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In 2016, one of San Diego’s most seasoned restaurant managers decided to open his first solo project, bringing Campfire to Carlsbad. The eatery is dedicated to the art of live-fire cooking and draws inspiration from famed Argentine chef Francis Mallmann. In the kitchen, executive chef Andrew Bachelier uses a custom 12-foot hearth, powered by a Grillworks grill named Grace, to cook dishes like manila clams with smoked pork belly, and brisket with cornbread purée. Located in a former auto repair shop, the restaurant features quirky design elements like a Quonset-style corrugated-metal arch sourced from nearby Camp Pendleton and dating back to World War II.

Downshift on this groovy Gulf Island, just a 35-minute seaplane ride from the city. Here, artist studios abound, as do makers of artisanal food and beverages. Classic stops include the summertime Saturday Market, the Blue Horse Folk Art Gallery, and the farmstead tasting room at Salt Spring Island Cheese. Hikers can get their fix at Ruckle, a lovely provincial park with 4.3 miles of coves, tide pools, and rocky headlands, while scuba divers can drift offshore, admiring octopuses and lacy fields of plumose anemones. No car? No problem. The islands have a designated hitchhiking program; just wait for a pickup at the “Car Stop” signs.

The old shipyard at the island of Brännö, 20 minutes by boat from Saltholmen, is a good summer hangout. The shipyard itself has been around since 1949, but in recent years has started arranging concerts and has opened a laid-back restaurant/bar for when the yard itself is emptied of boats during summer. Local bands play while summer visitors and year-round inhabitants gather to enjoy the music in the open-air setting. The Brännö Varv also has B&B facilities if you don’t feel like leaving. And there is a real chance you won’t!

Easily one of the most popular outdoor attractions in Philly, Spruce Street Harbor Park was originally created as a pop-up park and quickly became a blockbuster hit with locals and visitors alike. Situated along the Delaware River waterfront just steps from Penns Landing, the park offers activities for all ages and is a fabulous place to relax (hammocks included!). In no particular order, visitors can enjoy the beer garden, food truck outposts of the renowned Franklin Fountain ice cream parlor, Federal Donuts and Garces restaurants, a bocce court, shuffle ball, kayaks, paddleboats, an arcade, and an urban beach. With so many fun activities, the park is truly fun for all, and is prettiest at night when the multi-colored lights illuminate the park and reflect on the water. Spruce Street Harbor Park is a seasonal attraction, open summer through fall (May through September, exact dates vary).

The largest museum in Hawaii studies and preserves the history of the islands and the Pacific—for those interested in local culture, it’s a must. The Victorian building originally housed family heirlooms from Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last direct descendant of King Kamehameha I, including her ancestor’s royal feathered cape. Today the Bishop teems with more than 24 million artifacts, documents, and photos about Hawaii and other Polynesian cultures. Other highlights include everyday items, like combs made from coconut-leaf ribs, and extraordinary ones, like the leiomano (a shark-tooth-studded weapon kept hidden until battle). Don’t miss the 55-foot sperm whale skeleton and other natural-history exhibits, along with a planetarium showing how voyagers navigated the Pacific, guided by the stars.

Opened in 2011, Reykjavík’s Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre is not only the most significant classical music venue in Iceland (home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera), but also one of the country’s most striking examples of modern architecture. Located close to the old harbor, the building was part of a larger development meant to breathe life into the downtown district (the plan was abandoned due to the subsequent economic crash, but funds to complete Harpa were found). The coruscating, eye-catching facade was designed by Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, and the spacious interior has four handsome halls, the largest of which can accommodate up to 1,800 seated guests. There are also smaller conference rooms dotted throughout the building, and the ground floor hosts a record shop, café and restaurant, and other public areas. In addition to classical concerts, the venue holds music festivals, pop shows, art exhibitions, and more.

Perhaps the most medically-minded of Korean beauty brands (or at least with packaging and stores that look that way), Mediheal products are said to promote clean and healthy skin, and are supposedly recommended by primary care physicians. The sterile looking location on the Myeongdong shopping street has a hospital-like feel, and the staff is very knowledgeable about caring for skin that is dry, oily or otherwise a problem. Mask sheets come in packaging that resembles capsules or IV bags, and there are other clever gimmicks such as BB cream that comes with what looks like a miniature paint roller—to apply the cream of course. Myeongdong Shopping Street

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.

