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A couple of years ago, on Black Friday, my wife and I headed away from the malls of Tucson and into the mountains: Chiricahua National Monument, just west of the New Mexico border in SE Arizona, was one of the last strongholds of the Chiricahua Apaches, who called this area “the land of standing-up rocks.” This particular mountain peak is Cochise Head (elev. 8087'); cock your head to the right and it resembles a man’s profile. The ‘eyelash’ is formed by a tall Douglas fir tree. The volcanic formation is named after Chief Cochise, who died in 1874. About a decade after his death, several hundred of his surviving fellow Apaches were deported to Florida, never to return to their homeland again... The history of the American Southwest is a sobering mix of people on the move with conflicting labels: pioneers/invaders, defenders/terrorists, war/genocide, natives/aliens...It still hasn’t been all sorted out.

Yeah Baby! The Strip might get all the attention, but if you want the real Vegas the only place to go is Fremont St. With its enclosed light show of a ceiling, freak show of people watching, and rock ‘n’ roll show of live entertainers you could be there for hours. Of course, it has casino or two should you want to make a wager, but my bet is that you’ll be fully occupied just taking it all in.

On first glance, it would be easy to dismiss the 101 Hotel as merely a functional option. Stepping inside the austere five-story concrete building on Hverfisgata, however, guests discover an ultra-modern boutique lodging with minimal black-and-white decor—the work of owner-designer Ingibjörg S. Pálmadóttir—that gives it the feel of a chic downtown gallery. Contemporary paintings, photography, and sculptures by local artists appear througout the property, complementing the oak floors and wood-heavy Nordic furniture in the 38 rooms. Queen and king-size beds (there are no twin rooms) come topped with fine Italian linens, entertainment systems are state of the art, and open-plan bathrooms make extensive use of glass and offer Aveda bath products; deluxe rooms and suites up the ante with with claw-foot tubs. The hotel also has a moody restaurant and bar, a gym and spa, and a comfortable lounge area where you can put your feet up by the fire.

Saddle-shaped Cradle Mountain is the state’s most popular peak and the starting point for the 64-kilometer (40-mile), six-day Overland Track. For day-trippers, there are quicker walks, including the Dove Lake Loop, which traverses temperate rain forest on the slopes of the park’s namesake peak, as well as rafting and rappelling adventures run by outfitters such as Cradle Mountain Canyons Tours. Other highlights include Waldheim Chalet, a replica of the home of Gustav Weindorfer, the park’s founding father.

There’s a bit of the Wild West at this luxurious wine country inn. Vintner Fess Parker, of Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone TV fame, opened the inn in 1998. Today it’s still run by his family, and you can wade in the nostalgia by visiting the gallery off the lobby, which displays black-and-white images of Parker from his Hollywood days. Each of the 19 spacious rooms and suites is slightly different. Grand Garden rooms have cozy gas fireplaces and views of Los Olivos, while suites with living rooms are expansive enough to spread out and relax. At the Bear and Star restaurant, ingredients for the “refined ranch cuisine” are sourced from the Fess Parker Home Ranch, just seven miles from the inn. Wagyu specialties abound—from carpaccio to burgers, meatloaf to steaks—while the Fess Parker Winery supplies the restaurant with estate-grown rhône varietals. Lounge by the pool, or drop in at the spa for a massage or facial (a highlight: the Heaven on Earth package, which blends the Unwind massage with a customized Elemis facial). Pro tip: End the evening on a nostalgic note, borrowing a Fess Parker movie from the library for guests.

L’AND Vineyards is a “Wine Resort” that offers a unique rural experience in an exclusive and contemporary ambiance. It is located in the heart of the Alentejo and extends around a central valley of vineyards, olive groves and a lake communicating with the accommodation units that born from the landscape, sorted in small clusters, recovering the typology of the traditional properties (“montes”) of Alentejo. By electing the wine as anchor of its inspiration, L’AND Vineyards Resort is a 5 star holiday village. L’And restaurant seeks to affirm the new Portuguese gastronomic culture, reflecting the history and culture of Portugal and integrating the experiences and ingredients that came from the discoveries in the East. The cuisine of Chef Michael Laffan, awarded a Michelin star in 2013, creates the restaurant menu inspired by the natural environment that surrounds the hotel, presenting dishes with influences from Alentejo in a contemporary interpretation, taking visitors on a gastronomic journey.

Architect Moshe Safdie’s Habitat 67 apartment complex was built for Expo 67, a key moment in Montreal‘s emergence as one of the world’s cultural capitals. While many buildings from the late 60s haven’t fared well with time, Habitat 67 still achieves Safdie’s goal: demonstrating that contemporary housing projects can be original and appealing works that create a sense of community among their residents. For a public who had come to associate housing projects with off-putting towers set in windswept plazas, Habitat 67 was a revelation with its 354 prefabricated concrete blocks stacked to construct 146 units. Apartments here continue to be coveted and command a premium price. Habitat 67 is a little out of the way from most of the other sites you’ll likely visit, on a peninsula facing Old Montreal. Take a cab to get there and note that the complex is private property—you’ll be turned away by security if you try to enter but you can admire this modernist vision from the street.

