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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.

The UAE is one of the most multicultural countries in the world and its largest city Dubai the most cosmopolitan. Indians make up one of the largest population groups and have a long history in Dubai dating to its early years as a tiny trading port when most Indians arrived as merchants. My Indian friends in the UAE always swore Dubai had the most authentic Indian food outside India and after 8 years eating it there I can assure you they weren’t exaggerating. It was my go-to for take-away, the food being so good and so cheap there was no reason to cook it at home. My favorite Indian eateries weren’t in hotels but on gritty backstreets in my old Bur Dubai neighborhood -- an area few tourists explore after they’ve done the sights and shopped the souqs. Farida Ahmed, sister of Arva Ahmed, who started Frying Pan Adventures, Dubai’s first culinary walking tours, runs a mouthwatering foodie tour of the Meena Bazaar area, Dubai’s Little India. During the four-hour foodie walk, which will take you through the bustling area, bursting with Bollywood CD and DVD shops, cheap electronics stores, textile shops, and an abundance of simple family-owned eateries, you’ll try everything from fried street food snacks, such as samosas, and piping hot Indian naan breads to Dubai’s best chicken tikka and spice-infused drinks. As with Arva’s Middle Eastern food tour, during the balmy winter months Farida leads you on foot and during the sultrier period uses an air-conditioned car. A must.

Reasonably priced food is somewhat hard to come by in the upscale hamlet of Lake Louise, which is why Bill Peyto’s Café is such a find. Located in the HI Lake Louise Alpine Centre hostel and within walking distance of the Samson Mall, Peyto’s has a sizable dining room and an outdoor patio that’s perfect for relaxing on warm, sunny days. The menu is almost as vast as a classic Greek diner’s, including everything from a Thai stir-fry to a traditional poutine, but its dishes are executed flawlessly. (If you’re looking for standard pub fare, you can choose from plenty of burger options.) Servings are generous and cheap, meaning you’ll want to arrive early to lock down a table—especially in the summer.

The Piazza Della Repubblica was the place to be in Florence in the evenings. Tourists and locals alike dined at the restaurants lining the square, student groups gathered, families enjoyed the Carousel, and gypsies and other migrants tried to sell everything from silk scarves to toys..right up until the police arrived and they all magically disappeared.

While Jamaica has several “great houses"—former plantation houses—the Rose Hall Great House, outside Montego Bay, is one of its most visited. Set on beautiful grounds towering over the Caribbean, this 18th-century Georgian home was once owned by Annie Palmer. While touring, you’ll hear the legend that tour guides like to tell—that Palmer, nicknamed the “White Witch of Rose Hall,” was a cruel slave owner who tortured and killed many of her workers, some of whom were her lovers, before eventually being murdered in her sleep. There’s no truth to that story, but it adds to the eerie atmosphere of the property. In fact, haunted house night tours of Rose Hall Great House are offered.

A-ji-shi is a stand-up sushi bar located in Taipei’s Shidong Market. There’s only a fixed menu and it is pricey by local standards. But the fish is fresh and the sushiman well-trained.

Just down the beach from the dreamy Rancho Pescadero hotel is Baja’s popular San Pedrito surf break. I paddled in just in time to get this dreamy shot of the clouds melting into the horizon.

The serenity of the Meiji Jingu Shrine is a notable contrast to the crowds of Harajuku hipsters just beyond the giant torii gates. The Shinto shrine complex, which was dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken in 1920, is inside a forest that shuts out the noise and energy of the city. This temple is a popular site for celebratory events such as weddings and children’s festivals, so chances are good that visitors will happen upon families dressed up in traditional kimonos.

Fontana di Trevi is, as it should be, one of the most visited landmarks in Rome. Seeing it is worth the blind stumble through narrow stone streets and alleyways. But do so at night (and in the rain, if possible) to be rewarded with the stunning sight of the immense baroque fountain lit before a dark and shining background, like a scene from a Fellini movie. This is when the Trevi Fountain is at her most beautiful and most magical self.