Up until the end of World War I in 1918, the Hofburg was the center of the Habsburg dynasty and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The massive complex includes the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (National Library), Schatzkammer (Imperial Treasury), and, the most recent addition, the Neue Burg, completed in 1913. A visit should include the Imperial Apartments, each lavishly decorated in Baroque and Rococo styles, and the Sisi Museum, covering the life of Austria’s beloved (and actually Bavarian) Empress. It is also the official seat of the president of Austria.

The Berns knows how to party. A Gilded Age palace of luxury and hospitality in the center of Stockholm, the opulent building began life in 1863 as a restaurant, before transforming into a hot nightlife spot. When it was reinvented as a decadent boutique hotel filled with understatedly luxurious modern decor (there’s that signature Scandinavian style), the Berns combined those pasts, opening not only one of the city’s top restaurants—in a previous iteration, Asiatiska was Sweden’s first Chinese restaurant—but some of its coolest bars and dance clubs, one of its most sought-after concert venues, and some of its most exclusive electronic music clubs. Suffice it to say that, although the gilded, airy main bar and dining room is always lively, filled with attractive, designer-clad Swedes, the building practically buzzes come evening. Not that any of this scene disturbs the rooms upstairs, because the second most important part of a good night out is a good sleep, and the Berns doesn’t disappoint there, either.

Yo, ho, ho and oh, my! Up on Government Hill, this watchtower, built circa 1678, is known as Blackbeard’s Castle and is literally the stuff of legends. Although it’s open for debate whether the notorious pirate ever used the five-story tower as a lookout, one thing is for certain: Its views are tops. Nearby the flower-lined 99 Steps (technically there are 103), built in the 18th century of ship-ballast brick, lead from historic Kongens Quarter to some more terrific views of the island.

What began in pre-war Italy as two small workshops in the Palazzo Spini Feroni on Via Tornabuoni has grown into a fashion empire and a brand synonymous with Hollywood glamour. A museum dedicated to the craftsmanship of Salvatore Ferragamo opened in this grand palazzo in 1995. The collection includes the wooden lasts, or forms, that Ferragamo used to shape shoes for stars like Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Sophia Loren. Glass cases display some of the company’s colorful and iconic creations—many that seem more sculpture than shoe. There is also a small space that hosts contemporary art exhibitions.

This lovely state park stretches along the rugged volcanic shoreline of western Maui, three miles from Hana. It’s best explored on the 2.2-mile hike that starts at the black-sand beach and follows the dramatic coast, passing lava tubes, rock arches, blowholes, and Polynesia’s largest heiau (an ancient Hawaiian temple) along the way. Avoid standing too close to the geysers as well as the lava benches near the ocean, which can crumble easily, and watch out for high surf. If you’re looking to cool down after your trek, take the loop trail to the park’s freshwater caves, where you can explore two separate chambers (the first tends to be clearer and more inviting).

Since it was built back in 1976, the CN Tower has topped the must-visit list of most Toronto tourists. Until recently, a visit was pretty standard; hop in elevator, shoot up to the observation deck, and ogle the city from a hawk’s vantage point. While this was certainly fine and enjoyable, the since-developed EdgeWalk experience has ramped up the Tower’s bucket-list potential. Thrill-seekers can now do a hands-free, breezy circumnavigation of the tower’s roof, up at 1,168 feet. And, yes, they do perform sky-high weddings complete with elasticized rings and special attire for the big day.

If you’re in Madrid and in the mood for tapas, you might not know exactly where to go or what to taste. The Mercado San Miguel (metro Sol) takes away all that decision-making by providing you with a taste experience all under one roof. The old, derelict market was renovated just a few years ago and turned into an upmarket culinary emporium of sorts. It has more than 30 food stalls, each selling something different. My favorite is the bellota ham sold at Carrasco, but there is plenty more. You can sample sherries and Rioja wines at the wine bar, or do as Spaniards do and pick away at tapas as you make your way through the market. I highly recommend the croquettes, or croquetas, in one of the outside alleys: they have ham, chicken, shrimp, cheese and a variety of others. The more standard tapas area easy to find, like tortilla, and seafood is beautifully laid out for you to pick and choose. Right in the middle is my top-rated tapa place. I couldn’t find a name for it but it’s the largest counter, shaped like a U, and has everything from potatoes aioli to steamed razor clams, with everything in-between.