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Chef Eduardo García (of Lalo and Máximo Bistrot fame) applies his exquisite taste to a more traditionally French bill of fare at Havre 77, a beautiful dining room on what may be the city’s hippest half-block. Just a smattering of tables (reservations are recommended) and a handsome old-style bar inhabit two rooms and a tiny terrace in a fabulous fin de siècle mansion whose feel is still contemporary; couples favor the restaurant for its romantic, indulgent atmosphere. A pared-down menu hints at the approach: quality over quantity in Gallic standards like onion soup, oysters, a buttery steak frites, duck confit; all ingredients are excellent, leveraging the best of Mexican farms and ranches. Near perfect yet never fussy.

The smallish Plaza Manuel Tolsá—at the end of Calle de Tacuba—is an all-but-perfect urban conglomeration that will thrill architecture fans. To the south lies the 18th-century Palacio de Minería (a former engineering college) whose solid, sober mastery of imposing volume is leavened by the wavy effects of the city’s sinking soils; to the north is the former Palacio de Comunicaciones, now Mexico’s National Art Museum. The collection here is a winner—but some of the structure’s soaring neoclassical spaces will leave you agog. At the corner with the Eje Central thoroughfare stands the city’s beloved old post office, noted for its eclectic, Venetian-style facade and coruscating interiors in marble, bronze, and iron (don’t miss the grand staircase). A recently restored equestrian statue of a somewhat dopey-looking King Charles IV of Spain is a marvelous finishing touch.

You know there’s something worth checking out when this in-town farm attracts farmers from farther afield to come learn best practices. Not only is this urban goat dairy a working farm, it also offers field trips, tours, summer-camp programs, cheese-making classes, and an oft-sold-out goat yoga (yoga with goats) session. (And to guard the goats, there’s a llama.) With all those Zen goats, there’s plenty of milk flowing, and in addition to the goat cheese, the farm sells shares of the goat herd for access to the raw goat milk. It’s located on the historic Long’s farm property along with a local community garden manager, Growing Gardens.

From an unassuming strip mall on Portland’s far east side, Rose VL Deli dishes out two types of pho daily. The rich, complex, aromatic broth is transcendent whether it’s made for a simple bowl of bun bo Hue or a flavor-palooza like the Vietnamese turmeric noodles. (The shop’s smaller, original location, Ha VL, also serves banh mi sandwiches.) Fans include local Asian food ambassador Andy Ricker, of Pok Pok, and other chefs around town who fancy themselves connoisseurs of Vietnamese cuisine. Slurp loudly, enjoy the soap operas playing on the TV, and plan on a nap afterward.

It’s a quick train ride from Paris to Vernon and the 19th-century home of impressionist artist Claude Monet. From the station, most visitors hop on the bus waiting to take them to Giverny, but right across the street, a bike rental shop can easily turn the visit into a romantic day in the country. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, pick up supplies for a picnic at the farmers’ market in the quaint Norman town. Your bucolic ride along the Seine follows a protected bike path all the way to the pastel-tinted home and gardens that inspired many of Monet’s masterpieces.

It’s not yet Brooklyn, but the Spittelberg quarter in the Neubau district is arguably Vienna’s newest trendy spot. As neighborhoods go, Spittelberg is tiny, made up of old working-class blocks with an unsavory past. But Spittelberg lies in the shadow of the mega-successful MuseumsQuartier, and the bars and restaurants tucked into leafy courtyards behind Biedermeier buildings are hopping now. Thankfully, a village feel remains on the quiet pedestrianized streets and alleys where, in warm weather, Schanigartens (Vienna’s version of outdoor restaurant seating) appear. Amerlingbeisl, Bohème, and Witwe Bolte are three of the most popular bistros, along with newcomer Das Spittelberg. The neighborhood’s Christmas market, with its glühwein kiosks, is perhaps the top one in the city.

You don’t have to be old enough to drive to have fun at LVMGP; four tracks, three amusement rides, one super-slide, and tons of arcade games make the destination a fun spot for the entire family. Go-carts headline the action, with three speed tracks (and a course for kids that often devolves into a bumper-cars situation). On one of the speed tracks—dubbed the Adult Gran Prix—cars get up to 60 miles per hour and feature technology that keeps tabs of how fast you’re going; during your “race,” your time is displayed on a leader board so you can compare and compete with your friends. Elsewhere at the facility, there’s a small roller coaster and a giant 90-foot slide. Inside, the arcade takes center stage, with air hockey, video games, and four games of pop-a-shot, as well as a restaurant.

Eating here might get a little messy, but it’s worth it. One of Dallas’s favorite BBQ spots smokes its meats over Texas post oak, serves them wrapped in butcher paper, and pairs them with cold draft brews—and the crowds go wild. Savor classics like brisket, sausage, pork chops, and ribs, plus the specialty Kreuz Market sausage (this is the only place in town that stocks it), all sliced to order, fresh off the smoker, and served by the half- and full-pound, so it’s easy to mix and match. The so-called TX Vegetarian section cheekily lists chicken and turkey, but there are several sides for noncarnivores, including mac-and-cheese, potato salad, and two kinds of slaw. The atmosphere is casual—think counter service and shared tables—but the clientele always leaves happy (and slightly perfumed by the smoker).

