Perast
Perast sits on the northwestern shore of the inner Bay of Kotor, a town of perhaps 350 people that was once one of the most important maritime centers on the Adriatic.
Stories
Lake George
Stretched through the Adirondack foothills, Lake George has been a summer escape since the 19th century — but fall, when the hillsides turn and the crowds thin, might be the better argument for visiting. Paddle the 32-mile lake, hike to the surrounding ridgelines, and stay longer than you planned.
NYC
New York rewards slow exploration just as much as landmark-checking. Every neighborhood runs on its own rhythm — Central Park giving way to hand-pulled noodles in Flushing, a subway ride across boroughs, a rooftop at dusk. No two visits feel quite the same.
Portland
Maine’s largest city packs an outsized food and arts scene into its compact peninsula neighborhoods. The Old Port’s cobblestone streets lead to some of the best seafood in the country, and the surrounding coastline — lighthouses, islands, tidal coves — stretches in both directions.
Acadia
Acadia National Park sits on the rugged coast of Downeast Maine, where the Atlantic crashes against pink granite shorelines and dense spruce forests climb to open summit ridges.
Bay of Kotor
Often described as Europe’s southernmost fjord, the Bay of Kotor cuts into the Montenegrin coast like a secret — limestone mountains dropping straight to calm dark water, medieval towns clinging to the shore, connected inlets each with their own character. First-time visitors arrive expecting something pretty and leave stunned.
Kotor
Enclosed by medieval walls that climb a hillside to a Venetian fortress, Kotor’s old town is one of the most intact on the Adriatic — marble streets, stone piazzas, and an improbable number of cats. Compact enough to cover in an afternoon, worth staying far longer.
Snæfellsnes
Crowned by the glacier that inspired Jules Verne and edged with basalt sea stacks, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is one of Iceland’s most varied stretches of coastline. Better as an overnight than a day trip — the light at the western tip is worth waiting for.
Reykjavík
Iceland’s compact and colorful capital punches well above its size. Wander the rainbow-painted streets of the old town, climb to the top of Hallgrímskirkja church for sweeping views over the rooftops and sea, and warm up in one of the city’s legendary geothermal pools.
Westfjords
Iceland’s most remote region rewards the effort of getting there with thundering waterfalls, vast puffin colonies, and fjord roads that wind so slowly through the landscape they begin to feel meditative. Hornstrandir, reachable only by boat, is among the most untouched wilderness in Europe.