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The 165-acre Springs Resort & Spa sits 1,000 feet above the Arenal Valley, higher than any other resort in the area and affording each one of its 47 polished-wood guest rooms commanding views of the Arenal Volcano and surrounding countryside. Impressive as those vistas are, the luxury resort’s biggest draw is its 28 mineral thermal pools, which wind through four lush acres. The setting is undeniably romantic—the resort was featured in an episode of The Bachelor—but families are welcome, with activities for kids of all ages. Club Rio, on the resort’s half-mile of river frontage, offers tubing, kayaking, mountain biking, and horseback riding; there’s also a wildlife preserve for rescued native animals, including monkeys, ocelots, jaguarundis, sloths, and a puma. Five restaurants (and five bars) mean there are plenty of options, from casual poolside dining to tasting-menu elegance.

Telluride’s literary mecca, this beloved store is stacked with more than 10,000 books at any given time. The expertly curated regional books section is a fount of the Wild West’s writing prowess, with illustrative tomes on the town’s lurid backstory (you’ll want to peruse Tomboy Bride: A Woman’s Personal Account of Life in Mining Camps of the West). When your eyelids get heavy, head to the tiny coffee bar—squirreled away at the back of the shop—for a caffeine jolt to bolster an afternoon of reading.

The Banff Ave Brewing Company uses pure Canadian Rockies glacier water as its beer’s not-so-secret ingredient. The water makes for a perfectly imperfect beer, as it comes chock-full of minerals usually removed before the brewing process. Open since 2010, the Banff Ave Beer Co has six handcrafted beers on tap at the brewpub in downtown Banff, along with a food menu that puts an eccentric twist on traditional pub fare. The brewpub is popular year-round. In the winter, it’s great for après ski or for a nice meal before sampling some of Banff’s bolder nightlife venues. In the summer, its patio is the perfect place for a refreshing afternoon drink while people watching along Banff Avenue. Open 7 days per week, 11:30am to 2am. Reservations not required. 1-403-762-1003.

When it comes to po’ boys, everyone has his/her favorite spot. Mine has always been Domilise’s--until I went to Parkway Bakery & Tavern on my way back from City Park. Like Domilise’s, it’s off the beaten path, but well worth it. I ordered the roast beef po’ boy and, since it was the special, the fried pickles. I suggest you do the same. I tripled bagged the duo and made my way back to my hotel. There, I unpacked my goods and found my po’ boy still very much intact and my pickles crisp, warm, and tangy.

With a nickname like the “Cave State,” Missouri certainly isn’t short on impressive caverns. Of the more than 6,000 across the state, however, Meramac Caverns is the largest—and stays open year-round for tours. Said to have been a hideout for the outlaw Jesse James in the 1870s, the seven-level, 4.6-mile-long natural wonder was purchased by Lester Dill in 1933 and opened as a tourist attraction in 1935. Today, visitors can take guided tram tours past the cave’s complex mineral formations, stopping at a “wine room” (named for its grape-like botryoids and accessed by a long stairwell). While exploring, keep your eyes peeled for the resident tricolored bats that call Meramac home.

Among the most lauded hotel openings in recent years, Dunton Hot Springs is a glitterati mainstay, with its batch of former mining community cabins that look straight out of a Ralph Lauren catalogue. You don’t have to book a pricey stay at this Relais & Chateaux property to be part of the experience, however—the spa is open to the public. Make an appointment for the indulgent, only-in-Colorado Dolores hot-stone massage, which uses heated stones culled from the Dolores River to work out your kinks. Then, take a soak in the on-site sulfuric hot springs, which were once a restorative playground for the Ute Indians.

A new Swedish pop music group perhaps? Not quite. On my road trip through Southern Sweden, an architect friend of mine insisted we stop in Malmö to see Santiago Calatrava’s building, the Turning Torso, which was modeled after his own human form sculpture, the Twisting Torso. My friend described the town as “plastic fantastic” because of the vast variation in new architecture styles here, remarking that the Turning Torso is such a notable find within its more sober surroundings. It is, after all, the third tallest residential building in all of Europe. Artsy and industrial, for me, Malmö is reminiscent of something like Dumbo, Brooklyn. Passing through on our road trip, I daydreamed of moving into a loft space in this dynamic city where a majority of the population is under 35.

Even though Smögen is said to be one of the most popular fishing towns, a Swedish friend of mine tells me it still feels like a secret, even for them. These beautiful cozy and colorful fishing huts line the pier with a rocky coastline in the backdrop. The country’s second largest fish auction is held here, and fishing boats bring their catches to market where you can buy just minutes later, right around the corner. I had an excellent sandwich called landgård here, open-faced with shrimp, crayfish and salmon. All so fresh, I’m not sure I knew what fresh fish was until I had a meal in Smögen. Basking in the sun, diving, swimming, or fishing for sport – it’s an exquisite town for vacationing in the summer. It is the perfect place to slow down.

