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Steal away on a day trip to see more of Stockholm’s surroundings and the region’s history. Explore Stockholm’s own archipelago and islands far out in the Baltic Sea, plan extra time to explore these unique islands and town easily accessible from Stockholm.

This lodge bears the distinct honor of being the only “in-park lodging” at Zion, Utah’s first—and extremely popular—national park. Designed by noted architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood in the 1920s, it’s also on the National Register of Historic Places. Here, you’ll find 40 cabins and a main lodge that, after burning down in 1966 and being rebuilt shortly after, was restored to its original Underwood design in 1990. Cabins feature a more rustic look, with exposed wooden beams and stone fireplaces, while the 82 rooms and suites in the main lodge are outfitted with modern amenities, including flat-screen TVs and satellite reception. At the bright and airy Red Rock Grill, Southern-accented dishes like bison-jalapeño cheeseburgers and black-bean-and-quinoa-stuffed bell peppers compete with views of soaring red rock cliffs from the restaurant’s large windows.

AFAR chose a destination at random—by literally spinning a globe—and sent Rolf Potts on a spontaneous journey to Russia.

There’s a reason that designers, chefs, and travelers love to dive into the boutiques, malls, markets, and designer shops of Seoul and that Gangnum Style was such a sensation back in 2012. It’s no secret: Seoul loves to shop.

A trip through Austin’s shops and boutiques will send you home laden down with great vinyl, used and new books, and top-notch vintage western wear, but you may be surprised by local designers, too, showing off their stuff, from fashion to housewares.

With designer boutiques offering leather, jewelry, fanciful underthings, and stylish menswear, and housewares stores with ultra-hip designs for the home, and shops and markets hawking antiques, vintage goods, and wine, you’ll be spoiled for choice in Buenos Aires.

Philadelphia is known for its markets, but you can also find books, music, art, antique treasures, Pennsylvania handicrafts, and Whirly Berley Bars in the City of Brotherly Love. Whether you’re looking for high-end boutiques or vintage funk, Philly’s got you covered.

Hands down the best place to stay in Mexico City’s Centro Histórico is the aptly named Downtown. Located inside a restored 17th-century casona (mansion), the hotel shares its property with a select group of Mexican businesses, including a chocolate boutique and a mezcal bar, as well as restaurants, cafes, and fashion and jewelry ateliers. Appropriately, rooms evoke a bygone era, with low lighting, brick ceilings, and tile floors somewhat reminiscent of a monastery. Amenities are spare but select (C.O. Bigelow toiletries, for starters), and service is unobtrusive but attentive. After a day spent exploring the city, head to the rooftop pool and bar, where you can sunbathe on a bright yellow chaise lounge or sit under an oversized umbrella while waiting for your cocktail to arrive.

Some of New Zealand’s best souvenir shopping is found at art and craft galleries around the country. Locally-made crafts include Maori woven pieces and wood carvings. One color you’re sure to see all over the place: green, the color of pounamu, the Maori name for greenstone. But the country’s shops don’t just stop at souvenirs, of course. You’ll find local designer labels at shopping centers, including Auckland’s High Street. Watch for pieces by Karen Walker, one of the country’s best-known designers. Living in a camper van during your stay? Stop at the many farmers markets around the country to restock your cooler.

Telluride wouldn’t be a ski town without a great après scene. Its bars go far beyond dives, however, ranging from a historic watering hole to a modern-day speakeasy to a distillery making its own peppermint schnapps.

From high-end shopping malls filled with high fashion and international brands to small shops stocked with made-on-site treasures and some of the world’s best bookstores, Tokyo is every shopper’s delight. Some of the best shopping districts include Ginza, Roppongi, Omotesando, Nihonbashi, Akihabara, and Nakameguro. For last-minute souvenirs for everybody on your list, head to Tokyu Hands Shibuya for 20 floors of merchandise ranging from kitchen wares to stationery and luggage.

You have a few different options when it comes to stopping for a coffee at The Shops at Downtown, the retail complex inside Hotel Downtown in Mexico City‘s Centro Histórico. There’s the hotel’s own restaurant, which offers comfortable chairs and couches; the chocolate purveyor Que Bo!, which also serves espresso drinks; or one of the several restaurants and cafés in the complex, among them Padrinos, Azul Histórico, and Café Punta del Cielo. Take your pick–no matter where you end up in the center, you’ll find yourself surrounded by a 17th-century building with volcanic walls and lots of history.

Some of the best shopping in Chicago happens in thrift and vintage shops scattered all over the city. For thrift shoppers who want a full day of searching for treasure, Wolff’s Flea Market is guaranteed to turn up some great finds. Architectural scavengers will lose hours at Urban Remains and Salvage One whereas lovers of vintage Japanese toys and go-go boots should set their GPS coordinates for Hollywood Mirror. Happy thrifting!

It’s hard to choose the best place to take tea in London. Should you take afternoon tea in the lush, sophisticated surroundings of London’s best hotels, with a view over London’s iconic landmarks or in Soho’s secret tea room? No matter the setting, you’ll spend afternoon tea enjoying tiny sandwiches, warm scones, tiny cakes and pots of jam and clotted cream.

Eating oysters in Charleston can be a delicate affair, of course, with open shells served on beds of ice with lemon wedges, but it’s more likely that you’ll be served up a cluster of steamed oysters, pried open in front of you, ready for the slurping. Find the refined—and the local Lowcountry—bivalves at our selection of great restaurants for oysters.