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Originally opened in 1946 as a luxury hideaway for the rich and famous, the Hotel Bel-Air’s brilliance as a Hollywood icon has, if anything, increased since its renovation, finished in 2011, by the renowned design teams at Alexandra Champalimaud and the Rockwell Group. Surrounded by 12 acres of fragrant, exotic gardens, the decadent rooms have housed everyone from Grace Kelly to Oprah, from Richard Nixon to the Prince of Wales, all of whom sought serene privacy—and the staff’s renowned discretion.

Summer afternoons in New Mexico come with thunderstorms--curtains of rain across the vast semi-arid landscape, bringing out the wildflowers ... About an hour west of Albuquerque, (take State Route 23 south from I-40), you’ll see “Enchanted Mesa,” presiding 430ft/130m over the surrounding valley. According to Acoma legend, this was the site of their original pueblo, which had to be abandoned when a thunderstorm washed away the only way up-and-down the cliffs...The ‘new’ pueblo is a few miles to the south, on a slightly lower sandstone mesa; it’s been continuously inhabited since the 1100’s...

Hawaiians once lived in harmony with the land: farming, fishing, and harvesting fruit. Today, the state imports 80 to 90 percent of its food. Visit Kaloko-Honokōhau to catch a glimpse of the Big Island’s ancient agricultural traditions, which residents are working hard to revitalize. The park’s landscape of rugged rock contains more than 200 archaeological sites, ranging from fishponds and elevated planters to petroglyphs, lava-tube shelters, and hōlua (toboggan-like slides). Watch for native species like the fragrant pua pilo flower and the endangered Hawaiian stilt, a subspecies of the black-necked stilt. A sugar-white beach stretches north from Honokōhau’s boat harbor and often attracts sea turtles.

Somewhere between a hip designer’s loft and a rock star’s party pad, the Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles is located in the Spanish Gothic–style United Artists building built in 1927 for actor and producer Mary Pickford and her team of silver screen stars. The hotel was painstakingly designed to showcase both historic and contemporary artistry, from Noguchi lamps and Pendleton blankets in loftlike rooms to original art deco floors and hand-drawn portraits of famous Angelenos on the restaurant’s walls.

A buzz surrounds the Smyth, located smack in the heart of TriBeCa, with its recent reinvention: Chef Andrew Carmellini has revitalized the restaurant space, making it a destination for diners from across the city, and a redesign from Gachot Studios has brought a fresh feel to the decor. The new residential-feeling lobby is meant to be your TriBeCa living room, with all the neighborhood’s shopping, galleries, spas, Michelin-rated restaurants, and attractions right on the doorstep. One of downtown’s most poignant landmarks, the 9/11 Memorial, is a few short blocks away. Mirroring the neighborhood’s style, this hotel is understated and chic. Grab a stool next to TriBeCa’s designers, filmmakers, and photographers for a cocktail at the Evening Bar.

Blueberry Boy Bait may sound like a B-side song from an alternative band, but it’s actually just an ice cream flavor offered by Humphry Slocombe, a small shop in the Mission District. Owner and former pastry chef Jake Godby has made the name Humphry Slocombe synonymous with flavors and ingredients not often found in ice cream or sorbet. Case in point: best-seller Secret Breakfast, the flavor that launched a thousand Humphry Slocombe fans, a combo of homemade cornflakes and bourbon. Traditionalists will be happy to find “normal” flavors, too, but it’s Godby’s “march to your own drum” ethos that brings out his best work and keeps people lining up for creative scoops. Pick up a copy of The Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream Book, with 40 recipes you can re-create at home.

Carmen lies at the crossroads where quality, creativity, and sustainability (plus every other big-city culinary trend) meet. The namesake proprietress, alongside musician husband Rob Pevitts (both San Francisco Cordon Bleu graduates), is the genius who imported the restaurant’s California-sybarite style to Cartagena. She also brought a passion for everything that comes from the sea, and even imported her father, who’s responsible for serving up crab, lobster, fish, and octopus in line with standards he picked up on his many travels in New York and Japan.

When Domingo Ghirardelli immigrated to the United States in 1849, he planned to strike it rich in the California Gold Rush. Unsuccessful, he opened a store in Stockton selling supplies and some confections to other hopeful miners. Flash forward a few years (and failed businesses), and Ghirardelli opened another confectionary company called Ghirardely & Girard, which would lay the foundation for today’s Ghirardelli Chocolate Company.