After laying abandoned for more than 20 years, a historic Art Deco swimming pool and health club in the 16th Arrondissement has been reborn as one of the most unique hotels in Paris—one that even locals check in to when they want a quick getaway. Now part of the MGallery by Sofitel collection, the property feels much like an urban resort thanks to its location—while the city center and typical tourist sites are a metro ride away, the block-long hotel sits right in the middle of attractions like the Jean Boulin stadium, Parc de Prince, the Roland Garros tennis center (home of the French Open), the Auteuil racetrack, and Bois de Boulogne Park. Design-hounds also love the place for its eye-catching, very Insta-worthy spaces, including the vibrant reception area (with its graffitied Rolls Royce installation) and the lobby-level brasserie and bar (done up in restored Art Deco elements, a mix of contemporary and flea-market furnishings, street-art-inspired murals, and colorful modern artwork).

An edgy crowd gathers at Szimpla Kert, a wacky ruin pub in the old Jewish Quarter. On entering, you’ll be overwhelmed by the maze of rooms, where you might find recycled computer monitors, towering piles of books, hookah pipes, or live music. Bars throughout pour beer and, of course, shots of pálinka.

The best of Nicaragua is on the beautiful Emerald Coast. Mukul Resort offers a barefoot luxury experience with stunning suites, exquisite design, and local hospitality. Where else can you surf a great break in front of a 5 star hotel? The Golf and spa are equally as unique.

Four Seasons might have spruced up the property slightly when it took over management from Viceroy in 2016, but the original clean lines and sharp angles of the midcentury modern architecture coupled with Kelly Wearstler’s playfully eclectic interiors are still unmistakable at this stunning property overlooking Meads and Barnes bays. Epitomizing tropical modern luxury, the property is awash in marble, natural stone, and wood, with dramatic views of the Caribbean Sea from dining rooms and infinity pools that seem to hover from their cliffside perches. Spanning 35 acres, the resort is home to 166 spacious, serene, and stylish accommodations ranging from suites to townhomes and private villas. Indulge at five dining venues, including the aptly named alfresco Sunset Lounge for sushi and the fine-dining Cobà, where fresh seafood is paired with choice cuts of meat and an impressive wine list. With three swimming pools and two distinct beaches to choose from, the most stressful part of the day is deciding where to lounge.

In addition to Slow Bakery’s celebrated original coffee shop, bakery, and deli in Botafogo (Rio’s answer to NYC’s Soho), a new location in Ipanema (Rua Barao da Torre, 422) opened in August. The new space will limit itself to selling natural-yeast bread, further simplifying the original bakery’s slow-food ethos. This idea is that if you’re looking for a delicious coffee or a quick lunch, you will go to the original Slow Bakery, but if you just want a loaf of your favorite bread, head to the new shop, near Posto 10 on Ipanema Beach and a few blocks from the Nossa Senhora da Paz metro station.

Occupying what were the Maison Blanche department store and the S.H. Kress & Co. five-and-dime, this stately hotel first opened its doors in 2000 after a $250 million overhaul of the then-shuttered Beaux-Arts buildings. After Katrina, the property underwent a second renovation, which included the expansion of its spa (now a sprawling 25,000 square feet) and the addition of a private entrance for Club level guests.

This is a Ritz-Carlton, so you can expect the same (high) level of service and luxury—think ornate furnishings, sumptuous linens, and a $3.5 million art collection—as at other properties within the brand. But the property isn’t just another Ritz. Bellmen wear seersucker, the bistro serves po’ boys, and there’s live jazz in the lounge (which also serves a mean Vesper).

Willis Tower—originally known as the Sears Tower—was the world’s tallest building for 23 years until it was unseated in 1996 by the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. The 110-story skyscraper is still mighty impressive. Its “bundled tube” design by architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill was originally inspired by a handful of cigarettes and the innovative bundling changed the construction of supertall, wind-resistant buildings thereafter. The tower’s height is even more thrilling when measured from the 103rd-floor windows of the Skydeck observatory and the Ledge, a glass-enclosed box which juts more than four feet out from the side of the building so that visitors can (gingerly) walk out and stand 1,353 feet above the street.

Servers, somms, and chef-owner Nancy Silverton all swirl around Osteria Mozza’s centerpiece Mozzarella Bar, where small dishes of freshly imported mozzarella, ricotta, and burrata are plated with pairings like bacon or braised leeks. With eyes closed, white-tablecloth diners attempt to fully savor each bite of cool, moist cheese before it melts in their mouths. These flavors are a tough act to follow, but the restaurant certainly steps up to the plate with signature meals like the Squid Ink Chittara Freddi with crab, sea urchin, and jalapeño. Just be sure to leave room for a rosemary olive oil cake for dessert: The eatery’s Dahlia Narvaez was awarded the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2016. Reservations at least one month out are recommended unless you have the flexibility to take a chance with a walk-in seat at the Mozzarella Bar itself—a one-of-a-kind experience.