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Raman Patel knows a lot about silk. He works at Kala Niketan, a Mumbai-based fabric warehouse that started in the south of the city and now has four retail outlets plus exporting offshoots. The company supplies many local fashion designers, who make elaborate saris from the regional silks. While handwoven fabrics have been largely replaced by machine varieties in Mumbai (shown here), the store’s Juhu branch showcases the handmade specialties of other regions—from the royal flower and animal embroideries of Rajasthan to the tightly woven woolen patterns of Kashmir. Raman can tell you all about the differences. Navyug, J.V.P.D. Scheme, V.M. Road, Vile Parle, Mumbai, kalaniketangroup.com

Head to the Gothic Quarter—once home to Barcelona‘s storied Jewish neighborhood, El Call—and look for the Sinagoga Major (Major Synagogue). The museum, built on the site of the city’s oldest temple, is only two rooms, but it contains a stadium’s worth of history. For just 2 euros, you’ll get a tour of the excavation site and a riveting tale of the Jewish faith in Spain—plus an entertaining ancedote about how the ruins were discovered. Nearby, you can sign up for a guided tour of El Call, or shop for books and kosher products at the Barcelona Call Store. The synagogue is open Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The CoCo Key Water Park Resort in Mt. Laurel provides aquatic entertainment for all ages. Open year-round, this resort is an all-indoor affair, with the exception of an open-air hot tub, and the water slides that protrude from the building’s exterior like an elaborate, serpentine garden sculpture. (Don’t worry, you enter and exit the slides with a roof over your head.) If you’re less amphibious in nature, CoCo Key also has an arcade and restaurant—so you can enjoy yourself while staying dry.

If the movies are to be believed, interesting things happen in hotel bars: transient strangers hatch elaborate schemes, secret lovers hold trysts, international spies exchange intelligence, that kind of stuff. Of course, one could also just go for a well-made drink and some bar nuts. Bar 555 at the Westin Hotel in Mt. Laurel won’t disappoint with its numerous whiskeys and smartly curated wine list. Open until 2 a.m. on weekends.

Dried fruits, nuts and more at Djemaa el Fna, I didn’t know what most of the items were but was sure to try 90% of them and everything was delicious. Moroccan food is amazing but only when eaten in Morocco!

Though less decadent than some of the medina’s more storied hotels, Riad Ahlam offers charm in spades at budget-friendly rates. With its trickling fountain and potted citrus trees, an elegant central courtyard is the setting for highly Instagrammable daily breakfasts brimming with homemade pastries and breads, fresh fruit and juices, sweet jams, and aromatic coffee; lunch and dinner highlight typical Fassi fare such as spiced tagines and vegetable couscous. Guests seeking pampering can indulge in a massage on-site, then retreat to one of eight rooms featuring colorful local textiles, traditional Moroccan lamps and lanterns, and brightly hued bathrooms with mosaic-tiled showers and shiny copper sinks. There’s also a scenic rooftop terrace, a prime perch for a cup of mint tea with a view.

For a little old-school San Telmo atmosphere, you can’t do much better than this classic corner bar. Dating from 1864, the antique building started out as a pulpería (general store), the seedy center of a gambling ring and even a brothel before it was converted into the popular restaurant and bar it is today. On your way in, check out the antique cash register and the gorgeous vitraux (stained glass) over the long bar: it’s no wonder this place has been used as a film set several times over. Then pull up a chair at one of the rustic wooden tables, preferably by the windows for maximum people-watching potential. If it’s morning or time for merienda, ask for a cortado with medialunas; otherwise, order an ice-cold chopp (draft beer) and a monster-sized lomito (steak) sandwich.

Sunny as it is, Cabo has never been known for its beaches because of its rough surf. Not so at adults-only ME, however, which sits on the area’s only swimmable stretch of shoreline, in view of the famous El Arco rock formation. While the 162 rooms are the picture of tranquility (deep soaking tubs, private balconies), the hotel itself boasts a party atmosphere—a house DJ spins by the pool, and bottle service is available in the cabanas on the pool terrace. Thankfully, there’s also a spa specializing in traditional Aztec and Mayan-inspired treatments (don’t miss the temazcal cleansing ritual), so you can rejuvenate before returning home.

The metal-and-glass ribbon structure of this Frank Gehry−designed hotel—not too far from Bilbao—creates an ethereal silhouette that contrasts dramatically with Elciego’s medieval landscape. Opt for a guided tour to learn more about the history of winemaking in the Basque countryside.

