Best Places to be for Christmas

From New Mexico to New Zealand, a world of Christmas celebrations awaits.
A solemn group of candle-carrying figures has just been turned down entry to one of San Miguel de Allende’s Spanish colonial buildings right off El Jardín, the town’s main square. A girl on a donkey leads the way, past shops festooned with piñatas and poinsettias, and you can still see the glow of the town’s Christmas tree in the distance.

Undaunted, they move on to a door a couple streets away, only this time you hear the procession break into ethereal song as the portal opens and you realize this is one of the town’s posadas, the nightly reenactment of Joseph and Mary’s search for shelter that takes place in the days leading up to Christmas. The posse will be let in to the last house they visit, where the night’s festivities include rounds of ponche, a hot spiced fruit drink, and piñatas.

Whether your winter holiday trip enhances your yuletide nostalgia with sparkly lights and nippy air or makes a radical break from it—by, say, taking you to warmer climes or a quiet, far-flung hideaway—breaking the habit of staying home will always reward you with a Christmas you’ll never forget. With that goal in mind, we’ve rounded up 10 diverse, exceptional places to get you in the spirit of taking off.

“Conditions appear to be stabilizing in the travel industry as signs of an economic recovery take hold,” says travel industry analyst Adam Weissenberg of Deloitte, referring to the results of the company’s holiday and winter travel survey. Of the 45 percent of respondents intending to travel this winter, nearly half are doing so in December. While the majority will stay put in the U.S. (70 percent) and visit family and friends (74 percent), two top winter-travel trends that emerged were trips to a historic site or national park (34 percent) and trips involving warm-weather activities (38 percent).

Sounds good to us. Quebec City, one of the oldest and most charming burgs in North America, is our top historic pick for the holidays. The narrow cobblestoned streets and stone architecture of the walled city, founded in 1608 by French explorer Samuel de Champlain, make it as romantic and European as it gets on this side of the pond. Add to that a proclivity for snowfall and an abundance of top-notch bars and restaurants, and you may wish the New Year could be postponed.

But the appeal of warming up over the holidays is undeniable, too. For the die-hard contrarian, Kaikoura, New Zealand, ought to do the trick. It’s the height of summer there at Christmas, a holiday most often celebrated outdoors with backyard barbecues. But it’s also a great time to be hiking the rainforest of the Kaikoura mountain range or on the waters of Kaikoura Bay, one of the most biodiverse marine environments on the planet. It’s the summer home of sperm whales, fur seals, dusky dolphins, and pilot whales, and all it takes to commune with them is a boat and a bit of perseverance.

It turns out that South America has weathered the global recession better than all regions but Africa, according to the UN World Tourism Organization, and it’s not hard to see why. Brazil in particular is peppered with off-the-beaten-track gems that offer a true escape, like the coastal Portuguese colonial town of Paraty, about 140 miles south of Rio on the Atlantic. Its friendly locals, cerulean waters, exceptional beaches, and exotic-bird-filled jungles may make you forget what holiday it is altogether. Like we said: unforgettable.

Taos, NM



Why Go: This remote village on a high desert plain is especially magical at Christmas, thanks to its rich mix of cultural traditions. Not to miss: historic Ledoux Street all lit up with luminarias (paper lanterns); the ceremonial reenactments of Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter, called posadas; and the dramatic American Indian Christmas Eve celebration that takes over the main square in Taos Pueblo. Plus, you can ski all day long on Christmas Day at Taos Ski Resort, 18 miles away.

Where to Stay: Near the town square, El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa features objects from around the world in its spare, elegant rooms. Book a room with a fireplace to up the cozy factor. Doubles from $309.

Holiday Dinner: On twinkling Ledoux Street, the seven-table hideaway Byzantium will offer its new winter menu—with dishes like shrimp ceviche and grilled pork scaloppine with apple, cabbage, and mustard-seed compote—beginning at 5 p.m. on Christmas Day. Reservations are a must.

Stocking Stuffers: For locally produced, mostly silver jewelry, including traditional American Indian styles, head to Mesa’s Edge, just off the plaza. Or, stop by Kimosabe for cowboy and American Indian and Spanish colonial folk art collectibles.

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Why Go: The Spanish colonial gem and cultural hot spot in central Mexico is electric at Christmas, with theatrical processions around town, numerous posadas reenactments, and fireworks, live music, and dancing in the main square, El Jardín. Don’t miss a taste of ponche, a kind of Mexican hot toddy made of fruits and brandy, or the sweet bread rosca de reyes, both Christmas specialties.

