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January is a surprisingly excellent—and often overlooked—time to travel to Japan. Cherry blossom and holiday crowds, summer heat and humidity are traded for crisp, clear skies during this shoulder season. Other January highlights include the Tri-Annual Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo, visiting the snow monkeys, and adding on a ski trip to Hokkaido.

On my fourth visit to Australia, my stay at Baillie Lodge's Silky Oaks, one of the Luxury Lodges of Australia, exceeded my expectations. This was the perfect place for a relaxing yet adventurous luxury retreat in nature to kick off two weeks of exploring Queensland. For this trip Down Under, I began in the Daintree Rainforest at Silky Oaks, then headed to a live-aboard SCUBA/snorkel ship on the Great Barrier Reef, and ended with a beach stay in Palm Cove. If you've flown to Australia from the US, you know it will be at least a 14-hour flight, so I booked Silky Oaks as my first stop to get over jet lag. The immersive rainforest stay was the perfect prescription for a weary traveler.

Planning on hiking in our nation's newest national park? Located in Central California between Big Sur and I-5, Pinnacles has a wide variety of trails and sights, suiting all types of travelers. Due to its semi-remote location and different entrances, you will want to decide in advance how and when you want to spend your day at the park, but I promise this unique destination is worth it! I combined our trip with a road-trip stay in Paso Robles and Big Sur.

Looking for an adventure-focused vacation, sure to keep your family of older kids and teens engaged? This far-flung destination promises epic natural landscapes, thrilling outdoor adventures, geothermal wonders, great food & unique wildlife, all of which are perfect for sharing on social media. Best of all, the country's infrastructure is excellent — it's safe and relatively easy to get around, whether by renting a car or using guided tours. This is a destination that appeals to a wide range of interests for everyone in the family. The South Coast of Iceland offers some of the country’s most iconic and adventure-packed experiences. From glacier hikes to off-road super jeep tours, the region combines the natural beauty of waterfalls and black sand beaches for a once-in-a-lifetime trip. When to go? Summer: take advantage of the "midnight sun" (and your teens' "midnight energy") and head back out after dinner (once the day-trippers have left) for that Instagram-able shot when you'll have these iconic sights to yourselves.

For a weekend of family-friendly fun or for the young at heart, start the holidays in Sonoma County. The trip features Charles Schulz' hometown's annual event, the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove. The town green is adorned with 225 half-wine barrels, each holding a uniquely decorated tree, accompanied by a nightly "snowfall." Keep it retro by making your base for this road trip weekend at Santa Rosa's The Astro Motel. In Sonoma, enjoy leisurely lunches at quaint cafes, sample fresh, seasonal dishes and warm mulled wines, all while taking in the festive lights that adorn the area's historic buildings. Cap off the stay with a hike through the nearby Jack London State Historic Park. Take in the majestic natural beauty of the area and the towering trees draped in holiday mist.