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Every January, Tempe, Arizona, serves as the finish line for the thousands upon thousands of runners participating in the Arizona Rock’n’Roll marathon and half-marathon. And so, the question: “Where to eat after the race?” Mill Avenue is the main drag in this college-student-oriented downtown. (ASU’s campus is just a few blocks away.) Drinking-centric chain restaurants dominate, but if you want to find locally-sourced ingredients in a posh interior, check out La Bocca Urban Pizzeria and Wine Bar. Known throughout the Phoenix area for their sangria, they serve a mean plank of bruschetta—a great way to nosh while waiting for wood-fired pizzas to arrive. Perhaps not the clinically “perfect” runners’ recovery meal, but it worked for us! (The particular bruschetta in this photo: roasted baby beets with goat cheese and honey; smoked prosciutto with mascarpone, fig, and truffle oil...) And thank you thank you to fellow AFAR-posters who answered my query that led my friends and me to crash and refuel at this place yesterday afternoon! We DID shower beforehand; the interior is comfy-chic, with a lovely reproduction of a Renaissance portrait gazing out from behind the bar.

Want hot chiles? mild peppers? powder? paste? Across from the old Spanish mission in Tumacácori, you’ll find it. For decades, family-owned and family-run Santa Cruz Chili & Spice Co. has been providing flavors in Southern Arizona. There’s even a mini Western Museum...and of course, you can sample the sauces and salsas... The Santa Cruz valley, between Tucson and Nogales, is one of the oldest continually-farmed regions in the U.S.; for four thousand years, native peppers, beans, squash, cactus and corn have been cultivated, even here in the desert. Then, beginning in the 17th century, Spaniards introduced Mediterranean plants: grapes, figs, pomegranates, figs, quince...and cattle ranching. A small garden on the grounds of the Tumacácori mission across the road from the Santa Cruz Chili Co. still grows some of these heirloom crops. A visit to the mission and spice market make for a great afternoon or day trip from Tucson. Go south from Tucson on I-19 for about an hour. (Note: I-19 is marked in kilometers, not miles; quirky.) Take Exit 29, turn left, then turn north on the old highway, and you’ll see the big chile-pepper sign on the left, just before you get to Tumacácori mission National Historical Park. The store is closed on Sundays.

Located in the small river town of Hannibal, the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum is actually a cluster of eight buildings that pay homage to one of America’s most celebrated authors. Visitors can tour Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home & Garden—a designated National Historic Landmark—to see where Samuel Langhorne Clemens grew up and the real adventures of Tom Sawyer took place, then pop into the Interpretive Center to view a timeline of his life and several interactive exhibits. Also worth checking out are the Huckleberry Finn House (where Tom Blankenship grew up), the Becky Thatcher House (featuring a museum dedicated to Laura Hawkins and childhood in the mid-1800s), the J.M. Clemens Justice of the Peace Office (where Twain’s father held court), and the Museum Gallery (home to 15 Norman Rockwell paintings and treasured Clemens family artifacts). Before heading out, be sure to pose for a family photo in front of the Tom & Huck Statue, which sits at the foot of Cardiff Hill.

The great Almohad sultan, Moulay Ismail made Meknes his imperial capital and it is there that he is entombed. Although his mausoleum lies stone’s throw from Place El-Hedim and Bab al-Mansour, it’s not easy to find because it’s not marked. You will have to ask for help. When you enter in the mausoleum, you step inside a small entry room, painted buttercup yellow with a small fountain marking the center of the room. The entry room leads to the first of several interconnected open aired courtyards, each of which is also painted buttercup yellow. Surrounded in all directions by bright yellow walls, it’s hard to believe you’re actually in a mausoleum. The last courtyard fronts the tomb room and unless you’re a Muslim, you cannot enter. But not to be disappointed, the ante room will simply take your breath away. It soars up several stories high with a row of windows at the top that lets the sunlight filter in. Intricately carved plaster and delicately patterned zellij tiles adorn the walls. In the center of the floor is a small fountain collared by the eight pointed star that is classic to Moroccan design. There is perfect symmetry in all the design elements. It’s just a magnificent space!

