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Seattle’s largest public park sits on a sea bluff that’s high enough to pierce the city’s infamous fog, revealing gorgeous views of the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges. Wander its 11 miles (18 km) of paths through forest groves, meadows fringing coastal cliffs, and active sand dunes on the protected tidal beaches. Once a military installation, the area now serves as an open space and wildlife sanctuary. Stop into the Daybreak Star Center, which celebrates American Indian culture and hosts the city’s powwow in mid-July. Around 25 drum groups and 500 dancers converge here for the event, along with close to 10,000 spectators.

A narrow strip of land divides the northern Atlantic and southern Caribbean sides of Frigate Bay, making it easy to walk from one section to the other. Many visitors do just that, as hotels like the St. Kitts Marriott Resort and Sugar Bay Club are on the north side, while the beach bars of The Strip sit on the south side. The sand and scenery around the resorts is better, but the nightlife on South Frigate Bay is among the island’s best.

The Limelight has a storied past. The property was originally the Ski and Spur Bar, serving outlaws and skiers. In the 1950s, new owners dubbed it “the Limelite,” and it became a popular nightclub. In 2005, a brand-new lodge went up on the site, and in 2008 the Limelight received a makeover ushering it into eco-chic modernity. Rooms come in a range of styles, from dog-friendly one-bedrooms to two-bedroom suites with full kitchens and dining rooms. All rooms have balconies to take in mountain views. The Lounge has become an après hangout and is known for its great beer selection and for hosting local bands Thursday through Monday nights. The hot tub is the perfect spot to relax after a day of hiking or skiing, while the rooftop terrace is a private oasis to take in mountain views. Travelers who want to get a local’s perspective of Aspen will love the hotel’s complimentary activities.

This 12-cottage luxury hotel, 3,100 feet up in the Blue Mountains, is Jamaica without the beaches. It is the Jamaica of misty mornings, cool, cuddle-worthy evenings, and a musical heritage recognized worldwide. First as a private estate belonging to music producer Chris Blackwell and then as part of his Island Outpost collection of hotels, Strawberry Hill has been a creative refuge for performers including Bob Marley, the Rolling Stones, and Willy Nelson. After Hurricane Gilbert destroyed the estate’s great house in 1988, Blackwell commissioned Jamaican architect Ann Hodges, who specializes in historic reconstructions, to build the cottages, a restaurant, and a pool, which were opened in 1994. Yet despite the rock and roll history, and the hanging with like-minded souls up in the mountain mists, what guests seem to remember most is the far-below views of Kingston, especially at night, when the lights glow and sparkle from what must certainly be another world.

If you’re visiting Tahiti with a large family or group of friends and hoping to surf the island’s most powerful wave, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better, more affordable place to stay than Green Room Villa. The 1,500-square-foot, four-bedroom property—the only vacation rental in the sleepy surfing village of Teahupo’o—practically opens up to the water and offers a unique place to rest your head. The main house is shaped like an octagon, with a huge mangosteen tree growing out of the open center, plus a large covered deck, teak flooring, and brightly painted walls that show off the owner’s creativity. The property even works well for a small destination wedding, as there’s a “honeymoon bungalow” near the fruit tree garden. Built on stilts, it sits over a purple-hued, lily-filled pond. It’s also the only room with air conditioning, although breezes keep the main house relatively cool. On a very local part of the island, Green Room Villa is extremely private, providing a relaxed place for your group getaway. Note: the owners require a credit card damage deposit and a three-night minimum stay.

Go for the scene, not the food, and enjoy the Art Deco décor and great people-watching at this buzzy Left Bank landmark. Despite a limited menu and steep prices, the place is packed day and night. Order a chocolat chaud and sit on the terrace, watching the world go by.

Set in a refurbished Victorian hunting lodge on a 26,000-acre estate, Shieldaig Lodge is the epitome of Highland romance. With everything from breathtaking views of Shieldaig Bay to log fires, cozy lounges, and an extensive whisky and gin collection, the hotel offers Scottish hospitality at its finest, surrounded by stunning scenery. Quietly elegant, the 12 guest rooms come furnished with antiques and luxurious touches like Egyptian cotton sheets, goose-down duvets, and homemade shortbread from the hotel’s kitchen. For utter opulence, book the suite, which features a four-poster bed, separate sitting room, and rolltop tub with views of the bay.

