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Two Florentine brothers were inspired by the history of radio communication to name their cushy bar Mayday—and outfit it with vintage radios (set on the tables and hanging from the ceiling), black-and-white photographs, and tons of other vintage memorabilia. The drinks, too, feel of another time, with their focus on handcrafted preparations, small-batch liquors, and organic and locally grown ingredients. Sample everything from unfiltered brews made from Tuscan barley and wheat, to a rare Scottish whisky or a green tea–infused cocktail. The atmosphere is one of collaboration: There are nightly lively music performances, the walls are lined with art installations and exhibits, and patrons are encouraged to leave their own vintage mementos. Classes in mixology and infusion-making are also available, and are a fun way to hone your skills while mingling with locals.

Who hasn’t daydreamed about being an astronaut at least once? Thankfully, Space Center Houston makes it easy to learn about the great beyond. It’s the area’s No. 1 attraction for international visitors and the first Smithsonian Affiliate in the greater Houston area. The center features more than 400 space artifacts and several exhibits related to the past, present, and future of America’s human spaceflight program. It’s also home to the world’s largest collection of moon rocks and lunar samples for public view, and offers guests the opportunity to go behind the scenes to see NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Thailand’s pioneering wellness retreat is known for its 3- to 14-day programs that address everything from burnout to sleep issues. The resort celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2015 by adding a 25-meter lap pool, a state-of-the-art gym, and a new fitness regimen for guests who want something more strenuous than massage. Every visit starts with a consultation to help you develop a schedule of meals, therapies, and classes for your stay. If structure stresses you out, there’s also a “wellness à la carte” option that lets you mix and match from more than 70 treatments and adventures including visits to Wat Plai Laem temple. From $185 (three-night programs from $1,520). This appeared in the Jan/Feb 2016 issue.

The sustainably designed andBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge on the edge of the NamibRand Nature Reserve captures the raw beauty of the world’s oldest living desert. The otherworldliness of the environment has been consciously translated into every aspect of the experience. The off-grid design factors in the extreme climate and harsh elements, and the desert’s forms, colors and textures are reflected in sculptural stone and steel lines that give way to soft, organic shapes. Throughout, glass walls slide away to amplify the big-sky views. The 10 guest suites are self-sufficient, solar-powered private retreats, each generating ample energy to run on photovoltaic power for everything from the AC and the deep swimming pools to the water harvesting and recycling systems.


Activities include climbing the world’s highest dunes at Sossusvlei or e-biking along gravel trails to caves with rock art by the desert’s earliest inhabitants. Back at the lodge, dishes that reflect Namibia’s cultural history include venison and Kalahari truffles and fresh seafood from the Atlantic Ocean. With close to zero light pollution, the Namib is one of the best dark sky locations in the Southern Hemisphere. The best way to end any evening is in the lodge’s observatory. You can also fall asleep counting stars, thanks to a skylight above your bed.

This beach is remote, but worth the trip—especially at low tide when the tide pools are full of sea stars, sea urchins, and green anemones. It’s about a mile on foot from the Coastal Trail trailhead, past Nickel Creek campground, to the sandy and empty beach. Where you go from there or how long you spend walking around the tide pools is up to you. Winter landslides can temporarily close trail access to the Nickel Creek campsite and to the beach from the campsite. The park’s visitor center has the most updated information as well as tide schedules. There are also occasional ranger-led tide-pool walks.

Hovering 36 meters (118 feet) above the ground, the Henderson Waves Bridge is a sleek, undulating wooden pedestrian bridge that connects two lush parks. Its 274-meter (899-foot) length has little niches that provide resting spaces for walkers, and it looks even sexier when it’s lit up at night.

This 4th-century Greek Orthodox monastery clings to a cliff face 1,200 meters above the Altındere Valley National Park. With its admired Rock Church, complete with biblical frescoes inside and out, this rock-hewn historical site is like no other in the country. Visitors should be aware that the 300-meter walk to the entrance is no easy feat: A path of gnarled undergrowth leading to steps may challenge those with limited mobility. While the monastery is closed for renovations until 2017, its exterior is still impressive.

It’s a five-minute walk from the parking lot down to the immaculate sands of this popular shelling beach on the western end of Sanibel Island. Stretching for several, uninterrupted miles, the beach is the perfect place for doing the “Sanibel stoop”—strolling the sands crouched over, searching for beautiful shells. Among the beach’s amenities, you’ll find picnic tables, grills, bathrooms, and bike racks, making it easy to settle in and spend the day. There’s also plenty of space to stretch out and find your own slice of paradise.