Where to Stay: Casa Sierra Nevada, managed by Orient-Express, is spread among six recently renovated 16th- to 18th-century historic Spanish colonial mansions—many with alfresco corridors, courtyards, and small gardens. Rooms feature tile baths, wood-burning fireplaces, bóvedas (curved ceilings), and paintings by local artists. Doubles from $278 ($230 with three-day minimum, $207 with five-day minimum).

Holiday Dinner: There’s no dining setting more spectacular than La Capilla, located in the centuries-old “chapel” behind the main cathedral. This year, its Christmas menu includes delicate crêpes with huitlacoche mushrooms and fresh house-made goat cheese; roasted lamb chops with sour orange and coriander sauce; and pork loin stuffed with fig and chipotle chutney.

Stocking Stuffers: Pay a visit to art and design center Fabrica La Aurora, the 1902-built former textile factory that’s home to artists’ studios, galleries, and a wealth of shops selling housewares, antiques, ceramics, jewelry, and other treasures. For edibles, pick up hand-painted Mexican chocolates and pecan meringues at the atmospheric boutique at La Capilla (above).

Trømso, Norway

Why Go: The snowy city island of Trømso offers unparalleled views of the northern lights (look for them between 6 p.m. and midnight) and a chance to say you’ve been to the North Pole—well, the Arctic Circle, anyway—for Christmas. Plus, there’s dogsledding, great food, and a mountaintop cable car. Here, “day” is just a couple hours of twilight blue.

Where to Stay: Most hotels shut down for the holiday, but not the Clarion Hotel Bryggen, right on the harbor. The great views of Trømso Sound are best seen from the roof’s steamy Jacuzzi. Doubles from $194.

Holiday Dinner: Stay put at the Clarion for a traditional Norwegian Christmas dinner at its restaurant, Astro. The chef will serve pinnekjøtt, cured lamb ribs, served with puréed rutabaga and boiled potatoes; and ribbe, a crispy version of spareribs, accompanied by Christmas sausage, apples, prunes, and red cabbage.

Stocking Stuffers: Norwegian chain Husfliden is the place to go for traditional clothing, including bunads (the Norwegian national costume) and handwoven sweaters. Blåst, a glassblowing studio, sells the wares of its three resident artists.

Key West, FL

Why Go: Good cheer and warm temperatures are typically Key West’s winning attributes, and Christmas is no exception. The trimmed palm trees, done-up historic inns (tours Dec. 11, 12, 18, and 19), and four festooned blocks of boats along the historic waterfront (the “Bight Before Christmas”) only amplify the town’s merriment.

 

Where to Stay: Just off bustling Duval Street, the boutique Marquesa Hotel is an oasis of chill: three historic buildings and one new one sharing a leafy courtyard with two pools. On Christmas morning, a buffet breakfast is served poolside. Doubles from $345.

Holiday Dinner: Housed in a 1906 Victorian manse, Nine One Five’s holiday menu mixes tapas (bacon-wrapped dates; duck liver pâté) with entrées such as Soul Mama seafood soup and mushroom risotto. Open Christmas Day 6–9 p.m.

Stocking Stuffers: Bésame Mucho is your best bet for sensual gifts like perfume or handwoven shopping bags made from palm fronds. Despite its moniker, local department store Fast Buck Freddie’s stocks tasteful—and sometimes whimsical—housewares and clothing.

Chicago

Why Go: The Windy City embraces yuletide cheer to the max, with a million holiday lights along bustling Magnificent Mile; Christkindlmarket, a huge outdoor German crafts market with beer and fare like sausages to stoke your fire; a towering handmade Christmas tree; and Navy Pier’s Winter WonderFest, a holiday-themed amusement park and indoor skating rink.

 

Where to Stay: Peppy, tropical-themed Hotel Monaco Chicago is a Kimpton boutique hotel with verve and a sense of humor. Its wild combo of lime and plum is eye-popping, and there’s a free social hour with wine and nibbles from 5 to 6 p.m. daily. And, it’s in The Loop. Doubles from $129.

Holiday Dinner: Cozy wine-driven eatery the Cellar at Bin 36 is serving its creative, locally sourced menu ($110) from 5 p.m. on Christmas Day. Starter highlights like semolina-crusted soft-shell crab and Applewood smoked bacon sausage are followed by the likes of a star-anise duck-leg confit with crispy potato Rösti, grilled Angus New York strip steak with truffled celery purée, and wild-mushroom and Gruyère cannelloni. Expert wine pairings are, of course, de rigueur.

