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The historic kurazukuri district of Kawagoe, a short train ride north of Tokyo, is home to dozens of artisan shops, including Machikan, which has been making and selling knives and swords for generations. While in town, try the famous sweet-potato candy.

Occupying a 1927 firehouse that was functioning until 1980, this nine-room hotel from the team behind Los Feliz’s Hotel Covell heralds a new era for downtown L.A.’s warehouse-cum-arts-district. The neighborhood’s first boutique hotel, the Firehouse boasts several original details, from concrete floors and exposed wood-truss ceilings to pressed-tin panels and niches originally built to hold statuettes of the Virgin Mary that were intended to protect firefighters. Even the massive red doors that once ushered in fire engines are still intact, though today they open to a light-filled ground floor that houses a café, bar, and restaurant led by chef Ashley Abodeely and pastry chef Rose Lawrence. Also on the ground floor is a retail shop with a curated selection of wares created exclusively for the hotel by L.A.-based designers, including robes and striped tote bags by Clare V, bandanas and pillowcases by Block Shop, apparel by culinary brand Hedley & Bennett, serving pieces by ceramicist Robert Siegel, and furniture from ETC.etera.

Located near the National Constitution Center and Philadelphia’s historic district, Franklin Square is an urban oasis that offers fun family activities. One of the city’s five original town squares, it has evolved into a fairground with both daytime and evening attractions. Highlights include the nostalgic Liberty Carousel, a playground, fountain, and a charming Philly-themed miniature-golf course. Visitors can refuel at the popular SquareBurger restaurant. Special events include a winter holiday festival in December, when more than 50,000 lights illuminate the area. During the festival you can also do some holiday shopping, or kick back with a local brew (there’s also a hot-beverage menu just for kids). The park is open from March through December.

Every April, thousands of visitors descend upon Augusta, Georgia for The Masters golf tournament. While the azaleas and dogwoods that line the fairways are beautiful, the streetscape outside the Augusta National Golf Club is a car-dominated aesthetically unfortunate collection of chain restaurants and strip-mall-churches--not exactly what you’d expect if you were to believe the city’s official nickname of “The Garden City.” Drive just ten minutes away, however, and you’ll end up in the Augusta Downtown Historic District, set aside by the National Park Service due to its collection of architecture from the 1780’s to the present. (Sherman didn’t march through this part of the state, sparing it the Civil War damage that destroyed Atlanta.) Georgia’s second-largest and second-oldest city might not be a ‘destination’ in the way that Savannah and Atlanta are (unless you love golf), but if you’re in town and architecture interests you, it’s worth spending some time down by the Savannah River. One of the tallest structures is the Lamar building--built in the 1910’s. In the mid-1970’s it was topped by a glass penthouse, designed by...I. M. Pei--the same architect who is perhaps best known for the now-iconic glass pyramid that dominates the courtyard of the Louvre in Paris. Augusta’s piece of Parisian-linked-architecture-fame is locally known as “the toaster.” Just slightly irreverent...

This hotel is on our list of The 10 Best Hotels in Canada.

One luxury of this wilderness retreat owned by the Klahoose First Nation is its location. Accessed via a 60-minute seaplane ride from Vancouver or 45-minute boat transfer from Lund, B.C., the resort is surrounded by more than 2,500 acres of Klahoose territory that the community has protected for centuries. Here, glacial waterfalls plummet down snowcapped mountains and evergreens border the Homfray Channel. The four lodge rooms and three cedar cabins all face the sea, where guests might glimpse humpbacks blowing at sunrise. Activities include Indigenous-led grizzly bear tours, wood-carving lessons from Klahoose interpreter Klemkwateki Randy Louie, and—perhaps the most meaningful experience—a participatory smudging and brushing ceremony around a fire.

Hugo Ball read the Dada Manifesto at this Altstadt cabaret in 1916, and an art movement was born. After extensive repairs, Dada’s birthplace reopened in 2004 with a bar along with exhibitions, readings, and a small lending library that pays homage to its historic past.

