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Pearl restaurant is a short, ten-minute walk along the water from the Fairmont Hamilton Princess. Its second-story location—above the Port o’ Call restaurant—provides views over the harbor, but you may find that the sushi and the sake cocktails here command your attention. “This is the place to go for melt-in-your-mouth sushi,” according to Rebecca. “My favorite is the Rockfish Usuzukuri which comes with red onion, pink ginger, and a rice wine vinegar and chili oil reduction. It is pure heaven! After dinner, stop at the Port o’ Call downstairs for a drink. It’s a perfect and popular Friday night itinerary.”

Escape the hubbub of Honolulu and stretch your legs on this 4.4-mile, moderate, out-and-back path. Somewhat steep, this serious glute workout attracts a lot of trail runners, especially on the weekends. The hike begins among rocks and small shrubs, then snakes among massive tree roots, before the dirt stairs near the top. The ridge unfurls gorgeous views of Waimanalo and the Nā Mokulua Islands, as well as Rabbit Island and Koko Crater. Note: drivers have to park in a residential neighborhood, then walk up an access road. Start early to avoid the heat and crowds, and make sure to bring plenty of water.

As you drive into Leavenworth, you’ll see a steep drop on one side of the road, and below it, a golf course. The Enzian Falls Putting Course features 18 holes of natural bent grass greens with panoramic views of the river, waterfalls, streams and the surrounding mountains. It’s owned by the Enzian Inn, and guests of the Enzian Inn and Alpine Rivers Inn receive a complimentary round of golf. The course is open April through October, seven days a week, weather permitting, but more experienced golfers may prefer to head to the nearby Leavenworth Golf Club for a bigger challenge.

Built as a people mover for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, the Seattle Monorail is a surprisingly popular attraction, especially given that it’s not very practical. It goes from downtown to the Seattle Center and back, and that’s it. The ride is short—just a couple of minutes—but if you’re staying downtown, it’s an easy way to get to places like the Space Needle, the EMP and Sci-Fi museums, the Pacific Science Center, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and Key Arena. Its midcentury-futuristic design is charming, and the view of downtown from above is unique. The monorail is wheelchair accessible (by elevator at Westlake and by ramp at Seattle Center), and reduced fares are available for children, seniors, and U.S. military members.

Residents and visitors alike drive out to the western edge of Tucson on most evenings. The area averages 350 sunny days a year, so viewing the sunset is almost always a possibility. Summer evenings are predictably hot, but you’re in for a technicolor show if the monsoon clouds are just right. Gates Pass is the preferred spot. Mid-week evenings, you can sometimes have the vista almost to yourself. From the middle of the city, head west on Speedway. It curves up into the Tucson Mountains after fifteen or twenty minutes, and you won’t miss the Pass. Cacti, mountains, and sky: some clichés just don’t get old...

This used to be the old highway to get from the leeward to the windward side of the island. It was literally built into the side of a mountain and was barely hanging on. It’s now been replaced with a proper 4 lane highway complete with a tunnel, but parts of the old highway are still there to hike on. To get there you have to go through tourists. They are there for the lookout and the spectacular view – but you can go much deeper than that! From the lookout, go down to the right and go past the ‘closed’ sign, away from the tourists at the lookout snapping photos.

Take the old Pali Highway through dense jungle growing along the side of this lush mountain. We also picked fresh guava off the trees and snacked on them along the way down. We hiked about 45 minutes down and then slowly turned around and came back up. You can hike all the way through to the end though.

On a rainy summer night (thunder! lightening!), we had very low expectations of getting a table at Balthazar’s Keuken—mostly because something I read said that it was hard to get in. But there was a table, right in the back by the open kitchen, waiting for us. (The photo is of our view of the kitchen.) They serve a fixed menu. First course was a platter of appetizers, including paprika-y sobressada on bread with fried sage, beautifully anchovy-laden fried artichokes, shrimp in sage butter, and smoked mussels. For the second course we had a choice of fish (they called it red bass, not sure what that is but it was great) or meat (veal in a hearty sauce). And dessert was fresh strawberries with mascarpone laced with ginger.

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.