Stocking Stuffers: The Chicago Architecture Foundation Shop is a must for Chicago-centric fare like Frank Lloyd Wright notecards, Lego sets of iconic buildings, or a round Chicago-sewer doormat.

Vienna

Why Go: An old-fashioned warmth envelops Vienna at Christmas, softening the hard edges of imperial architecture with twinkling decorations and three outdoor Christkindlmarkts, which are best visited at night. Vendors sell crafts and ornaments, while visitors fuel their shopping with finger food and a glass of spiced mulled wine, or glühwein. And the Vienna Boys’ Choir gives free concerts Sundays at 9:15 a.m.

Where to Stay: Centrally located on Kaerntner Ring right across from the opera, the Ring Hotel is classic Vienna on the outside, but modern, artsy, and decidedly cool on the inside thanks to a top-to-bottom redesign. Doubles from $285.

Holiday Dinner: Eight, the Ring’s acclaimed restaurant, is offering four- and five-course Christmas menus (from $128) with a choice of two entrées: roe deer loin with macadamia-nut brioche dumplings and port wine red cabbage, or truffle-crusted turbot with pumpkin orzo.

Stocking Stuffers: Seek out the confectionary Demel for chocolates, Sacher torte (supposedly made according to the original court recipe), marzipan, and pastries, and be sure to check out the marzipan museum in the basement. Loden-Plankl is the only place in town to go for traditional Austrian garb, from lederhosen to wool capes.

Quebec City

Why Go: Lit-up cobblestone streets, 16th- and 17th-century stone houses, and lots and lots of snow make Quebec’s 400-year-old walled city an atmospheric and European-like place to be at Christmas. Quebec’s good cheer and great food could make you remember you love winter after all.
Where to Stay: Housed in former 19th-century stone warehouse in Vieux-Port, Auberge St. Antoine stands out for the perfection with which it juxtaposes old and new. Soaring ceilings and cast-iron beams are complemented with such amenities as heated stone floors, and artifacts unearthed during its renovation are on display throughout. Doubles from $209.

Holiday Dinner: Serving traditional Québécois cuisine based on 17th-century French recipes, Aux Anciens Canadiens is offering its main menu on Christmas Day from 5 p.m. Appetizer highlights include foie gras au torchon on a baguette and scallops and prawns in a white-wine sauce, while entrées run the gamut from a vegetable terrine to filet mignon of wild caribou. (Prix fixe $36-$79, depending on the main course, or à la carte.)

Stocking Stuffers: Step back in time with a visit to Maison Jean-Alfred Moisan grocery, a 140-year-old Vieille Quebec mainstay. For Québécois clothes, try La Maison Simons department store, and for hand-wrought ceramics, Boutique Pauline Pelletier is a good bet.

Paraty, Brazil

Why Go: It may not look a lot like Christmas, but Paraty, a half-day’s drive from Rio, is a hidden gem of a town with astonishingly well-preserved Portuguese colonial architecture, a vibrant cultural scene, and easy access to verdant rainforest and some of the world’s most perfect beaches. Sounds like a holiday to us.
Where to Stay: About a 20-minute walk from the town center, the pousada Bambu Bamboo is a lush retreat unto itself, with a pool, spa, lovely gardens, two saunas, and easy access to both rainforest and a cluster of some truly stunning beaches. Breakfast is served by the river.
Holiday Dinner: Considered by many the town’s top eatery, French restaurant Voilà Bistrot will be serving Christmas dinner at 7:30 p.m. On the menu: fava beans with foie gras, cod strudel with tomato chutney, shoulder of lamb with herbs, and chocolate macaroons.
Stocking Stuffers: For wood carvings, headdresses, musical instruments, and other objects made by tribes in the Amazon, hit Tronco Tupi. Hand-painted blue tiles can be found at Atelier Paris-Paraty. Try Studio Dananal for original—and affordable—works on paper.

Castleton, England

Why Go: A tiny stone English village dotted with cheerfully lit Christmas trees would be enough of an allure, but caroling by candlelight inside caves seals this southern town’s place on a list of special yuletide travel destinations.

Where to Stay: Just up the road in Hope, the secluded Losehill House Hotel and Spa offers a Christmas package that includes three nights’ accommodation (beginning Christmas Eve), meals (including a Christmas feast), and a spa treatment; $820 per person.