With its tiny, intimate location (inside a 1920s-era former home) and all the accolades (including a James Beard semifinalist nod for Best Chef, Southwest), this Bishop Arts District spot remains one of the harder reservations to snag in town—but it’s well-worth it to keep trying. When you do make it in, you’ll be treated to chef/owner David Uygur’s seasonal Italian-inspired menus, which might include crostini topped with a Calabrian chili and bacon pâté, risotto with celery root and foie gras, or duck leg confit served with polenta, topped off with olive oil cake with prune jam and burnt-cinnamon gelato. The meats are house-cured, the pasta homemade, the ingredients local, and—with Uygur’s wife overseeing the dining room—the atmosphere full of charm, all of which has helped make this a favorite for date nights, special occasions, and foodie splurges.

Magical, mysterious, magnificent—the ancient madrassas, or Koranic schools, of Morocco are unlike any other, and nowhere are they more extraordinary than in the Fes medina.

These architectural gems are home to students who come from all over the Arabic world to study their religion. The serene environment of the schools provides a welcome balm from the frenetic activity of life in the medina. Several of the oldest in Fes, while no longer in use, are open to the public, which allows a fascinating insight into the almost monastic existence of the former residents. A visit can also reveal layer upon layer of exquisite Islamic architectural details such as carved and filigreed plaster, delicate hand-cut zellij (glazed tiles), elaborate ironwork, and painted wood inlaid with gold leaf.

Among those you shouldn’t miss are the 14th-century al-Attarine, for its extraordinary plaster- and stuccowork that is said to have been inspired by the Nasrid Palaces in Granada’s Alhambra; the Bou Inania, near the Bab Boujloud (Blue Gate) and built around the same time, for its spacious, arcaded courtyard; and the 17th-century Cherratine in the Andalous Quarter, a fine example of Islamic architecture, with ornate carved-cedarwood balconies that go up and up and up, as if ascending to heaven.

At the town of Rendsburg, the famous High Bridge is a must-see for bridge enthusiasts. Built in 1913, this protected landmark consists of both a steel railroad span and a lower section suspended by cables that ferries passengers and automobiles across the Kiel Canal. A spectacle to witness in action, the so-called “iron lady” transporter crosses the canal every 15 minutes and makes the bridge one of only a dozen transporter bridges still in operation today. Ship passengers are greeted by ship spotters from a welcoming platform on land, while a recording of the national anthem of the passing ship’s country is played over loudspeakers.

Though a relatively new option for tourists, the Crystal Caves of Grand Cayman’s Old Man Bay have been hosting other sorts of visitors since time immemorial: Everyone from bats (who still hang out near the entrance) to farmers (in search of the attendant guano) to pirates (where better to dodge both hurricanes and the law?). Shrouded within a healthy radius of rain forest, these stalactite-and-stalagmite-studded caverns are well worth your visit, too; whether or not you locate the treasure that some of the previous occupants are rumored to have left behind, you’ll find a wealth of natural beauty—especially the reflection of all those formations in the gin-clear rainwater lake.

As idyllic a tourist destination as Zanzibar is now, its history is undeniably dark. At the height of the slave trade in the 18th and 19th centuries, some 50,000 people were brought to Zanzibar each year, brutally removed from their homes in West Africa and made either to work on the coconut and clove plantations here or sold off at the market to buyers from around the world. A tour of the original site of the slave market (on whose site now stands an Anglican cathedral, once a building project for freed slaves and now a memoriam with exhibits) is an important reminder of this ugly time. Visiting the dim and suffocating underground chambers to see where human beings were bound and held in chains is chilling.

While sake may be standard at other sushi restaurants, this game-changing spot pays homage to Japan’s other great boozy tradition: whiskey. In the lively modern space—all blond wood, concrete, and industrial lighting—chef/owner Engin Onural serves a creative lineup of sushi, including the Sandfish (a spicy tuna and crab-meat roll topped with fried potato slivers) and zucchini flowers filled with tuna and cream cheese. Things get really interesting at the bar. Using all craft ingredients—house-made syrups, fresh juices, artisanal spirits, and local brews—the bartenders create inspired whiskey-centric cocktails. Try the elegantly layered Old Fashioned (made with Nikka Pure Malt, Pierre Ferrand 1840 Formula cognac, bitters, and Demerara sugar), and a play on a Spanish gin and tonic called Foraged, which features Death’s Door white whiskey infused with wild juniper berries Austin forages himself, plus fresh grapefruit, Szechuan peppercorns, rose petals, and yuzu.

Why we love it: A sprawling retreat offering high design and a beachfront location

The Highlights:

• Guest rooms with private plunge pools or whirlpools
• The only Thalasso therapy wellness spa in Baja
• Five separate pools, plus 4,000 square feet of beachfront

The Review
Though the Baja Peninsula has welcomed a slew of luxury properties over the past few years, it seems the 128-room Solaz is only in competition with itself. First, there are the sophisticated stone-and-wood interiors, which balance high-tech details (remote controlled lighting) and luxe amenities (outdoor showers, private plunge pools) with locally sourced decor and wall sculptures by Mexican artist César López Negrete.

Guests even have the option to add personal butler service, which can arrange everything from swimming with whale sharks to ordering a bottle of local wine from the property’s wine cellar. Outdoors, the landscaping features endemic desert plants like agave and cacti, with a hardly a palm tree in sight.

Then there’s the spa, a 10,000-square-foot refuge that features the region’s only Thalasso therapy seawater treatments and a Himalayan salt igloo. Five pools (including two sleek infinity ones that overlook the Sea of Cortez), four dining outlets (a Mexican breakfast spot, a seafood restaurant, a poolside cafe, and a coffee lounge), a beachfront fitness center, and 4,000 square feet of white-sand shoreline complete the desert dream.