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To begin to understand the true wilderness that occupies most of the southern tip of Florida, there is nothing like a visit the 734-square-mile wetland preserve of Everglades National Park. More than a national treasure, the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, deemed important to the greater culture of all of humanity, and is the largest tropical wilderness in the USA. Among the many and diverse species that dwell here are manatees, Florida alligators, American crocodiles, Florida panthers, and the state’s elusive black bear, in addition to several unwanted invasive species including Burmese pythons. From Miami, the best access point is Shark Valley, where you can ride a 15-mile loop through the park aboard a tram, climb an observation tower for panoramic views, and walk out to viewing decks to spot alligators, birds, and more. For the more adventurous, there are several outfitters who can take you deeper into the Everglades on kayaking tours to visit a pristine wilderness few people on the planet get lucky enough to witness.

I discovered this Marin Headlands view of the Golden Gate Bridge on one of my very first trips to San Francisco. In my three-plus years living in the Bay Area, I still haven’t found a view to top it. My favorite time to visit is just after sunset, when most tourists are fleeing from the evening breeze and the lights from the Golden Gate are just beginning to glow. If you’re lucky, you might witness an illuminated container ship as it exits the Bay on its way to Asia. This vantage point is on the North side of the Golden Gate—for the active traveler it’s a lovely green hike after a stroll across the bridge but alternately you can dive up. There’s also a closer view at the base of the hill.

For over 37 years, this legendary western clothing shop, run by proprietor Paul Martinez, has been outfitting locals and cowboys with boots, hats, three-piece suits -- and bolo ties, of course.

Jubiliee is one of Houston‘s favorite boutiques. On one side of the store, you’ll find unique juniors and womens clothing. The other side of the store has vintage furniture, eclectic home decor, cards, and gifts.

Located on Goat Island in Narragansett Bay, Gurney’s feels secluded even though it’s just minutes from downtown Newport. Guests enjoy 360-degree water views from the expansive grounds, which include 257 guestrooms as well as three restaurants, a full-service spa, an outdoor saltwater pool, and more event space than any other property in town. Done up in soothing blues and greys, rooms feature king beds with plush pillows, soft sheets, and down blankets; large bathrooms with granite countertops and jet-stream tubs; and oversized desks for working in between lounging on the sun deck. Some premium view rooms boast harbor vistas from private balconies, while suites include spacious living rooms.

In the morning, guests can grab breakfast at Corso, an Italian-style coffee bar in the lobby, before catching the complimentary shuttle to downtown Newport for a day of exploring. Bikes are also available should they prefer to take in the famous mansions on two wheels. Of course, there’s also plenty to do on-site, from hanging at Newport’s only outdoor hotel pool, getting pampered at the Seawater Spa, and breaking a sweat at the 24-hour fitness center to scheduled activities like yoga classes, crafting sessions, wine tastings, and movie nights. Come evening, enjoy cocktails around the firepits at Regent Lounge, followed by an Italian-inspired dinner at Scarpetta. During the summer months, guests can also look forward to poolside dining at The Pineapple Club as well as a kids’ club for children ages 4 to 12.

John Rutledge was an active player in early American politics, signing the Constitution and serving as South Carolina’s first governor. But his townhouse on Broad Street, now the John Rutledge Inn, was built before he even attended his first Continental Congress. The house was embellished and expanded over the years, including the addition of elaborate lacelike ironwork that still stops passersby in their tracks. The inn comprises the main building and two carriage houses. In the 1980s, a major renovation prepared it for its new life as an inn, restoring the parquet floors, marble fireplaces, and crown molding to fully honor the property’s past.

Rooms in the main house evoke the property’s Colonial Era origins, with canopy beds and brass fireplace screens. All rooms have Tempur-Pedic mattresses, property-wide Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs help guests remember that they’re still in the 21st century. Around the property, visit the sumptuous ballroom for evening sherry, or stroll the lush, secluded courtyard.

“Puff the Magic Dragon, lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee” our guide kept on singing this verse as he was pointing out the smokey dragon in front of us, as we visited this wonderful place (viewed from the Hanalei Pier). But in reality, there is no direct link to the song, but somehow people have believed that it did :-) Hanalei is a beautiful little town by the coastline and it’s accessible via several one-way bridges from Princeville. It’s a cozy little town to visit when you’re in the island of Kauai. And to add some movie trivia to it, Hanalei Bay is also a popular movie location for South Pacific, Lilo and Stitch and the Descendants. A good spot to stop is Hanalei Pier and Hanalei Beach and it would be lovely place to watch the sunset. Unfortunately, the day we visited, it was raining :-(

Even with a population of only 140,000 people, Maui has a remarkable amount of residents who possess some sort of artistic talent. From jewelry to clothing to hand-carved wood, you can find local artists hawking their wares at craft fairs across the island. In West Maui, one of the best places to mingle with local artists is at the Aloha Friday craft fair in northern Kaʽanapali. Located in front of the Westin Kaʽanapali Ocean Resort Villas, dozens of artists are available to chat about their creative work. The craft fair begins at 9 a.m. and lasts through most of the day. It’s a great way to spend a Friday morning along the northern Kaʽanapali boardwalk. Even if you don’t end up buying something, this is still a great beach for a leisurely stroll or a snorkeling session on the reef. If you do plan on getting in the water after shopping, morning hours are best for taking a dip before the afternoon tradewinds blow in.

