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Panificio Bonci, which opened in November 2012, is legendary baker Gabriele Bonci’s bread bakery. Located in the Trionfale district—not far from Bonci’s famous pizza-by-the-slice joint, Pizzarium—the bakery sells loaves, sandwiches, and a handful of pasta varieties. There is also pizza by the slice (though a more conventional variety than you will find at Pizzarium) and pastries. Perhaps the greatest menu item, however, is pizza con la porchetta, a flatbread sandwich filled with slices of moist roasted pork and its crispy skin.

We had the most amazing breakfast in their beautiful and quaint back garden. I’m voting this the best Bloody Mary I’ve ever had. The cinnamon coffee was smooth and easy, and everyone’s breakfast hit the spot. Spend a breakfast here and even a couple of room nights.

One of New York’s most iconic landmarks is also one of America’s: the Statue of Liberty, standing in the middle of New York Harbor as it has since 1885. The statue was famously a gift from France, built to a design by sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and with structural engineering overseen by Gustave Eiffel. The statue was one of the first large-scale curtain wall structures—that is, one where weight is supported by an internal frame and not by the exterior walls. As one of New York’s most visited sights, some tickets sell out far in advance. There are two different levels of tickets: pedestal and crown. Tickets to the pedestal and especially those to the crown are often gone months in advance, so plan accordingly.

If, like most visitors, you head for Tucson between Thanksgiving and Easter, you’re probably seeking sun and warmth while the rest of the country deals with the winter blahs. And you’ll most likely find what you’re looking for. There’s a reason why golfers, cyclists, hikers, and runners flock to southern Arizona this time of year. But, once or twice a decade, the lush Sonoran desert might get a snowfall—it never lasts for long, but every saguaro, ocotillo, cholla, and prickly pear cactus will be edged in ephemeral white. As soon as the sun comes up over the mountains, you’ll start hearing the drip drip drip of the inevitable melting...And by the next day you’re likely to be wearing shorts again. Saguaro National Park, which flanks both the western and eastern edges of Arizona’s second-largest city, is the ideal place to go for a hike in the rare desert snow. The Eastern (Rincon Mountain) division of the park has a hilly eight-mile one-way loop road with access to numerous trails. Drive slowly and yield to the runners and senior-citizen-cyclists-in-spandex with thighs of steel. Get out and up into the saguaro-studded hills before the unlikely landscape disappears...Keep your eyes open for bobcats, mule deer, and the pig-like javelina. (You’re less likely to encounter a rattlesnake in the winter months, but this is still desert wilderness.) And if there’s no snow, you might be treated to spring wildflowers. Don’t forget your sunscreen...

Kaiseki, a traditional style of Japanese dining, presents a balanced and creative multi-course meal. This tradition has arrived in Dubai at Kohantei, the restaurant at the Dubai Opera House. The intimate culinary experience begins when you’re invited to take off your shoes to enter one of the three private dining rooms (each seats only up to four people). As the courses are served, you are encouraged to eat slowly and taste each bite mindfully. The task is not hard because the food is carefully prepared and the atmosphere is serene. Guests take their time, enjoy a calm conversation, and remain present in the moment. Not surprisingly, the experience is popular: Make sure to book well in advance.

I’m not sure any other city epitomizes the California dream as well as the surf-centric college town of Santa Cruz. The Dream Inn is the perfect base for exploring and has affordable rooms, a retro-chic design, and a beachfront location within walking distance of the famous boardwalk. The hotel can arrange surf or SUP lessons (you’ll want to rent a wetsuit, even in the summer!). For those who’d rather take in the action from the shore, rent a bike from nearby Pacific Ave Cycles and peddle along West Cliff Drive until you reach the famous surf break, Steamer’s Lane. You’ll be able to watch talented surfers (and ambitious novices) surf some serious waves. A short drive away you’ll find Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. From the parking lot, take the Meadow Trail to the Loop Trail to Pipeline Road. Follow the road along the river and turn left at the Ridge Fire Road and follow it to the Observation Deck. You’ll be rewarded with spectacular views of the Santa Cruz Mountains. For an even greater reward, grab a seat at the Dream Inn’s new Jack O’ Neill lounge and try one of the great cocktails (the Old Timer is a mix of Knob Creek, lavender sweet tea, and muddled fruit) and if you’re lucky, there might even be a live band.

