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An active parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá remains a tranquil place of worship and reflection. Regardless of your religious beliefs, the first of California’s 21 missions is well worth a visit for its extensive history. It was originally constructed in Presidio Park in 1769 but moved inland to its current site just five years later. Records show that it was the first place in California to cultivate olives; tree cuttings from this mission would later be used to found olive groves at other missions around the state. It’s also home to the grave of Father Luis Jayme, the state’s first Catholic martyr; he was killed when American Indians stormed the mission in 1775 and is now buried next to the altar. Destroyed many times over, the mission was most recently rebuilt in the 1930s, but looks as it would have in the early 1800s.

The most rugged, sketchy roads always seem to lead to the best surf breaks. This photo captures the early morning drive over the hill to Cerritos beach in Baja Mexico. Down below I discovered perfect, glassy rights and only a few early risers in the water. In the distance at the point is Hacienda Cerritos, a boutique hotel from which you can stumble out of bed and down to the surf. Mario Beceril, a Baja native, runs a great surf school from the beach for anyone who needs a lesson. mariosurfschool.com

Why we love it: A photogenic inn that draws design aficionados to Saguaro National Park

Highlights:
- Design-forward suites with fireplaces and private patios
- A scenic location right on Saguaro National Park
- Unique amenities like a chef’s kitchen and yoga room

The Review:
This five-suite inn, set on 40 acres bordering the western side of Saguaro National Park, comes courtesy of Sara and Rich Combs, known for their popular Joshua Tree House rental. Just 30 minutes from Tucson, the whitewashed adobe property draws the desert sunshine indoors, where it dances with rough-hewn beams and terra-cotta-hued textiles. A variety of potted plants help connect the chic, design-forward interiors with the surrounding desert, while a 5,000-square-foot patio blurs the lines between indoors and out. Available to rent through Airbnb, all rooms feature fireplaces and refrigerators, and most have private patios or balconies.

Book a single suite or buy out the whole property for an event, workshop, or reunion, then take advantage of amenities like a pool, rooftop lounge, chef’s kitchen, dining patio, fire pit, yoga room, and projector for movie nights. While Posada intends to add a chef-in-residence program, it doesn’t currently offer food service, so plan to pack groceries and grill outside, cook in one of the kitchens, or head out to a local restaurant like the Ocotillo Café at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, just 10 minutes away.

Why we love it: A top-notch glamping resort near the Grand Canyon’s South Rim entrance

Highlights:
- Spacious, cabin-style safari tents with king beds and stoves
- Adventure concierges to help make the most of your Grand Canyon visit
- An on-site restaurant that serves all three meals

The Review:
Open from early April to mid-November, this resort pitches luxurious, cabin-style tents on the striking pink-and-scarlet desert. Even the basic Safari tents feature king-size beds and wood-burning stoves, though guests who opt for these accommodations must use the communal bathhouse for hot showers and flushing toilets. Suites up the ante with en suite bathrooms and private decks, while Stargazer options include king-size beds under arched viewing windows.

While Under Canvas goes light on brick-and-mortar amenities, it delivers plenty in the way of rustic charm and modern conveniences. Expect daily housekeeping, organic bath products, and USB battery packs in your tent, plus complimentary camp activities and a fire pit with nightly s’mores. The adventure concierges can also arrange hiking, mountain-biking, horseback-riding, and white-water rafting excursions as well as canyon helicopter tours and Jeep safaris in the Kaibab National Forest, during which guests can spot elk and turkey while exploring native petroglyphs, old stagecoach trails, and the area’s spectacular geology. When hunger strikes, head to the on-site restaurant for everything from breakfast burritos and boxed lunches to pan-roasted trout and grass-fed burgers.

Why we love it: An intimate property with updated rooms and a historic restaurant

The Highlights:
- Newly renovated rooms and amenities
- An iconic restaurant with live piano music at night
- Convenient shuttles to Bald Mountain and Ketchum

The Review:
Located next door to the extravagant Sun Valley Lodge, the intimate Sun Valley Inn provides a quieter, less flashy retreat. Don’t expect drab accommodations, however. All 97 rooms were refurbished for the 2018–19 winter season with irresistibly comfy beds and sumptuous carpeting. The iconic Ram restaurant and bar were also remodeled, while preserving their extensive woodwork (the building dates from 1937, when Sun Valley became one of the first ski resorts in North America). Amid antler chandeliers, Austrian cowbells, and velvet drapery, diners enjoy steaks and fondue—minus any canned Muzak. Come evening, a pianist tickles the ivories of the Ram’s baby grand. The restaurant also offers a rotating lineup of “heritage dinners,” which highlight the Ram’s historic favorites, such as Hungarian goulash (on Saturdays) and schnitzel (Wednesdays).

The inn’s meeting spaces attract conventioneers, and the heated pool appeals to families with school-aged kids. Teens also enjoy roaming the resort campus, which extends beyond the Sun Valley Lodge to Dollar Mountain (Sun Valley’s original ski hill that now includes beginner slopes and a terrain park). Guests can also hop on the buses connecting the Sun Valley Inn to Ketchum’s downtown and to Bald Mountain, Sun Valley’s main ski area.

