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Also known as the High Test Deli & Sweet Shop, this local standby—situated just over the state line in Bryson City, North Carolina—has fueled hikers, area residents, and tourists for more than a decade. The signature Cuban is a best seller, but every sandwich is customizable, with more than a dozen bread varieties, nearly as many cheeses, and all the proteins you’d expect from a top-notch deli. Still, you wouldn’t be blamed for skipping the meats altogether and heading straight for the “frozen sandwich” section, where you can choose from a creative selection of ice cream sandwiches that will challenge even the most decisive sweet tooth.

Local restaurateur Hide Sakurai—also the force behind Shokudo next door—brings healthy grab-and-go options to the heart of Honolulu’s Ala Moana, the state’s largest shopping center. An artisan café and pinot wine bar, Bread & Butter seats around 50 and serves three meals a day. Argentine chef Arnaldo “Masa” Gushiken adds hints of Spanish and Japanese cuisine to the otherwise very locavore American menu. Highlights include the beet-peach-arugula salad and the house-smoked-ahi sandwich, balanced by the bright crunch of pickled vegetables in its side salad. Regulars also rave about the single servings of paella, the bell-pepper-goat-cheese dip, and the decadent truffle chicken starring an entire game hen.

One of the world’s most epic drives, the Hana Highway connects Kahului with Hana in eastern Maui. The scenic stretch is just 64 miles long but can take up to three hours to drive, thanks to 62 twists in the road as it winds through rain forests and past waterfalls, natural pools, and seascapes. Plan at least a half day to properly experience the drive, or slow it way down and spend a night in Hana so you can linger at places like Twin Falls, the Keanae Peninsula, the Garden of Eden arboretum, and the black sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park. Sun worshippers should also budget plenty of time for stops at Hamoa Beach and Ho’okipa Beach Park Beach Park.

Rising from the corner of Park City’s Main and Heber streets, the six-story, 33-suite Main & SKY blends a modern loft vibe with traditional ski-lodge service. Concrete, steel, and glass define the building and interior design, from the fireplace in the lobby to the elevator whisking beautiful people to their rooms. The hotel’s state-of-the-art lofts are unique to Park City, and the one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites feature floor-to-ceiling windows, full kitchens, living rooms with fireplaces and private decks with hot tubs. Sliding wall panels open to the master bathroom, the centerpiece of which is a soaking tub filled by a ceiling-mounted faucet.

Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park is what remains of the first settlement in Sacramento. John Sutter was given a land grant from the Mexican government in 1839 (when California was still part of Mexico). He used this land to develop agriculture and set up the first non-Native American settlement in the Central Valley of California. Now Sutter’s Fort sits right in the center of Sacramento, surrounded by Midtown apartment buildings and restaurants, but offers a place to see a bit of California history. The large white fort has been restored to look as it did in the 1840s. Original rooms include a kitchen, stables, store, carpenter’s shop, mill, doctor’s office, and other places that served the small local community at that time. A free audio tour is available. The grounds of the park include the California State Indian Museum and a small but nice area to walk with ponds, fountains, and heritage trees. Sutter’s Fort is open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Entrance fees are $5 for adults and $3 for kids over five. Street parking is available, and free street parking can be found one to two blocks south on 27th Street.

Cerrillos, New Mexico was the center of the turquoise mining trade in the late 1800’s, and almost became New Mexico’s capital. The Clear Light Opera House was built to house performances by East Coast luminaries like Sarah Bernhardt. One of the ghost towns repopulated by artists along the now famous Turquoise Trail, it’s a great day trip from nearby Santa Fe. Check out the Trading Post, pet a llama, and visit artist Bill Skrip’s sculptures.

A bit of a dive a mile and a half from Santa Fe’s tourist center, Maria’s has been a local favorite since 1952. The food is straightforward and delicious, but the place is at least as beloved for its margaritas—an eight-page menu lists more than 200 choices, all made with 100 percent agave tequila and lemon juice—which routinely win “best of” awards from local publications. Read more about green chilis. This appeared in the January/February 2014 issue.