Holiday Dinner: The eight-course Christmas Day dinner kicks off with champagne at 1 p.m. and continues with an appetizer of partridge-mushroom soup, langoustine cocktail, or roasted shallot tarte Tatin. Entrée choices include roasted turkey; fillet of John Dory with a Shiraz-hibiscus emulsion, terrine of winter vegetables; and venison loin with celeriac fondant and roasted figs.

Stocking Stuffers: The Blue John Original Craft Shop is a must for snagging a “Blue John” gem—a luminescent purple-orange stone—found only in two of Castleton’s famed caverns.

Best Affordable All-Inclusive Resorts

All-inclusive resorts that deliver surprising luxuries, service, and cuisine at an affordable (and predictable) price.

As a Manhattan assistant district attorney and mother of three, Kerry Chicon can make a persuasive case for needing a break from stress and planning. So finding a low-maintenance vacation is her high priority: “When we travel with kids, we always go all-inclusive,” she says.

Savvy travelers like Chicon aren’t just taking the easy way out—they’ve discovered that an influx of service-oriented hoteliers has raised the bar on the all-inclusive resort model, introducing more amenities and more of a sense of place.

Better still, the perks and convenience of an all-inclusive vacation can be had at a great price (from $149 per night at the Ocean Coral & Turquesa on Mexico’s Riviera Maya). Keep your eye out for air/resort packages offered by big travel providers, and you may find even lower rates.

One of the biggest improvements at all-inclusives like the Ocean Coral & Turquesa is the food. In years past, the cuisine at many all-inclusive resorts had all the flair of a Holiday Inn buffet, with a few slices of pineapple to signify location. Buffet lines haven’t disappeared entirely, but resorts are recognizing that showcasing fresh ingredients and local cuisine will lure guests with more refined palates.

Taking the focus on cuisine even further, Azul Beach Resort on the Riviera Maya calls itself “gourmet-inclusive”: The 97-room resort operates four full-service restaurants, several snack bars, and a lounge dedicated to tequila, just to keep foodies coming back.

Gone, too, is the desperately perky social director organizing a poolside conga line. Resorts are one-upping each other with an ever-expanding roster of diversions: golf, tennis, ziplines, kids’ clubs, snorkeling trips, Spanish lessons, beachfront climbing walls, kayaking, and trapeze instruction. Even lazing on the beach has received an upgrade: you’ll find hand-carved Balinese beach beds under palapas at Melia Caribe Tropical.

Lolling on the sand used to be enough; exploring outside a resort’s gates was discouraged. But some all-inclusives now embrace local pride. CoCo Bay urges guests to check out the nearby national park and local museums to get a taste of Antigua that can’t be experienced from a hammock. In Barbados, Mango Bay invites local bands to play and runs casually guided excursions to area shops.

Sure, you may be able to find great food, thoughtful service, and a wealth of activities elsewhere on the beach, but at what cost and after how much research?

These all-inclusive resorts guarantee vacations where, for a few nights, you can count on economic stability and ease of planning. Treat yourself to one of these trips as a kind of stimulus package for your budget—and your peace of mind.

 

Azul Beach Resort
Puerto Morelos, Riviera Maya

Who Should Go: Couples and families

Why: Azul Beach Resort knows just how to appeal to first-time all-inclusive guests. The resort has just 98 guest rooms, each featuring a patio or balcony, in low-rise adobe buildings clustered along the water’s edge. No activities director will rouse you from a beach bed to join a conga line (though a beach butler may ask if you’d like a cool towel or cold drink). The hotel has plenty of adult features—a bar dedicated to tequila, live music in the bars, menus with adventurous eaters in mind, those breezy beds on the sand—but also welcomes families with a daily kids’ club and children’s selections at its four restaurants.

The Dollars: Doubles from $278 during high season. Kids under 3 stay free; older kids are charged $90 a night. 

 

Casa Velas
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Who Should Go: Couples looking for quiet and romance

Why: Live like colonial gentry at Casa Velas, an adults-only, all-suite boutique hotel and ocean club in Puerto Vallarta. The quiet grounds—manicured tropical gardens, koi ponds, a curvaceous swimming pool, inviting patios—and attentive and discreet staff will have you convinced that you’re staying at a five-star hotel. The oversized suites feature private plunge pools or outdoor Jacuzzis. While Casa Velas is not on the beach, it maintains a private beach club with its own restaurant, lounge, infinity pool, and cabanas. The recently renovated spa offers five treatment rooms if you can remember anything that ails you in these dreamy surroundings.