Starchitect Tadao Ando (who designed Fort Worth’s sublime Museum of Modern Art) masterminded the concrete building that’s home to Japan’s largest bookstore and this romance-themed hotel. Popular especially with wedding groups, the Harmonie Embrassee fills floors 10–23 of the Chaska Chayamachi tower and has a glass Sky Chapel on its top floor, with striking views of the surrounding Umeda neighborhood. It’s also where 450 couples tie the knot each year. The high-ceilinged lobby has giant glass windows, while rooms come in four schemes ranging from classically elegant to Asian minimalist with dark tones and padded leather headboards. All accommodations come with a private balconies, panoramic views, and Cassina furnishings.

A string quartet used to serenade diners here at the restaurant inside what is arguably the most famous inn in the entire National Park Service (and one of the largest log structures in the world). A pianist in the lobby has replaced the quartet, but most of the other details that make dining at Old Faithful a rustically elegant experience remain: the fireplace made from 500 tons of locally quarried rhyolite; hickory chairs and chandeliers; the soaring 76-foot-tall ceiling in the lobby; and Robert C. Reamer’s asymmetrical design, which purposefully mimics the chaos of nature. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet-style, with filling fare like corn bread, roast beef, and baked beans. Reservations are required for dinner, which can include offerings such as smoked trout ravioli or locally raised lamb.

Just south of the historic center of Québec City, the Battlefields Park is one of the most important historic sites in Canada. Here, the dream of New France—a more than 200-year-long project by the French to colonize North America—was dealt a fatal blow. In 1759, during the Seven Years’ War, British forces under General Wolfe defeated the French troops led by General Montcalm. The battle on the Plains of Abraham lasted roughly 30 minutes. (The very biblical sounding name, by the way, comes from the fact that the land where the two armies clashed was owned by a farmer, Abraham Martin.) After defeating Montcalm (who died in the battle), the British took control of Québec City. By 1760, all of France’s territory in North America had fallen to the British, and in 1763, the French officially ceded their claims. History buffs make a beeline to this national historic site, but Québec residents mostly consider it a lovely urban oasis of 255 acres alongside the St. Lawrence River. In the summer, it’s the setting of outdoor concerts; in the winter, there’s an ice-skating rink (free of charge, and skates are available for rent) from mid-December to mid-March.

Overlooking the Coal River Valley, Barilla Bay, and the vineyards that produce the winery’s award-winning rieslings, sauvignon blancs, and other cool-climate varietals, Frogmore Creek is also home to a restaurant you can write home about, open daily for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Here you can pair the star of the most recent wine harvest with colorful dishes such as beef tataki with horseradish gnocchi or cured yellowtail kingfish sweetened by seaweed and soy caramel, apple, and pomegranate. Edible flowers and bright sauce droplets create art on the plate. But the real masterpieces are the desserts. If “chess mate” and “lemon basil legos” are on the menu, order both. In late 2017, Frogmore Creek opened a second restaurant inside the MACq 01 building on the Hobart waterfront.

One of Napa Valley’s most iconic destinations, Auberge du Soleil got its start in the 1980s as a restaurant—a fine-dining destination in one of the most picturesque locales in one of the world’s most beautiful places. Needless to say, it was only a matter of time before the wine aficionados who frequented its scenic dining room clamored for a place to stay (so they could enjoy more wine, naturally). The hospitality experts at Auberge obliged, dotting the 33 acres of vineyard and olive groves with elegant, French Riviera–inspired maisons, as well as a luxury spa inspired by the bounty of the natural surroundings. The sun-soaked swimming pool has views that rival those of the restaurant (and come paired with Italian ices and the never-ending temptation of a cool dip in the water). Throw in a bistro and bar—more Mediterranean-inspired cuisine with, yes, that view again—and lush grounds that include an art gallery, and it’s no wonder that Auberge du Soleil is still one of the area’s top stays.

Baseball had nothing to do with the naming of Fenway Park: The stadium gets its moniker from the nearby Back Bay Fens, a stretch of saltwater marsh in the heart of Boston that was landscaped into a park by Frederick Law Olmsted. The Fens are among the wilder parts of the Emerald Necklace, 1,100 acres of parklands running from the Charles River to Brookline that include familiar spaces like the Boston Common and Boston Public Garden but also less-traveled (by visitors, anyway) sections like Olmsted Park, Jamaica Pond, the Arnold Arboretum, and Franklin Park. The arboretum, part of Harvard University and established in 1872, is one of Olmsted’s most unaltered terrains, with paths running up and around 261 acres of woodland interspersed with a curated collection of trees, plants, shrubs, and vines native to New England.

Billed as a city resort when it opened in June 1994, this 480-room property beckons to leisure and corporate travelers, the former attracted by the property’s proximity to Universal Studios Japan, the latter by the extensive meetings facilities and incentives options. The hotel comprises two towers, one with banquet facilities, the other with guest rooms; more than 2,000 works of art are peppered around both, including in the large, showy public areas. Rooms generally have a look that hovers between corporate and leisure—not surprising given the target audience—with furnishings that are comfortable and functional. The views of Osaka Bay are fabulous.