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According to Aboriginal legend the Glass House Mountains in Queensland, just inland from the Sunshine Coast, got their shapes after an epic ancient fight amidst the family they belonged too. As such they have held supreme spiritual significance for generations and the story of their creation remains important to this day. Hiking around these 16 ethereally shaped volcanic crags that rise from the humid green environs in sporadic bursts is as stunning as it is sacred. The mountains are part of a national park named after them. There are hiking for all fitness levels, including families. One option is the short, but intense, roundtrip hike to the summit of Mt Ngungun (253m). It has impressive views of the four major peaks and can be a bit challenging hiking – keep the kids close, the steep trail passes close to the cliff line and can be slippery. If you love to scramble up rocks, try climbing Tibrogargan and Beerwah, both hikes require some free base scrambles up loose rock, but are under 2 miles round trip.

In a city that takes itself so seriously—running the United States is an intense business, after all—the Hotel Madera is a breath of fresh air. Just a couple of leafy blocks from always-lively Dupont Circle, the Kimpton-run boutique hotel looks like a 1960s apartment building on the outside, belying interiors adorned in colorful, batik-inspired fabrics and perks like in-room yoga mats and an evening wine hour. In other words, the Madera is the kind of place where you relax. The laid-back and trendy restaurant takes its design cues from a fairy-tale forest, and pets are as catered to as children and bachelorette groups. It’s hard to beat the Dupont Circle location, too, which puts the White House, the Kennedy Center, and trendy neighborhoods like Logan Circle and U Street all within throwing distance. No, it’s not the fanciest stay in town, but D.C. doesn’t need another fussy hotel to attract visiting dignitaries—and you’ll have more fun at the Madera, anyway.

If you’re coming to Telluride to be part of the action, the New Sheridan might be for you. The town’s social hub for more than a century, the historic hotel features two dozen rooms and suites, done up in elegant but updated Victorian style. Interior rooms are the smallest but quietest, while third-floor accommodations offer the best views of Ballard Mountain. The Ballard Suite includes a separate living room and can be connected to two other guest rooms for a family or large group.

New Sheridan guests enjoy free access to a 24-hour gym just a few blocks away, as well as ski lockers and boot heaters in the downstairs ski room, and discounted food and drinks at the on-site restaurants and bars. Virtually the same since 1895, Historic Bar is a local favorite, with regular drink specials, live music, and foosball and pool tables. On a fine summer day, however, The Roof is the place to be. There’s also Chop House Restaurant for prime aged beef and fine wine, and Parlor for breakfast and light meals. The New Sheridan even serves as a gallery and atelier for its artist-in-residence, Roger Mason, a painter who can often be found outside the hotel, working on another colorful Main Street landscape.

Also known as the Reunification Palace, this Vietnamese landmark was constructed on the site of an old French-colonial governor’s residence. It has a remarkably varied past; it housed Japanese officials during World War II and was later the home of the president of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The imposing, broad, angular building played a seminal role in Vietnamese history: It was here on April 30, 1975, in an episode that came to be known as the Fall of Saigon, that a North Vietnamese army tank smashed through the gates, symbolically ending the Vietnam War. A tour of the palace is a step back decades in time—you’ll encounter grand, formal rooms used as banquet halls, reception rooms, and government offices. You can also navigate through basement tunnels and former bunkers.

The longest lines in the city form every day at Café Medina, a haven of Mediterranean-inspired breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch dishes in the Library District. The decor here feels like a minimalist version of 1920s Paris, with aged walls, mismatched light fixtures, and a mosaic entranceway. Equally charming, the eclectic bistro fare ranges from pistachio-rosewater Belgian waffles to halloumi couscous and a harissa burger, spiked with preserved lemon and tucked into a pita with baba ghanoush and two fried eggs. Don’t miss the blistered flatbread, ideally paired with the honey-black-pepper mascarpone side. And finish with a lavender latte, a house-made turmeric soda, or a superb craft cocktail. If you don’t want to wait, skirt the crowds by visiting Tuesdays or Wednesdays for lunch, or arriving at 2 p.m. (an hour before last call).

Tucked away off a dusty road in a suburb of Nairobi, the Tin Roof Café at the Souk is a gorgeous little place with floral cushions, spindly garden chairs, tin pots of wildflowers, and mismatched pictures on the walls. The shelves are filled with books and board games, and large blackboards list the delicious array of food and drink on offer, from Ottolenghi-style salads to sandwiches, wraps, smoothies, and juices galore. Explore a bit further inside to find a bookstore, a housewares shop, and a jewelry shop. Lost your velvet bathrobe? Don’t worry—they sell them here. The café’s offbeat charm has proven so popular that a second location opened on Langata Road.

Possibly the last thing you expect when you pull up to this seaside California craftsman-style resort is a doorman in a kilt. But no sooner do you step into the lobby and stare out the lodge’s huge, wood-framed windows than you understand where the idea for this uniform came from: the homeland of the sport you’re about to see a lot of. You’ll essentially have a golf course for a backyard—specifically, La Jolla’s fabled Torrey Pines Golf Course, where you’ll get priority tee times. The scenery—velvety green cliffs, the area’s namesake pines, and the Pacific—is dreamy enough to satisfy even nongolfers. Among the spa, pool, yoga classes, and eight miles of trails in nearby Torrey Pines State Park, there’s plenty to do when you’re not teeing up. And the indoor scenery is equally appealing: The 170-room hotel, built in 2002, was modeled after Pasadena’s iconic Gamble and Blacker houses. True to the arts and crafts movement that inspired the design, materials include wood, brick, and stone; and furnishings include Stickley furniture and stained glass.