The Dollars: Suites from $340 per person. 

Barcelo Playa Langosta
Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Who Should Go: Surfers, active couples, and families with older kids

Why: This glorious arc of Pacific beach has attracted surfers since the ’60s, and when you see the ocean from the ideal vantage point of Barcelo Playa Langosta, you’ll understand why. Getting in touch with nature here isn’t a challenge: without any more effort than a stroll along the beach or even across the grounds to the hotel pool, you can see howler monkeys, iguanas, raccoons, butterflies, hummingbirds, and parrots. A wild nightlife is another thing, though—travelers in search of a lively scene should take the $5 cab ride to the nightspots of Tamarindo.

The Dollars: Doubles from $165/night. 

 

Mango Bay
Holetown, Barbados

Who Should Go: Couples and families

Why: Many resorts keep you to themselves, but Mango Bay Resort wants to share you with Barbados. A friendly, small resort on the island’s west coast, Mango Bay is a stroll away from boutique shopping in Holetown and adjacent to a lively stretch of bars and clubs that cater to island visitors and residents. Guests are welcomed at the weekly street parties in town and local bands provide the nightly entertainment in the hotel bar. The all-inclusive rate includes a few off-site excursions, as well as resort activities like kayaking, pedal boats, and waterskiing. Lounge chairs stretch the length of the modest beach and around the curvy free-form pool.

The Dollars: Doubles from $425/night. (Mango Bay enjoys an active off-season for the Caribbean, so you may want to consider a hot summer holiday.) 

 

Club Med Ixtapa
Mexico

Who Should Go: Families

Why: The brand has slipped out of its swinging ’70s threads into something a little more family-friendly. Guests drop their offspring for the day at one of the buzzing Mini-Club Meds and then choose to take a yoga class, lounge on a daybed next to the pool, sail, snorkel, or sea-kayak in the Pacific. The swinging hasn’t ceased altogether, either: intrepid visitors can learn trapeze at the on-site circus school. A vacation here is a like visit to a swank, action-packed summer camp, with the added bonus of mojitos, spacious rooms, and comfy beds.

The Dollars: Adults stay from $1,440 per person for a seven-night all-inclusive vacation. Kids stay free much of the year and special discounts are announced frequently. 

 

CocoBay Resort
Antigua

Who Should Go: Couples looking for peace and quiet

Why: Guests at CocoBay know they’re in the West Indies. The individual bungalows, painted in soft pastels, have tin roofs, gingerbread trim, and spectacular, unobstructed sunset views. The hotel has furnished the cottages (and the larger "plantation houses") with hard-carved beds and antiques and decorated them with colorful local art. The mood at the resort is tranquil, informal, and unplugged: no phones or televisions—and no kids under 14.

The Dollars: Doubles from $320. 

Dreams Los Cabos
Los Cabos, Mexico

Who Should Go: Honeymooners and couples with small children

Why: While girls gone wild and their bachelor-party admirers whoop it up down in Cabo San Lucas, blissful romance prevails at this generously proportioned beachfront palace. Popular for destination weddings (ceremonies are scheduled almost every day) and honeymoons, Dreams offers large ocean-view suites with private terraces, three large pools, five restaurants, and lots of activities, as well as opportunities for leisurely inactivity. Special packages are available (for additional fees) if you want to play one of the eight championship golf courses in the area or try deep-sea fishing. While romance is the focus, Dreams hasn’t neglected families: a children’s Explorers Club (with evening hours) and a kids’ pool give parents a break.

The Dollars: Doubles from $395/night. 

Divi Aruba and Tamarijn Aruba
Oranjestad, Aruba

Who Should Go: Beach lovers of all types.

Why: The water’s the thing in Aruba—aqua-tinted and so ridiculously clear you can inspect your pedicure when you’re in it up to your chin. At Divi Aruba and its next-door sibling, Tamarijn, you’ll spend most your time in that water. The two resorts share amenities: pools, a 30-foot climbing wall, bikes, tennis courts, a gym, children’s camp, and access to a neighboring casino. Though families and honeymooners outnumber other guests, the vibe remains mellow and beach-focused, not frantic with kiddie activities or bass-thumping nightlife.

The Dollars: Doubles from $525 at Divi, and from $475 at Tamarijn. 

