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More than 250 artifacts of the RMS Titanic are on display at this 25,000-square-foot space at the Luxor. Among the truly incredible mementos excavated from the wreck of the sunken ship: an unopened bottle of champagne, a floor tile, a window frame, and a giant piece of the ship’s hull. Perhaps more impressive than the artifacts themselves are the full-scale re-creations of what guest quarters looked like on the ship—attending the exhibit gives you a sense of the difference in the experiences of a first-class passenger and a third-class passenger. Since it opened in the late 1990s, the exhibit has been seen by more than 25 million people, which makes it one of the most popular attractions in Las Vegas history.

In the late 1700s, Cheshire Hall Plantation was one of the handful of cotton plantations operating on the Turks and Caicos Islands. During its heyday, the estate spanned thousands of acres, with hundreds of enslaved people working in the fields. Poor growing conditions led to its decline. Today, you can explore the scattered ruins, including remnants of the Great House, which was built from cut limestone. The $10 admission fee includes entrance to the site and a 30-minute guided tour. Cheshire Hall, conveniently located near downtown, offers the best-preserved colonial-era ruins on Providenciales, though Wade’s Green Plantation on North Caicos is the best preserved site of all the islands.

Tsukishima is a neighborhood best known for one of Tokyo’s local dishes, monjayaki. This casual dish is similar to Osaka’s savory okonomiyaki pancake but with much more liquid, making it great fun to cook. Diners are seated around a hot iron grill and prepare their own monjayaki after the staff help you with your first one. An ice-cold beer hits the spot as the table heats up. There are a variety of flavors, like seafood, pork, or house styles. A popular combination is mochi, mentaiko (spicy roe), and cheese. At night the main street is open only to pedestrians and is an interesting area to wander and explore.

Jamaica’s primary public art museum, the largest of its kind in the Caribbean, is a key part of the island’s history. Established in 1979, it houses more than 2,000 pieces ranging from pre-Columbian works to those of contemporary Jamaican artists and also mounts temporary exhibitions on various aspects of Jamaica’s history and culture. The collection continues to expand and now includes videos, graphic designs, and street art. Guided tours are available, and there’s an on-site coffee shop and gift store.

A maze of narrow medieval streets wind up and down this village perched along the Grande Corniche. The ruins of a château are now an exotic garden, and the 18th-century neoclassical Notre Dame of the Assumption church is a national monument. Spectacular views inspire artists and artisans, and their galleries fill the village. Exceptional restaurants like the Château Eza are happy to welcome guests for a drink or a Michelin-starred meal as they relax and savor the scenery.

I’m not sure any other city epitomizes the California dream as well as the surf-centric college town of Santa Cruz. The Dream Inn is the perfect base for exploring and has affordable rooms, a retro-chic design, and a beachfront location within walking distance of the famous boardwalk. The hotel can arrange surf or SUP lessons (you’ll want to rent a wetsuit, even in the summer!). For those who’d rather take in the action from the shore, rent a bike from nearby Pacific Ave Cycles and peddle along West Cliff Drive until you reach the famous surf break, Steamer’s Lane. You’ll be able to watch talented surfers (and ambitious novices) surf some serious waves. A short drive away you’ll find Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. From the parking lot, take the Meadow Trail to the Loop Trail to Pipeline Road. Follow the road along the river and turn left at the Ridge Fire Road and follow it to the Observation Deck. You’ll be rewarded with spectacular views of the Santa Cruz Mountains. For an even greater reward, grab a seat at the Dream Inn’s new Jack O’ Neill lounge and try one of the great cocktails (the Old Timer is a mix of Knob Creek, lavender sweet tea, and muddled fruit) and if you’re lucky, there might even be a live band.

“Have you heard about d’Mongo’s? It is Ryan Gosling’s favorite place to visit when he comes to town!” Although I never saw Ryan Gosling, bartender Red knew immediately that I was new in Detroit and that I’d never been in before. She recommended I try the Detroit Brown, made with Michigan’s own ginger ale: Vernors. As I sipped gently from the cold glass and looked over the top of its rim at the eclectic crowd filling the speakeasy, I couldn’t help but think, “Who cares what celebrity does or doesn’t frequent this place, I’d come back here for the drinks and the crowd any day!” Cafe d’Mongo’s draws a crowd every night it is open—which is usually only on Friday, maybe Saturday—and whether the customers come because of the drinks, the music, the crowd, or because they hope to see Ryan Gosling or Mark Wahlberg, the point is they keep coming. There’s an element of secrecy that has kept even my hotel’s valet from being able to tell me how to get to the revered speakeasy, yet it’s one of the first places I heard about when I asked people on the street where I needed to go get a drink in Detroit. If you find yourself at Cafe d’Mongo’s, tell Red I say hello, and order the Detroit Brown.

Scandinave Spa, at the edge of the forest beside Lost Lake, is a Nordic–inspired spa that recommends alternating dips in the hot and cold pools, steam rooms, and brisk waterfall rinses. There are myriad ways to stitch together a rejuvenation regimen: Breathe deeply in the eucalyptus steam bath, then follow up with a series of hot baths before a shocking plunge under a chilly cascade, followed by a series of cold, colder, and almost freezing baths, or go the other direction. You can finish the treatments in around 90 minutes, but some choose to make a day out of a visit to Scandinave, tossing in a massage or facial, hanging out in the solarium to read or snooze, or even napping in one of the hammocks strung around the large property. The spa’s café, an open timber-paneled space with floor-to-ceiling windows, serves freshly prepared soups, sandwiches, salads, and smoothies.