Many of Buffalo’s best hotels used to be something else, from Victorian mansions and architectural landmarks to an insane asylum designed by one of America’s most famous architects. A stay at any offers the chance to learn the city’s history while exploring what’s new and exciting in town.

Located in downtown Santa Fe, this perfectly sized museum is dedicated to the artistic life of Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986) and houses the single largest collection of the artist’s work in the world. Rotating exhibits often include O’Keeffe’s iconic desert landscape paintings alongside lesser-known gems painted in Lake George and Hawaii (where she was commissioned by the Dole pineapple company). Often, notable pieces from established peers and contemporaries like Ansel Adams, Jackson Pollock, and Andy Warhol join hers on the walls.

“Straight ahead for 42 Miles” said the automated, slightly pitchy, woman’s voice. My road trip buddy and I looked at each other as if to check what we’d just heard. Sure enough though, the GPS was right. Straight as a die, but much, much more interesting with stops on the way to check out a coyote crossing the road, a sign marking a public phone that wasn’t there, and the remnants of some poor animal carcass that didn’t quite beat the vehicles before us.

Dear, sweet, honey. Raw, unfiltered, unheated, made in Montana honey to be more precise. The Wustner Brothers keep their bees in the Sapphire Mountains outside of Missoula, where they can happily forage on Montana wildflowers and create delicious honey. The Wustner Brothers currently have several varieties of honey, including napweed, wildflower and clover honey. Creamed honey in a variety of flavors is also available. Wustner Brothers Honey can be found at grocery stores and in restaurant menus all over the state- don’t miss their creamed honey with local huckleberries for a double dose of Montana goodness.

Inspired by the food and feel of New York City, Broadway by Amar Santana offers a taste of the big city just a block from the ocean. Here, the eponymous chef Santana, who competed on Bravo’s Top Chef, serves American cuisine made with seasonal ingredients, like squid ink cavatelli with blue prawns, and grilled skirt steak with chimichurri. Elevate your meal with creative cocktails or a bottle from the well-regarded wine list, or better yet, book the six-seat chef’s table, where Santana will serve a multi-course menu designed just for you and your guests.

Opened in 2015, Marble + Rye was one of the first restaurants in Buffalo to offer artfully crafted cocktails—something the city was sorely missing. With a focus on whiskey and creative ingredients, the spot became a fast favorite, serving drinks like the Fantastic Man (bourbon, Averna, coffee-infused Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Aperol, and orange marmalade) alongside New American cuisine. Made from scratch with local, seasonal ingredients, dishes here are often cooked with a Mexican plancha or wood-fired oven for added flair. Don’t miss the pastured chicken with wood-roasted seasonal vegetables, and the patatas bravas with spicy tomato sauce and roasted garlic aioli.

After helming two restaurants in Los Angeles, native Santa Fe chef John Sedlar returns to his grandmother’s New Mexican cuisine at Eloisa. The whitewashed, minimal, brick-exposed space serves as a temple for savory empanaditas, sopes, tamales, posole, tortillas made with fresh masa, and creative jicama and guacamole tacos with flower petals. To sip, tequila and mezcal cocktails are crafted by Dede Roybal, a bartending genius. You won’t be disappointed. All dishes are expertly and artistically plated. Afterward, stretch your legs walking around downtown Santa Fe—Eloisa’s locale couldn’t be any more convenient.

In a city where hoagies are everywhere, how can a visitor know which is the best? Ask a local where they buy their hoagies, and chances are their answer will be Primo. The Primo Italian hoagie, for anyone new to these signature Philadelphia foods, is a classic. Winner of multiple awards, Primo Hoagies has locations all around Philly, and boasts an extensive menu featuring sandwiches of many sizes. The offerings include creative meatless options such as the Veggie Diablo (eggplant, sharp provolone, broccoli rabe, and long hot peppers); make sure to try a side of olive salad. Buon appetito!