 

Melia Caribe Tropical
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Who Should Go: Couples, families, groups

Why: While it’s so sprawling that a mini-train shuttles guests around its vast grounds, the Melia Caribe Tropical offers a Royal Service upgrade which tames the beast. Royal Treatment guests can take advantage of the extensive amenities of a mega-resort while staying in their own wing, complete with dedicated butler service, as well as a private restaurant, pool, and exclusive stretch of Punta Cana’s spectacular blue water and bone-white sand beach. A beach concierge and runners fetch drinks and cool towels to your shady palapa. The distractions are many: golf, a climbing wall, windsurfing, a zip line, ten pools, tennis, and a casino. The Flintstones-themed kids’ club operates until the late evening so parents can enjoy some uninterrupted yabba-dabba-you time.

The Dollars: Junior Suites in the Royal Service wing (sleeps 2 adults and 2 children) are available from $410/night. 

 

 

Best Beer Gardens in America

The beer garden is the new coffee shop. So gather your friends for craft brews and a casual vibe.

Philadelphia-based Stephen Starr oversees an empire of more than 20 restaurants that includes high-end Buddakan and Morimoto. Not one to be left out of a trend, though, he opened a different kind of establishment earlier this year—a beer garden. 

We’re officially in the midst of an American beer revival, with beer gardens flourishing and more domestic breweries than at any time since Prohibition (1,595 as of 2009). No longer do you have to travel abroad to spend a lazy afternoon at a beer garden. You can find both hip and traditional options from L.A. to beer-centric Philadelphia.

Let’s give a hearty willkommen to this beer garden trend, which has been a long time coming. In the early 20th century, U.S. towns or cities with large German or Eastern European immigrant communities supported hundreds of beer gardens. But anti-German sentiment after World War I along with Prohibition dried up beer culture in America. Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden in Queens, NY, and Mecklenburg Gardens in Cincinnati were among the few survivors.

Now restaurateurs like Starr and chefs like Kurt Gutenbrunner are among those launching a new generation of beer gardens. “The challenge for proprietors is to not make beer gardens gimmicky or ironic,” says Andy Crouch, author of Great American Craft Beer: A Guide to the Nation’s Finest Beer and Breweries. “The best beer gardens are much simpler affairs, well-kept outdoor spaces where friends can gather and enjoy beer, preferably surrounded by nature.”

San Diego’s Stone Brewing Co. exemplifies this philosophy. Its owners took the term beer garden quite literally, planting pine, elm, and olive trees, creating a koi pond, and installing tables with umbrellas. The result is a tranquil one-acre spot for sampling some of the 36 craft beers on tap.

Like the rest of America’s best beer gardens, Stone Brewing Co. is a natural venue for celebrating during Oktoberfest—or at any time of year, thanks to modern improvements like heat lamps and retractable roofs. Read on to find a beer garden near you, along with suggestions for which suds should fill your mug.

 

Mecklenburg Gardens, Cincinnati

Founded in 1865, Mecklenburg Gardens is the oldest continually running restaurant and beer garden in this very German city. Co-owner Annamarie Harten says that it was also initially a learning institution: “When Mecklenburg Gardens was first opened, German immigrants would assemble in the garden and learn about the American political processes and hold mock elections.” There’s no more voting—just lots of beer imbibing in the garden underneath lovely 100-year-old grape vines.

Suds: Fifteen German and American craft beers on tap and 80 by bottle. Beer from $4.50.

 

Standard Biergarten, New York City

The crowd at this beer garden is trendier than usual thanks to its Meatpacking District location below the High Line and adjacent to the Standard Hotel. But the setup is traditionally Teutonic: buy beer and food tickets at the entry, order from the bar, and squeeze in at one of the communal tables (within range of the ping pong tables). Michelin-starred Austrian chef Kurt Gutenbrunner designed the menu of plump grilled sausages, currywurst, and oversize pretzels.

Suds: The few beers on tap are great German selections. The dark, caramel-like Köstritzer pairs well with classic Bavarian weisswurst sausage. Beer from $7.

Hofbrau, Miami

This South Beach beer garden may go by the famous Hofbrau moniker—named after the granddaddy of all beer-centric drinking spots in Munich—but the scene here has as much beach in it as it does Bavaria. Opened in 2007, Hofbrau is known as a beer hall, but the 92-seat garden is where to go. Long wooden tables with the classic blue-and-white-checked tablecloths and umbrellas shading the South Beach sun are great for people-watching.