Hôtel du Roi Christophe is a small, relaxed boutique hotel, nestled in a lush tropical garden in the midst of humming Cap Haitien. It’s not über–luxurious, but perfectly comfortable, and it attracts travelers and business people alike. There’s a great, comfortable terrace, a good place to hang out and let the day spool past one more time, drink in hand. The central location (ten minutes to the cathedral and Place d’Armes) makes it a perfect starting point for excursions on foot. Speaking of walking and exploring, if you want to get to know Haiti by yourself, Cap Haitien is a safer place to venture out on your own, than Port-au-Prince. ___________________________________ Warmest thanks to my incredible guide Anne-Rose, with Ayiti Tours (http://caribbeantours.info/en/haiti-tours), for her competence and brilliant knowledge of Haiti’s past and present.

At just over 540 yards, Długi Targ, which translates to “the Long Market,” isn’t really all that lengthy. Still, it makes for a lovely walk, stretching from the Green Gate at its eastern entrance through the medieval city of Gdańsk to the Golden Gate at its western end. Lined with cafés, restaurants, and souvenir shops worth a stop, the route is also home to picturesque architecture, including historic tenement houses that were renovated after World War II. Be sure to stop at the elaborate 17th-century Neptune Fountain (which represents Gdańsk’s ties to the sea) and, just behind it, the 15th-century Artus Court (a medieval hall fantastically decorated with hunting trophies and models of tall ships hung from the ceiling). A tiny detour down Kramarska Lane behind Artus Court will take you to St. Mary’s, the largest brick church in the world. In this enormous space, which can accommodate as many as 25,000 people, you’ll find a 500-year-old, 25-foot-high astronomical clock, as well as several Baroque statues of angels playing musical instruments. If you’re not afraid of heights, consider climbing the 409 steps to the top of the church tower.

Laguna Beach’s deep connection to the arts goes back to 1918, when 150 local creative residents started the Laguna Beach Art Association (the city’s population was only 300 then). That association went on to launch what’s now the Laguna Art Museum. Although the museum covers countless genres and eras, there’s one thing every piece has in common: They’re all made in California. The 3,500-strong permanent collection spans the early 19th century to present day, from light and space installations to pop art (and also includes pieces by art-world stars like Ed Ruscha and Wayne Thiebaud). It’s rounded out by a handful of new California-centric exhibitions each year. Highly knowledgeable docents—all have completed an extensive nine-month training course—lead lively one-hour walk-throughs at 11 a.m. Friday to Tuesday; groups of 10 or more guests may book guided tours in advance. Must-do: Hit the museum on a Thursday night when it stays open until 9 p.m. and becomes a community hub, with lectures, film screenings, and live concerts in the galleries.

Located across from Chapultepec Park in the upscale Polanco neighborhood, this 42-story hotel is one of the toniest addresses in Mexico City, boasting not one but three presidential suites that routinely host celebrities and heads of state alike—including President Barack Obama. All 700 guestrooms were refurbished in 2015 so even standard rooms boast sleek, modern appointments, while suites offer varying levels of space and luxurious amenities. Whichever you choose, be sure to ask for a room on the highest possible floor to better enjoy the jaw-dropping views over the park, skyline, and mountains beyond.

The hotel’s main restaurant, Au Pied du Cochon, is open 24 hours a day, just like the Parisian bistro from which it takes its name. Other on-site dining options include the Palm Steakhouse, a hip Mexican restaurant, and an Italian eatery with an outdoor terrace. Guests are also within walking distance of some of Polanco’s trendiest restaurants. When it comes time to unwind, there’s an intimate, Nordic-inspired spa on the hotel’s 10th floor.

White Elephant has been a Nantucket landmark for nearly a century, with more rooms than a typical inn but without sacrificing the intimacy and personal service of a small property. Located on the waterfront a short walk from Brant Point Light, the inn has a sprawling lawn with chaises for relaxing, as well as shuttle service to the area’s beaches. Accommodations range from king-bedded guest rooms (each with a private balcony or patio) in the main inn building to spacious garden cottages (some with kitchens and fireplaces) and penthouse-like lofts in downtown Nantucket. A small spa offers therapeutic massages, facials, and body treatments. A luxury resort that is truly family-friendly, kids and babies can get fully kitted out for bath time, mealtime, or beach time with a wealth of amenities and toys. The Brant Point Grill is a local favorite for an al fresco lunch, lobster dinner, or Sunday brunch (complete with Bloody Mary bar). The White Elephant also provides regular transfers on the 21-passenger boat, Lady Wauwinet, to the Wauwinet Inn’s restaurant TOPPER’S, which cultivates its own oysters.

