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This acclaimed ice cream parlor with more than 15 locations (most Santiago malls have one) dishes out every imaginable flavor. Regulars crave dulce de leche, lifted from the namesake caramel dessert. Or try the Chilean classic called café helado, a tall glass of strong, chilled coffee with a scoop of ice cream at the bottom and whipped cream on top. ¡Ay, yi, yi! A rare spot for decaf coffee, as well as sugar-free and gluten-free treats, La Rosa serves breakfast, lunch, and high tea.

Just north of Downtown L.A., the green neighborhood and parkland of Elysian Park, the oldest municipal park in the city, is a spot seldom trafficked by tourists. In fact, its impressive hiking trails are usually crowd-free. In a city of 4 million, it’s not easy to find quiet, solitary space, but Elysian Park offers just that. The paths are moderate, and the elevation is enough to get some pretty prime views of Downtown to the south as well as Dodger Stadium, which the park hugs on three sides. But for most of the trek, it’ll be just you, the trail, and the thick surrounding trees and foliage—an unusual sight amid L.A.'s sprawling urban jungle.

New to the Isle of Harris, this is one of Scotland’s more promising distilleries to open in recent years. Here, five local men, trained from scratch in the art of distilling, are working hard to create a whisky of real provenance. You’ll have to wait a few more years to try The Hearach, but it’s made from the softest of Hebridean waters and aged in only the best bourbon barrels from carefully chosen Kentucky distillers, promising a dram with a signature Isle of Harris taste. In the meantime, visit the distillery to taste its popular gin (made with everything from traditional juniper berries to sea kelp) and tour its modern facilities, located right on the harbor in the town of Tarbert.

First opened in 1973, this maritime-themed restaurant is known for preparations of the sea creature after which it is named. The decor, with its lobster traps and brass gears, could be called kitschy, but diners come here for the seafood. From September to March, the local crustaceans (known for their meaty tails) are grilled here and served with lemon butter. Throughout the year, the sweeter cold-water Atlantic lobsters (the ones with claws) are on the menu. Freshly caught fish—tuna, wahoo, snapper—served in a variety of preparations round out the menu. Rockfish with bananas and almonds is a local favorite and the fish chowder is award-winning.

From the porte-cochère entry at the Westin Puntacana Resort & Club, you’ll catch an inviting first glimpse of coconut palms, manicured grass, and a long swimming pool that seems to end at the sea. The view only gets better upstairs, where all 200 rooms—including 16 suites—offer swoon-worthy ocean vistas. On the hottest of days, the high-ceilinged, open-air lobby is a great place to hang with a cold one while catching the ocean breezes. When it’s cooler, have lunch by the pool or at the beachside La Palapa, and plan for dinner at the open-air Brassa. As a guest at the Westin, you also have access to Puntacana Resort & Club’s eight restaurants, two golf courses, tennis center, Six Senses Spa, aquatic center, and Grupo Puntacana Foundation activities.

The Tin Shed is probably nowhere near wherever you might be in Portland but that matters not. Get a cab and go over there because the biscuits are so good they’ll make you wanna slap yo mama! You serve yourself coffee while you wait under the covered patio seating, they welcome dogs and their bloody mary is spectacular. This place rocks. Go check it out.

Nutty bread layered with olive oil, jam, salt and cured pig’s neck were the perfect accompaniment to rich Portuguese wine and 80 year old port. When visiting wine bars let the staff select your wines ask for the stories behind them. You’ll feel more connected to food and the people. (And when offered 80 year old Port always say yes!)

This hotel is on our list of The 11 Best Hotels in Chicago.

Chicago invented the skyscraper, and some of the world’s most elegant examples define the city’s skyline. You can stay in the coolest one of them all, designed by German American architect Mies van der Rohe and run by Langham Hotels. To access the Langham Chicago’s minimalist-yet-opulent 268 guest rooms (including 48 suites), you must first check in at the second-floor lobby; its ceiling is hung with silver pebbles, its sofas populated by stylish guests, and its David Rockwell–designed Travelle restaurant alive with music and bites by executive chef Damion Henry during coveted afternoon teas.

The former IBM building with a black exoskeleton also houses a Chuan Spa, which specializes in such Eastern therapies as acupuncture, cupping, and gua sha. A 67-foot-long indoor pool and full-service fitness center are available to all guests.

Anyone spending the night in the rooms, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows framing Chicago views, has access to one of the city’s best concierges, who can organize a River North food tour, a Frank Lloyd Wright walking excursion, or a mixology class at Travelle. Don’t leave without taking a photo beside Jaume Plensa’s “Anna” sculpture in the Wacker Street lobby—then walk over to Millennium Park to see his larger works on display.