Suds: Five Hofbrau-brand brews on tap, including dark, potent Maibock and a fruity hefeweizen. Beer from $5.

Zeitgeist, San Francisco

 This spacious beer garden was a hit with Mission District denizens long before the neighborhood was anointed cool. “It used to be more of a biker crowd,” says manager Mimi Pajo. “Now, though, there are blue-collar and white-collar types. Some of the old locals complain about it but they keep coming back anyway,” she adds with a smile. Those crowds at the long wooden tables mean you’re certain to make new friends by the end of the night.

Suds: An excellent selection of 49 tap beers that includes many California craft brews: beloved Berkeley brew Trumer Pils and others from San Diego, Humboldt County, Paso Robles, and Santa Rosa. Beer from $4.

 Bayou Beer Garden, New Orleans

 There’s hardly anything German about the two-year-old Bayou Beer Garden, and that’s perfectly okay—especially when the garden is bedecked with flowers and plants and a waterfall. Reggae and other popular music seeps from the speakers as Mid-City neighborhood folks (especially of the local sports-crazed variety) congregate to discuss the Saints while nursing beers and picking over burgers, sandwiches, and sweet potato fries.
Suds: There are only a small handful of brews on tap—including the local Abita Amber and NOLA Hopitoulas—but the 75 different bottled varieties of beer, from Belgium to Mexico to Estonia, certainly make up for it. Beer from $3.50.

 Standard, Washington, D.C.

 Two native New Englanders with a love of backyard barbecue founded this beer garden, which has won over D.C. locals with its easygoing vibe and aroma of grilling meats. While the most popular item on the menu is the pulled pork sandwich, co-owner Tad Curtz says, “Customers seem to be really loving our sidewalk donut stand where we cook buttermilk donuts right out in the garden.” The garden holds 100 people (there are communal and smaller tables), but look for an expansion very soon.

Suds: Six beers on tap range from the German Hofbrau to the craft North Coast Scrimshaw Pils. Beer from $5.

 The Village Tap, Chicago

 This 1,000-square-foot, 100-capacity beer garden in Chicago’s Roscoe Village is a homey place to knock back a couple brews year round. Heat lamps, an outdoor fireplace, and a retractable roof make sure beer-imbibers stay warm in the winter—as do big portions of Tex-Mex, salads, and burgers.
Suds: Twenty-six beers on tap with an emphasis on American craft brews, such as Baltimore’s Stillwater Brewery, as well as Prague’s hoppy Staropramen and a small selection of Belgian-style ales. Beer from $5.

 Frankford Hall, Philadelphia

 Brought to you by prolific restaurateur Stephen Starr (Buddakan, Morimoto), Frankford Hall and its 240-seat beer garden were constructed largely from the materials of an abandoned warehouse in the Fishtown neighborhood. After opening so many fine-dining restaurants, Starr explains why he was inspired to open a beer garden: “The beauty of a beer garden is that it’s a social, fun place for people to gather, have a bite and a drink, and enjoy themselves.”
Suds: The nine beers on tap lean toward Germany with a few choice American craft beers, Dogfish Head and Great Lakes rounding out the list. Beer from $6.

 Red Lion Tavern, Los Angeles

 A fixture of the Silverlake section of Los Angeles since 1959, this divey German beer garden and tavern is an ever-popular spot for taking in Teutonic eating and drinking culture in southern California. The 40-seat beer garden, formerly the Red Lion’s parking lot, isn’t the biggest garden in the country, but its raucous atmosphere inspires bibulous bursts of good times.
Suds: Ten German beers on tap from Spaten, Warsteiner, Bitburger, Köstritzer, and Hofbrau, plus one monthly featured beer (which is usually of German origins). Beer from $5.

Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens, San Diego

 The people at Stone Brewing Co. took the term beer garden quite literally, planting pine, elm, and olive trees and creating a koi pond and large swaths of grass. CEO and co-founder Greg Koch calls the 205-seat garden a “one-acre Shangri-la.” When paired with a pint of beer and dishes like barbecued duck tacos or wild boar baby back ribs, it’s not hard to see why.
Suds: Thirty-six craft beers on tap, including Stone Brewing Co. and other small California brewers, and 80 different bottles, mostly North American and Belgian. Beer from $5.

America's Most Beautiful College Campuses

"If you ask freshmen why they chose their colleges, they usually say one of two things,” says Baltimore architect Adam Gross, who’s worked on projects at the University of Virginia and Swarthmore. “Either they got a good financial aid package or they thought the campus was beautiful."