Chocolate was made on San Francisco‘s northern waterfront for many years but eventually moved out of the city. Luckily the buildings still stand, including the historic power plant with clock tower. Two floors were added to a warehouse in 1923, and atop those the famous 15-foot-high letters spelling out “Ghirardelli.” Though the company continues to make chocolate, it is no longer owned by the Ghirardelli family.

Still, there are plenty of reasons to visit the brick buildings that have been transformed into a thriving marketplace with restaurants—including our favorite, an upscale dim sum restaurant, Palette Tea House—, art galleries, shops, a winetasting room, and of course, a place to taste and buy Ghirardelli chocolate, a true San Francisco original. The square also hosts some popular San Francisco events, including an annual Christmas tree lighting and a chocolate festival held each September.

Though the DR isn’t traditionally known for its surfing, the little town of Cabarete (a 30-minute drive from the Puerto Plata airport) is fast becoming a hot spot for newbies and those wanting to take their board skills to a new level. Cabarete boasts several surf camps including SWELL, “a purpose-built surf camp” that attracts surfers and wannabe surfers from all corners of the globe. A cross between a hostel and a just-the-basics boutique hotel, the camp has co-ed quad dorms and private rooms accommodating some two dozen travelers of all ages — a healthy mix of singles and couples, mostly urban professionals. Days here start really early, but what does it matter when you’re on the water catching waves? (There’s always the rest of the day to make up for that lost shut-eye.) Once you’re done with your surfboard, wander into Cabarete to grab a cerveza and a bite. Be sure to check out the town’s other favorite pastime, kitesurfing. Just look to the sky.

I wouldn’t recommend doing the Ute Trail hike on your first day in Aspen, especially if you come from sea level, but it is definitely a must see. Known as one of the harder hikes in Aspen, it is short but sweet. You traverse up the side of Aspen Mountain on steep switchbacks and just when you think you can’t do one more switchback and your lungs are about to burst you come to a precipice with one of the best views of the town of Aspen. It should take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to get to this point. From here you can keep hiking to the top of Aspen Mountain and take the Silver Queen Gondola down, which is about another hour and 30 minutes, or trek down the way you came on the Ute Trail.

If you are a fan of the old-fashioned brick-and-mortar bookstore, then you’ll be in heaven at the Strand, on Broadway at 12th Street. The store boasts that it has 2.5 million books, or 18 miles of them. While we aren’t sure how they measured books in miles, if you are looking for something to read, you are sure to find it here on one of the emporium’s two levels. Most of the goods here are used, though the Strand also has new copies of all the latest popular releases. There is also a separate rare-book room for serious collectors in the building next door (ask at the information desk for directions). The Strand also hosts regular signings and readings.

Opened in 1891, the city’s oldest hotel is a throwback to a bygone era. Individually decorated guest rooms combine old-fashioned details, like claw-foot tubs and antique wood headboards, with modern amenities like USB ports and Bose sound systems; other nods to the past include vintage brass keys with tassels and a second-floor writing desk with functional typewriter (rest assured the front desk will stamp and mail your letter faster than the Pony Express). Inspired by a bar on the Queen Mary, the Art Deco Cruise Room was Denver’s first drinking establishment to open after Prohibition; today it’s known for its collaborations with local distilleries and classic cocktails. Follow them up with the confit chicken pops at the Urban Farmer restaurant, or call it a night and wake early for a honey exfoliating scrub or chocolate-ginger wrap at the on-site spa.

The mecca of bodybuilding in the United States is Venice Beach, California. Venice Beach is the place where Gold’s Gym was founded, and the epicenter of it all is here at Muscle Beach. Between the boardwalk and the sand you will find an amazing outdoor gym full of bodybuilding equipment and larger than life, fitness-crazed men and women. On July 4th of each year, there’s a fierce competition—open to all amateur athletes—to crown Mr. and Mrs. Muscle Beach. Watch the fun festivities, spot some celebrities, and then stroll the world-famous Venice Beach boardwalk.

If “exploring a new city” is the phrase you use to justify the search for candy you’ve never tasted before, we understand your particular hunger. Here are some of our favorite sweet shops from around the world to help you map your future journeys.

From centuries-old restaurants and coffeehouses to trendy new bistros, Vienna’s culinary scene is like the city itself—managing to be both classic and cool at once. Whatever your personal style, you won’t want to leave without trying some of its famous desserts, including the legendary Sacher torte.