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With killer views of the waves crashing onto Ocean Beach, the Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant is one of the best places to grab a bite and watch the sunset in San Francisco. Before its current incarnation, the 1925 Spanish revival building served as a beach changing room, an Army outpost during WWII, and a VFW hall. The disused building was shuttered in 1970, but spared for its landmark WPA murals and mosaics. Come to see the murals, and stay for the food and Ocean Beach views. Upstairs, above the visitor center, the Beach Chalet Restaurant serves fresh fish and steaks. Downstairs, opening out to Golden Gate Park, the sunny and more casual Park Chalet offers burgers or fish and chips, and live music on weekends.

East Coast Park is a wonderful stretch of seafront greenery containing plenty of trails where runners, walkers, cyclists, and in-line skaters can frolic in nature. There are shops where you can rent bikes and Rollerblades (just follow signs in the park), so come on down and join in the fun. If you’re feeling especially brave, try your hand at motorized wakeboarding—or just watch as a machine whips brave souls around the East Coast Lagoon (near the East Coast Seafood Centre) on a wire.

After a $90 million expansion that unveiled five new lodges and raised the facility’s total number of rooms to 590, Canyon Lodge & Cabins, in Canyon Village near the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, has more accommodations than any other hotel in the park. The new LEED-certified structures were modularly built with sustainability in mind, incorporating countertops constructed of recycled glass and fly ash (a by-product of coal burning) and trim made with beetle-damaged wood from blue-colored pine bark, which would have otherwise gone to waste. The new lodges also feature two bedroom suites (king/queen) that include a sitting room with sofa bed; some have walk-out patios and decks. Budget-minded visitors who don’t want to sacrifice canyon views opt for the nearby cabins, which are modest yet comfortable. There’s also a $6 million refresh of the lodge’s food service on tap, with new cafés and restaurants offering updated menus and Mad Men–era Mission 66-inspired design.

The Arboretum on the western side of Lake Zurich is a perfect place for a stroll, rain or shine. You can buy a brat and have a beer or watch the sailboats and ferries making their way across the lake.

Situated on 10 acres in the heart of downtown, this 24-story hotel lives up to its name with 775 elegant guest rooms, appointed with handcrafted cherrywood Richelieu furnishings, floor-to-ceiling windows, Italian marble bathrooms, and spacious balconies. Public outdoor spaces include an immaculately manicured courtyard garden with a central fountain, a pretty-as-can-be terrace café serving house-made breads, and an outsize pool lined with loungers, all against a backdrop of classic white granite. To top it off, the hotel also features a colorful toy store with costumes galore, a jewel box of a sweets shop with macarons and other divine confections, and a men’s haberdashery. The lobby lounge hosts a live jazz band on weekend nights, and the staff tends to a crackling open fire during cool weather.

Safa Park is a regular stop on the weekend itineraries of most Dubai families, and as such, has a place in the childhood memories of many of the city’s residents. The family-oriented public park is ideal for a relaxed picnic in the shadow of the park’s older trees, away from the city’s clamor. The Dubai Water Canal runs through the park and the walkway that follows its route makes a pleasant place to stroll and enjoy beautiful views of the city. This park is near the city center, near many of its landmarks and shopping areas, such as Boxpark and the Business Bay.

A marine sanctuary in northwest Maui, Honolua Bay delights snorkelers and surfers alike. The right side of the bay boasts dense, showstopping coral that attracts vibrant fish, while the shallower left-hand side features lava caves, archways, and sea turtles in the summer months. Come winter, some of Hawaii’s most beautiful barrel waves start peeling around the point, drawing only the most experienced daredevils. Note that fishing here is forbidden and parking can be tricky—visitors often have to park along the cliffs and hike down through a magical, Robinson Crusoe–type forest to the rocky shoreline. When approaching the bay, watch for mile marker 32. Just past it, you’ll find stairs down to Mokuleia Beach.

Only kahuna (priests) and alii nui (chiefs) were eligible to visit the Heiau (temples) at Puukohola. The site was dedicated in 1791 before the kapu (taboo) system that included human sacrifice was dissolved in 1819. Now a National Historic Site, visitors can find stone monuments at the site where Hawaii’s sometimes violent history played out. The temples were destroyed in 1819 with the end of the organized worship of the Hawaiian gods and only platforms remain. The surrounding area was used for farming and settlements.

