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The ancient city of Messene, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) east of Pylos, dates back to 369 B.C.E. Much of it has been preserved; the city was never destroyed or built over by later settlements. Today it’s a World Heritage Site and a testament to early urban planning, with its many stone buildings and other structures laid out on a grid. Massive fortification walls, as high as nine meters (30 feet) tall, wrap 9.5 kilometers (six miles) around the city and Mount Ithome, where religious shrines once stood. The site’s archaeological excavations, now restored or reconstructed, extend downhill from the modern village of Mavrommátion; among them are the agora (gathering place), a theater and the temple of Asklepios, the Greek god of medicine. Messene’s ancient Greek stadium is amazingly intact—look for the VIP seats, with legs that end in carved lion paws. Messene’s archaeological museum displays vases, statues and other items of historic interest found here.

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.

The Museo Soumaya, financed by Carlos Slim, the richest man in Mexico, has the ambitions of the Guggenheim Bilbao from the outside. It’s a stunning building whose sweeping, soaring curves couldn’t help but make it an instant landmark near Polanco, one of Mexico City‘s ritziest neighborhoods. Inside, the museum recalls the Guggenheim New York, with galleries off of a ramp which spirals down (or up) the building. Unfortunately the museum’s permanent collection isn’t as impressive as those at either Guggenheim. The Soumaya does have some strengths—one of the world’s largest collection of Rodins and some especially noteworthy colonial Mexican works—but it can feel hit or miss, with many undistinguished pieces. Slim’s museum is free, however, so you won’t regret paying admission even if you just pass through quickly to take in the building itself and some highlights.

The trek to the HOLLYWOOD sign may be the most famous L.A. hike to outsiders, but if you’re looking for downtown views, celebrity sightings, and a typical L.A.-style glamour hike (not necessarily strenuous, but very fashionable), the 3.3-mile Runyon Canyon loop is your best bet. You’ll still get a great view of those giant letters, but you’ll also be able to spot the who’s who of the Hollywood Hills, with plenty of locals out on their routine pre-Sunday-brunch ritual. (And there are lots of grade-A brunch spots nearby, such as the Griddle Café, if you too are in search of a pancake-heavy menu.) The trails are dog-friendly, and dog-loving Angelenos take full advantage, so your pooch will have no shortage of company if you decide to bring him along.

A city as ancient as Istanbul has many layers of history, and you’ll have to go below the surface to see the Basilica Cistern, the largest of the underground cisterns. Built in the sixth century for the Byzantine emperor Justinian, the atmospheric reservoir is supported by 336 columns, many of which have been repurposed from other ruins over the centuries. The Medusa-head column bases are a favorite to photograph, along with the carp that swim silently in the dimly lit waters. The cistern is located between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, and the best time to visit is simply whenever the line looks short, especially on a hot summer day—it’s always cooler underground.

La Ménagère is simultaneously a breakfast spot, a tapas and cocktail bar, a flower shop, a café, a housewares store, and a restaurant. The large space, once home to a famous Florentine home-goods emporium, is now a ramble of beautiful rooms that serve many needs. The bright and airy bar area is the site for breakfast, lunch, aperitifs, and cocktails, while dinner can be eaten in several of the other charming rooms, including a narrow passage set with a long communal table. There’s even a downstairs space where live music is played a few nights a week.

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.

Bistro Don Giovanni opened more than 20 years ago and is still among the most popular Italian restaurants in Napa, meaning it can be downright impossible to get a table at the eatery unless you roll in late. Dishes include fritto misto, agnolotti with salmon and sweet pea cream sauce, and branzino poached in a tomato-garlic broth. Locals love Mamma Concetta’s meatballs, the beet and haricot vert salad, and, when it’s on the menu, lasagna. Don Giovanni also has a sophisticated bar program that includes a number of specialty cocktails, as well as wine imported from Italy, and the attentive, old-school service is appreciated by patrons. The generous back patio has a fountain and overlooks vineyards and a kitchen garden.

Looking like the graph of a boom-and-bust financial market, the Riverside Museum’s jagged tooth–like facade, designed by the late Iraqi-British “starchitect” Zaha Hadid, is an iconic bit of development on the banks of the River Clyde. Inside, you’ll find Glasgow’s extensive collection of all things related to transportation, from skateboards and locomotives to prams, cars, and an Imperial Stormtrooper. Wander through the interactive displays to visit city shops, bars, and subway stops, then climb aboard a train, tram, or bus and get a feel for old public transportation. Visitors can also discover Glasgow’s rich shipbuilding history, explore the car and motorbike walls, and help put out a blaze with an interactive fire engine. Before leaving, head outdoors to the quayside to see the Tall Ship Glenlee—one of only five Clyde-built sailing ships that’s still afloat.