This super-exclusive private club opened recently in the chic Palermo Soho district. Members or friends of members can go to the garden bar for poolside drinks. It’s all the buzz in Buenos Aires. 54/(11) 4832-5276.

Festive Plaza in La Villita, a complex with shops run by local artisans, offers a more unique experience than the souvenir-selling El Mercado. Aside from shopping for authentic handmade goods, you can learn about its rich history. Self-guided walking tours (you can find many online for free) are a great way to explore this area. Browse shops while you learn about the surrounding landmarks and buildings.

More rough-and-tumble and far less touristy than the Tuileries and Luxembourg gardens, the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is a green space that’s worth a visit—especially given the recent resurgence of its surrounding district, the formerly working-class neighborhood of Belleville. You’ll find a nice mix of mostly Parisians walking, eating, canoodling, and sipping cocktails at the park’s not-too-overpriced Rosa Bonheur bar. In short, there’s plenty to keep you entertained if you just want to sit back and people-watch. From the elevation of this former quarry (much of the stone used to build Paris was extracted here), you can get a nice view of the city, especially if you make the trek to the Victorian-era folly that sits at the park’s highest point.

The flames on top of this pool of water are said to have been burning for more than 300 years, and were started by and earthquake that opened a fissure in the earth releasing natural gas into the bottom of the pool. The phenomenon is definitely worth stopping by, especially if you are interested in visiting the nearby Guanziling Hot Springs -- another of the area’s natural wonders.

The base of Elephant Mountain is just a short walk from the base of Taipei 101 and offers one of the most accessible and stunning views of the city—except, perhaps, from the top of the tower itself. The hike up the mountain is steep, but can be done in about 15 minutes by a reasonably fit person. The less-than-perfectly fit need not worry though: there are plenty of lookouts and benches along the way.

Every weekend thousands descend on this normally boring stretch of Taipei for one of the most impressive markets in town: the Jianguo Flower Market. Vendors from around the city and region display amazing examples of flowers and plants, many of which may be new to you. While you can’t take one of the beautiful floral displays home, next door to the flower market is the Jade Market, where you can pick up beautiful souvenirs at reasonable prices for you and your loved ones.

This is my favorite design shop in Copenhagen. Dedicated to contemporary Danish design, Hay occupies a historic building overlooking the car-free Strøget district. You’ll find furniture and accessories inspired by midcentury design and pieces by designers including Leif Joergensen and Jakob Wagner.

Come here and you’ll find a solar-powered bookstore, a Guatemalan restaurant, pubs, galleries, cafés, and this brick wall tribute to Gregory Colbert’s “Boy Reading to Elephant.” (The words that come to mind when I pass this street art are “tell me a good story and I’ll never forget.”) Just a few blocks north of downtown, and a few blocks west of the University of Arizona, Tucson’s Fourth Avenue district is a pedestrian eat-work-drink-play neighborhood with a new streetcar/trolley system. Construction is done, shops and restaurants are open, and you’ll find hardly a chain along the eclectic streetscape. From college kids and downtown workers, to artists, professors, and out-of-towners, Fourth Avenue is where the Old Pueblo welcomes techies and yuppies along with the ex-hippies... And, every winter and spring, for decades now, the neighborhood hosts a Street Fair—hundreds of thousands of people come for the arts, crafts, food, and music.

Originally the Union National Bank Building—built in 1911—the 12-floor landmark in downtown Houston debuted as Hotel Icon in 2004 after a $35 million makeover. The historic structure beautifully maintains its neoclassical architecture with period details like grand arched windows and stately columns and nods to its roots with rich interior design details that make guests feel like they’re stepping back in time. All of this is juxtaposed with contemporary luxuries—from plush linens and velvet seating to Jacuzzi bathtubs and walk-in rain showers. Charmingly (and appropriately), some rooms have antique claw-foot tubs.

Hotel Icon is one of two Marriott Autograph Collection properties in Texas, and its Main Street location sits along the 7.5-mile Metro LightRail line that runs through downtown. That means easy access to Houston’s Central Business District, George R. Brown Convention Center, Texas Medical Center, Hermann Park, and the Museum District.