A must-stop on the traditional handicraft circuit, this massive market—stretching four city blocks in Miraflores!—is home to stall after stall of kitschy bric-a-brac, pre-Columbian–style pottery, alpaca everything and an endless array of Andes-inspired arts and crafts. Come and shop around.

A collection of rambling beach bars, The Strip on South Frigate Bay is the best “lime” on St. Kitts—a beach bash by day that transitions to an open-air dance party, moveable feast, and pub crawl by night. The area is within walking distance of the St. Kitts Marriott Resort, but it’s a popular nightlife destination for locals and visitors from all over the island. Don’t miss Mr. X’s Shiggidy Shack, the most famous bar on St. Kitts, where you can enjoy grilled lobster alongside an ever-changing lineup of live entertainment, from karaoke to fire-eaters. Also worth visiting are Vibes (St. Kitts’ closest thing to a sports bar), ChinChillas (for Mexican food), and The Dock Bar, which offers a more relaxed scene and, as its name suggests, its very own dock. Wherever you land, expect live bands and DJs to keep the dance floor hopping well into the wee hours. If you get tired, cool off and then rev up with a “Ting with a Sting,” a popular drink of local CSR rum mixed with grapefruit soda.

Perfect for exploring the trendy 10^th arrondissement, Le Citizen Hotel overlooks the Canal Saint-Martin, footsteps from where Amélie skipped stones in the French movie of the same name. The location is convenient for walking or using public transportation to get to famous sites, but why leave this gentrifying neighborhood? The restaurants and shops have become a boho magnet, and the monuments, such as Henry IV’s early 17th-century Hospital St Louis (built to treat victims of the plague), offer much beauty and history without the tourists.

Narrow guestrooms have multiple windows and are laid out to take advantage of canal views. The design sensibility is Nordic, with bright colors, pale woods, and modular furniture. If you didn’t bring an iPad, the hotel offers loaners.

For people who lament that they weren’t born into Downton Abbey–style gentility, Ballyfin, which opened in 2010 after nearly a decade-long restoration, is a fast track to 1820s-era refinement from the moment guests pull up to the front drive. A team of butlers and maids line up on the stone estate’s front steps to unload bags and whisk visitors into the lobby, and from there the Ballyfin experience is a dreamy blur: drinking tea out of antique china while wrapped in an Irish-wool blanket by the fire; being lulled to sleep during a massage in the basement spa; soaking in a clawfoot tub and surveying the meticulously sourced antiques in one of 15 rooms.

Guests are basically lords or ladies for a night or two at this neoclassical home an hour west of Dublin in the county of Laois (pronounced “Leash”). For those who bore of pure leisure, there’s a stone tower to climb, horses to ride, 600 acres to explore, and a lake to walk laps around or row through. The pricey room rates can (almost) be rationalized by the inclusive evening champagne receptions, fancy three-course dinners, snacks, picnic lunches, and Irish breakfasts.

On a quiet residential street one block from the popular vintage shops, bars, and restaurants of Milwaukee Avenue, the Wicker Park Inn is one of the best values in Chicago, attracting an eclectic clientele of older couples, families who book the whole place for weddings and other special occasions, and young travelers eager to live like a local amid the vibrant culture of the Wicker Park and Bucktown neighborhoods.

The Spanish Meliá hotel chain took over management of this 40-acre, all-inclusive beach resort in Zanzibar from Kempinski in 2011. Airy, two-story blocks have rooms with huge baths and beach or garden views, and villas come with their own pools. Sheltered by a fringing reef on the northeastern coast of Unguja, Zanzibar’s main island, the resort’s calm white-sand beach has a long, shallow drop-off that makes swimming (as opposed to wading) impossible at low tide. However, the long jetty immediately in front of the hotel means swimming and snorkeling are always possible near the rooms: Golf carts departing every 20 minutes transport guests to the best all-day swimming area a kilometer from the hotel outbuildings. Here, the Gabi Beach Club offers Balinese-style loungers and a restaurant grill. Souvenir hawkers sometimes walk along the public-access tide line, but discreet security staff prevent unwanted solicitation.