I walked into my hotel room and there on the bed was my personal invitation to rock. I picked up the turquoise blue and white Fender Telecaster (already plugged into a floor amp and head phones), strummed a few chords and in a flash I was Joan Jett: Live and In Concert! Hard Rock Hotels are all about comfort, excitement, relaxation, and most definitely about the music. Their latest experience offering is the AMPLIFIED package born from their deep connection and commitment to music especially rock and roll. The experience is available at all 23 Hard Rock Hotels worldwide. As part of the package, guests pre-reserve a guitar out of a collection of Fender telecasters, starcasters, stratocasters, and jazz bass guitars. The guitar is guaranteed to be in the room ready to play when guests arrive. To add to the music experience, AMPLIFIED guests are given a VIP behind-the-scenes tour of the extensive music memorabilia collection within the hotel which is part of the Hard Rock collection, the largest music memorabilia collection in the world. Each guest also receives a limited edition “I Got Plugged in @ Hard Rocks Hotels” hat and collectible pin. At the HRH Orlando, after rocking with their Fender guitar, guests are just a short 5-minute walk from Universal Studios/Island of Adventure where all HRH guests are entitled to early admission and an express fast pass on theme park rides. When it’s time to relax, the HRH Universal Orlando offers a palm-lined pool and oasis-like rooms perfect to recharge in for the next round of fun whether that is checking out the music scene at nearby CityWalk, dinner at The Palms located within the hotel, or a bit more rockin’ on the Fender.

Did you know that there are actually two equators? The terrestrial equator, like the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn as well as the poles, is based on the relationship between the Earth’s axis of rotation and the planet’s orbit around the sun. But there’s also something known as the celestial equator, which is an imaginary circle created by projecting the terrestrial equator into the night sky. The sun consistently hangs in the equatorial sky for 12 hours each day at the Earth’s widest part, but it passes directly over the actual line only twice each year, during the March and September equinoxes. Although many think that the equator is uniformly hot, in many areas it does experience wet and dry seasons. Biodiversity is extremely rich at the equator, particularly because half of the planet’s rain forests are concentrated in countries along the line: Brazil, Congo and Indonesia.

Chef Laurent Tourondel’s LT Steak & Seafood, located inside the historic Betsy Hotel on Ocean Drive, is popular not just with hotel guests but locals as well, who stop in for an afterwork cocktail or a nice night out. The restaurant does what its name indicates, and the menu is evenly divided between prime cuts of porterhouse and rib eye and fresh seafood from local waters and elsewhere, as well as sushi, sashimi, and ceviche. At dinner, there is often live entertainment such as jazz in the conservatory or a performance by an opera singer.

Since 1980, when well-heeled Dallasites have needed a restaurant for a special family occasion, power breakfast, proposal, or impressive first date, they’ve come to The Mansion. One of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants—which, over the years, has been the domain of several noted chefs, including Dean Fearing—is set in the 1925 private home that forms the centerpiece of the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek hotel, so the elegant rooms are filled with original details (like oak paneling, inlaid ceilings, and stained glass) and antique furnishings, including a 16th-century stone mantel. The menus are equally refined, while still approachable and creative to keep up with the city’s ever-evolving and elevating food scene. Breakfast and brunch are popular for dishes like the smoked brisket tacos and hazelnut brioche French toast, while lunch favorites include the signature tortilla soup, prime burger with kale, bacon aioli, and truffle fries, and generous salads. Dinner’s fine-dining menus change with the season but may include treats like Wagyu beef tartare or lobster ravioli; opt for the five-course chef’s tasting menu for a handpicked sampling of the current standouts. Vegetarian options are also available, as is an expertly curated wine list that takes you around the globe. If the weather is good, enjoy brunch, drinks, or a more casual meal on the terrace, around the fireplace, or under the lantern-adorned oaks.

The most stylish spot in Fort Myers’ River District, Firestone occupies a historic, four-story building right on the water. In the restaurant, guests enjoy steak and seafood specialties paired with fresh, local produce. Also onsite is the rooftop Skybar, open daily from 4 p.m. for sweeping views of the Caloosahatchee River and Downtown River Basin, as well as a special martini bar, which welcomes patrons on Friday and Saturday nights.

After five days of cooking classes--learning from Estela Salas Silva and Jon Jarvis how to make typical Poblano dishes including sopa de tortilla, crema de chile Poblano soup, tamales, tinga, sopes, pipian verde and pipian roja, mole Poblano, chipotles en conserva, ensalada de nopalitos, and more--the payoff includes a diploma, a loose-leaf folder of recipes, and a deeper knowledge of central Mexican cuisine, culture, and history.