I remember when they started construction on this $175,000,000 cathedral on Lake Merritt by the also new Whole Foods. It looked like someone had taken their life size Erector Set and started flinging about Tinker Toys. There was no way to tell what designing architect Craig W. Hartman was creating. As it slowly came together and the massive concrete structure below it had dried you could finally read the plaque stating it was to be The Cathedral of Christ the Light. I believe the most popular word I heard in reference to it was gaudy. Fitting but not entirely accurate that word got the point across. Once they laid the glass on the exterior it earned itself a nickname on the breaths of those whom spoke of it. It became the Vulva Church. Particularly due to the shape the glass formed. Google it it you must. I may post a photo later. Complete with everything from mausoleum to cafe to health center to rectory (yes I said it). The grounds also interestingly enough host a healing garden that operates as a space for survivors of clergy sexual abuse. Most do not know that the Diocese of Oakland due to its reduced finances was required to take out a loan to cover half its $56.4 million settlement with 56 sex abuse victims.This is what inspired the garden complete with a plaque inscribed “This healing garden, planned by survivors, is dedicated to those innocents sexually abused by members of the clergy. We remember, and we affirm: never again.”

Nuzzled up against the Arizona border about 100 miles west of Four Corners are some 30 square miles of the most iconic scenery in the American West. Monument Valley is one of those places that you’ll recognize as soon as you see it, even if you’ve never been there before, as dozens of movies, TV shows, and even video games have used the area as a setting. It’s made up of mesas both small and large reaching up from the valley floor, some rising as high as 1,000 feet into the sky. Part of the Navajo Reservation, the area charges a $20-per-vehicle entrance fee to drive the dirt-road loop. Once in, however, you can also enjoy a number of hikes, or hire a guide for a horseback tour.

Building on Montreux’s growing popularity as a tourist destination in the early 1900s, two Swiss hospitality pioneers joined an existing hotel with a newly constructed palace section, creating what was then one of the most cutting-edge hotels around—with such “modern” touches as electricity, heating, and private bathrooms. Officially opened in 1906, Le Montreux Palace went on to host everything from glamorous masquerade balls to the signing of international peace treaties, and everyone from New York tycoons to Indian maharajas.

The history lives on in today’s incarnation, which has been under the Fairmont umbrella since 2007. Following several years—and stages—of renovations, the Palace is as majestic as ever, with the 236 rooms and suites all featuring classic décor and balconies showcasing the lake or Alps. The hotel’s location at the edge of Lake Geneva is echoed in the seafood dishes at on-site restaurant MP’s Bar & Grill, where fresh catches (and fine cuts of meat) pair well with top Swiss wines. Additionally, both La Palmeraie and the seasonal La Terrasse du Petit Palais offer flavorful menus backed by spectacular views. Nightlife is big here, particularly at the Montreux Jazz Café and Funky Claude’s Bar, both of which serve casual cuisine, potent cocktails, and a good time. As a partner to the famous Montreux Jazz Festival, Claude’s also hosts live music six days a week, including jam sessions with festival members. Recuperate at the lakeside spa, which has indoor and outdoor pools, a gym, saunas, and a lengthy menu of face and body therapies.

On the Dominican Republic’s northern coast, near the tip of the Samaná Peninsula, this unpopulated Atlantic beach stretches three miles from Cape Samaná to the cliffs of Cape Cabrón. To get here, you’ll need to take a four-wheel-drive vehicle or a boat charter from the small fishing village of Las Galeras, but once you arrive, you’ll find a nearly empty stretch of sand. The west end of the beach features calm waters ideal for swimming and snorkeling, while the east end has great waves for surfing. You’ll also find spots to rent kayaks, snorkeling gear, chairs, and umbrellas, as well as a few food vendors serving rice, beans, and seafood cooked over an open-hearth fire. This is the place to go when you want to get away from the crowds.