Hawaii Sea Spirits is behind Ocean Organic Vodka, widely recognized for its turquoise bottle inspired by the 14th-century Japanese glass fishing net floats that used to wash ashore in Maui in abundance. At the company’s distillery on the slopes of Haleakala, entrepreneur Shay Smith desalinates deep-ocean mineral water from off the Kona Coast of Hawaii, then adds the bounty of his 80-acre organic farm, where he and his team cultivate more than 30 varieties of Polynesian sugarcane without the use of GMOs, herbicides, or pesticides. Discover the intricacies of his harvesting and distilling process on a farm tour, which takes place seven days a week, then hit the gift shop and stock up on vodka to take home.

As fascinating for children as it is for rock hounds, this geologic reserve is named for its string of massive pink-granite boulders that resemble a train of circus elephants. Estimated to be around 1.5 billion years old, the rocks are prime for climbing, but also feature carvings by miners who worked in the area during the 19th century. The best way to tour the park is via the Braille Trail, which was specially designed for visitors with visual and physical disabilities. Equipped with Braille signage, it winds through the main area of rocks and leads back to the ruins of an old railroad engine house—a remnant of the area’s quarrying history. When you’re done walking around, locate one of the picnic tables scattered strategically under shady trees and treat yourself to a picnic lunch.

During the communist era, milk bars could be found in every Polish city. These were canteen-style restaurants where workers could come and eat decent, inexpensive portions of simple food in a no-nonsense setting. Despite their popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, most of the milk bars died away as the Polish restaurant scene was rapidly modernized; however, the few that survived are now increasingly treasured as an important part of Poland’s cultural heritage. U Stasi is well-known for its friendly service (something that milk bars traditionally lacked) while Bar Mleczny Górnik (Miners’ Bar) is basic to the core in all ways except the food, which is consistently good and outrageously cheap.

Marrakesh’s spice shops know how to attract custom – colourful pyramids of spices and herbs are proudly displayed outside to entice the shopper. If you want to take home a taste of Morocco, these are the places to come to. Ask for ras el hanout (‘top of the shop’, a special blend of up to several dozen spices) that gives Moroccan cuisine its distinctive twist. Every shop and kitchen has its own particular blend, but cumin, cinnamon, allspice and cloves are all essential ingredients. Moroccan saffron is also an excellent buy. Many spice shops double up as apothecaries. Herbs, bark, mineral and infusions are all offered to cure anything from headaches and skin complaints to impotency – a truly spicy offering.

When it opened in 1889, the Jerome lured New York City socialites and European aristocrats with its mix of rough-and-tumble mountain swagger and “modern” amenities (plumbing and electricity). In December 2012, the 94-room property emerged from a five-month renovation overseen by designer Todd-Avery Lenahan. The original front desk remains, and the tile floors have patterns inspired by Ute Indian weavings. The new lobby bar, the Living Room, serves craft cocktails amid mounted deer heads, mining artifacts, and a framed antique American flag. The rooms and common spaces feel inspired by a Ralph Lauren men’s collection, with lots of plaid, leather, and rich fabrics. Even the elevators are lined with old leather belts. Minibars are stocked with complimentary snacks such as organic chocolate peanut butter cups, and downstairs, guests can dine in the Living Room, the signature restaurant Prospect, or the legendary J Bar, which once poured pints for 10^th Mountain Division soldiers and Hunter S. Thompson. The new Jerome proves that a hotel can step into the future while completely respecting the past. This grande dame remains the epitome of mountain town luxury.

The best Kona coffee I have ever tasted. EVER! When he pronounced the winner in Gevalia’s Cupping Contest in 2010, judge John King said, “We were in 100% agreement that Buddha’s Cup is the winner. The trick is keeping the classic Kona mellow, sweet profile. and clearly Buddha’s was the truest to that old style, old school Kona profile. " Well done to the ohana of Brewmaster Manny Ochoa and Chris Coleman. Visit all 3 award-winning farms in the area; Imagine, Kona Kulana and Buddha’s to see hand selected coffee beans drying in the sun and learn about the multi- step process expertly done by this family to bring you the best coffee EVER! 808-322-6712 for tour info and to order. Their gift shops sell some beautiful tote bags made from coffee sacks and repurposed aloha print fabric. The coffee cups are a favorite of mine.

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.