There’s no shortage of great eateries in the New Zealand capital—reputedly Wellington has more cafés and restaurants per person than New York City—and Field & Green is a popular option for the city’s discerning diners. With a versatile menu bylined European Soul Food, it promises ever-changing weekly dishes that could include house-made pasta with wild mushrooms and blue cheese, or baked eggs with spicy lentils and mint yogurt. These hearty but sophisticated flavors are the ideal sustenance for daytime explorations of the city’s harbor attractions, and the good-value, Wednesdays-to-Saturdays three-course supper menu can be partnered with local Wellington craft beers or New Zealand wines.

Set on a hill some 2,000 feet above Papeete, with impossible views of the sea and Moorea beyond, O Belvédère is the place locals take visitors for thrilling sunsets and good food. The restaurant and bar have the air of a tree house—the outdoor terrace is even built around the trunk of a tree. An inviting swimming pool on the hill below and occasional live music add to the already strong appeal. Arrange for a 5 p.m. pickup from your hotel to reach the restaurant in time for a celebratory sundown cocktail. The fondue is highly recommended.

In the shadow of El Yunque, The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort is situated on 486 acres of former coconut plantation and native maritime forest. There are still plenty of palms here, but now the flora also includes all manner of tropical flowers and trees, positioned around numerous trails for walking, running, and biking. Families love the resort for its many amenities, from four tennis courts and a Robert Trent Jones Jr.-branded golf course to a luxurious spa and state-of-the-art fitness center. A new partnership with Aquavento Water Sports provides equipment for everything from kayaking and paddle-boarding to fishing and sailing on nearby lakes, while the Soul of Bahia program gives guests the opportunity to volunteer with a rescue organization for local cats and dogs or help maintain a turtle sanctuary during hatching season. Still, the most popular activity might just be lounging at the pool or on the two-mile-long golden beach.

Part of a $60 million renovation following Hurricane Maria, the hotel now features a design by celebrated Puerto Rican designer Nono Maldonado and San Francisco-based firm Hirsch Bedner Associates. The plantation-style dark woods and warm browns have been swapped out for more modern, sea-inspired colors, and the 139 rooms have a chic, residential feel, with sprawling bathrooms, private terraces, and glass bar cabinets that can be stocked to your personal tastes by a 24-hour butler. Occupying a two-story building overlooking the ocean, the Casa Grande lobby is the place to go to experience the hotel’s daily Champagne sabering ritual, enjoy live music from a Steinway piano, admire the mural over the St. Regis Bar, or enjoy Greek-inspired fare at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Paros. The poolside restaurant and beach shack have also been redone to ensure uninterrupted views over the water.

The building that houses Moonlight Rollerway dates back to the ‘40s, when it produced airplane parts for World War II. In 1956, it was repurposed as Harry’s Roller Rink, and the current iteration maintains the original’s 2¼-inch-thick maple flooring—laid out without nails, secured by tongue and groove joints. The 1950s vibes are still alive and well, and the space has been a setting for many TV shows, movies, and music videos—you might recognize it from appearances in episodes of Glee and Modern Family. The owner, Dominic Cangelosi, started working at the roller rink in the late ‘60s before buying the place in 1985, and he still plays the organ for spinning patrons every Tuesday night.

It all started with a tent. The acquisition of the original tent used by George Washington during the American Revolution was the starting point of what was to become the nation’s premier collection of colonial artifacts, now housed in this museum’s galleries. Visitors can experience key moments in the history of the United States re-created in the immersive displays and exhibits of Revolutionary-era art, weapons, manuscripts, and personal items. Located at Third and Chestnut streets, the museum is a short walk from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Kids will love the cannon in the museum’s plaza.

Located in the former warehouse of the American Syrup & Preserving Company, Bastion offers customers a different experience depending on where they perch. On the bar side of the operation, one feels like a guest in the spacious digs of an artist, with mismatched furniture and lights strung from the rafters. Settle in and order craft cocktails and a platter of nachos gussied up with smoked meats. Or head to the other side, around the bar wall, where the staff prepares dinner in a warm, unpretentious space with chef Josh Habiger himself occasionally emerging from the kitchen to change the vinyl records. In lieu of menus, guests are handed bingolike cards with minimal descriptions (Monkfish Liver + Salsify or Black Sea Bass + Black Tea) and mark their choices there, placing their trust in the hands of Habiger and team cooking from an open kitchen.

John Besh, the acclaimed chef and New Orleans restaurateur, has opened his first Nashville outpost on the ground floor of the Thompson Hotel in the Gulch neighborhood. He brings with him a love of fresh seafood and the distinctive taste of New Orleans—including his mother’s gumbo recipe—through dishes like red snapper court bouillon. The menu includes options from land, too, such as duck confit dirty rice, a Tennessee pork chop with collards and grits, and Mississippi rabbit over hand-cut pappardelle with wild mushrooms. The restaurant, accented with deep blue and touches of Nashville-casual denim, has a relaxed bistro vibe and a menu for every meal of the day. Don’t miss pastry chef Lisa White’s biscuits at breakfast or her after-dinner desserts like Cruze buttermilk cheesecake.