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Rebecca Walker embarks on a spontaneous journey to Bulgaria, guided by locals she connected with both virtually and in real life.

At Salt Water Farm, students return to the land—and the sea—to learn forage, fillet, and feast.

Should you find yourself on the backroads of Homestead, Florida, the gateway to the Everglades, you’ll come upon open fields and vineyards. It’s here that a roadside stand displays the bold lettering: “Robert is Here.” But who is Robert? And what’s here? Robert is a real person who founded this fruit stand in 1960 and has worked here nearly every day since. It’s now a family operation with help from his wife and children. All manners of tropical fruits await you, from the authentic key limes by the pound to jackfruits to the aptly named “ugli fruit.” Try the ruby red Florida grapefruit samples and browse the selection of honeys and hot sauces. Admire the sunflowers, opened by the summer light. Don’t leave without a smoothie! And if the fruit isn’t enough, the stand also has an adjoining zoo and water park. How’s that for a random town in southern Florida?

It has been a decade since the major museums on the Museumplein—a grassy square connecting Amsterdam’s main art centers—have all been open at the same time. Here’s what to check out at the Van Gogh Museum. Sunflowers, The Bedroom, and The Potato Eaters are just a few of the masterpieces on display as part of the “Van Gogh at Work” exhibit.

Among the most popular attractions for kids of all ages on the Scheveningen esplanade is SEA LIFE, home to more than 200 sea creature species and over 4,000 individual aquatic animals. At an interactive rock pool, see sharks, turtles, stingrays, clownfish, jellyfish and dangerous piranhas up close and personal. Touch live anemones, hold a hermit crab, and see stars at a collection of knobbed, chocalate chip and sunflower starfish. Discover what other creatures inhabit waters along the Dutch coastline, including dolphins, otters and rare turtles. In 2013, SEA LIFE Scheveningen was honored with ZooSite’s “most special birth” award, recognizing the arrival of Titulus, a black tip reef shark who now swims around in a special cage in SEALIFE’s ocean tank. The aquarium is a pioneer in seahorse breeding, having spawned nine different species over the past two decades. Exhibits are stocked with starfish bred in the park, so none are ever taken from the wild for exhibition purposes. Through extensive breeding, SEALIFE aims to save starfish and other endangered sea creatures from extinction. With its sister brand, Seal Sanctuaries, it annually rescues, cares for and returns more than 100 orphaned, injured and sick seal pups to the wild.

Locha is a hard word to translate. A literal English translation would be “a problem,” but that misses the mark. You could think of it as a “mess,” but that’s not really it either. Locha is more along the lines of “something funky is in the works.” And true to its name, Chemical Locha is all kinds of funky—and a very colorful kind of funky at that. This little store is set up right where N Main Road turns into Lane 5, and the bright green and purple logo is hard to miss if you are walking past. Duck in for all sorts of quirky, kitsch, and crazy swag. Items on sale include: A rib-tickling collection of t-shirts, including an Iron Man shirt with a turbaned laundrywala ironing a pile. Kooky bar accessories—look out for those with an Indian twist, like the “Horn OK Please” coasters. Bright stationery, including diaries, notebooks, and bookmarks you can plant (the bookmark is embedded with sunflower seeds; the idea is to read, sow, and reap). A set of funny mugs, key chains, and games. If you’re looking for offbeat souvenirs, this is definitely your place.

It’s one of the hardest reservations to score in the country, but not just because of its diminutive size (22 seats in all) or limited days of operation (Wednesday to Saturday; dinner only). For one, the Catbird Seat feels both intimate and exclusive: Guests are seated at a U-shaped counter that surrounds a central open kitchen. Then, there’s the thrill of the unknown.

Strategic Hospitality, the Nashville-based restaurant group started by homegrown entrepreneurs Ben and Max Goldberg, has hired a roster of notable chefs for extended stints, giving them carte blanche to create whatever inspires them during their tenure. Among them: Trevor Moran, an alumnus of Noma in Copenhagen. Since January 2016, Chicago-born chef Ryan Poli (another Noma vet, who also trained at the French Laundry) has held the reins, calling upon influences from his two-year stint working in kitchens around the world. A couple of recent hits: an umami-rich black truffle risotto made with sunflower seeds instead of rice, and noodles made with nori and spiked with zesty yuzu.

