Lawren Desai

Copenhagen is a city that is best when you settle into everyday local life. You can certainly check off the must-see attractions from the guidebooks, but if that’s all you do, you’ll only get a small taste of the ultimate capital of hygge. And speaking of taste, if food is not part of your itinerary, you’ll be missing out on one of Europe’s best food destinations. Embrace Copenhagen’s sustainable initiatives and walk, bike, or boat your way around to really appreciate it like a local.

First things first, from now on, always call the Toronto International Film Festival by its abbreviated name: TIFF. In 2025, TIFF celebrated its 50th edition, which means this is now genuinely one of the world's greatest cultural institutions and not just an excuse for celebrities to walk the red carpet in September. It's North America's largest film festival, drawing hundreds of thousands of attendees to over 300 films across almost two full weeks. As a former cinema curator, I spent over a dozen years attending TIFF, and this is what I learned.

It’s been nearly 25 years since Eminem released "8 Mile," in both song and album form. The Detroit depicted on screen and in lyrics was grim and barren, made that way by a collapse of the auto industry and suburban flight. Not a place you’d pin on a tourist map. But Detroit didn’t “lose itself,” as it easily could have. Instead, it has been reincarnated over the last decade by Detroiters who have demonstrated resilience and an ability to think outside of the box to build a new and vibrant Motor City. Today’s Detroit has soul and synergy hard to find in other “big” American cities. It’s a perfect getaway for a long weekend, and you’re sure to leave wanting to return.

Venice, Italy, has so much more to offer than canals, pigeons, and crowds if you know where to look. If you’ve already checked off St. Mark's Basilica, Rialto Bridge, The Doge Palace, and being sculled around in an over-priced gondola, then take advantage of all the art behind Venetian doors. And what makes Venice particularly distinctive is that art isn’t restricted to just museums—masterpieces are spread throughout churches, palaces, and civic buildings. The entire city feels like an open-air gallery that has existed for centuries. And after your eyes feast, it’s time for your stomach to take in the bountiful culinary arts in Venice.

Rio de Janeiro is called the Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City) and that’s an understatement to be sure. There is nothing quite as breathtaking, as festive, and as passionate as Rio. The inhabitants of Rio call themselves Cariocas, and if you want to fit in while you are there, put on your most “laid-back beach” persona, listen to some Samba rhythms, and watch a futebol match on the plane ride over. Another element of Rio often overlooked is that because the capital of Brasil was moved from there in 1960, it feels a bit like a time capsule, with several neighborhoods stuck in the mid-century. Many of the beachside enclaves have the same Bossa Nova feel as when they were constructed in the 1950s and 60s, so you can’t help but feel like you are still in the hottest spot South of Havana.

A visit to Asheville, NC is all about getting outdoors and exploring! Whether it’s strolling the downtown sidewalks, hiking trails in the surrounding mountains, or taking in the cinematic landscape of the Biltmore House (which you’ve probably seen on display in a film or two), everyone will leave Asheville with more than a few steps clocked. Asheville is for more than just your legs—it’s for your stomach, too. For the last two decades, Asheville has put itself on the map as a culinary hot spot where you can balance your calorie-burning activities with truly exceptional meals from chefs and purveyors who are elevating the city’s food scene on a global level. A trip to Asheville will only leave you wanting to come back for more.

Equidistant from São Paolo and Rio de Janeiro, Paraty (pronounced Pah-rah-chee), looks like it should be easy to reach on a map, and that is true if you have a helicopter or yacht. For the rest of us, it feels quite off the beaten path as travel by land from either city involves winding mountain passes, narrow roads, and plenty of anteater, sloth, and other wildlife crossing signs to keep you on the lookout. However you arrive, the trek is worth it as Paraty delivers on all fronts with a charming colonial town (a UNESCO Heritage one at that) full of restaurants, shopping, and cultural activities in whitewashed buildings with colorful doors down cobbled streets. Nature and beaches surround the vibrant city center, and other pristine spots are close by on the numerous islands off the coast, reachable by local boat hires and organized day tours.

It’s hard to understand the true complexity of the Italian Dolomites from a map, even a fantastically detailed topographical map. The mountains are vast, the landscape is diverse, and everything is named in two languages (why? Because this region of Italy was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire until 1919.) I found there were either guidebooks for the serious hut-to-hut hiker or guidebooks aimed toward the ride the ski lift and up-and-back-down tourist. My guide is full of takeaways for the in-betweeners, those who want to break a sweat on a few hikes, find some off-the beaten-track places, and leave the region feeling like you had a true Dolomiti “Semi” Adventure. Also, I’m not a skier, so this is geared for the time of year when the snow has melted (or at least melted everywhere but the highest peaks.)

Okay, so technically the early aughts hit show Lost was filmed on the island of Oahu. But imho, with its size and scope, the Big Island is the Hawaiian Island you should really aim to get lost on. The Big Island, otherwise known as Moku o Keawe, has eight unique climate zones (out of a possible 13) and boasts everything from coral reefs to tropical forests to volcanoes to alpine summits and more. The Big Island is nearly twice the size of all the other islands combined—you could spend weeks touring, but this itinerary focuses on the west side of the island and day-trips in the vicinity.

