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There are few places where you can better learn about the beauty and complexity of desert ecology than the Desert Botanical Garden, not far from downtown Phoenix. Check out the Desert Discovery Loop Trail for a look at local flora, go for a flashlight tour or cooking class (using plants found in the region, of course), or catch one of the musical performances that are part of the garden’s concert series. Make a point to visit the Desert Terrace Garden for the best views of the surrounding buttes and desert.

Given the lines you’ll almost inevitably find at the original Puesto—an authentic taqueria so beloved, it’s expanding into a small SoCal empire—you may well be discouraged. But don’t be: Simply put your name down, walk the two blocks to the beach at La Jolla Cove, and consider the seaside view your appetizer. Or the first of many appetizers. Back at Puesto, forget moderation altogether as you’re contemplating the house offerings—most dreamt up by Mexico City–born Luisteen Gonzales, who still loves to visit his father’s fish stall in the famed Mercado San Juan. Blending this inherited appreciation for seafood with an equal reverence for seasonal produce, Chef Gonzales has created an array of award-winning tacos, from spicy atún (seared ahi with avocado, jalapeno-cucumber salsa, and chipotle crema) to zucchini and cactus (crispy melted cheese with calabaza à la Mexicana, avocado, and cilantro-tomatillo salsa). Pro tip: If you’re a vegetarian, you’ll find some—but not all—of your options on the main menu. There’s also a separate plant-based menu available on request (don’t miss the Sikil Pak—a Yucatan pepita dip served with jicama, cucumber, and heirloom carrots).

There’s a different way to see the African wildlife in their natural habitat than a safari and it’s called Boulder Beach. We ventured to the Eastern side of the Peninsula (Indian Ocean) to meet and spend time with the locals, Cape Town‘s penguin colony. Following the wooden boardwalks, you gain access to Foxy Beach, a sheltered cove with soft white sand, crystal clear water, massive granite boulders, and birds in butler-style tailcoats. Its nothing short of an Instagram-worthy photo op but I recommend climbing atop a boulder and spending time to take it all in. It’s impossible to capture how majestic this destination truly is.

When I stepped into the grand lobby of Québec’s Le Château Montebello, I felt like I was entering Paul Bunyan’s living room. Giant timbers braced a three-story-high ceiling, and a massive fireplace in the center radiated warmth in all directions. After checking in, I joined the guests gathered around the six-sided hearth and sank into a leather club chair. I spent the rest of the day by the fire, sipping hot toddies and napping, as the comfort of the crackling flames sent me and the other fireside dozers snuggling deeper into our cushions. I had come to ski some of the 65,000 acres of wooded backcountry that neighbor the resort, but the château was so welcoming, I found it hard to leave.


Often described as the world’s largest log cabin, the lodge and two other main buildings were constructed in 1930 from 10,000 red cedar logs and 500,000 handmade wooden shingles. The houses and the vast surrounding forests were long owned by the politically prominent Papineau family, and until 1970, the estate remained a private nature retreat for Canada’s upper class. As I walked through the château’s halls, the intricately carved banisters and exposed beams reminded me of the great western lodges in the U.S. national parks—only without any grumpy tourists demanding to know where the animals are.

In the guest rooms, deluxe amenities such as flat-screen TVs and rain-dome showerheads upstaged anything found in Yellowstone or Yosemite. Despite the modern perks, rawhide lampshades and other rustic details helped my suite retain its frontier appeal. When I got up to pull the plaid drapes closed that night, I watched a horse-drawn sleigh pass by, glowing in the moonlight against the dark ribbon of the frozen Ottawa River.

Without fresh snow to ski the next morning, I was left to explore the lodge’s other activities. I opted out of getting scrubbed with maple sugar at the spa or unsuccessfully flirting with French-Canadian women by the fire, and instead devoted the day to learning the inscrutable rules of curling. The château has an indoor ice rink dedicated to the sport, a national favorite that’s best described as a combination of shuffleboard and falling down a lot. My instructor was Henri, a kindly sexagenarian who, like many in Québec’s western Outaouais region, seemed more comfortable speaking French than English. As it turns out, kindly reassurance sounds the same in either language. But as my backside repeatedly hit the ice, Henri’s patient polyglot insistence that I was doing “une belle job” grew progressively less convincing.

After my rough-and-tumble day, I dined in the white-tablecloth Aux Chantignoles restaurant. Québecois cuisine dominates the menu, and I followed a dinner of tender venison osso buco with a slice of Québec’s famously sweet and jiggly sugar pie—think pecan pie sans pecans. Snow fell just in time for me to ski through the nearby forest on my last day. I spent a long afternoon there, gliding among stands of birch, pine, and spruce in the rolling Laurentian Highlands. Now and again, I paused to admire one of the countless frozen lakes, their smooth surfaces dotted with tracks left by moose and white-tailed deer. I skied in the silent wilderness until just after sunset. As the scent of a wood fire began to tickle my nose, I grew eager to cozy up by the hearth again. I turned back toward the château’s stone chimney, its rising plume of smoke signaling for my return.
This appeared in the November/December 2010 issue.

Mambo Beach Boulevard has more of the ambiance of a beach party than that of a conventional shopping mall. It features some 50 restaurants, bars and stores, including souvenir retailers and boutiques selling swimwear (as well as everything else you might need for a day in the sun). There are also water-sports operators, and your time browsing can be broken up by some time on the beach. There’s even a nightclub with a schedule of live performances that keeps the energy going into the afternoon and evening.

