Fine China

A previously run-down industrial zone on the south bank of Suzhou Creek in Shanghai is now a vibrant arts district. Known as M50, the area is building a reputation worldwide, thanks in part to studios like island6 Arts Center, a nonprofit gallery that juxtaposes an old-world factory setting with a modern school of experimental work and new-media art. Island6 is run by volunteer artists dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what is considered art, and all the pieces are done in-situ, meaning everything is made inside the gallery. Every 45 days, the artists organize a new themed exhibition, combining dance and/or music performances with new, never-before-seen artwork. There is always something different to see, from art utilizing LED screens to paintings and sculptures and even some interactive works. These contemporary art pieces displayed in the vintage industrial space allow visitors to observe the wave of modern culture that has swept over historic Shanghai. The gallery is open to the public daily, and special tours are available by appointment. island6.org

— Sarah Daniels

 

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Working on a Mystery

Dark, moody, mysterious - London plays as big a role as star Robert Downey Jr. in the upcoming film Sherlock Holmes, which opens Christmas Day. For clues about the movie's plot, fix your magnifying glass on these London spots.

 

Brompton Cemetery. The leaning, moss-encrusted headstones engraved with weeping angels resting among 60 different types of trees give this Victorian-era cemetery an enjoyably creepy atmosphere. Watch out for nefarious ne'er-do-wells hiding in the mist and fog. royalparks.org.uk

Sherlock Holmes Museum. At 221B Baker Street, Holmes lives on in the form of a stand-in actor amid décor that faithfully re-creates the fictitious sleuth's study and illustrates his life and times. Fan mail, rare bios, and props like the detective's magnifying glass, deerstalker hat, and even his drug paraphernalia are on view. sherlock-holmes.co.uk

St. Paul's Cathedral. A cathedral dedicated to St. Paul has stood on this spot since AD 604, and the current structure celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2010. Thanks to a $68 million cleaning, Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece gleams dental-white. Listen for the sounds of a struggle as Holmes attempts to elude a band of thugs. stpauls.co.uk
— Michele Meyer

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Merry Land

Santa's workshop may be at the North Pole, but his theme park is in Maryland. And you can visit him this year at SantaLand during the largest holiday event in the mid-Atlantic region: the Kennedy Krieger Institute's Festival of Trees, taking place November 27-29 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, 30 minutes north of Baltimore. More than 500 trees, wreaths, and gingerbread houses make this festive event a hotbed of holiday bliss. Troupes of singers, toy train gardens, holiday shopping, and some one-on-one time with Santa himself all add to the fun.

Proceeds from the festival support the Kennedy Krieger Institute, which treats children with disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and musculoskeletal system. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children (ages 5-12) and seniors. festivaloftrees.kennedykrieger.org

— Jennifer Kelleman

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Turning the Page

Curling up under the covers with a good book can make you feel like you're at home even in the most foreign of beds. At the Epic Hotel in Miami, the new Virtual Nightstand program offers the chance to forget your travels for an evening and discover (or rediscover) the joys of reading. Sony Digital Readers are available to guests along with a library of books available for download. A small downloading fee for each book helps fund the Early Learning Coalition, which works with area schools to advance literacy. In thanks for your stay, Epic also offers a free hard-copy book as part of your turndown service. Children's books are available for download as well, and for those who like to keep a good thing going, you can access the Virtual Nightstand from home after your stay. epichotel.co

— Andrew Eitelbach

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How Bazaar

The initials on the new SLS Hotel in Los Angeles potentially have a variety of meanings. They could symbolize Style Luxury & Service, or even Soft Like Silk. In the case of L.A.'s newest hotel, though, they stand for Something Lovely's Started. Yet, it's important to note this 297-room, Phillipe Starck-designed gem is no Subtly Lovely Spot. Eschewing traditional lobby design, the front doors here swing open into the Bazaar — a kind of hyper-modern version of Istanbul's famed market. But instead of Turkish delight and Ottoman trinkets, the Bazaar at SLS features a set of dining and lounging venues conceived by star chef José Andrés. Rojo y Blanca serves imaginative tapas like foie gras wrapped in cotton candy and whimsical cocktails like the liquid nitrogen caipirinha. Sweet-tooths will enjoy the neighboring Patisserie, which supplies decadent delights like lemon ginger bon-bons. Wrap up your culinary journey by popping into the Bazaar's very own high-end design boutique from New York retailer Moss. After an evening here you might just decide to Simply Lie Still, all morning. slshotels.com

— Marisa Mazria Katz

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Master Classes

Tony Gemignani, nine-time winner of the World Pizza Championships and master pie-maker, certified by Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli, can now add teacher to his resume. When his San Francisco restaurant Tony's Pizza Napoletana in North Beach (the city's Italian enclave) isn't serving pies, it becomes the International School of Pizza. Open to pros and home cooks alike, the school teaches a variety of styles: classic Italian, Neapolitan, Sicilian, Roman, New York, Chicago, and California. Amateurs can sign up for two-day sessions that include much tossing and tasting. There are also one-day lessons for kids.

