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On the west side of Arenal Volcano, this 900-acre tropical reserve was a labor of love for owner and architect Jaime Mikowski, who spent years planting acres of native plants and coaxing the land’s natural mineral springs into a river that now flows throughout the property, spilling over into dozens of waterfalls and pools that range from 72 to 105 degrees. Spacious rooms have marble floors and streamlined furnishings; splurge on a suite, which features a private terrace and a Jacuzzi tub—a little superfluous considering all the other options for soaking in warm water here, but who’s complaining? There are also five swimming pools, one with a swim-up bar and waterslide, and a spa comprising 12 bungalows with treatments that all include, you guessed it, a dip in a thermal spring-fed tub. While the property is also open to day trippers, guests of the resort have exclusive access to Shangri-La Gardens, an adults-only lounge area with pools, cabanas, and a folliage-filled bar.

Narrow, deep, and steep, the Royal Gorge—also known as the Grand Canyon of the Arkansas River—is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Colorado. This 10-mile canyon near Cañon City, about an hour from Colorado Springs, is one of the deepest in the state, dropping 1,200 feet from the rim to the river below. The Royal Gorge Bridge and Park draws families and thrill-seekers alike. Built in 1929, the 1,260-foot-long bridge is the highest in the country, stretching 955 feet above the river—and it’s extremely popular with tourists, who walk across it to take in the fantastic views. It’s also the centerpiece of the city-run amusement park, where those looking for a bigger thrill can strap into the Royal Rush Skycoaster for a 50 mph free fall into the depths of the canyon or glide across it on a gondola or zip line. And if you’d like to experience the gorge from the bottom, the Royal Gorge Train departs from Cañon City, offering several classes of trains and service, with open-air and bar cars.

Why we love it: An upscale stay in Victor with special fun for families

The Highlights:
- Proximity to Headwaters Club and its golf course
- Spacious log cabins that can accommodate large groups
- Tons of activities in every season

The Review:
Jackson Hole, on the Teton Range’s east side, hogs most of the high-end traffic, but this westside resort offers an appealing alternative, with big, open skies and out-the-door golf on a Byron Nelson–designed course at Headwaters Club. Guests here can also look forward to a 5,000-square-foot spa with a fireplace-equipped relaxation room, an on-site restaurant serving grill fare, and an outdoor heated pool with two hot tubs and a geyser play area for children.

Accommodations are spacious and appealing to families. Luxury suites feature fully equipped kitchens, dining areas, and living rooms with gas fireplaces, while freestanding log cabins—available in three-, four-, and five-bedroom configurations—afford groups some extra privacy. When not relaxing in your room, take advantage of the resort’s extensive activities, including hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, and hot-air ballooning in summer and heli-skiing and snowmobiling in winter.

Why we love it: A vast resort on Table Rock Lake with every imaginable amenity

The Highlights:
- A lakeside location surrounded by miles of Ozark hiking trails
- A full-service marina for exploring the water
- Family-friendly amenities like a kids’ club and movie theater

The Review:
Just 10 miles from bustling Branson, Chateau on the Lake offers luxury accommodations in a serene lakeside setting. Nicknamed the “Castle in the Ozarks,” the property, with its signature blue-green roof peaks, is sprawling. Even the smallest guest rooms measure nearly 400 square feet, each with French Country furnishings, deep-wood accents, and views of the lake—often from private balconies. If you really want to stretch out, book the palatial Presidential or Vice Presidential suite, where four-poster king beds, separate sitting rooms, and jetted tubs make for an upscale stay.

When not relaxing in your room, take a dip in the indoor and outdoor pools, practice your serve on the tennis courts, hit the movie theater, or drop the little ones at the Crawdaddies Kids Club and head to the 12,000-square-foot Spa Chateau for treatments like the Table Rock Hot Stone Massage. Also on-site is a full-service marina for boat rentals, sailing charters, and activities like water-skiing, tubing, and fishing, as well as more than two miles of nature trails for hiking and bird-watching. When you factor in dining options as varied as an award-winning grille, a café and wine bar, a bakery, and a deli, there’s really no reason to ever leave the property—except to swim in Table Rock Lake.