Other countries in Europe (think, Germany and Austria) might be famous for their Christmas markets, but don’t overlook Norway as a destination to celebrate the festive season with a snowier backdrop and a hygge-ier atmosphere. Both Oslo and Bergen get into the holiday spirit with city-center markets full of gløgg (mulled wine that goes down warm), outdoor ice skating, and plenty of artisanal shopping. And because daylight is shorter during the winter, you’ll spend a lot of time feeling cozy under the holiday string lights or by the glow of the fireplace.

As the largest city in the world’s most neutral country, Zürich, Switzerland is easily a city one could overlook on a trip to Europe. On a week’s vacation to the Alps or passing through on the way to Italy or Germany, it’s often only given “drive-by” notice. Take it from me: that used to be my attitude, but all that changed when I got tickets to see Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Zürich and wondered why I’d written it off for so long. Zürich has everything other favorite European cities have to offer in a more manageable footprint…and so much that they don’t have, including as many visitors. Here’s how to spend three days enjoying the lesser-known charms of Zürich.

First, if you want to sound like you’ve been visiting for years, call it OBX not the Outer Banks. Second, stay in Nags Head. More specifically, South Nags Head. Development has been limited to beach houses, and the only commerce that you’ll see is sea gulls trading fish. My favorite story goes that Nags Head got its name from a pirate legend. Pirates would tie lanterns around the heads of their horses (aka the “nags”) and march them along the beach to lure ships aground to then plunder their goods. Nags Head is chock full of history. Some is true and the lore, making it a perfect vacation spot to cover more ground than just your real estate on the beach sand. Vacations to Nags Head are well-spent with a home rental. There are abundant options based on the size of your group, from solo traveler minimal small homes to multi-generation and multi-family houses with all the amenities and everything in between. Nags Head is also a great beach to consider for vacationers and families with accessibility needs.

Most visitors come to the state of North Carolina for the mountains or the coast and skip right over the middle of the state. Others might check out the capital city of Raleigh and the metropolis of Charlotte (maybe only via its buzzing airport), but the beating heart of a state made famous by the Wright Brothers, Michael Jordan and Joe Camel lies in the Piedmont Triad. The “Triad,” as locals refer to it, embodies North Carolina's rich heritage and forward-looking spirit at the same time. The best place to spend a long weekend experiencing this temporal harmony (imho) is in my hometown of Winston-Salem (aka, The Dash, The Camel City, The Twin City, the City of Arts and Innovation).

Naoshima, pronounced “now-she-ma,” is well deserving of being named Japan’s (cool) “art island.” You don’t have to be an art lover to appreciate the island, but you’re likely to become one while you’re there. Once regarded only as a sleepy fishing village, Naoshima assumed a new identity in the late 1980s when the Benesse Corporation began a succession of art and architecture projects, many from celebrated contemporary artists. Essentially an outdoor museum, from the beach to the hills to the village streets, a number of the sculptures, installations and buildings are publicly accessible. Located in the Inland Sea of western Japan, Naoshima makes the perfect add-on to the customary Tokyo-Kyoto itinerary.

If you are heading to Utah for a week of winter skiing in the mountains or summer hiking the canyons, don’t miss the opportunity to bookend your trip with an overnight stay in Salt Lake City. SLC airport enjoyed a recent facelift and has appeal as an airport of the future with spectacular art installations (check out the River Tunnel and The Canyon). You’ll want to venture to the city beyond to take advantage of a city with so much more to offer than Temple Square and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Named for the founder’s chihuahua, The Penny Williamsburg is an ode to Williamsburg, Brooklyn of the 90s and early aughts (when I lived just around the block). It’s a little sleeker, with more modern conveniences like in-room pour-over coffee and yoga supplies. The building somehow slips in seamlessly next to the townhouses surrounding it. Williamsburg is a great jumping-off-point to explore the rest of Brooklyn or one subway stop away from Manhattan in the other direction. The nearby passing traffic on the above-ground Brooklyn-Queens Expressway will lull you to sleep at night.

If you’ve been thinking of vacationing in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, but don’t want to follow the beach crowd to Cancún or the yogis to Tulum, the often-overlooked Mérida should be top of your list. With its own international airport, Mérida is easy to fly in/out and spend a week exploring the vestiges of ancient civilizations and ecological wonders surrounded by a laid-back city full of excellent cuisine and friendly hosts.

In the winter, Denver, Colorado, is so much more than simply a gateway to a Rocky Mountain ski vacation. With nearly 300 days of sun annually and 360° views of snow-capped mountains in the distance, Denver offers a wonderful winter escape sure to satisfy many interests. The capital of Colorado is chock full of museums and cultural attractions, an inspired and award-winning food scene. The outdoor pleasures for both nature and art lovers are vast with neighborhood boutique shopping and festive cocktail spots to end your full day.