Gemignani, 35, has been making pizzas since he graduated from high school, and his spinning skills have earned him a place in Guinness World Records and appearances on the Food Network. Learning the secrets of the craft from this pizza superstar is like having Michael Jordan show you how to hit free throws and jump shots, or do a Hanes commer-cial. internationalschoolofpizza.com

— Laura Taxel

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In the Treetops

Live like Tarzan, sleep like royalty. At Lodge Kura Hulanda & Beach Club, located on the rustic western shore of the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao, guests can do both. The resort's 1,312-square-foot Tree House Mansion sits above the tree canopy on a lofty perch of stilts. The lodge is near Christoffel Park, a nature preserve reminiscent of Arizona that's centered on the island's tallest point, Mount Christoffel. It is also close to sea caves where you can view the ancient rock art of the Arawak-Taino Indians, Curaçao's first human inhabitants. Guests can explore both locales, setting out into the bush on foot or in a Jeep Safari, or exploring the blue at the helm of a sea kayak. Both of the mansion's guest rooms are air-conditioned and feature a four-poster king-size bed, mosquito netting, a flat-screen TV, and a full bathroom with tub and shower — a treehouse fit for the king of the jungle. kurahulanda.com/lodge

— Peter Beland

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This Is Not About a Museum

Often cryptic, nonsensical, and whimsical, the work of Belgian surrealist René Magritte has befuddled and bemused viewers since his first major showing, in Brussels in 1927. Magritte sought to challenge the observer's understanding of reality. The Treachery of Images, for instance, is a painting of a tobacco pipe with the sentence Ceci n'est pas une pipe ("This is not a pipe") inscribed beneath. (What the viewer is actually seeing is a representation of a pipe.) Other works are jarringly mysterious, such as his painting Man from the Sea, which features a dark figure with a wood block for a head holding a lever, connected to nothing, that floats without explanation above the sand.

Showing a preoccupation with what is hidden by what we see, Magritte's body of work often features elements that are partly or wholly obscured. Perhaps his most famous work, The Son of Man, is a self-portrait depicting the artist in a suit and bowler hat, with his face hidden by a hovering green apple. To Magritte, that which obscures an object was just as important as the object itself.

A new museum in Brussels is home to the largest collection of Magritte's work ever assembled. The Magritte Museum, which opened in June, features 250 works by the artist — unobscured for your convenience. A screening room shows his films as well as films that influenced him and others that he inspired. Letters and essays from the artist are also on display. Five levels of exhibition space — covering more than 26,000 square feet — take visitors through the full scope of Magritte's work and life, from his days working in ad design to his alleged forging of banknotes after World War II to his lasting influence on art and pop culture. musee-magritte-museum.be

— A.E.

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Through the Streets We Go

While New York City looks great from a cab crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, that view doesn't compare with what you can see by taking the scenic route. Put your foot to the pedal this fall and take advantage of the adventure deal offered by the newly renovated Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park. The Bike, Bed & Breakfast Package, available through November 14, provides guests with two Trek bicycles, helmets, locks, and bottled water. Ride over to the picturesque bike path that runs along the Battery Park Esplanade, or head across the Brooklyn Bridge. The package also includes a tasty American breakfast for two in the hotel's swanky 2 WEST restaurant. ritzcarlton.com/batterypark
— Jenn Snively

 

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Costa Rica in Your Cup

Coffee and Costa Rica are practically synonymous, and one of the unforgettable pleasures of a visit is waking up to the pungent aroma of rainforest-fresh brew. Raise your coffee consciousness further with a stay at Finca Rosa Blanca, a boutique hotel and organic coffee farm just 45 minutes outside San José. Guests are encouraged to tour the plantation to learn about cultivation, harvesting, and drying. An expert-led catación, or coffee tasting, becomes a meditation on the intricacies of taste and smell. And coffee isn't the only organic offering at Finca Rosa Blanca. The four-course meals in the inn's restaurant, El Tigre Vestido, are celebrations of the local bounty. fincarosablanca.com

— Melanie Haiken

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Groove on Down the Road

Sitting in a tiny club, just a few feet away from one of the best horn players on the planet is an experience a lot of jazz lovers would pay big money for. But that's just a typical night on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans, where world-class musicians perform on a weekly basis and the average cover charge is no more than $15.

Located just a block from the French Quarter, Frenchmen Street is where the locals and serious music fans go to hang out. It's New Orleans the way you picture it: choice restaurants, great music, and quirky architecture. Start with some sit-down, classy jazz at Snug Harbor, then get your funk on at Blue Nile. Even if you end up just grooving to a spontaneous street performance, it could be the most fun you'll have in the Big Easy, which is saying a lot.

— Deblina Chakraborty

Getting There: All the destinations covered in "Go Explore" can be reached by flying Continental Airlines. To book your trip, visit Continental Airlines Vacations at covacations.com.

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Photographs: Courtesy of the Island6; Giles Barnhard (Brompton Cemetary); courtesy of the Epic Hotel; courtesy of Starwood Hotels; courtesy of Kura Hulanda & Beach Club; courtesy of Finca Rosa Blanca