A leader in Portland’s vegetable-forward movement, Quaintrelle has quietly become one of the city’s best fine-dining choices. All this on a strip of Mississippi Street better known for bar crawls and brunch lines than for seasonal cuisine and killer cocktails. The eclectic American menu rotates based on what’s available and in season. Almost all of the food is local, from the tempura Meyer lemons to the carrot and raisin salad. Meals at Quaintrelle can easily double as a primer on what can be grown in Oregon, including wouldn’t-guess-this-is-local ingredients like quinoa and wasabi.

Dining at the Grizzly House is an experience. As soon as you walk in, it’s obvious the place hasn’t changed much since it first opened decades ago. The interior is dark, and the wood-paneled wall is lined with taxidermy trophies. But the novelty of cooking at your own table makes up for it all. The food ranges from decadently simple—cheese, oil, and chocolate fondues—to exotic, like rattlesnake or alligator meat. The only thing more novel than preparing your own food is the rumors of the restaurant’s history as a swingers’ joint. Whether the stories are urban legend or not is hard to say, but telephones at each table that allow you to call any diner in the room seem to suggest there’s some truth to the gossip.

Mexico City is full of architectural masterpieces, but there is nothing like the experience of being inside a Barragán-designed home. Very few are still in good shape and open to the public, including Casa Luis Barragán (the architect’s former home and studio that’s the only private residency to be named a UNESCO World Heritage site). Once you’ve visited this more famous house, get in touch with the owners of Casa Gilardi and ask for a tour. The last project Barragán completed before he died, Casa Gilardi is known for the huge jacaranda tree decorating its interior courtyard, and for a striking hallway with vertical apertures that bounce sunlight against brightly painted yellow walls and out into an electric blue room with an indoor pool. The artist James Turrell spent a month living in the house, taking black and white photos to study Barragán’s use of light.

The town of Gamboa lies at the center of a rain forest on the banks of the Panama Canal, where Lake Gatún and the River Chagres meet about 20 miles from the capital. Gamboa’s Summit Park is home to Panama’s national bird, the harpy eagle, as well as to Soberanía National Park and the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center, where visitors can walk the Camino del Oleoducto (Pipeline Road), a famous bird-watching path where up to 300 avian species can be spotted on a single day. Another tip might be sailing the Chagres in piraguas (local pirogues or handmade dugout canoes) that plumb dense jungles and give visitors the chance to interact with the Emberá Quera indigenous community. This historic community lives off fishing, farming, artisanal craft-making, and tourism. Native-led tours showcase various local customs such as dances as well as vegetable-dye body-painting techniques and their meanings (known as jagua), in addition to the people’s relationship with nature. Navigating the rain forest with a traditional Emberá botanist is a singular experience.

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.

Located just a short walk from the Four Seasons Resort on Pinney’s Beach, the colorful Sunshine’s Beach Bar gets its name not just from its brilliant surroundings but also from its proprietor, Llewellyn “Sunshine” Caines. A popular lunch spot with both locals and tourists, Sunshine’s offers better-than-beach-bar food—you really can’t go wrong with the barbecue ribs or the grilled lobster in garlic butter. The bar’s most famous item, however, is the seriously potent Killer Bee rum punch. Just know that one is more than enough in the hot Nevis sun.

Since 1986, this kitchen supply store has been selling whimsical, New York-centric plates, bowls, barware, dish towels, and other entertaining doo-dads you’ll suddenly feel you can’t live without. Want a set of glasses frosted with an image of the Brooklyn Bridge to commemorate your NYC visit? Placemats edged with a print of Manhattan’s skyline? Fishs Eddy has them both, and a whole lot more. Just take care as you navigate through the towering stacks.

Despite its refined food and atmosphere, the Park Cafe is really a neighborhood spot at heart. It opens up at 7 a.m. on weekdays, dishing out top-notch coffee and avocado toast, and stays open into the evening with great cocktails and a diverse menu full of local, seasonal ingredients. Try the mushroom-and-walnut pâté, which comes with raw vegetables and crostini—and for a good deal, don’t miss their happy hour Mondays-Fridays from 3-6 p.m.

The Louisiana-style, year-round barbecue at Buster’s is in a league of its own. Main-course options at this no-frills (read: It’s a glorified picnic shelter) Calistoga eatery include shoulder, pork ribs, tri-tip, chicken, pork loin, and pulled pork—all cooked medium rare unless otherwise specified. Most dishes come with sides such as baked beans, macaroni salad, and cole slaw. All portions are heaping, and every dish comes with signature garlic toast. Dessert options include house-made sweet potato pie and fresh-baked cookies. Because of Buster’s proximity to downtown Calistoga, the restaurant is a great stop after a morning hike on Mount St. Helena. On warm days, try to grab a table outside and watch the ‘cue masters work the outdoor grills, and on Sunday afternoons, stick around for live blues and jazz on the patio.

Traditional lobster shacks edge shorelines all along Maine’s coast, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more idyllic one than McLoons, tucked away in Spruce Head, south of Rockland. It’s situated on a working harbor, where you can watch lobstermen unload catches; seating is at picnic tables, outside or under a tent; it’s bring-your-own for all the go-withs, from flowers and a tablecloth to salad and wine; and finally, it also serves awesome seasonal desserts. The food is ultra-fresh, the scenery is calendar-cover-worthy, and the understated simplicity is perfect. Sure the lobster dinners and rolls are excellent, but don’t miss the oysters and the crab cakes, and for those who don’t eat seafood (sacrilege!), McLoons grills burgers.