On the northern edge of Tucson, you can drive through a condensed version of western North America’s ecosystem in about half an hour. On the way up the Mount Lemmon Highway (also known as “Catalina Highway” or “Sky Island Scenic Byway”), you traverse almost all of the different life zones you would encounter if you were to actually drive from Mexico to Canada: starting with the saguaro-studded Sonoran desert, up through grassland, junipers and oaks, pines, and finally a mixed-conifer forest with stands of aspen. You begin at about 2500 ft. and end up at almost 9100 ft. above sea level (about 760 to 2770 meters). In the summer, especially, southern Arizonans love this road: “thirty miles, thirty degrees cooler,” as the saying goes. When it’s 105 degrees down in the city, it’s a perfect 75 up on the mountain. In the winter, you can go skiing in the southernmost ski resort in the U.S.

Rum is the Caribbean’s signature spirit, its production documented in the region since colonial times. Just as there are dozens of varieties of rum, Caribbean travelers can select from a wide variety of rum distillery tours. The one offered at Cruzan Rum Distillery highlights the rum-making prowess of the 19th-century Nelthropp family, considered Cruzan rum royalty by many. The Nelthropp family endeavored to craft a spirit incorporating the “warm, tropical breezes that circulate through the open-air warehouses of the distillery.” A sip after your tour will allow you to judge whether they managed to capture St. Croix in a bottle.

This lovely state park stretches along the rugged volcanic shoreline of western Maui, three miles from Hana. It’s best explored on the 2.2-mile hike that starts at the black-sand beach and follows the dramatic coast, passing lava tubes, rock arches, blowholes, and Polynesia’s largest heiau (an ancient Hawaiian temple) along the way. Avoid standing too close to the geysers as well as the lava benches near the ocean, which can crumble easily, and watch out for high surf. If you’re looking to cool down after your trek, take the loop trail to the park’s freshwater caves, where you can explore two separate chambers (the first tends to be clearer and more inviting).

For many Charlestonians and tourists, every Saturday is spent in Marion Square at the farmers’ market. Students nursing hangovers wait in line for a crepe at Charleston Crepe Company while farmers from John’s and Edisto islands sell their fresh vegetables. Artists sell their work while children play on inflatable slides and a guitar player keeps the crowd entertained. Between the French, Greek, Cajun, Spanish, Italian, Southern, German, and Indian foods on offer, you really can’t go wrong. Grab an assortment of foods to try and find a nice spot in the shade to eat and people watch.

At Maui Brewing Co. in Kihei, visitors can take hour-long tours of the brewhouse, cellar, and packaging line, then adjourn to the tasting room with views of Haleakala and Molokini. There, they can sample beers, ciders, wines, and specialty cocktails while playing board games or simply taking in the vistas. Also on-site at the brewery is a restaurant with 36 craft and specialty beers on tap, plus a menu of burgers, fish tacos, and pizzas with MBC’s Bikini Blonde lager in the crust. Go for the live entertainment or the twice-daily happy hours, when you can enjoy steep discounts on house beers, classic cocktails, pizzas, and select appetizers.

Expect no less than over-the-top extravagance at Laucala, a resort island in Fiji with its own rental submarine. Bring friends: The island has 25 villas spread out over 4.6 square miles, with a rain forest, beaches, cliffs, a lagoon, and one of the island’s highest hilltops literally in their backyards.

A private-island resort six minutes by boat off the coast of Antigua, Jumby Bay is one of the Caribbean’s top luxury, all-inclusive stays, and one of its most environmentally aware. A $28 million renovation in 2010, which included the addition of 28 suites and a first-ever spa, gave it all the digital-age essentials: 42-inch flat-screen TVs, iPod docking stations, Bose sound systems, free Wi-Fi. Yet its underlying spirit of environmental responsibility, highlighted by its hawksbill sea turtle preservation program and its banishment of wheeled vehicles except for golf carts and bicycles (every room comes with two bikes), continues to reign. Rosewood manages the resort, but it belongs to an association of island homeowners, some offering their properties for rent. So if, say, a 1,346-square-foot beach-view pool suite isn’t big enough, it is possible to do as celebs such as Hillary Swank, Jim Carey, and Paul McCartney have done and plop down up to $20,000 per night for a private villa or estate home. Couples can be perfectly content here, but it is especially attractive to families, who appreciate programs like the Rose Buds kids’ club.