"Put your nose to the test..." reads a sign, at Paraiso Vineyards Tasting Room, inviting you to see how many aromas you can identify in your wine. Marshmallow, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cherries, chocolate, licorice. I sip, close my eyes, and stick my nose in a glass. Inhale. Nope. Another glass, another deep breath. Yes! Glasses clink, patrons laugh, and one happy winner of the cornhole toss shouts triumphantly. It's the River Road Wine Trail Valentine Passport event. I can visit all fourteen local vineyards today. But, why? Everything I have is right here: great views, fabulous wines, barbequed tri-tip with grilled onions, fancy chocolates, and my Valentine.

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If you could take just one photo: Entryway stacked with books

A house made of books—literally—from entryway to stairs to shelves under the register, every flat surface of House of Our Own is covered with lovingly collected books. Nestled among row houses just off the University of Pennsylvania campus, the store boasts used, rare, and academic books ranging from chemistry to screenplays to women’s studies, thanks to book-loving owners and collegiate neighbors. After a wander in the historic college, stepping off Spruce Street and through the worn wooden door feels like a fairy tale’s magic wardrobe—we’re talking about a whole different world. You’ll want to turn your phone off (or at least silence it, really) because even with the store bustling with students searching for course books, it’s more like a personal library than anything else. Find an upstairs corner with lazy afternoon sunshine slanting across the shelves, and run your fingers over the spines of books you never even knew you wanted. Inevitably, you’ll take one home.

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If you could take just one photo: Bookstore interior, or main street

Lovely Wilmington, Vermont was devastated by Tropical Storm Irene—in fact, photos from just months ago show books from Bartleby’s scattered in sodden piles in the streets. A story of true Vermonter spirit, though, they reopened by Black Friday and charged into 2012 with all the magic you’d hope to find in an oh-so-personal, family-owned Green Mountain store. Close enough to Mount Snow that you could make a day of riding and reading, Bartleby's is the perfect complement to time spent on the slopes, or a destination all its own for the readerly set. Besides, what’s better than curling up by the fire with a book while the quiet of the Vermont mountains presses against your windows?

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The ancient Khmer stone carvings on bas reliefs tell the most compelling tales of an era long gone. Whole scenes come alive before one’s eyes. A snapshot of the food chain is captured - Crocodile eating a turtle alive. Scenes of wild pig fight and ancient Khmers drunk on srah sohl- their traditional rice wine; reminds us how things were not that different a millennium ago. Baby elephants playing with children are charmingly endearing scenes on the Elephant Terrace. This used to be a training ground for elephants. The scenes on the walls surrounding this area clearly show a close relationship between man and beast - a friendship that existed beyond the trainer-trainee relationship. One rather sad observation is the loss of tails on many stone sculptured lions in Angkor. Looters who desired their bejeweled tails had chopped them off!

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Even on a structure renowned for its strength, its reach, its massive dimensions, the smallest details may also be the most exquisite. A rough-hewn stone, a splatter of colorful paint, and the rust-speckled metal of a lovers’ lock give the Brooklyn Bridge its humanity. High above the East River, a line of padlocks give testament to timeless romances: “What an amazing love story,” one reads, though the two hearts secured by this lock are obscured by time and absence. We know only their initials, B and E. The river’s waters have swallowed up the keys to these locks, ensuring them a taste of immortality.

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If you could take just one photo: A highway runs through it

Golfing, bowling, archery, volleyball, swimming, hiking and biking. San Diegans are out there doing it all in the 1200 acres of urban, cultural parkland that make up Balboa Park. From the Golden Hill gateway at the south end of the park, I crossed the city using some of the 65 miles of hiking and biking trails, traversing canyons, mesas, desert gardens and historic bridges. Surprising vistas opened up of the city skyline to the west, mountain ranges to the east and an unexpected silhouette of the Coronado Bridge to the south. With a gentle breeze keeping the temperature down and the air filled with the scents of pine resin and eucalyptus, my 6 mile hike took me through three canyons, up and down switchbacks, across two highways and beneath the glorious Cabrillo Bridge. Arriving at the north west corner of Balboa Park it seemed appropriate to end my short expedition at the Marston House Museum and pay homage to George Marston, whose vision lives on in this unique urban space at the centre of San Diego.

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Go early in the morning. Be there with the custodians before the tourists overrun the place. If you have children take them with you. Every building and sculpture from the park entry gate to the tiled lizard on the banister is filled with Gaudi's imagination. You want to have the time to take in each one. It's like playing with toys. When you get to the grand plaza on top you will see all the way to the harbor. Go early. Be the first.

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Here is what I think about when I think of Portland. Tattoos. Micro-brewery pubs. The Willamette Valley a mere 45 minutes away. The less fashionable Eastside with six distilleries like New Deal. And hidden restaurants like Le Pigeon. Murray at Great Wine Buys put me on it. What was it before becoming the worst kept secret for where to get a great meal in town? I'm betting thrift store. Nothing chic here. Just a long community table for 10, a handful of regular tables, the kitchen and the very good wine list. This brand of low tech "sustainable" DIY glam is exactly what makes this city so great.

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Hilltop castle towns tell the 11th century Muslim invasion story from Lisbon to Madrid. The walled city of Evora is the most convenient to visit. Parking is relatively easy. You can walk through the streets in a couple hours. There are plenty of dining spots like the tiny and traditional Tasquinha do Oliveira. The city is fun and the surrounding Alentejo region is spectacular. Sun so blindingly bright I had to squint looking at the ground. New-age Portuguese wine touring is very accessible and highly recommended. Try Esperao, Ervideira and Commenda Grande with its Templar cross on the label. Wine tour in the daytime and dine in Evora at night.

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