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It’s about a ten-mile round-trip, but a summer hike up to Goat Lake in the Central Cascades will reward you with a glacially-colored mirror of snow-clad crags and distant waterfalls. An easy day-hike from Seattle (if you get up early), it’s also just low enough in elevation so that the trail is usually snow-free by late spring. The day I went, my friend and I had the trail almost to ourselves...Switchbacking up through the dark woods, the roar of McIntosh falls lets you know you’re almost at the top...and then you emerge from the woods into the lake-filled clearing--ethereally colored by the glacially-ground rock particles in the water... We met a couple of guys who’d spent the previous night camping above the alpine lake. Then a crew of Forest Service summer workers arrived, with good spirits, ready advice, and machetes for trail-maintenance. It’s about a 1hr45min drive to the trailhead from Seattle.

Barranco, one of the city’s most beautiful neighborhoods, awash in character, is known for an artsy vibe and gorgeous colonial buildings. Cross the Puente de los Suspiros (Spanish for “Bridge of Sighs”) and follow the Bajada de los Baños to the seaside. Explore the side streets and duck into cute cafés and art venues, including the Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC). The gallery-shop Dédalo, in particular, is ideal for combining coffee, snacking, shopping, and art viewing. Visiting another Barranco landmark, the belle epoque Hotel B, provides a quick trip back to a time of elegant architecture. Splurge for a smart cocktail on the rooftop bar to linger a little longer.

There are plenty of fancy doughnut shops. You know the type, the ones that count bacon or basil in their ingredient list. But if you’re looking for an old-school bastion of fluorescent lights and pink boxes full of fried dough, this is the spot. A family-run joint that has supplied prework breakfast and postbar bingeing since the 1960s, Bob’s draws a crowd day and night for the fresh doughnuts made from scratch. Bob’s bakes all the nostalgic favorites: glazed, chocolate, sprinkles, sugar, and fresh apple fritters, and crumb-topped doughnuts. You might also notice a giant doughnut in the window. Like a dare, this doughy beast invites you to take Bob’s Big Donut Challenge. Finish the beast within three minutes, and you’ll get your money back plus a Bob’s Donuts T-shirt and bragging rights, not to mention an inevitable stomachache.

The white-bricked Embassy Row Hotel has been catering to visiting dignitaries and diplomats since 1970, and a massive renovation in 2015 brought refreshed retro rooms, a rooftop pool, and a new lobby-level restaurant and coffee shop. Cheerful rooms are done up in deep blue and bright yellow and in-room massages and spa treatments can be arranged. Dogs are welcomed with no fee and optional curated treats from BarkBox. Station Kitchen & Cocktails (named for the nearby Dupont Circle streetcar station, now a subterranean art space) aims to be an all-day hangout spot, from morning coffee by Swing’s Coffee Roasters—a D.C. fixture for a century—to evening bottled cocktails and burgers. In summer, there’s no hotter spot in Dupont Circle than the rooftop pool and lounge with panoramic city views and an innovative aqua-cycling fitness class that puts a new spin on spinning. The hotel is rooted in the community, regularly supporting local charities and arranging behind-the-scenes tours of the consulate neighbors.

Salar de Uyuni, located in the Daniel Campos province of Bolivia, looks like it belongs on another planet. Stretching for more than 4,050 square miles—a little smaller than the state of Connecticut—it is the world’s largest salt flat, formed when several prehistoric lakes dried up 25,000 to 10,000 years ago, leaving behind hexagonal patterns of salt on the otherwise featureless surface. When nearby lakes overflow, or the area gets rain, a thin layer of water covers the expanse, transforming it into a massive reflective mirror that makes for jaw-dropping, dreamlike photos.


The natural wonder has served as a valuable source of salt and lithium for Bolivia, and it has long been a hot spot for tourism in South America. There’s even a hotel built out of salt bricks: the Palacio de Sal. If you’re planning a trip to witness the surreal beauty of the Salar de Uyuni salt flat, here’s what you need to know.



To see Salar de Uyuni’s breathtaking mirror effort, visit during wet season, from December to April—but be aware that when it gets too rainy, it can be hard to get around and you might not be able to access certain areas. May to November is the dry season, which means temperatures are colder, but the ground is harder and you can drive across the land more easily.



The ideal month to visit is May, when the seasons transition from wet to dry and you’ll have a good chance of seeing the salt flats both dusty and reflective.



Salar de Uyuni sits near the point where Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile meet, so tourists tend to come from three different starting places.



The town of Uyuni in Bolivia is the most popular place to embark on tours of the salt flats. The small town is so close to the flats, you can easily take day trips. If you’re traveling from La Paz to Uyuni, you can take a one-hour flight or an eight-hour overnight bus.