Although the salads, soups, and sandwiches at this homey café are among the healthiest lunch options in Cherokee, the decadent cinnamon rolls, turnovers, and cupcakes threaten any good intentions you may have. Sassy Sunflowers does double duty as the town coffee shop, and it’s the rare spot in Cherokee to offer smoothies and freshly squeezed juices. Counter service keeps things moving on busy days, and there’s ample seating in the dining room and on the breezy patio.

Frolicking in a lavender field delivers that quintessential pinch-me-I’m-in-Provence sensation, and the next best thing may be browsing the area’s flower markets. Consider the stalls that pop up a few mornings a week in the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville in Aix-en-Provence, the town where Paul Cézanne painted and M.F.K. Fisher wrote. It’s a true pleasure—and reminder you’ve escaped your everyday routine—to slow down in admiration of the sunflowers, lilies, poppies, and other fresh flowers for sale.

The Omani Souq, located behind Wholesale Market, is small and unassuming, but full of unexpected finds. Under its massive corrugated iron roof and along its narrow pathways, a visitor can find oud perfume of all qualities next to an Omani dried fish stall, or authentic Omani frankincense across from a stall selling camel sticks or spices, nuts, and plants. If the desert has had the right amount of rain, during certain times of the year, this is the place to buy white truffles at incredibly low prices. The Omani Souk is a small open warehouse, selling mostly truffles, different varieties of dates, ceramic, hand made engraved clay pots, straw hats, and woven baskets, and a small collection of locally grown fruits and vegetables. The souq has a section dedicated to flowers and other leafy plants, ranging from daisies, to hydrangeas, sunflowers, chrysanthemums, pansies, and the odd bonsai tree.

Since 1862, fresh flowers and plants have arrived by barge from the Dutch countryside to Amsterdam. While this assemblage of flora still shows up daily, it comes by van, not boat, to the Bloemenmarkt, the world’s only floating flower market. Here, you can browse 15 fragrant stalls on houseboats permanently moored on the Singel. Now the best-known flower market in Holland, this colorful attraction is packed with tourists on sunny weekends. Still, it’s a great place to pick up Dutch tulip bulbs in a plethora of shades and varieties, as well as many other types of bulbs, seeds, cut blooms, and houseplants. Ship a bag of bulbs home, or grab a souvenir at one of several shops hawking T-shirts, mugs, clogs, Dutch cheese, and other fun and inexpensive gifts.

When Beijing’s hutongs—narrow alleyways that connect to form mazelike neighborhoods—were originally built, they were lined with stone houses that had central courtyards. In 1949, with the founding of the People’s Republic of China, there were more than 3,000 hutongs; so many have been razed since that time that there are now fewer than 1,000. The remaining hutongs are where locals chat with their neighbors, sit outside on hot summer nights, buy fruit, and tend to their gardens, all without leaving their own alleyway. Seeing this side of traditional Beijing life is delightful and serves as a marked contrast to the many shops, restaurants, cafés, and bars that now occupy the courtyard homes lining the alleyways.

Amsterdam’s State Museum reopened in 2013 after a decade of renovations, and it is oh so worth a visit! Weave your way through the museum’s vast assemblage of historic art (there are over 8,000 pieces!) to check out works from Dutch masters such as Rembrandt, Van Dyck, and Vermeer in person. The collection’s best-known and most prominently displayed piece is Rembrandt’s Night Watch, but visitors can find everything from sculptures to artifacts from both the Netherlands and Dutch-colonial territories around the world. Opt for the multimedia tour for a special surprise.

With its world-renowned chef and ultrachic decor, Blue—tucked discreetly into the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman—seems the sort of place you’d find in New York or Paris. But the main draw is decidedly local: spectacularly fresh ingredients sourced largely from the sea right outside and served up in such specialties as lightly seared wahoo with bok choy and kimchi broth; or poached halibut with sunchokes, salsify, and truffle jus; or bread-crusted red snapper with squid and sofrito sauce. If you’re feeling ambitious, go for the gusto with a six- or seven-course tasting menu—and tack on the wine pairings.

Unwind in Myrtle Beach with coastal trails, spa days, and fresh sea air.