Travelers hoping to find the lap of luxury need look no further than the Ritz-Carlton. Backed by the aquamarine waters of Palm Beach, the resort’s 320 rooms are generously sized, with cheery turquoise-and-yellow color schemes and balconies overlooking the ocean. Leisure pursuits can be as easy as a daytime doze in a poolside cabana or as strenuous as a catamaran sailing trip complete with diving lesson. Need a break from all that sun? Indoor facilities include a spa that specializes in island-inspired treatments (think full-body massages with local aloe and divi-divi tree oil) and a state-of-the-art gym that’s open 24 hours so guests can sneak in early-morning workouts. Before you roll your eyes, consider the four on-site restaurants (BLT Steak, from noted chef Laurent Tourondel, is a favorite). For an even more memorable experience, staff can arrange a private sunset dinner on the beach to the tune of a serenading violinist.

The Hotel Adlon Kempinski undoubtedly boasts the most distinguished location in the city—right on historic Pariser Platz, opposite the Brandenburg Gate. The original incarnation opened in 1907 with the blessing of none other than Kaiser Wilhelm II. Despite playing host to such illustrious guests as Tsar Nicholas II, Albert Einstein, and Franklin Roosevelt, the building was almost destroyed after World War II. A new hotel was eventually opened in 1997 and continues to draw celebrities, politicians, and the occasional aristocrat—in 2002, it was here that Michael Jackson notoriously dangled his nine-month-old son out the window.

Needless to say, the hotel is the last word in stately—if somewhat conservative—luxury, as heralded by its glamorous, balconied lobby, which greets guests with the sounds of live piano and a trickling fountain. The sumptuous rooms come with marble bathrooms, full-size work desks, and entertainment centers; the three restaurants include the two-Michelin-starred Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer, serving classic European dishes such as braised shoulder of lamb (there’s a four-week waitlist for reservations, so plan accordingly). A luxury spa and a range of boutiques offering everything from fine wines to jewelry to porcelain are also on-site.

Few restaurants more than 150 years old can be called trendy, but in innovation-crazy San Francisco, there is novelty in the classics, and Tadich Grill is the classic. The late Chronicle columnist and unabashed San Francisco-lover Herb Caen was also a frequent visitor. There’s a martini named after him, made with vodka, or as he called it, Vitamin V. The serious nature of the restaurant’s wood paneling, brass fixtures, and waiters in starched white aprons is matched by the food. No need to tinker with classic recipes for fried sand dabs or crab Louie, and the oysters and Hangtown fry are fine the way they have always been. The cioppino is by far the most popular dish on the menu, with about 27,000 bowls dished out a year. People come to Tadich Grill because they know what they’re getting: friendly service, great seafood, and a taste of San Francisco itself.

It always feels like a different world anywhere in the beautiful Point Reyes National Seashore area, and an evening at the hidden Nick’s Cove in Marshall, will have you in love with Tomales Bay. The property was recently overhauled by a group of silent investors that purchased the cottages and the restaurant and they’ve made some phenomenal improvements. Austin Perkins is the new head chef and the genius behind the BBQ oysters. After you’ve been checked in and escorted to your cottage, a delivery of complimentary oysters arrive at your doorstep. I kept hoping the staff at reception would change so that I could check in again. The rooms are cozy and spacious and the fireplace will always be a hit on the foggy and cool evenings. Be sure to either have dinner in the restaurant/bar, or ask for take out and have the meal delivered at the end of the pier, in the famous Boathouse. I’d also recommend making arrangements to start the next morning off right, with a paddle in Tomales Bay in a kayak. Local outfitter Blue Waters Kayaking will literally meet you on the deck of your cottage (if you’re lucky enough to secure one of the rooms on the water) and show you the magic of the area, the true way it needs to be seen. You’ll need to save up (and reserve far in advance) for a room at Nick’s Cove, but the experience is worth the pretty penny.