San Pedro de Atacama in Chile is another well-known starting point for tours of the salt flats, but because it’s about 200 miles away, most tours are three days long.



If you’re coming from Argentina, look into multi-day tours operating out of Tupiza, Bolivia, a good base less than 60 miles over the Argentinian border.



Tour operators in the region offer shared or private tours. Shared tours are more affordable, but they don’t offer much flexibility when it comes to your schedule. Also, most shared tours are led by Spanish-speaking guides, while private tours can offer English-speaking ones.



Many tours of the salt flats also go to other attractions in the area, such as the Polques hot springs, the Atacama Desert, and high-altitude lakes like Laguna Colorada. Look into tours originating in San Pedro de Atacama and Tupiza for itineraries that include these destinations.



Salar de Uyuni is located nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, so you might experience altitude sickness symptoms such as nausea and headaches and should plan accordingly.



To enter Bolivia, travelers must have a tourist visa, which costs $160 for U.S. citizens, and a yellow fever vaccination certificate if they are traveling from a country with risk of yellow fever.

Does this setting look familiar? Picturesque Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island has stood in more than once for the perfect island paradise. The sand here is dazzlingly white, thanks to a high percentage of silica crystals. Explore the region on one of many possibly day excursions arranged through qualia. Walk along the more than four miles of stunning beach, snorkel in the pristine waters directly off the beach or enjoy a scenic helicopter flight soaring high above the islands.

Elizabeth street cafe is the charming outpost offering French breakfast bites & creative Vietnamese plates you didn’t know you needed in your life. The menu consists of everything from ho and bun bo hue to sticky rice, banh mi, and chocolate croissant and macaroons. It’s most known for its brunch, but they also server dinner.

Singapore Zoo has been recognized as a leader in creating naturalistic habitats since its opening in 1973, using concealed moats to separate animals from visitors and incorporating a local reservoir into the landscaping. There are dozens of themed exhibits here! Some highlights include the Fragile Forest, where guests enter a massive biodome that re-creates the diversity of the rain forest, and the Reptile Garden, home to Komodo dragons and giant tortoises. At the adjacent Night Safari experience, guests walk or travel in trams from tropical to mountain habitation zones, where rhinos, elephants, tigers, and some 130 other species can be observed.

Old Québec can be a little hard on the wallets of budget travelers. It’s not that the restaurants are overpriced, but they definitely cater to the tourists who fill its streets most days, especially in the warmer months, and who are happy to pay a little extra for the location and the opportunity to enjoy a long meal savoring some Québecois dishes. Le Chic Shack is a good option, however, if you are looking for a quick meal that’s a good value. The restaurant’s gourmet burgers include beef, bison, chicken, and veggie ones, all served on brioche rolls. There are also three different choices of poutine—classic cheese, braised beef, and wild mushroom. Try the restaurant’s rendition of a milkshake, or lait frappé, spiked with Baileys, Kahlua, or whiskey if you are in the mood for something stronger.

Zadar’s antiques market is located in the old town, on Jurja Barakovića Street, and open daily from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then again from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Military memorabilia from the days of Yugoslavia and earlier is popular, but that’s just a small part of the selection you’ll find for sale here. There are also many lovely glass pieces—goblets, beads and objets d’art.

One of the traditions associated with Day of the Dead in Oaxaca is the creation of colorful sand tapestries. You’ll find them all over the city throughout the week of the holiday, but in the plaza adjacent to La Soledad church, they set up some large ones that are truly monumental, It’s interesting to see when they’re being made, they bring in truckloads of sand and then the young artists painstakingly fill in their design to bring their vision to life. The theme of the tapestries is invariably death, but often there is a playful aspect to these creations. The ephemeral nature of this art form reminds us of the fleeting nature of life. After the holiday has passed, they scoop up the sand and return the plaza to its unadorned condition.

Go for the scene, not the food, and enjoy the Art Deco décor and great people-watching at this buzzy Left Bank landmark. Despite a limited menu and steep prices, the place is packed day and night. Order a chocolat chaud and sit on the terrace, watching the world go by.

What could be better than pulling into pretty little Gardiner after a long day on the road, ordering up a fresh pizza, and staring out over Yellowstone National Park while the sun goes down? Yellowstone Pizza Company is a great dining option whether you’re staying in Mammoth, at a campsite inside the park, in Chico, or Gardiner itself.

A course with Bozeman’s PAST Skills Wilderness School is one of the most unique ways to immerse yourself in the traditions of the West. Students are taught survival techniques, indigenous philosophy, and more. Courses range from two days—learning primitive arrows—to six months (residency programs) and can be tailored to suit your needs as a survivalist.

Start your day at Deus Ex Machina, a motorcycle store in an alley full of them, whose café is the perfect spot for a cappuccino and soft scrambled eggs while you ogle the Ducatis.