Puerto Princesa Underground River is set in a protected area of the St. Paul Mountain Range in Palawan. It’s a five-mile stretch of the Cabayugan River that runs through a huge limestone cave and directly into the West Philippine Sea near Sabang village (the bottom half of the river is tidal). Announced as one of the New7Wonders of Nature in 2012, it’s hard to fully envision unless you experience it for yourself. Reservations are required for the tours, which enter the underground river on a small boat. The boatman manually paddles you in as the light fades, the water becomes pitch-black, and you almost lose sight of the person beside you. The boatman will then start flashing his tiny light on the stalactites, stalagmites, and other rock formations you pass. The tour takes about 45 minutes and covers only a mile or so of the river (the inner portion is closed to the public).

Take a riverboat up the Wailua—which translates as the “river of the great sacred spirit"—fed by the Mount Waialeale shield volcano, one of the wettest spots on the planet. Seven temples once stood along Hawaii’s longest and only navigable freshwater passage. Today, the remains of four are still visible, alongside petroglyphs and rocks where the island’s alii (royalty) would give birth. Stretch your legs at the stunning Fern Grotto: Verdant plants blanket the roof of the volcanic-rock cave there. Smith’s offers 80-minute tours there on open-air boats, which include the songs and stories of ancient Hawai’I, plus a bonus hula lesson (smithskauai.com).

I saw this place in so many photos before but when I got there and saw it in person it was such an overwhelming experience. Getting there is easy. You take the Interstate 89 South from Page and after 7 minutes you get to the parking lot. The road is suffering some constructions down the road from here and it will appear as closed but go passed the detour sign anyway. Once in the parking lot you must walk about a quarter of a mile to the actual spot where Horseshoe Bend is located. Beware there are no protection rails so one must pay attention when approaching the edge. At 7am there are very few people around and it’s also a good time for photography. After the sun is high in the sky everything is too bright for decent photos.

Located in the northwest corner of the park, just below the travertine terraces of the hot springs that gave the property its name, Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel has recently broken ground on the second phase of a two-part renovation that is updating the historic 1936 structure’s 97 guest rooms. The 118 basic-but-comfortable cabins are still available in the meantime. While some have en-suite bathrooms (a few enjoy an enclosed six-person hot tub), others require sharing lavatory and shower facilities. All guests have access to the hotel’s restaurant and grill—a good spot for sipping a huckleberry margarita at the end of the day—but most can be found observing the elk and bison that roam free on the grounds from their cabins’ small front porch. If you need a break from wildlife viewings, self-guided tours of old Fort Yellowstone, built for the Army cavalrymen who once protected the land and which today houses the park’s headquarters, are available.

Why we love it: A lakeside resort made for family getaways

The Highlights:
- Spacious rooms with balconies for taking in lake views
- A full-service, on-site marina for boat rentals
- A Japanese-style spa with an infrared sauna

The Review:
Imagine you had a wealthy friend with a fabulous lakeside property, and you’ll understand what it feels like to stay at the Lodge of Four Seasons. At the waterfront resort, guests mingle around the lobby bar—which boasts circular seating, live piano music, and carefully crafted cocktails—much like they would in a fancy living room. When it’s nice outside, they hang together at the lakeside pool bar, or stroll down to the on-site marina and get out on the water. Here, it’s all about starting traditions with families and friends, whether over dinner at one of two restaurants or a round of golf on the championship course.

An Ozarks-chic vibe extends across the 358 spacious rooms and suites, which all feature flat-screen TVs, custom embroidered linens, and private furnished balconies with views of the lake or Japanese gardens. Choose from guest rooms in the Main Lodge and Seasons Bay buildings, or opt for a one- or two-bedroom condo with a kitchen in the Avila complex. Settle in, then head to Spa Shiki, where you’ll find eucalyptus-infused steam rooms, an infrared Himalayan salt stone sauna, a salt-purified whirlpool, and a relaxation room with a fireplace for relaxing post treatment.

Hauz Khas Social can be considered a social space or a social experiment. Either way, this is perhaps one of the best drinking spots in Delhi. Social is a unique concept that unites a cafe, office space, and nightclub. The identity depends on the time of day, though the crowds pounce in the evening hours. Enjoy the lake views while sipping on “Two Lost Souls Swimming in a Fish Bowl” or “Trip on the Drip.”

Hampstead Heath is a legend: 800 acres of wide-open space dotted with ponds, woods, walking tracks, and the odd stately home. North Londoners take pride in this place, where you will find dog walkers, picnickers, Saturday soccer players, and hardy outdoor swimmers at all times of the year. It brings a touch of true wilderness to the city, and it’s also home to a lido, a stately home with an unrivalled art collection (at Kenwood House), and the famous bathing ponds established by the Victorians (and thus separate for gentlemen and ladies). Parliament Hill also offers one of the best views in London.