Full of wild scenery, fascinating history, and delicious local food, Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park is a Scottish treasure. At the center of the park is Loch Lomond, the largest body of freshwater in the U.K., featuring ample recreation (everything from kayaking and canoeing to jet-skiing), 30 islands (visit Inchconnachan in spring to see a blanket of bluebells), and miles of bonnie banks (for strolling in the shadow of Ben Lomond). Beyond the lake, the park is packed with interesting corners to explore, from the lush landscapes of the southern section to the sprawling glens and rocky peaks in the north. For the best views, cycle the challenging Loch Eck Loop, or hike the craggy Cobbler. Also worth seeking out are villages like Balmaha, national scenic areas such as Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, and more off-the-beaten-track areas like the Cowal Peninsula and Breadalbane.

Manhattan can, famously, feel like endless rows of apartment blocks and office towers for most of its length. At least above 14th Street, a regular grid of streets and avenues, bisected only by Broadway, has transformed the city into a dream for real estate developers. The green spaces interrupting the pattern—Union Square, Gramercy Park, Madison Square Park—are few and far between, with one enormous exception: Central Park. Running from 59th Street to 110th Street, and between Central Park West (Eighth Avenue) and Fifth Avenue, it is one of the world’s largest urban parks, measuring some 843 acres. It is the masterpiece of the 19th-century landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted working in collaboration with Calvert Vaux. Inside its borders are stately allées and naturalistic scenes, ice-skating rinks (in the winter), an enormous reservoir, and a faux castle. The park is hugely popular, and so to call it an escape from the bustle of the city is often not accurate, especially on mild summer days and the first warm ones in the spring when thousands of residents head to its playing fields, bike and run along the road that loops the park, and enjoy picnics on the Sheep Meadow or one of its other lawns.

Mexican food is extremely varied, and even just considering the cuisine of the state of Oaxaca, there is great diversity. The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is where the land thins to the narrowest strip between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. Here the weather is hot and sultry and the food has its own distinct flavors. Zandunga restaurant in Oaxaca city serves specialties from the Isthmus region, including some seafood dishes, and a few kinds of mole. You’ll also find an impressive list of over 60 types of mezcal. All meals begin with complimentary totopos (the regional tortilla chips) and minilla (spicy fishmeal), and salsa. Then take your pick of items from the menu. Maybe some molotes de platano or garnachas to start, and then the enchiladas with two types of mole for the main course. It’s all muy sabroso.

The building in which the Museo del Palacio is housed was the main building of the Oaxaca state government until it was converted into a museum in 2008. Located on the south side of Oaxaca’s Zocalo, the green quarry stone building itself is quite lovely. There’s a mural on the main staircase that was painted by Arturo Garcia Bustos that depicts three phases of Mexican history, with the prehispanic period depicted on the far left, the colonial period on the right and independent Mexico in the central panel. Benito Juarez and his wife Margarita Maza figure prominently in the central panel, and other important figures in Mexican history are depicted below them. The museum has many interactive exhibits that are good for kids, as well as some interesting displays about Oaxaca’s natural and cultural diversity.

Why We Love It It’s a stylish haven in the heart of Nashville’s entertainment center. Highlights -Cycling fiends will appreciate the Peloton bikes in the third-floor fitness center. -The Terrace Suite comes with its own outdoor grill; any cookout catastrophes can be ameliorated by an on-call Barbecue Butler. -Don’t miss the speakeasy-style entrance to the nightclub Dirty Little Secret, through an All Saints retail shop on Printer’s Alley. Nashville’s transformation from honky tonk dive to urban playground is complete with the latest outpost of the Dream brand. Housed in two historic buildings on Printer’s Alley, the 168 rooms are neither a little bit country nor rock and roll, but rather art deco–inspired with deep blue walls, burled-wood armoires, overdyed oushak rugs, and Japanese-style marbled wall coverings. The central location makes it an easy walk to Ryman Auditorium, the Broadway strip, and the Frist Art Museum, but do hurry back before dark. The hotel has six splashy dining and drinking options, including the brasserie-style Stateside Kitchen, a late-night sandwich shop, a DJ-fueled nightclub, and a dimly lit cocktail bar serving local craft beers and inventive libations into the wee hours.

The Palm Springs Art Museum features a sophisticated collection of contemporary art including works from Picasso, Warhol, and Lichtenstein. The museum itself is pleasing to the eye and is home to 28 galleries, two sculpture gardens, a cafe, gift store, lecture hall, theater, and various rooms and resource centers. Specializing in the contemporary, including paintings, glasswork, photography, and design, the museum is a serene environment to enliven the mind.