When visitors to Belgium ask me what to eat here (besides the inevitable chocolate, waffles and frites), my reply is always stoofvlees (unless they are vegetarians!). Stoofvlees, or carbonnade a la Flamande as it’s called in French, literally translates to ‘stew meat.’ Essentially, it is cubed beef, stewed in Belgian beer for so long it melts in your mouth. It’s typically served over mashed potatoes or Belgian fries and it is hearty, heavy and heavenly. In the city centre, not far from Grand Place, is a great place to try stoofvlees, called Cafe Novo. This colourfully quirky Belgian cafe always has an eclectic crowd. The menu is varied and caters well to vegetarians (the falafels are great!) as well as carnivores. Cafe Novo is open every day (a rarity in Brussels) and is great for a late Sunday brunch. They have a small but sunny back garden that books up quickly. Thursday evenings Novo hosts ‘cocktail concerts’ so you can enjoy a bit of live music as you dine.

If money is no object, staying near the Marina in Singapore is a great choice. On one side you have the bizarrely mesmerizing Marina Bay Sands development, which includes a hotel, casino (note that the Chinese take their gambling very seriously), shops, a theater, a rooftop pool, a rooftop restaurant/bar/club (Cé La Vi), myriad celebrity-chef restaurants (try Daniel Boulud’s DB Bistro & Oyster Bar), and much more. Although MBS is fun to visit and certainly worth strolling through, you get more for your hotel money across the Marina at the Fullerton Bay Hotel.

The Japanese-inspired Nobu Ryokan Malibu, located on the ocean just north of Los Angeles, sets the tone with its smooth teak exterior. An entrance gate leads to a garden where water flows over honey-colored rocks into a pond, and palm trees shade stone paths lined with black Japanese grass. In the 16 guest rooms, there are no exposed nails or screws, just smooth surfaces of teak and Jerusalem limestone and linen. The art on the walls is original—a watercolor of sparrows in muted tones, a panel of delicately carved black lacquer depicting waves and leaves. The furniture is oak, all right angles and brass fittings, and the bedside lamps look like lanterns. The bathrooms feature skylights, rain showers, and deep teak soaking tubs.

Hotel guests get first dibs on reservations at Nobu restaurant, just two doors down. If that seems too far away, you can get Nobu food delivered to your room: think scallop tiradito, salmon sashimi, and smoked duck with cherry and hibiscus. Another highlight of a stay here are the well being experiences, including yoga with partner studio ALO and an affiliation with Malibu Fit Concierge that offers private fitness classes and guided hikes.

Nobu has partnered with Surf Air to transport guests from various cities in California and Texas. Surf Air flies small planes out of regional airports (if you’re coming from the Bay Area, for example, it’s a 90-minute ride). A car in L.A. takes you on the 40 minute ride north on the scenic Pacific Coast Highway.

Outerlands is an Outer Sunset institution. The small restaurant near Ocean Beach serves local, organic cuisine in a rustic-chic setting. Covered floor-to-ceiling in warm, rough-hewn wood, the interior invites lingering over an artisan cocktail or a ginger-lemon apple cider. Lunch and dinner feature such refined but hearty options as cast-iron grilled cheese brushed with garlic oil and slow-cooked lamb shank with nasturtium leaf pesto. The weekend brunch draws a crowd and is worth the often lengthy wait. Standouts include the Dutch pancakes and the house-roasted turkey. You can always make the most of waiting for a table and head to the beach for a quick jaunt before you indulge.

A quick drive from the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens, Chez Tante Athalie prepares memorable Creole cuisine in an idyllic setting. The restaurant only offers lunch, served Monday through Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. Whether you order from the prix-fixe or limited à la carte menus, you’ll get a traditional taste of Mauritian cooking. The airy dining space opens onto a garden that displays vintage cars and features a quaint stone patio; the setting is so picturesque that it’s been the backdrop for multiple photo shoots. Chez Tante Athalie has also become a community gathering spot for local book launches.