At the restaurant, rare-breed lamb, Highland cattle, and deer from the hotel’s estate provide the raw ingredients for the sumptuous menu. Also available are crabs, lobster, langoustines, oysters, and scallops caught by hand right in front of the property, and vegetables grown in the on-site walled garden. After dinner, grab a nightcap in the Liberator Bar, which stocks an ever-growing collection of more than 110 gins and 250 whiskies from around the world. The next day, visit the lodge’s falconry (home to eagles, falcons, hawks, and owls), or have the concierge arrange a local activity, from deerstalking and fly-fishing to hiking, boating, and pony trekking.

Full disclosure: It’s authentically tourist-tacky in Plaza Garibaldi, the traditional Mexico City center for mariachi music and culture. But when you’re ready for a serenade, you’re ready. The plaza fills up late at night, every night, with a motley crew of local revelers from all walks of life, plus visitors, vendors, and dozens of extravagantly attired orchestras. Taking a table at Salón El Tenampa, right on the plaza, may afford a modicum of order. A Garibaldi institution beneath its fabulous neon sign, this music hall pulls in a fascinating, Felliniesque crew of misbehaving pencil pushers, shady ladies, brokenhearted tequila swillers, wide-eyed travelers, and slumming hipsters. Strolling bands—usually pretty good—are available for hire, but bring them in close to your table to avoid sonic interference from every other trumpet in the joint.

There’s a carefree summer camp spirit at Ruschmeyer’s, a boutique retreat in Montauk where a central garden full of hammocks and picnic tables creates a relaxing backdrop. First built in 1952 in a shaded stretch of lakeside woodlands in Montauk, the hotel now features recently renovated rooms inspired by camp cabins with cedar-plank walls, a hammock, and some with an outdoor charcoal grill. Ruschmeyer’s has an appetite for culture, seen in a rotating series of music performances, guest DJs, and artists-in-residence. This is a place to play, and the hotel happily arranges paddle boarding, fishing, and yoga. Start your stay on the central lawn, called the Magic Garden, with a game of ping-pong before drinking and dancing the night away at the hotel’s bar, the Electric Eel.

Actually, the lobby of the Sapphire Hotel is as far as you’ll get when you visit these days. And for all intents and purposes, it’s far enough. The Sapphire maintains the edge its enjoyed since its inception in the early 1900s. Then a gathering place for the quirky and lightly mannered; cool before cool was cool, it now is the great-grandparent of PDX hip. The candlelit scene keeps the conversation low and the alcohol levels, therapeutic. With cocktails like: You’re Not My Real Dad, Retrosex, Winter Isn’t Coming and Floozie, what could possibly go wrong. The hotel rooms are long gone, but the kitchen still hangs around. The menu maintains a simplicity and charm of another era. An order of the salmon corn cakes with a Sapphire salad will easily sustain, but why stop there. Go for the fully-loaded Sapphire burger, have another pop and regroup for the ginger-vanilla bean creme brûlée. The best thing about the Sapphire is the hang time. It’s out on the bleeding edge of Hawthorne, so once you get out there, you’ll tend to want to linger. The atmosphere encourages it with a sharp wait staff supported by bartenders that roll the dice to delver concoctions you can’t get just anywhere. Happy hour tends to evolve into happy evening, even happy night. I’d say it was a gem, but that would be stating the obvious.

Gonçalo Alves and his wife, Marta Fonseca, spent eight years turning an abandoned chicken farm on Portugal’s wild Costa de Prata into their dream retreat. “We wanted a big house to share with people,” says Alves. Their hotel, located a 45-minute drive north of Lisbon, is a whimsical escape with a hippie vibe. Each night Alves and Fonseca invite guests to join them for wine and traditional folk music around a bonfire. The architecture is modern, but the interiors have a fashionable flea-market feel. Inside the 10 rooms and four villas you’ll find bedding, rugs, and light fixtures from Morocco and India, driftwood-frame beds, and fireplaces that hang from the ceiling. Doubles from $345. 351/2-6193- 6340. This appeared in the October 2013 issue.

