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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.

The craft cookies, cakes, and ice cream churned daily here from local milk and fruit are as creative as they come. Ask for a nostalgic Australian treat, and you might be offered a Mit Mat (a ganache-filled play on the Tim Tam), a Ro-Vo (a room-temperature spin-off of an iced VoVo), or a Jatz pie (like a caramel slice topped with a mosaic of Arnott’s Jatz crackers). The bloke behind the brilliance is none other than Alistair Wise, son of cookbook author Sally Wise, who spent a stint working with Gordon Ramsay. This emporium of happiness—and envy, to be sure—also whips up scrumptious savories including a mean scallop pie and a buttery poached chicken “sanger” with bacon, lettuce, hummus, mayo, and hard-boiled egg.

Like many of the hippest bars in town, Mary’s is intentionally hard to find. As you make your way down King Street, hang a right on Mary Street and look for a bar on the left with no sign and a rocker crowd. Inside the two-story tavern, a chalkboard menu lists enough craft beers (including the house-brewed Slayer Juice), wines, spirits, and cocktails to require a second chalkboard for fried chicken and burgers (known as the best in town). Get your birds by the half, whole, or “Larry style”—two whole birds deep fried with mash and gravy—and your burger with “trashcan bacon.” Mary’s also does a bacon Bloody Mary with American cheese melted over the rim of the glass that’s more than worth a try.

Of the many draws of this upscale property on 26 pine-clad acres, the biggest is arguably its beach, one of the longest private stretches on Lake Tahoe, where guests can relax in cabanas and lounge chairs, rent jet skis, boats, or kayaks, and even stay in one of the 26 luxury beachside cabins. The lobby, with its massive timbers, flagstone walls and fireplaces, and huge windows, recall some of the great National Park Lodges; the rooms, however, are modern and spacious, swathed in soothing neutral colors. (Rooms on the upper levels of the 12-story tower have the best views.) And because the resort resides on the Nevada side of the North Shore, there’s a 20,000-square-foot casino. Other amenities include a spa, fitness center, and an indoor/outdoor swim-out pool that—along with a lazy river and water fountains—is heated year-round, as well as a kiddie pool and two large whirlpools. And no need to leave Fido behind: the resort accepts your furry friends, too.

In the heart of the medina, not far from the entry to the souks and the main square, two French brothers have transformed a historic riad into an intimate, contemporary Moroccan hideaway. Opening onto two internal courtyards—one of which has a swimming pool—are seven rooms and suites, each named for a local spice (think saffron, nutmeg, and turmeric) and decorated in jewel tones like deep orange and royal purple. All have standard conveniences like hair dryers, toiletries, and air-conditioning as well as complimentary Wi-Fi.

The hotel’s public spaces are separated into a garden section, featuring trickling fountains and lots of flowers, and an oasis section, which houses the pool and a traditional steam hammam. The riad also enjoys a higher position than its neighboring buildings, resulting in particularly great views from the rooftop terrace. Here, you can take in the Atlas Mountains from the plush lounge chairs (each topped with a straw hat for extra sun protection), the fireplace, or the romantic dining tables, where you can enjoy cocktails or a candlelit dinner. Adding to its private home feel, Riad l’Orangeraie provides guests with a local cell phone to use while in town. The hotel is also available to rent out in its entirety for the ultimate house party.

On an island that’s less than two square miles with fewer than 2,000 people, new hotel openings are bound to cause a stir—as did Bahama House when it launched on Harbour Island in January, 2017. It’s the newest outpost from the folks at Eleven Experience, a vacation outfitter known for offering elegance after a full day of bespoke escapades. Spread across a restored colonial home built in 1800, an annex, and two authentic Bahamian cottages and enclosing a freshwater lap pool, handcrafted tiki bar, and hot tub area, Bahama House’s 11 suites have been appointed with eclectically curated furnishings, artwork, and wall coverings, eschewing island kitsch for beach-chic sumptuousness. Though the hotel leans toward softer adventures than sister properties in Colorado, Iceland, and the French Alps, the flip-flop–wearing “experience managers” are on hand to arrange snorkeling and bonefishing excursions and paddleboard or kayak outings. Or they’ll simply provide a fully stocked Yeti cooler for a day of lounging on famous pink-sand beaches.

Expect no less than over-the-top extravagance at Laucala, a resort island in Fiji with its own rental submarine. Bring friends: The island has 25 villas spread out over 4.6 square miles, with a rain forest, beaches, cliffs, a lagoon, and one of the island’s highest hilltops literally in their backyards.

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.

A contemporary take on a classic 1970s Adriatic resort, Hotel Lone is Croatia’s first and only member of the Design Hotels network. The gleaming-white, Y-shaped building may sit amid the forests of Zlatni Rt Park (a 10-minute seafront stroll from the Old Town of Rovinj), but its five-story lobby forgoes nature for flowing golden fabrics, rich murals, and a suspended steel sculpture. The Scandinavian-style accommodations are decidedly more minimalist, with lots of wood and natural light aplenty—plus plunge pools on park-facing terraces in the 16 Jazz rooms. Facilities include an 18,300-square-foot spa with an indoor pool, eight treatment rooms, and a unisex sauna complex, as well as the stellar ResoLution Signature Restaurant.