The island’s only permanent settlement, Olonkin City (Olonkinbyen in Norwegian) houses the handful of people who work at the research stations. The accommodations are surprisingly comfortable, with a lounge, a bar, and telephone and Internet connectivity via satellite. A full-time chef cooks all meals for the close-knit population, which doubles in the summer months as good weather means maintenance crews can work efficiently.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art—or, commonly, the Met—is one of the world’s great museums, alongside the Louvre, the British Museum, and a handful of others. It would be easy to devote an entire week’s visit to the museum alone, and realistically you probably won’t get far beyond a few exhibitions and galleries at one shot. The Costume Institute’s temporary shows are always popular, while others will (like the museum itself) focus on a range of regions and periods—at any one time there may be temporary exhibitions on an Italian Renaissance painter, miniatures from Mughal India, and Polynesian carvings. The Temple of Dendur, a roughly 43' x 21' x 16' temple that dates to around 15 B.C.E. and was given by the government of Egypt to the United States in 1967, is one of the museum’s most photographed (and Instagrammed) works. The 34 period rooms, including a 12th-century cloister, English parlor and a Shaker “retiring” room, are among the museum’s other highlights. On summer evenings, site-specific installations make the rooftop terrace is a favorite place for drinks. The general admission of $25 for adults, $12 for students, and $17 for seniors is a suggested one for New York residents, as well as students from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Whatever you pay also includes same-day entry to The Met Cloisters.

Diners fill the seats on the nightly at this Avondale eatery, where wife-and-husband team Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark dole out American-meets-Korean cuisine with big-time twists and turns (done with such genius that they’ve already earned themselves a Michelin star and several James Beard nominations). Kick things off with their take on a Whiskey Sour (made with Amaro Sfumato and rooibos tea), then delve into the main event: leek pancakes with squid and smoked trout roe, hanger steak with black garlic and dragon beans, and, of course, the bi bim bop, a rotating house specialty cooked in a stone bowl with flavors like burdock root, Korean soy sauce, and ginseng.

It took no time for this neighborhood restaurant from chef and owner Diana Dávila to garner major fandom. The menu—a compilation of antojos, or Mexican small plates—is a nod to Dávila’s Mexican heritage and an invitation to diners to experience the country as she did growing up. Expect that journey to unfold with the likes of fish with yellow mole, enchiladas potosinas, and an array of taco options (from beer-can chicken to butternut squash). Drinks are just as groundbreaking—opt for the Chicana, a floral and herbaceous coming together of hibiscus, mezcal, gin, Chartreuse, and maraschino.

Locals queue up for delicious cheeses from this fromagerie, whose namesake owner received a Meilleur Ouvrier de France, the country’s highest honor for a craftsperson (in this case, for his skills as a master of cheese). Aged Comté is king here, but there are also signature creations not to miss, including Roquefort layered with quince jam and a chèvre marinated in walnut oil. A selection of super-aged cheeses—try them if you dare—are aged right beneath the shop.

In recent years, there has been an awesome pizza trend in Las Vegas. Gone are the days when the average toss-it-in-the-oven pie was the only option; today, there are fun local pizza eateries, high-end gourmet pies and even hidden alcoves housing some of the very best bites in the city. Locals love Metro Pizza, which has a handful of locations throughout the city, and Rocco’s Deli, which is all about keeping pizza simple and fresh. Despite that it’s meant to be a secret, one of the best known pizza places is tucked down a hallway in The Cosmopolitan. Five50, located in ARIA, has a menu of interesting pizzas, and the chefs serve from the front counter late into the night.

Growing up in Indonesia, chef Ryan Simorangkir says he only craved kid’s food. But as an adult, he fell in love with the local street food of his home country and began to cook from family recipes. After attending Pasadena’s Le Cordon Bleu school, he opened Sama Sama Kitchen, co-owned with chef Tyler Peek, where he celebrates Indonesian cuisine in a warm, casual setting (the name means “you’re welcome” in Indonesian). The menu features renditions of traditional Indonesian street fare, like the signature wings, hot chicken bao, or crispy brussels sprouts. Salads are also a highlight here, including the crispy duck salad, green papaya salad, and market gado-gado. Pan-seared octopus becomes rich with leek and chili oil, as well as rendang remoulade. The black pepper tofu and broccolini may sound simple, but with garlic, scallion, ginger, and chili, it’s a dish that many return to over and over. Don’t skip dessert. Try the banana doughnut fritters or black sesame tres leches with spiced rum milk, and you’ll wonder if you should order an extra to take home.

Galley Beach has one of the best locations on Nantucket. With views out over the ocean from the dining room and tables spilling onto the beach, there’s not a bad seat in the house. It’s a popular spot with a stylish crowd, and the martinis flow freely. Come early to snag a seat for sunset, one of the best shows in town, and as the evening gets underway enjoy the breeze on your face and scrunching your toes in the sand while tiki torches light up the night.