books in miles, if you are looking for something to read, you are sure to find it here on one of the emporium’s two levels. Most of the goods here are used, though the Strand also has new copies of all the latest popular releases. There is also a separate rare-book room for serious collectors in the building next door (ask at the information desk for directions). The Strand also hosts regular signings and readings.