Located on seven-mile-long Estero Island, Fort Myers Beach is precisely the sugar-sand playground you come to Florida’s Gulf Coast to enjoy. Named among the best in America, the beach is long and wide, making it perfect for a stroll or bike ride—especially at low tide. Vendors here sell everything from umbrella and chair rentals to parasailing adventures and eco tours. There are also accommodations, including hotels, inns, and small, family-run motels to fit nearly every budget.

The Sandía Mountains rise to over 10,000 feet behind Albuquerque. From the top, the view over New Mexico is unparalleled: on a clear day, your eyes can take in eleven thousand square miles--almost one-tenth of the state! The quickest way up is the fifteen-minute ‘flight’ on the Sandia Peak Tramway, ascending from high desert to alpine evergreen forest. Swiss-designed, this aerial tramway has one of the longest spans in the world. Hiking, winter skiing and mountain biking are all available at the top, as well as a restaurant--a steakhouse two miles above sea level. (Prices are what you’d imagine at this altitude.) In case you’re wondering why this mountain range is called “Sandía,” which means ‘watermelon’ in Spanish--at sunset, the mineral content of the granite crags glows pinkish-red; along with the green of the conifers, the profile is reminiscent of a cut watermelon...

The Museum of Glass is in Tacoma, about a half-hour away from Seattle, and it’s well worth the trip for art glass enthusiasts. The permanent collection includes some Chihuly pieces, work by 20th and 21st-century artists, and a charming collection of sculptural pieces interpreting children’s drawings. The temporary exhibits often feature a Northwest theme, and a theater features a rotation of short films about glass art. The real highlight of the museum, though, is the Hot Shop, where resident glassmakers and their assistants blow glass all day long for the entertainment of visitors. Often, their work is being filmed, and a narrator is on hand to explain what you’re seeing. You can walk all around the Hot Shop via overhead walkways, and photography is allowed throughout the museum, so it’s a great opportunity for photographers as well. The museum isn’t huge and takes only a couple of hours to go through, so it’s an ideal destination for a rainy afternoon. But don’t miss the striking outdoor art, like the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, outside the museum (free).

This region of China is known for textiles and embroidery, so it isn’t a surprise that Chongqing has a huge selection of tailors. They can make clothing in 2–3 days, for very low prices. Some tips for tailoring clothing in Chongqing: —You usually get what you pay for. Most tailors close to Liberation Square are a little pricey, but the quality is good, they usually speak some English, and they’ll even deliver to your hotel. The tailors down in Ciqikou will be cheaper but more of an adventure. —Chinese tailors seem to make suits and qipaos (a traditional form of dress) the most. That doesn’t mean they won’t make anything you want, but you’ll probably have the most luck with a copy of something you own—a photo might work, but it’s hit-and-miss. —A tailor will ask you to choose a fabric, then take your measurements. At the end, they’ll give you a price; most people don’t haggle over this. A simple shirt can cost around 80–120RMB, to give a you an idea of cost. You must pay part of it as a deposit, then the rest on pick-up. —Specify as many details as possible, especially with formalwear. I usually buy my own buttons, zippers, and even thread in advance, because the materials the tailors use are often cheap and not good quality.

My daughter came up with the idea for Yotel. " Mom, lets try this cool place in NYC for our trip” she says. We were doing one of our once-every-few- years mom and daughter trips and this time it was NYC. As you are aware a trip to NYC must be planned carefully and if you are on a budget the ticket item is the lodging. Yotel is a concept hotel that started in London‘s Heathrow Airport. In NYC slender bunk beds and fold out motorized queen bed/ futons in tiny cabins much like some Tokyo hotel rooms are offered. In London this proved a way more popular space to sleep for weary travelers than the dirty airport floor. But here in NYC it is much more than the airport floor alternative; the building in NYC is in midtown a couple avenues over from the cacophony of Broadway and Time’s Square, it has it’s own restaurant and a great seasonal roof deck. Our room was a queen with a bunk bed overhead and private bath with view to the river. We found it fun, if tiny (you have to plan how much luggage you are bringing very carefully- no closet). But younger travelers will love it here ( check out the robot that stores your luggage) and the rates and friendly staff are very cool for NYC.

New Orleans’ green spaces run the gamut from City Park, which spans 1,300 acres and is the 6th largest urban park in the United States, to the city block-sized Jackson Square, a French Quarter gathering point for artists, musicians, and street performers. The former has walking trails, botanical gardens, and an open-air sculpture garden, plus tennis courts, an 18-hole golf course, and a mini-golf course, but most come to see the world’s oldest grove of mature live oaks. Uptown’s Audubon Park is frequented by walkers, joggers, and cyclists who make their way around the park’s 1.8 mile loop—and it’s also home to the Audubon Zoo.