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It’s funny that Culinary Dropout bills itself as being the “rebel child” in Fox Restaurant Concepts’ family of restaurants because there’s nothing too rebellious about this place. It’s obvious that everything in it – from the fashionably grunge décor to the uniform-free staff – is planned. But that’s not always a bad thing. Culinary Dropout does nightlife well with a selection of local and seasonal beers as well as standout cocktails like the Jalisco Flower (tequila, elderflower and sparkling wine).

With the Latin American restaurants and cuisines featured, one must not forget to mention El Salvador. Having the largest immigrant population in the Washington D.C. area, their reputation for hole-in-the-wall restaurants boasting their signature pupusas have won the palates of locals and residents. Blanca’s on S. Washington Street ranks among the elites. Your choice of soft, warm, thick corn tortillas stuffed with cheese, pork and cheese, beans and cheese, jalapeño and cheese, or loroco, a type of exotic flower.

If you are looking for truly unique and beautiful gifts from Andalusia, Spain, look no farther than the Zoco Artisan Market in Cordoba. This shop is filled with jewelry, hand painted tiles, shawls, pottery and other local crafts. There are workshops and studios on site so you may even have a chance to see some artists at work. Even if you’re not in the market to shop, the beautiful inner courtyard is worth a peek for its hanging flowers and burbling water-feature.

It might be small and simple—conspicuously bare white walls, just a smattering of handmade wooden tables topped with flower arrangements, and a few barstools—but the updated German cuisine at Lokal is far from basic. With a commitment to local and organic ingredients, the kitchen draws on classic carnivore favorites like offal and game, making them look and taste completely unique. There are usually a couple of equally tasty dishes for vegetarians, also created using ingredients sourced from farms around Berlin. The atmosphere is generally quiet and pleasantly refined.

Once-abandoned railway sheds have been repurposed to create an open-air outlet mall in Palermo, one of the city’s buzziest neighborhoods. Clothes are expensive in Argentina so don’t expect rock-bottom prices, but you’ll appreciate discounts on local brands like Las Pepas. In addition to clothing retailers, there are several food carts, plus pop-up restaurants, here and there beneath a redbrick viaduct that supports the General San Martín commuter train. Large flowerbeds and the trains’ overhead comings and goings make Distrito Arcos a pretty spot for snacks or browsing the racks.

The women from the region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca are known as “Tehuanas,” and their traditional dresses are made of black velvet embroidered with large, bold bright colored flowers. This outfit is stunning on a Tehuana, but may be difficult for anyone else to pull off. However you can incorporate some of the Tehuantepec style and panache with a handbag decorated in the Isthmus style. The RealIstmo shop in Oaxaca city is located across the street from the Quinta Real hotel and has a variety of handbags and purses, as well as shirts, blouses, jewelry and accessories.

Follow the sound of music to the iconic Mirabell Palace and Gardens, where Fräulein Maria and the von Trapp children delightfully sang “Do-Re-Mi.” Mirabell has become a dream destination for marriage ceremonies, boasting what some call the most beautiful wedding hall in the world. Of course, you don’t have to tie the knot to enjoy this elegant slice of Salzburg: Stroll through the gardens and admire the charming flower beds, statues of Roman gods, hedge theater, Pegasus fountain, and garden of baroque marble dwarfs.

Medellín’s botanical garden is a 35-acre oasis of green amid the bustling city. Stroll through lush tropical vegetation, towering trees, and flowering bushes to a quiet, picturesque pond amid the gardens. Or peek into a butterfly farm, a maze, and an orchid exhibit beneath an arbor. The gardens are a public space for all sorts of activities like yoga, martial-arts classes, and outdoor movie screenings; a farmers’ market for organic goods takes place the first Sunday of every month. The park is also home to one of Medellín’s best restaurants, In Situ, which in addition to its normal gourmet fare sells lunchtime picnic baskets—complete with red-and-white-checkered blankets and a bottle of wine—to enjoy on the garden grounds.

From the moment you step into the Mark Hotel, with its art deco-inspired lobby clad in black-and-white marble floors, the vibe is a blend of fashionable, worldly, and understated. Located in a landmark 1927 building on a tranquil corner of the Upper East Side, just a couple of blocks from Central Park, the 153-room hotel was designed by French interiors maven Jacques Grange. Accommodations feature furnishings in ebony, sycamore, and granite, while black-and-white-floored marble bathrooms are outfitted with soaking tubs and heated towel racks.

Chef Alex Seidel is more than a chef, he is the farmer of most of the fresh food being served. On his 10-acre farm, he tends to herbs, fruits, vegetables, flowers, pigs and bees. With the addition of sheep in 2010, he created Colorado‘s first Artisanal Sheep Dairy and Creamery. The Carbonara, which is the only item consistently on the menu, is infused with his delicious cheese. The cavatelli pasta is also topped with crispy pork belly and a poached egg for you to crack and mix into the meal. The rest of the rustic menu rotates seasonally and is a favorite among foodies.

Tucked in an alley near the historic downtown you’ll find this small restaurant serving traditional, regional dishes (at a great price especially for the area). With open-air courtyard seating surrounded by vines, it makes for a relaxing lunch. For the best and freshest thing on the menu, take advantage of the friendly staff and ask for a recommendation– they’ll point you in the right direction. If you’re like me and spend the entire day walking until you’re ravenous, this is a great place close to the Duomo. Try the stuffed zucchini flowers (one of my favorites in any Italian restaurant)!

Hallerbos (Flemish) or Bois de Halle (French) is a beech forest just south of Brussels. It’s a popular spot for walking, cycling and horseback-riding. Every spring, for a few short weeks, the forest makes a magical transformation into a blue carpeted wonderland. Millions of tiny bluebell flowers bloom under the shade of the beech trees and people flock to the forest to catch a glimpse. Timing is everything, too soon and the bluebells aren’t out yet; too late and you’ve missed the show for another year. But that’s what makes seeing it so special.

About an hour’s drive from Stockholm in Nykvarn lies Taxinge Slott, which touts itself as having “Northern Europe’s largest kakbord (cake table)” with over 60 varieties of home-baked desserts, pastries, and other fikabröd. Also known as the “Cake Castle,” everything is baked locally with no artificial ingredients or semi-manufactured products and each item has a moniker like Treasure Chest, Gemmy, or Almond Flower. Once you’re stuffed, you can explore the castle’s beautiful gardens and grounds to burn off those calories.

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.

Don’t miss strolling around the impressive Santa Fe Farmers’ Market with its glorious abundance of beautiful and colorful produce, artisanal soaps, flowers, cheese, grass-fed meats and of course, peppers for miles—both electric-green and bright red (local Chimayo, Velarde, and Socorro varietals). Open: Saturdays year-round, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Tuesdays during warm weather.