Fleetwood Mac front man Mick Fleetwood is behind this bar and restaurant, located on a third-floor rooftop in Lahaina. Here, guests sip drinks under beige umbrellas while taking in views of the dreamy blue Pacific. To pair with award-winning cocktails like the Heart of the Jungle (Cynar, Velvet Falernum, coconut rum, and lemon juice), which comes in a tiki artichoke, executive chef Eric Morrissette serves a menu of elevated bar bites, fresh local fish, and meatier dishes like filet mignon with peppercorn reduction. If you’re not a cocktail person, know that the robust drink menu also features beers from Maui Brewing Co. and Kohola Brewing as well as exclusive wines like Krug Brut from Reims, Luberri Gran Reserva rioja, and even a Chateau Musar red blend from Lebanon.

Why we love it: A pedigreed stay that perfectly marries fin de siècle charm with modern luxury

The Highlights:
- A French Renaissance–style building designed by America’s first female professional architect
- Fireplaces and deep-soaking tubs in some rooms
- An in-house craft brewery that serves pints in a “bar-cade” with pinball machines

The Review:
When The Lafayette opened in 1904, it was immediately hailed as one of the country’s finest hotels. America’s first female professional architect, Louise Blanchard Bethune designed the seven-story, redbrick-and-white-terra-cotta property to blend “the best that science, art, and experience can offer for the traveling public,” which at the time meant telephones and hot water in every room. Renovations in the late 1940s introduced several Art Deco elements that still remain, while a 2012 restoration helped bring the hotel into the modern era.

Today, The Lafayette is part of the Wyndham Hotel Group’s Trademark Hotel Collection and features 13,500 square feet of meeting space. It’s also home to a 15-barrel craft brewery, where guests can enjoy beers and pub fare while playing arcade games; a small-batch coffee roastery with freshly baked pastries; and an outpost of Groom Service Beauty & Dry Bar for blow-outs, professional makeup, manicures, and more. The 57 rooms and suites feature wall murals of vintage photos, designed to complement a palette of plum, brown, and dusty gold. Some have fireplaces, deep-soaking tubs, and full kitchens, too. If you’re looking to indulge, book the Lafayette Suite, which includes a Juliet balcony, double-sided hearth, and dining table suitable for large gatherings.

Opened in 1963, Gene McCarthy’s is a Buffalo institution. Nestled in the shadows of towering grain silos next to long-abandoned railway tracks, it’s a snapshot of the city as it once was, done up in pub tables, Irish tchotchkes, and photos of favorite locals. While not much has changed in the past five decades, the tavern did switch hands in 2012, and new owners Bill Metzger and Matt Conron decided to expand the business by adding a brewery. Now, Old First Ward Brewing Company produces more than 40 different beers on-site, then offers some on tap in Gene’s. The whole operation is the opposite of flashy, but it’s exactly what you want from a Buffalo dive bar. Visit in summer and you can even sip your suds in the seasonal beer garden, which features live music every Saturday night starting at 7 p.m.

Why we love it: A hipster hotspot that’s as stylish as it is affordable

Highlights:
- A range of room types for all travelers
- Local hangouts like the on-site diner and pool bar
- A prime location in one of Austin’s coolest neighborhoods

The Review:
While locals are committed to keeping Austin weird, there’s nothing strange about the new East Austin Hotel, a soon-to-be hipster haunt where millennial pink accents and midcentury chic mix with details that embody the city’s independent spirit. Here, guests find a variety of accommodations to suit all types of travelers, from cabin rooms with shared bathrooms to poolside suites with private balconies, but all feature Scandi-inspired furnishings and quirky touches like turtle-shaped ottomans, Moroccan pillows, and retro Victrola radios.

Vintage pendants hang over the bar at on-site restaurant Sixth & Waller, a self-described “global diner” that serves international comfort food like family-style latkes, chicken-fried steak, and mango cream pie. Equally stylish is The Upside, a rooftop bar with cocktails inspired by the Caribbean and Central and South America, and Pool Bar, which welcomes both guests and locals with frozen drinks and Instagram-friendly dishes like gochujang queso and jackfruit bánh mi. The hotel also boasts a stylish gift shop with local gifts like handcrafted ceramics and leather goods, but if you’d rather venture out, stop by the concierge desk and grab a curated map that highlights neighborhood hotspots with live music, authentic food, and more.

In its seeming pursuit for consideration as the Platonic ideal of a dive bar, the Rec Room ticks off many boxes: the bar sits in the grimy shadow of a highway overpass, prides itself on selling more cans of PBR than any other bar in the U.S., and is truly dark inside. So dark. The majority of the illumination seems to come from television screens, pinball machines, the fluorescent fixture that hangs low over the pool table, and the light from the street when the front door opens to let in someone who’s been outside smoking. In short, the bar is deliciously down-market without being skeevy. You will find Charleston locals from every walk of life, especially on game days when the televisions—including one playing to the smokers the front patio—are all tuned to football. Come early or late, order a Pabst Blue Ribbon, watch a game, play some foosball or pool, order tater tot nachos, and experience the appeal of a dive bar in a town where propriety and manners rule.