As the first boutique hotel in Koreatown, the Line might have been able to get away with cutting a few corners while still attracting a cool clientele. It probably didn’t need to get the hottest young Korean-American chef in L.A. on board (to run one of the most comprehensive and exciting restaurant and bar networks yet seen, by the way), nor did the Sydell Group—the arbiters of cool behind the Nomad Hotel in New York—have to put their stamp on it. The hotel would have been nice enough had the concrete midcentury building not been entirely reimagined by designer Sean Knibb, known for designing half the cool spots in L.A. and more than a few celebrities’ homes. There didn’t need to be a desert greenhouse–inspired pool deck that’s become a hangout for beautiful people at all hours, nor did the famously trendy Houston Brothers (of no Vacancy and Harvard & Stone) have to throw in a midcentury-inspired cocktail bar. Nor did the typical hotel gift shop have to be reimagined as a design and lifestyle store curated by Poketo. The rooms and suites would have been just fine had they not been turned into artsy, industrial-style lofts, outfitted with original commissioned artwork, a minibar of Korean and Western snacks, and Baxter of California toiletries. Of course, all of this did happen, and now Koreatown is home to one of the hottest hotels in L.A.

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.

I was a glacier virgin. I had never seen one in person before, much less set foot on one. That all changed though as the helicopter lifted off and took off towards the incredible Franz Josef Glacier on New Zealand’s South Island. Almost as soon as the Glacier Helicopters flight lifted off, Mt. Cook popped into view, a looming presence throughout the area. We skirted over the lush rainforest and before I knew it, we were on top of the glacier. It’s amazing really; the glacier looks exactly like a glacier should look. It was a vast, frozen river leading from the tops of the mountains to the valley below. We landed at the top for a little exploration and impromptu snowball fights before taking off again to zoom past the massive crevices of the ice mountain. The ride back included even more impressive views of the glacier and the flat plains below leading to the Tasman Sea. It really is strange to see the glacier adjacent to the mild valley below. There’s something surreal about it all and that makes it one of the best adventure activities in New Zealand. For your own glacier adventure, visit the small mountain town of Franz Josef where you can find tour providers operating a variety of ice-based activities, including these extraordinary helicopter tours.

Vancouver’s most famous urban space, the thousand-acre Stanley Park, epitomizes everything that locals here love about the outdoors, and visitors have many ways to explore the expansive grounds. Hiking trails weave around totem poles and hemlock trees, while at the beaches, you can swim, people-watch and picnic. Rent a bike or a pair of in-line skates for a scenic ride along the Seawall, or wander through the many gardens where rhododendrons, azaleas and roses bloom.

This brilliant, partially covered amphitheater offers views not only of the stage but of the stunning Sangre de Cristo and Jemez mountain ranges in the distance. The world-renowned opera company presents five works in repertory each summer. Book well in advance, and don’t miss the elegant tailgating in the parking lot (some participants go as far as white table linens and sparkling wine) before the performance. A picnic can be ordered (at least 48 hours in advance) for pick-up two hours before performances, or you can cobble together your own basket of goodies from local restaurants. Tablecloths not included.

You can swim to your overwater bungalow through a magical turquoise lagoon filled with colorful tropical fish when staying at the Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort. The lagoon here is clearer and more turquoise than anywhere else on the island, and free of jet skis and other watercraft, allowing underwater life to flourish untouched.


This is also one of the Islands of Tahiti‘s most affordable overwater bungalow options, made even more accessible by the fact that Moorea is easily reached via high-speed catamaran from Papeete in Tahiti, where international flights land. Moorea’s natural beauty is emphasized at this understated resort where the traditional thatched-roof bungalows have a Polynesia style with modern decor, like extremely comfortable beds and stone tile rain showers in the bathrooms.


Although a decently large resort, with more than 100 bungalows, the best are the overwater digs, which have glass panels for viewing fish and direct access into the lagoon from a ladder into the crystal-clear water off the private terrace (if you’ve seen the Real Housewives of Orange County, this is the resort the women stayed at on their trip to Tahiti and Moorea). The resort has three distinct restaurants and bars that convey the spice of Tahitian life.


Taking center stage is internationally themed “Pure”, which focuses on fresh seasonable produce. Tailor-made for romance, “K” is an intimate gourmet restaurant option, showcasing the freshest local produce in elegant and refined settings. While the “Vue” cocktail bar offers an idyllic venue to relax and enjoy a leisurely drink with a ‘view’ of the lagoon. There’s also a branded Bollinger champagne bar on the pier, and an infinity swimming pool and spa with wonderfully blissful treatment options.

Parque de Oueste is a shady park toward the north of the city. The park is known for its rose gardens, as well as being home to the Temple of Debod, a gift for the Egyptian state in 1968. The overlook of the park offers beautiful views of the Royal Palace and the larger Casa Del Campo. It’s an ideal spot to split a bottle of wine with friends and watch the sunset after a long day of exploring Madrid.