Vendors first set up shop at the Italian Market in the mid-to-late 1880s, and today, the spread of stalls, stores, and eateries runs all along South 9th Street in Philadelphia’s residential Bella Vista neighborhood. A trip here involves all the senses: sights, sounds, vibrant colors, and, most intoxicating of all, the combined aromas of spices, coffee, and just-baked bread. Along this stretch, shoppers can find fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, fish, seafood, meats, cheeses, pastries, homemade pasta, ice cream, chocolates, and tea. The 10-block market area also includes a great variety of restaurants. Overwhelmed by the choices? Stop at the Visitor Center for suggestions. The market operates all year round, and in all types of weather.

Tucked down a long and bumpy dirt road on the way to Hopkins, Mayflower Bocawina National Park is a well-maintained nature escape offering a variety of adventures, from the casual to the extreme. Decide how brave you feel and choose from the options: hiking and birding along moderate trails to waterfalls; a two-hour, steep, adrenaline-pumping hike, with the occasional rope to climb, to the breathtaking 1,000-foot-high Antelope Falls; zip-lining across the park day or night; or rappelling 150 feet down a couple of waterfalls. Fill up afterward at the on-site restaurant before hitting the road, or book an overnight stay at the park’s cozy cabanas.

Bougainville Park is a tranquil, tropical oasis in the middle of the Papeete’s concrete jungle. Stretching from Boulevard Pomare to Rue du General de Gaulle, it makes for a lush and cool picnic (or roulettes take-away) spot. If you’re traveling with the kids there’s a playground here, and there are often floral, cultural and artistic displays on the grounds.

A long jetty with a thatch-roofed shelter at the far end is the signature motif of Pigeon Point Heritage Park. This is Tobago’s favorite swimming beach, a classic scene of golden sands bordered by coconut palms. The well-maintained 125-acre park is also a hub year round for island events, from dragon-boat races and culinary feasts to jazz and other music festivals. Colorful glass-bottomed boats pick up visitors here for tours over the ample reef system. And there’s shopping, too: Look for island-made ceramics, batik and beachwear.

A National Historic Landmark, this park contains the remnants of World War II coastal defenses, including a pair of 203-millimeter Mark VI guns that could blast 109-kilogram (240-pound) shells a maximum of 32 kilometers, or 20 miles, offshore. Though artillerymen fired practice mortars, the battery never took aim at enemy planes, which only ventured to within 200 kilometers (124 miles). Don’t miss snapping the classic photo from inside one of the clammy concrete bunkers, which frame a slice of Monashka Bay.

On sunny days, Parisians head for the Luxembourg Garden, built by Marie de’ Medici in 1611 and modeled after the Boboli Gardens in her native Florence. In addition to the magnificent Medici Fountain, there are more than 100 statues arranged around the garden’s 20 hectares (50 acres), which encompass both formal French and English gardens. Here you’ll find chess players, puppeteers, children sailing tiny boats on the octagonal pool and sometimes a free concert in the gazebo.

Occupying what were the Maison Blanche department store and the S.H. Kress & Co. five-and-dime, this stately hotel first opened its doors in 2000 after a $250 million overhaul of the then-shuttered Beaux-Arts buildings. After Katrina, the property underwent a second renovation, which included the expansion of its spa (now a sprawling 25,000 square feet) and the addition of a private entrance for Club level guests.

This is a Ritz-Carlton, so you can expect the same (high) level of service and luxury—think ornate furnishings, sumptuous linens, and a $3.5 million art collection—as at other properties within the brand. But the property isn’t just another Ritz. Bellmen wear seersucker, the bistro serves po’ boys, and there’s live jazz in the lounge (which also serves a mean Vesper).