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Built for the 1968 Olympic Games, the Palacio de Deportes remains an architectural icon of the second half of the 20th-century. Its unusual exterior somewhat resembles the exoskeleton of an armadillo, and its texture stands out as you look at Mexico City from the air just before landing at Benito Juárez International Airport. Today, the Palacio is the site of concerts and sporting events, including motocross and American football, among others. For a full listing of current and upcoming sports events, check the venue’s website.

The Marina Mandarin Hotel in Singapore has a marvelous atrium within its triangular walls. This shot was taken from about 15 floors up and shows the hotel lobby with its amazing design. Note the grand piano at the bottom right of the picture, to give a sense of scale to this scene.

When traveling, I love to spend Saturday morning at the farmers market. There’s no better way to meet the locals and get to know the town culture. What produce do they love? What coffee do they sip? What’s the overall mood? One of the best Saturday morning farmers markets I’ve been to was in a giant park in Portland, Maine. The stalls were packed with reasonably priced, locally grown produce (of course, Maine blueberries were abundant). Despite the chilly morning temperatures, children played in a splash park and adults sipped locally made apple cider while listening to the various jazz musicians who had set up around the farmers market. Despite the crowds, parking was abundant (such a rarity!) as was the “Maine nice” that we found around the entire state.

The Saguaro Scottsdale is among the handful of downtown Scottsdale hotels that embrace the urban Southwest vibe. Although it began life as a 1970s chain motel—evident in its blocky structure and the compactness of most rooms—this now-hip address has blossomed into the visual equivalent of desert wildflowers at the height of a wet spring. Especially striking against the desert tan that coats just about every other structure in Scottsdale, both outside and in, are a riot of colors that go beyond orange and purple and pink and yellow to such wildflower shades as California Poppy and Red Desert Globemallow. Just as vibrant is the Saguaro’s pool-party scene, aided, no doubt, by water temps chilled or heated as the season dictates. A complete redo of the Saguaro’s rooms in January 2017 gave them a modern Southwest vibe (think pastel-colored prints of cacti and desert-hued furnishings), but not so much that guests will be asking the concierge where to shop for cowboy boots (which would be Saba’s, just down the street, in Old Town).

Spending a day at a spa was something that never crossed my mind until I heard about the day spa at the Meritage Resort and Spa just outside Napa, California. I decided to give it a go and emerged a believer. Spa Terra is built in a cave under a vineyard behind the resort. The facilities are new, and everything seems perfectly tailored to make the guest feel comfortable. I loved hopping from the hot tub to the steam room and then back again. After relaxing with a cool glass of cucumber water, it was time for a massage, then a shower, and back into the hot tub, after which came wine-tasting in the adjacent Trinitas tasting room and time doing nothing at the outdoor pool. At the day spa, guests choose what they want to do when. Besides the massage appointment time, there is no schedule. I ended my day with a light meal from the resort’s cafe and an invigorating hike in the vineyards above the spa. As a busy writer, teacher, and mom, I felt like I could forget about my day-to-day concerns and just focus on being there in the moment.

The Schiffbau, a renovated shipbuilding factory, is home to a popular theater, jazz club, bar and this glamorous restaurant, situated in a stunning glass cube. One of its signatures is a fillet of horse loaded with garlic, but for the less adventurous, the French- and Italian-leaning menu also includes classics like braised beef in red wine sauce.

The date-night dinner-and-a-movie standard has been taken to a new stylish height at this acclaimed restaurant in the Mission District. Grab a table on the patio under the strings of lights to dine on seasonal California cuisine while films flicker on the back wall. It’s romantic, and easily one of San Francisco’s most unique dining settings. But don’t think of Foreign Cinema as just a gimmick. The stellar cuisine is the real scene-stealer here, which is why Foreign Cinema is consistently ranked as one of the city’s best restaurants. Chef Gayle Pirie and her partner, chef John Clark, have transformed this into a destination restaurant. Reservations are still tough to get, especially for Saturday night and Sunday brunch, but plan ahead and you’ll be glad. From fresh local oysters on the half shell to caramel pecan sticky buns to a popular sesame curry fried chicken, the food is always as stellar as the setting, making date night or brunch with friends an event you won’t soon forget. The adjacent wine bar, Laszlo, is perfect for predinner drinks or nightcaps.

