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Walk, cycle or people-watch along the shores of Elliott Bay, a downtown stretch known for its circusy flair and spectacular vistas. You can ride the Great Wheel or visit the beloved Seattle Aquarium, home to wolf eels, sea otters, and the world’s largest octopuses. Refuel with chowder from local favorite Ivar’s Acres of Clams, then hit the market’s 200 owner-operated shops, ranging from a radical book collection to the Northwest’s oldest magic store. Just don’t turn your back on the famous salmon-slinging fishmongers: They’ve been known to wallop selfie-photographers with a plastic decoy for yucks!

Nestled on the corner of Rue Blaes and Rue Notre-Seigneur, in the Marolles, is a cosy little secret of in-the-know foodies. It’s called L’Idiot du Village, but even the village idiot will tell you, it’s worth finding this little restaurant. While the décor is funky (with just a touch of odd) the food is just straight up delicious. Their duck and game dishes are heavenly and they have a way with scallops. If you are adventurous, order whatever the special of the day is, as it’s bound to be seasonal and wonderful. If you want a real taste of ‘quirky’ Belgium, L’Idiot du Village is not to be missed. L’Idiot isn’t open on weekends and it books up quickly so reservations are essential. For more information and photos: http://cheeseweb.eu/2012/01/lidiot-du-village-restaurant-brussels/

This hotel is on our list of The 11 Best Hotels in Chicago.

Following a much-needed $60 million makeover in July 2022, the Park Hyatt Chicago is once again a contender for one of the best hotels in town. Located in the bustling Magnificent Mile neighborhood at 800 N. Michigan Avenue, the storied property has been a landmark destination since it opened in 1980 as the first property to bear the Park designation. The renewed sanctuary now delivers a true sense of place, with a refreshed lobby design that’s more of an urban living room, an updated Library, and a vibrant new art program spotlighting some of Chicago’s most talented creatives. Critically, the hotel’s signature restaurant NoMI (named for the location on North Michigan Avenue) now has three different concepts: NoMI Kitchen, which emphasizes American cuisine with French techniques, NoMI Garden, a terrace space that’s ideal for lunch, and NoMI Lounge, which includes a six-seat sushi bar.

The Park Hyatt Chicago, facing ever stiffer competition from newer luxury hotel entries in the Magnificent Mile orbit, nevertheless remains a great choice for families because of the central location optimizing sightseeing and kid-heaven treats. Budding geologists will love the geodes, minerals, and marine fossils in the lobby alcove. Chefs at the seventh-floor NoMI restaurant, known for fine wines, city views, and standout American contemporary cuisine, take young foodies to the open kitchen’s soft-serve ice cream dispenser. The 7,000 square foot fitness center includes a 25 yard lap pool with skyline views, or borrow a complimentary Jamis commuter bike to ride the scenic Lakefront Trail four blocks east on the beach side of Lake Shore Drive. Guestrooms have notable design flourishes such as padded window seats, Eames chairs, and Mies van der Rohe–designed Brno desks from which to view the city’s famous architecture. Pets are welcome, and the hotel donates 100% of its standard pet fee to one of the city’s largest animal shelters.

It’s hard not to feel hip upon entering this Williamsburg hotel. Credit those Insta-cool vibes to the always abuzz rooftop lounge Westlight, or to Leuca, where food-loving socialites flock for a taste of the Italian plates that chef Andrew Carmellini does best. Thanks to the hotel’s partnership with Brooklyn Arts Council, locally designed artworks greet guests in each of the 183 rooms, as do luxe Frette linens, floor-to-ceiling windows, and wraparound balconies with stellar views of the Manhattan skyline. Once settled in, it’s straightaway to the pool, a 60-foot stretch of water surrounded by daybeds and cabanas. If you’d prefer a private hot tub, book the Vale Garden Residence, a two-story suite complete with an open-air Jacuzzi, a fully furnished patio, and its own covetable city vistas.

Independent for 1100 years, Venice still looks and feels very distinct from much of Italy. It’s been overrun by tourists, especially cruise lines, but still has so much to offer that it’s well worth spending a few days here. The city is one massive atmospheric experience so stroll far and wide. One note about dining: Venice is overrun by tourist traps. You’ll know them by their plastic coated menus and hawkers. Look for the Slow Food snail icon in the window as a guide to quality.

Celebrated worldwide for its culinary chops, Vancouver tops the list of British Columbia’s best stops for food-loving travelers. The city blends the freshest ingredients (oh, the sushi) with daring, modern techniques. Favorite dining stops include Blue Water Cafe, Cafe Medina, Kissa Tanto, and Vikram Vij’s well-named Vij’s. But those restaurants are just the start. A leader of the sustainable seafood movement in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, the city plays with a big palette, looking west to Asia for flavor inspiration.

There’s so much more to Buffalo’s food scene than chicken wings. With creative chefs, farm-to-table restaurants, and craft cocktail bars galore, the city is quickly making a name for itself as a culinary capital. Much of its success is thanks to large refugee and immigrant populations, who continue to infuse the city with international ingredients and cooking techniques.

JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa became the brand’s first resort property in 1967. Rumored to be J. Willard Marriott’s favorite gem in his crown of hotels (hence the Camelback Inn’s name), the desert retreat drew the likes of Clark Gable and Bette Davis in its heyday. Now it’s one of the best places to stay when you’re looking for the quintessential Scottsdale experience – luxury and rugged Sonoran Desert beauty. The Spa at Camelback Inn is my favorite highlight with its lineup of massages, facials and body treatments inspired by the resort’s natural setting. Settle in for a Desert Nectar Honey Wrap – a creamy mixture of Arizona honey and oats – then head to the spa’s Sprouts Café to round-out your wellness binge with light and healthy fare.

Translated as “beautiful bamboo,” Bambu Indah is the regenerative passion project of jewelry designers and husband-wife pair John and Cynthia Hardy. The Canadian and American expats who have lived in Bali for decades bought a collection of teakwood bridal houses in 2005 and moved them 15 minutes west of Ubud Village before restoring and individually decorating them for visiting guests.




Today, the antique residences on Sayan Ridge are surrounded by cutting-edge bamboo houses and tree houses designed by two of the couple’s daughters, including Elora Hardy, as well as organic dining and lounging structures, a permaculture garden, Edenic swimming holes, and green rice paddies. The 11 singular accommodations—filled with vintage furnishings, Indonesian textiles, and local curiosities—are truly one with nature. The resort is filled with whimsical surprises, including a boat-shaped tree house 30 feet in the sky and a rope swing that drops guests into the natural rock pool.





The open-air River Warung is where guests—and day-pass visitors—congregate for three meals a day of organically grown and locally sourced fare. The new-in-2023 Elevator Sunset Bar is another collaboration with the couple’s daughters where arak-spiked cocktails are paired with views across the river valley. On-demand massages are available, as well as early morning walks—more like hikes—throughout the jungle surrounding the resort. From $350

A Montreal favorite, this wine bar is known for its elegant food and drinks— and comes recommended highly by Ritz-Carlton concierge Simon Bajouk. The wine selection is vast and the staff is extremely helpful in guiding visitors to something that they like. “Trios,” aka flights, are another good way to taste through a well curated selection. (Cocktails and local Quebecois beer are also available.) The food ranges from snacks like gougeres and nuts to porcini arancini and short ribs. A dish of green beens with truffle oil and almonds was fresh, light, and delicious; the charcuterie plate was a generous offering of various local salumi.

“I am grateful” is just one of the ways you order lunch at Cafe Gratitude. “I am whole” is another; as is “I am glorious.” Every dish on the menu has a name like this, and whether you’re in the mood for gratitude (the community bowl with shredded kale, black beans, garlic tahini, and quinoa), wholeness (the macrobiotic bowl with braised butternut squash, adzuki beans, and sautéed greens), or glory (the blackened tempeh Caesar wrap), Cafe Gratitude guarantees your meal will be as much an experience in self-affirmation as a delicious jaunt into vegan fair. The Venice location is eclectic in patronage and airy in design, while the swanky Larchmont restaurant draws a more Hollywood cast of characters. Other locations include the Arts District, Newport Beach, Beverly Hills, and a little further south in San Diego. For larger events, Cafe Gratitude can also be hired for catering services.

The best time to hit the mineral-fed pools at Indian Springs is just before closing, right around 9:30 p.m. Grab a float noodle, place it behind your neck, float on your back in the 102-degree water, and look up at the stars. No matter how cold the air might be, you will immediately relax. The Calistoga resort has been offering guests a similar experience for more than 150 years, though recent renovations have modernized the offerings and brought a new level of luxury and sophistication. The main attractions are the pools: one for all ages and another only for adults. Elsewhere on the property, an expansive spa offers massages and mud treatments; a restaurant—dubbed Sam’s Social Club—serves healthy California cuisine along with house-brewed beer. Accommodations vary widely, ranging from two-room cabins and expansive one-bedroom suites to multi-room bungalows and full-scale houses. Once you’ve had your fill of shuffleboard and bocce, walk into downtown Calistoga to shop at the local boutiques, or take the short trail to the top of the hill for a stellar view of the north end of the Napa Valley. Don’t miss: Perhaps the most spiritual part of the Indian Springs experience is the Wishing Tree in front of the spa. Write your wish on a card and tie it to the tree with the hundreds of others already there.

Music City—full of neon signs and honky tonks, country music stars and wannabes—has irresistable allure for all types of visitors. Fine art museums, historic plantations, farmers’ markets, a booming downtown, and vintage shops add to the draw of thoroughly modern and exciting Nashville. Here are some of the can’t miss things to do in Nashville.

There are hundreds of reasons we love Ireland, from the dramatic coastlines with their remote, beaches to the peat bogs, ruins and prehistoric sites dotted around the country. When you visit, you can see deer in the park, walk the cliffs, go horseback riding on the beach or tour a whiskey distillery. Visitors to Ireland will also love the cultural traditions like music sessions, storytelling and poetry, as well as lively pubs and meeting friendly Irish locals. Here are some of the country’s best highlights.

Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada is a place where elk still wander through town and bears are often spotted along the highway—and the locals prefer it that way. This is a place where residents prefer cabins to condos, and believe 5-star ratings pale in comparison to the 5 million stars in the night sky. Glacier walks and mountain hikes, scenic cruises and epic road trips, Jasper is the largest park in the Canadian Rockies and it’s got the diversity of wildlife, wild views, and adventures to prove it.