Why we love it: A family-oriented resort where you can disconnect together

The Highlights:
- A ruggedly beautiful setting where the forest meets the lake
- Family-friendly activities like hiking, boating, and fishing
- A relaxed vibe that allows for disconnecting from the daily grind

The Review:
The most remote drive-in resort in northern Minnesota, Big Lake Wilderness Lodge transports guests to summer vacations of a bygone era. Surrounded by the Superior National Forest and a short walk or paddle from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the property focuses on simple pleasures, from lake views and starry skies to clean air, pure water, and freshly caught fish. Here, guests can hike on nearby trails; hit the lake in a kayak, canoe, or paddleboat; spend the day fishing for walleye; or simply relax lakeside and take in the scenery. On especially clear nights, you can even see the northern lights.

Pet-friendly cabins include well-equipped kitchens as well as picnic tables, Weber grills, and patio furniture. Most feature satellite TV, and the newly remodeled Horizon and Call of the Loon cabins come with a free pontoon boat rental. Plan a romantic getaway in a lakeshore studio cabin, or bring the whole brood to a two-bedroom or family-size option. When you’re ready to socialize, there’s a communal lodge with free Wi-Fi, TV, books, games, and a snow cone maker, as well as a wading beach with a water trampoline offshore. In case you forgot anything or need some tackle and live bait, there’s also a store stocked with the essentials for a week of family fun.

Attached to the hip, retro Calistoga Motor Lodge, MoonAcre Spa & Bath welcomes hotel guests and non-guests over 16 years of age to experience its fun and funky spa. If you’re looking for a soak in one of the area’s natural geothermal hot springs, there are three pools to choose from at MoonAcre, as well as facials, scrubs, and massages galore. The Perfectly Muddled treatment takes the town’s famous mud baths—which typically call for spa-goers to submerge themselves in warm, sticky mud—and instead allow guests to apply the exfoliating mud themselves or have the spa attendant do so, making the mud “bath” a more personalized and, honestly, slightly more comfortable experience. For ultra relaxation, try a CBD massage featuring cannabidiol, an extract derived from cannabis. Stop by for Happy Spa Hour between 4-6 p.m. on Wednesdays, or, for frequent visitors, check out the newly launched Spa Club Memberships. MoonAcre is great for groups, too, with plenty of room to enjoy a friends’ getaway weekend. Treatments start at $70.

When it opened in 2016, Playa Largo, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, was Key Largo’s first new luxury hotel in 21 years, and its casual, sun-drenched luxury was a welcome addition to the mellow Upper Keys. The resort’s 177 rooms and suites offer a range of accommodations—most with great bay views. Upgrade to one of the ten bungalows for a private back porch surrounded by lush gardens and a second-level balcony. For ultimate privacy—and luxury—book the Beach House with three master bedrooms, wrap-around balconies, a private pool, event lawn, and private beach. The property’s four restaurants (the toes-in-the-sand Sand Bar is ideal for watching sunset), spa, fitness center, pool, and beach offer plenty of ways to relax, or partake in activities like snorkeling, diving, kayaking, paddleboarding, parasailing, fishing, sailing, or a glass-bottomed boat ride. Pro tip: Hobnob with the school of more than 100 tarpon that linger near the resort by hand-feeding them from the resort dock.

Both charming and affordable (it doesn’t charge a resort fee), this intimate 37-room property also has an unbeatable central location—near the heart of Old Town and just a few blocks from Duval Street and Mallory Square. Part of the Historic Key West Inns collection, the Key Lime Inn features classic Key West style with a 19th-century main house highlighted by a double-height colonnaded entrance and green shutters. Rooms follow suit with high ceilings and classical proportions, and beds are done up in crisp, white linens; most have sitting areas and private walkouts or porches to encourage lingering. Though short on amenities, the grounds are shaded by tall palms and dotted with Caribbean-style clapboard cottages painted in cheery colors with gingerbread trim, and all offer free WiFi. And if the beach doesn’t call you, a large wood deck surrounds the heated outdoor pool, and hammocks and porch swings are placed around the property for maximum relaxation.

Part of the Grande Lakes resort complex, the Ritz-Carlton Orlando has enough amenities to keep a family happily occupied without ever having to leave the property. Accommodations feature private balconies with garden or lake views and separate tubs and showers, while club-level suites offer snacks and refreshments throughout the day and exclusive activities such as photography lessons with the hotel’s photo concierge, but the rooms aren’t why you came. Cool off at the clover-shaped pool—the lazy river next-door at the JW Marriott is also available—or with a zero-gravity massage, performed while you sway in a hammock in the spa’s rooftop garden. The Greg Norman–designed golf course has a caddie concierge program; kids play free with an adult. Between the two large hotels on the Grande Lakes property, there are a dozen dining options—try Highball & Harvest, where the farm-to-table cuisine is made with local ingredients and served alongside beer from its own nano-brewery. The $35 daily resort fee covers theme-park shuttles, kids’ club activities, daily bike rentals, driving range privileges, and WiFi and phone calls.