I could have spent days at Camden Market! There’s loads to see and something for everyone. My favourite find from Camden is an awesome nautical style rockabilly dress (which I saved £10 on :). I also ate the most epic burrito of my life in Camden. It was heavenly.

Built between 1914 and 1916 on an octagonal base, this stone, double-lens lighthouse is Aruba’s marquee landmark. Standing tall at 98 feet, it’s the highest structure on the island and offers the best views in its respective area. It gets its name from the SS California, a British steamship that sank in nearby waters in 1891 and now functions as a fantastic dive site. Adjacent to the lighthouse, visitors will find a beloved Italian restaurant and the California White Sand Dunes, a hot spot for dune surfing.

When the southern Arizona desert gets just the right mix of rains at the right time in fall and winter, the following spring can produce a riot of wildflowers. People around Tucson said that the spring of 2010 was one of the best displays in decades--poppies and lupine for miles...perhaps the most vibrant ‘show’ in a generation.

Hop aboard the ferry at Pier 41 in San Francisco, or from the town of Tiburon, and spend a day on the largest and most beautiful island in the bay—Angel Island State Park. You can bring your own bike, or rent one when you arrive, and ride the paved perimeter trail around the 760-acre island. There are open-air tram tours, too, with guides recalling the island’s rich history, as well as guided hikes. Of course, you are free to roam the trails on your own, one of the best of which is the hike up to the top of 788-foot Mount Livermore, where 360-degree views take in the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge. Whatever your plan, know you’ll be immersing yourself in local history in a place that has been a fishing and hunting site for Coast Miwok Indians, a haven for Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala, and a U.S. Army post starting with the Civil War. From 1910 to 1940, hundreds of thousands of immigrants were processed here, and during World War II, Japanese and German POWs were held on the island. Several buildings and other relics remain as a reminder of the island’s varied history, including the United States Immigration Station museum (open March–October).

Reservations required—and no wonder. The tours at the Neon Museum sell out months in advance. A walk through the museum’s famous “Boneyard” (where neon goes to die) is fascinating, from motel row to the first integrated casino (one that shut almost as soon as it opened), and the Stardust, with its nuclear testing-inspired font. All of this comes alive thanks to the museum’s famous docents, all art history buffs with loads of family history or other personal anecdotes.

The province of Buenos Aires is dotted with lovely old estancias (ranches) that are open to visitors - but some are irritatingly touristy. For a more down-to-earth dia del campo (day in the country), try Estancia Los Dos Hermanos. A typical day trip to the estancia starts with a leisurely breakfast of coffee and pastries at a picnic table near the stables. When the horses are ready to go, you’re off on your morning ride with the guide, exploring grassy green fields and dusty country roads. A full asado (barbecue) is waiting for you back at the ranch - there’s so much steak and wine served at midday that you might need to recline in one of the hammocks afterward - followed by a longer afternoon ride. Though it’s not impossible to arrive here on your own, the unmarked rural roads can be confusing - let the ranch arranges your transportation to and from Buenos Aires.

It seems wrong to call this Renzo Piano–designed complex a museum—it’s more like a “sculpture safari,” on which you get to experience the pieces in their intended habitat. Opened in 2003, the Nasher Sculpture Center is a two-acre homage to modern and contemporary sculpture that was founded upon the private collection of the late Raymond and Patsy Nasher, then grew to include new acquisitions and special exhibits on loan from other institutions. Wander the peaceful indoor and outdoor galleries and gardens to spot works by artists like Giacometti, Moore, Serra, Rodin, Picasso, Calder, and de Kooning; many of the larger pieces invite interaction. The lush setting and bold pieces create an idyllic backdrop for the center’s year-round calendar of events (which include movie nights and family-friendly fun)—and make it a top pick for weddings, too.

Located next to Main Beach, the much-quieter Cleo Street Beach is a favorite of scuba divers, who come here to explore the Foss 125 Barge. The wreck, which sank just offshore in 1958, is submerged in a mere 55 feet of water, making it easily accessible to even the novice diver. Those up for the adventure will find an extremely well-preserved site, wrapped in coral and surrounded by Laguna’s Marine Reserve, which boasts everything from seals and otters to colorful fish and even some larger sea life. If you’re not a diver, Cleo Street Beach is still worth a trip to stroll the sand with a coffee from the nearby Orange Inn in hand. Just be sure to bring your four-legged friend along, as the beach welcomes dogs.