Thrifters, costume lovers, and antique collectors can all find something to love at Junkee Clothing Exchange, one of Reno’s most charming vintage stores. You can bring your clothes to sell for store credit, or simply wander among the racks of sequined dresses, costume accessories, vintage boots, and fur coats. Don’t forget to admire the creepy-cool goth-circus artwork hanging on the walls, and the elaborate chandeliers. The other half of the store is a large antique mall with individual stalls run by separate sellers. You’ll find everything from vintage rhinestone jewelry to garden-party hats and World’s Fair souvenirs. Prices are reasonable and they carry clothing for men and women in a wide range of sizes.

It should come as no surprise that Seattle has an umbrella boutique downtown. What might be a surprise is the fact that you can rent umbrellas by the day (and that a single day’s rental might be what you were expecting to pay to purchase one outright). Fanciful, elaborate umbrellas with layers of brightly colored ruffles, asymmetrical shapes, and unique prints hang from the ceiling in an eye-catching display that’s worth stopping in just to see. For a sunny day, a lightweight paper parasol might be just the thing for portable shade (though you’ll find them cheaper in the International District). Locals tote the clear plastic “bubble” umbrella, which has a hemispherical shape to offer more coverage and a transparent material so you won’t sacrifice visibility.

This hotel is on our list of The 11 Best Hotels in Chicago.

Set directly across from the Art Institute of Chicago, this former members-only men’s gymnasium is now the Chicago Athletic Association, which is part of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection. Enter at street level off Michigan Avenue and walk toward the back to find a staircase that leads to the old swimming pool, now a venue for parties and pop-up concepts. Take the nearby elevator to the restaurant, Cindy’s, easily the best rooftop scene in the city, with highly Instagrammable terrace views overlooking Millennium Park, the swooping Frank Gehry–designed bandshell, and Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate (aka the Bean).

Park yourself in the second-floor lobby and hang with locals as they tap away on their laptops and sip lattes by the two oversize fireplaces. Walk through that expansive by Roman & Williams–designed room, where light beams in through ornate stained-glass windows, and you enter a warren of table games and darts, all festive and typically open to the public. There’s also the secret six-seat bar, the Milk Room, a relic of Prohibition, and the James Beard Award–winning Cherry Circle Room—a sexy, dark restaurant with a circulating martini cart and a meat-centric menu.

Upstairs in the 1893 landmark, 240 guest rooms reflect the building’s former life, with gym horses as foot beds, working fireplaces in some rooms, plasterwork ceilings, ornate carved wood wainscotting, and a clubby vibe. Some of the rooms are rather small, but the location is hard to beat, and the cozy, wintry ambiance makes it a popular (and fun) place to spend a weekend. And because the CAA keeps an eye on its water conservation, sources its food locally, and adheres to strict recycling standards, eco-conscious travelers can feel good sleeping here.

Described by writer Tahir Shah as the “greatest show on Earth,” no visit to Marrakech would be complete without a visit to the famous night market on the Djemaa el Fna. Arrive before sunset and park yourself at one of the various cafés with terraces overlooking the square to watch performers set up; then venture into the fray in search of adventure. Silk-clad acrobats, wide-eyed storytellers, sly snake charmers, jangling belly dancers, and capricious monkey handlers all emerge from the darkness, ringing the edge of the food stalls with their own special brand of entertainment. When you tire of the heckling, prowl the market in search of good things to eat: bite-size morsels of grilled lamb rubbed in cumin, sardines fried in chermoula, peppery snails, and sheep’s heads for the brave. Then nudge up alongside a family of locals at the table and settle in for the feast. If you’re nervous about going it alone, you can sign up for a food tour with Canadian tour guide and all-round good egg Mandy Sinclair of Tasting Marrakech; she’ll help you find the best stalls while introducing you to the secrets and delights of traditional Moroccan street food.

Hit the trails at the Cave Creek hiking area, about 30 miles north of town in the Tonto National Forest, to see the rare crested saguaro cactus in its fantastic fan shapes. Trail number 4 meanders alongside Cave Creek for most of the 10-mile trek, providing many opportunities to dip your toes. The trailhead is located off Forest Road 24, (480) 595-3300. This appeared in the January/February 2013 issue. Illustration by Michael Hoeweler.

In the increasingly gentrifying El Raval neighborhood, along the leafy main avenue of Rambla del Raval, a whole host of restaurants, cafés, and bars are popping up. Among them is this intimate bistro from noted Catalan chef Carles Abellán, which takes a refined approach to traditional home cooking without being pretentious. To that end, the narrow dual-level space, a former bodega, is simply decorated with rustic wood furniture, forest-green walls, and a ceramic-tiled, marble-topped bar. The menu is divided into categories of small dishes—From the Sea, From the Mountain, From the Orchard—plus a few versions of classic Spanish stews. Leave room for the homemade desserts: The soft, silky Brie cheesecake is divine. Reservations are essential.