If you are looking for a fun, buzzing eating scene in the Wall Street area, this is it. Stone Street is a narrow, cobblestone street lined with restaurants and bars and filled with outdoor, communal tables. During lunch on nice days, an energetic crowd of casual business types from the Wall Street area fill the alley with loud laughter and clinking glasses. And after work—especially on Wednesday and Thursday nights—it’s a busy social scene. Stone Street was the first paved street in NYC. It starts at Hanover Square (off William Street 2 blocks south of Wall Street). Look for the imposing brownstone India House with the famous Harry’s Bar in the basement and walk around the building. Directions may sound complicated, but once you get in the area, follow the buzz of the crowd or ask one of the locals. About ten years ago, this historic corridor had a $2 million restoration of its cobblestone streets and vintage lamp posts, which helped usher in the new restaurants and the young crowds. Popular eateries include Adrienne’s Pizza Bar, Vintry Wine & Whisky and Ulysses Pub. Also on this street is Harry’s; opened in 2006, it is a new generation offshoot of the historic Harry’s at Hanover, a high-profile eatery in the financial district from 1972 to 2003. Food festivals also attract a hungry crowd. Look for Stone Street Fest in May and the Oyster Festival in September.

Everyone seems to be traveling to the Jersey Shore to help it get back on its feet. I have a suggestion that you will enjoy and savor - Day’s Ice Cream in Ocean Grove, Ocean Grove is a unique Victorian jewel of a town located just south of Asbury Park in Monmouth County. There is the huge wooden Auditorium surrounded by the tiny tents. Many programs and events are offered for your entertainment. There are beautiful beaches. Ocean Grove offers a large choice of hotels and B&B’s. The serene Main Street has its little boutiques making it fun to shop there. There are a great many cafes and eateries. One of my favorite eateries is Day’s Ice Cream - an old fashioned Victorian ice cream parlor that has been in business since 1876. Day’s is open from May until October and I love to sit on the big, old fashioned porch and enjoy a dish of their ice cream. I’m not alone in finding this famous ice cream parlor to be #1. The ice cream is delicious and the atmosphere is wonderful. Day’s has just opened at a second location. They are now on the boardwalk in near-by Asbury Park. Want excellent ice cream? Don’t mind the long lines on summer nights. The line moves fairly quickly and the short wait IS worth it. Get to Day’s Ice Cream. Day’s : 732-988-1007

About 25 miles north of the site of the 2018 Winter Olympics, and just 25 miles south, as the crow flies, of the heavily fortified DMZ, the Jujeonggol valley in Seoraksan Nat’l Park is an oasis of jade-colored waters beneath pinnacles of pine-studded granite. Hiking in this valley, you begin to understand where the Asian landscape aesthetic comes from; the first time I came here, I felt as if I were moving about inside a silk scroll painting. Downstream is a Buddhist temple site with its famed Osaek medicinal springs--the high mineral-content water comes out of the stone slightly bubbly: natural carbonation! The tranquility of these valleys, far from the pulsating night lights of Seoul, belies the occasionally troubled past of Korea’s history; fierce battles were fought near here just six decades ago during the Korean War. But people have been seeking, and finding, solace in these mountains for thousands of years. Before today’s hikers came yesterday’s monks; some of the world’s earliest Zen temples are located in this region, built at a time when leopards and tigers were a very real threat in these forests. While much of Seoraksan National Park is easily accessible by public transportation from the nearby coastal city of Sokcho, this section is less-well served; renting a car would be a good option here.

Tucked away in the heart of downtown Seoul is the quaint Insadong district, where a Korea of yore comes to life in the form of traditional artists and musicians, shops selling Korean crafts and souvenirs, and street performers dressed in native costumes. This is the place to go if you’re set on buying the wooden masks, paper lanterns, and tea sets that the country is famous for. Two other stores also stand out from the crowd in Insadong: Gounjae Handcraft can be smelled before you even enter the door. This handmade soap shop, in the small brick courtyard of Ssamji Gil Center, offers sumptuously scented soaps, lotions, and bath products in scents like avocado, ginger, and almond. I love the tiny, traditional mask-shaped soaps that make inexpensive and lightweight souvenirs. The Ee Gee boutique is a veritable treasure chest bursting with glimmering necklaces, bracelets, and other one-of-a-kind baubles–it’s located on Insadong’s main drag.