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Tom Blake Trail is a beginning-to-intermediate trail for hikers and mountain bikers. Located on the lower side of Snowmass’s Burnt Mountain, bikers zip through groves of Aspen trees on a single trail with the sunlight flickering through the leaves. Pick up the trail in either two spots: near Owl Creek or follow the Snowmass Gondola up Assay Hill, and just after the mid-station on the left is an opening in the trees. This is the first mountain bike ride I ever took and it was an unforgettable experience—it’s just hard enough to challenge you but easy enough to gain your confidence as a rider.

You can take your rented bike and pedal down to a waiting Zipcar and get out of town. From the mountains to the coast—and everything in between—you’ll enjoy an easy break from the urban outlook, usually with an hour of driving, or less.

Not long ago, the flat whites served in Darwin were a little too flat. The city hadn’t yet been swept up in the coffee craze that’s taken Darwin’s cosmopolitan cousins by storm. But the beards, bikes, and baristas have arrived, and with them local roasters, single-origin beans, filtered pour overs, and cold brews—a godsend in the sweaty summer. From a garden oasis to a cafe serious about sweets, here’s where travelers can find the best coffee in Darwin.

Spending two weeks in eastern Jamaica? Start in Port Antonio, head to Boston Bay and Long Bay, and end in the majestic Blue Mountains. Eastern Jamaica offers wide-ranging natural beauty in which to play: Two weeks is plenty of time to swim in secluded coves and walk deserted beaches, hike to jade pools and waterfalls, surf the waves of Boston Bay, explore ruins and forts, raft across the Rio Grande, bike at 7,000 feet, and, of course, sample both original Jamaica jerk and reggae.

The Twin Cities are well connected with footpaths, bike lanes, and public transportation, so you can enjoy the main landmark sites and the tastiest bites in three days. Spend two days getting to know Minneapolis and the perks and quirks of its various neighborhoods, and then slow down for a day in the more leisurely and charming Saint Paul.

Located in the northwest corner of France, the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine are at once proudly French and slightly German. Here, you’ll find traditionally French attractions like soaring cathedrals, manicured parks, and art nouveau mansions, but you’ll also encounter half-timbered houses, historic breweries, and lots and lots of sauerkraut. Visit cities like Metz, Nancy, Strasbourg, and Colmar and you may find yourself wondering what country you’re in, or ride a bike over the Pont de l’Europe and see both France and Germany in one day.

Missouri is a gold mine for nature lovers, with crystal-clear lakes for swimming and boating, lazy rivers for fishing and floating, and wooded hamlets for hiking, biking, and camping. Visitors here will even find more than 6,000 caves, many of which offer guided tours. Head to the state’s finest parks to explore these natural wonders, perhaps with a picnic—or even a tent—in tow.

AFAR chose a destination at random—by literally spinning a globe—and sent comedian Jorma Taccone on a spontaneous journey to Nairobi, Kenya.

What could an Alaska local ever discover on a voyage through the Inside Passage? Just the essence of the place he thought he knew.

Shimmering canals, world-class museums, a potpourri of cultures, an eclectic shopping scene, and a raging nightlife are just a few of Amsterdam’s must-do experiences. Use your time wisely and you can experience it all. Or just roam freely, letting Amsterdam lead you through its 400-year-old grachtengordel (canal ring), lined with must-do experiences and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

At Salt Water Farm, students return to the land—and the sea—to learn forage, fillet, and feast.

In the city’s once-gritty fishermen’s quarter, a group of activist chefs is reviving—and reinventing—traditional cuisine.

The longest developed rail-trail in the country, Katy Trail State Park snakes across Missouri for 240 miles, from the western edge of the state to the St. Louis metro area. Built on the former corridor of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, the well-maintained park closely follows the Missouri River, offering bikers, hikers, equestrians, and everyone in between a scenic way to see much of the state. The section between Cooper and St. Charles counties is an officially designated segment of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, adding an educational aspect to any exploration. Most choose to bike a portion of the trail, though hiking, running, and horseback riding are also great ways to experience the park, all the while surrounded by forests, wetlands, prairies, and abundant wildlife. A favorite stop along the way is the charming town of Rocheport, where you can make a pit stop at the bluff-top Le Bourgeois Winery for fine wine and views of the Missouri River Valley.

If eating huge plates of pork, deciphering local slang, and snowshoeing through the woods of Québec can’t bring two siblings together, what can?

Singapore may not have bicycle lanes on its roads, but the country does have a wonderful and growing network of bike-friendly asphalt paths along its many canals and rivers that are sometimes joined up with pathways in parks and along old rail corridors (in Singapore, they’re called park connectors). An easy 3-mile round-trip stretch to sample runs along the Singapore River. Join the riverside pathway just off Zion Road near the Great World City shopping mall—you can rent your chariot nearby from Bike Connect, at 23 Hoot Kiam Road—or grab a two-wheeler from the now ubiquitous bike-share steeds parked everywhere. Pedal all the way to the old shophouses of Boat Quay where the river empties into Marina Bay and then the South China Sea at the heart of Singapore’s colonial core. From there, get a glimpse of the grand Fullerton Hotel (once the national post office), the Asian Civilisations Museum (originally intended to be the city’s courthouse), and several historic bridges.