As the name suggests, this 37-acre Santa Barbara garden is horticultural heaven. For more than 43 years, socialite and opera singer Madame Ganna Walska filled the grounds with more than 3,000 plants; after her death, Lotusland opened to the public in 1993 as a nonprofit botanical garden. The species of plants hail from all over the world, and the collection includes succulents, aloes, ferns, bromeliads, and water lilies. Other gardens are planted by theme, like the Blue Garden, Theatre Garden, and Water Garden. There’s never a bad time to visit, but if you’re especially interested in seeing the lotuses bloom, mark July and August in your calendar. Nonmember visitors must make reservations in advance for two-hour tours that include both horticultural and historical information, but the parties are small, so you’ll have a clear view of the gardens. If you want the luxury of wandering the gardens unattended, consider purchasing a membership. Either way, be sure to stop at the garden shop for plants and tools, and dream about creating your own little Lotusland at home.

In 1934, architect Luis Barragán won a contest put on by the city of Guadalajara to design a park on former prison land, creating a gateway to the city center. Together with his engineer brother, Barragán based his design on functionalist, Art Deco, and California modernist styles, incorporating elements of red and yellow as a nod to French 1930s design. Although the park (originally named Parque Revolución but now referred to as Parque Rio, or Red Park) has undergone significant changes over the years, certain elements—the red-and-yellow benches, the kiosk, the fountain, and the mashup of 1930s and ’40s architectural styles that would come to define Barragán’s later work—are still intact.

Easily El Salvador’s most popular beach, the “Sun Coast” is equally popular among locals and visitors, particularly during the vacation time of Holy Week, or Semana Santa. The 15-kilometer long beach has many services, including restaurants and water and sand sports. While it does not have an off-the-beaten path feel, it is easily accessible.

The Statue of Liberty may be the most iconic sight that comes to mind when one thinks of the history of immigrants in New York, but not far from it in the harbor is another important landmark—Ellis Island. Until the Supreme Court ruled in 1875 that authority to regulate immigration belonged to the federal government alone, various states had implemented their own policies. After the federal government took over the processing of immigrants from New York State in 1890, some 12 million immigrants would pass through Ellis Island until it closed in 1954 (for 30 years, however, beginning in 1924, it was used only as a temporary detention center for immigrants who had issues with their paperwork). By one estimate, some 40 percent of Americans have at least one ancestor who entered the United States through Ellis Island. The historic site is today operated by the National Park Service, and ferries depart to the island from Battery Park (as well as from Liberty State Park in New Jersey). Visits include the Main Arrivals Hall with its displays recounting the immigration experience; temporary exhibitions are located on the second and third floors of the building. Statue Cruises is the only operator authorized to visit Liberty Island and Ellis Island—their cruises include stops at both, though entry to the statue and the immigration museum require separate tickets purchased on each island.

This was one of the most memorable horse-riding trails I’ve been on. The trail first starts off like any other, going through the rainforest, local Melanesian villages and creeks. We had the low-tide that morning to our advantage, in which we went through a path of mangroves. Being on a horse and maneuvering through the maze was a rare experience. It gets better too! The best part was towards the end of the trail, whereby we made our way towards the Lope Lope beach, took our shoes off and allowed our horses to carry us deeper into the aqua-blue water. They love being in the water and so would you, it’s really refreshing. The views were just gorgeous- a picture perfect moment. Megan is the solo owner and instructor. She lead our group and was so nice and professional, you can even tell that the horses there are happy. The two hour trail is decently priced too. I would highly recommend this to anyone who goes to Espiritu Santo.

On Tahiti’s west coast, the area around Punaauia town has some lovely stretches of black and white beaches between PK10 and PK15. This is considered Tahiti’s gold coast of sorts, as it is home to some of the most expensive real estate on the island, and also boasts stunning views across the water to Moorea -- try to stay for at least one sunset. You’ll also find some good shore surf breaks along this strip of sand and for divers the St Etienne Drop-Off just off the Punaauia reef is a wonderful wall dive.

Whether you’re an accomplished mountain climber or someone who simply appreciates dramatic nature views, be sure to visit nearby Tasermiut Fjord, a 70-kilometer (43-mile) glacial inlet surrounded by majestic peaks. Accessible from Nanortalik via a short boat ride, the fjord has beckoned climbers from around the world to its challenging heights and sheer rock faces that plunge into icy arctic waters. In recent years the glacier at Tasermiut Fjord has receded noticeably due to the effects of global warming.