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From the shaded terraces of five-star hotels to rowdy wooden decks atop local dives, these rooftops “raise the bar” on alfresco evenings in the nation’s capital.

These experiences take you way beyond the 4x4.

Michele Chiarlo—the acclaimed winemaker who has witnessed 61 vintages—shares his picks for where to eat, drink, wander, and taste Piedmont’s famed white truffles.

A couple returns to the Mexican city where they lived in their youth to see how it—and they—have changed.

On a trip to Belize, a new mother learns how the transition from solo travel to family travel can be a surprise.

Make the Milky Way your destination with the Parks Service’s nighttime programs

Better than Halloween: The Most Unusual Fall Traditions Around Europe

An old-fashioned, family-friendly diner that is as suitable for a late-night snack as it is for breakfast. Typical diner fare: The creamy chocolate shakes are delicious, as are the peanut butter pancakes. For something more substantial, the menu features a long list of sandwiches, burgers, and salads. Children accompanied by a paying adult eat for free until 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Overview

Napa’s finest restaurants run the gamut from roadside burritos and barbecue to Michelin-starred dining rooms serving the inventive cuisine of celebrity—and soon-to-be celebrity—chefs. Whether you opt to eat at a picnic table with a view of a vineyard or a formal table set beside a firepit on a moonlit patio, get ready for a taste of this wine- and produce-rich region. You’ll quickly discover the reasons that chefs move here: fresh ingredients paired with local wines, a divine climate and stunning scenery, and the community’s willingness to welcome creativity in the kitchen.

Tennis, swimming, stargazing, and photography classes are standard summer camp activities here. Guests can also view elephants or hippos from a treehouse lookout. Rope bridges connect the 11 canopy suites of the Safari Lodge, recently updated with hardwoods and African textiles. Moonlit bush dinners are extravagant affairs. From $600. This appeared in the July/August 2012 issue.

Adventurous souls should plan on a moonlit dip in the bioluminescent Glistening Waters, also known as Luminous Lagoon. Boats leave from a marina, located an hour north of Montego Bay, on scheduled night tours. As your tour boat speeds out into the dark of night, you’ll spot fluorescent blue streaks in its wake—bioluminescence that’s created when living microorganisms (in this case, dinoflagellates) are disturbed. You can jump in for a swim, too, and glow in the dark as you splash about. It’s an amazing phenomenon to witness, and it’s said to exist in only five lagoons or bays in the world. Back at the marina, the Glistening Waters restaurant offers beautiful views, as well as pre-cruise drinks and food.

Nineteen miles of paved path start at Golden Gardens in Ballard. Get a close look at the park’s resident beavers—which dam the ponds on its north end—then head east along the saltwater shoreline, keeping an eye out for seals, sea lions, and even orcas. The route meanders to Lake Washington and sweeps around its northwestern shore. Still going strong? Turn onto the 11-mile Sammamish River Trail, pocketed by views of the Cascades and the gleaming snow cone of 14,410-foot Mount Rainier, the most glaciated peak in the continental United States. Refuel at one of Woodinville’s wineries or breweries, maybe even taking in a summer concert or moonlit outdoor flick—if you planned ahead enough to score tickets!

No matter how many postcards you’ve seen of Rome’s iconic Colosseum, you just don’t get it until you pass beneath its crumbling arches. Built by Emperor Vespasian in 72 C.E., the huge amphitheater held 50,000 spectators and marked its opening with 100 days of brutal spectacles like gladiator combat and animal fights. The Colosseum was in use for four centuries, and now you can tour the ruins. Walk through the Hypogeum, an intricate series of tunnels and elevators originally used to transport animals, slaves, and gladiators, to the performance above, or take a moonlit tour to have one of the world’s most storied structures all to yourself.

This busy pizzeria in the Celio, the neighborhood adjacent to the Colosseum, is decked out in kitschy Roman decor. The dining room resembles a piazza of sorts, surrounded by old school storefronts anchored to the walls. Six nights a week, Li Rioni turns out thin and crispy pizzas from its wood burning oven. They also serve pretty good starters, including olive ascolane (breaded fried olives stuffed with meat) and filetti di baccalà (fried cod filets). The margherita pizza and sausage and mozzarella pizza (hold the tomato sauce) are their best.