America’s most beautiful college campuses have the power not only to sway indecisive high school students, of course, but also to attract tourists. Their appeal comes through varying combinations of awe-inspiring architecture, landscaping, and surroundings. To choose among more than 2,600 four-year American colleges, we considered these three key factors as well as architects’ expert opinions.

"The most important thing to realize is that how landscaping and buildings interconnect is as important as the buildings themselves," explains Boston-based architect Mark deShong. At Princeton University, for example, “It’s really about landscape,” he says. The campus connects its ivy-covered gray stone buildings with footpaths, idyllic small greens, and courtyards that create an intimate village-like scale.

Architectural coherence also plays a role in making a campus beautiful. Take the University of San Diego, which sticks to one architectural style: the Spanish Renaissance, with its elaborate façades, delicate ironwork, and carved wood. Ocean views and palm-tree-lined courtyards are extra selling points.

So plan your own trip to check out these campus masterpieces.

Bard College: Annandale-on-Hudson, NY

Frank Gehry’s Fisher Center—an undulating work of glass and brushed stainless steel—showcases Bard’s thriving arts scene throughout the year (current college president Leon Botstein himself is an accomplished conductor). The center is on the contemporary side of the rural campus’s architectural spectrum, which goes back to the 19th-century Blithewood Mansion and its manicured Italian garden. Pathways make for easy exploring, with the Catskill Mountains visible in the distance. —Kate Appleton

Stanford University: Palo Alto, CA

The entryway to Stanford’s 8,180-acre campus is arguably the grandest of any college campus: a mile-long, tree-lined Palm Drive, which leads up to the expansive green Oval, red-clay-roof-tiled Main Quad, and the campus’s crown architectural jewel, Memorial Church, with its striking mosaic façade.

Photo-op: The view of campus—and all the way to San Francisco on a clear day—from the Hoover Tower observation platform.

To-Do List: The Cantor Arts Center’s collection of 170 bronzes by Auguste Rodin, among the largest outside Paris, includes the Gates of Hell and Burghers of Calais. —Ratha Tep

University of Notre Dame: South Bend, IN

It’s hard to miss the glistening golden dome of the university’s Main Building, not to mention the neo-Gothic Basilica of the Sacred Heart that defines this 150-year-old Catholic school. Besides gorgeous architecture, the campus is chock-full of lush quads, where students congregate to kick back when they’re not in class — or at the football stadium. —Joshua Pramis

Florida Southern University: Lakeland, FL

What do Ellis Island and Florida Southern University have in common? They’re among the 32 U.S. spots that have recently been put under watch by the World Monument Fund as endangered cultural sites. You might also be surprised to learn that Florida Southern—on a hillside overlooking Lake Hollingsworth—has the world’s largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, including the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel with its colored pieces of glass and wrought-iron tower. —Ratha Tep

University of Cincinnati: Cincinnati, OH

A decades-long renewal topping $1 billion is paying dividends for Cincy, which has cultivated a strikingly modern look—and proven that “it doesn’t need ivy-covered brick walls” to be beautiful, as UC Magazine put it. Notable architects Michael Graves, Charles Gwathmey, Frank Gehry, and Peter Eisenman have each made their mark on the campus, whose Main Street leads to the prow-shaped Steger Student Life Center and the Tangeman University Center, which, in 2005, dramatically repositioned the original clock tower atop a skylight in a 90-foot atrium. —Kate Appleton

University of San Diego: San Diego, CA

Some campuses are an amalgam of styles; the University of San Diego sticks to just one, and what a glorious one it has chosen—the Spanish Renaissance, with its elaborate façades, delicate ironwork, and carved woodwork. Ocean views and palm-tree-lined courtyards only add to the paradise-on-campus appeal.

Photo-op: The Immaculata Chapel, with its piercingly blue dome, visible from much of the city.

To-Do List: A walk around the Garden of the Sea, behind the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice, and its serene reflecting pool and gardens overlooking Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean. —Ratha Tep

Berry College: Mount Berry, GA

This rural college holds a lofty record: it’s the world’s largest contiguous college campus in the world, with more than 26,000 acres of fields, lakes, forests, and mountains. Berry makes prime use of its setting too, with numerous reflecting pools and fountains situated nearby its beautiful English Gothic–inspired buildings like the Ford Dining Hall, Ford Auditorium, and Mary Hall, made possible by the school’s largest benefactor—Henry Ford. —Ratha Tep

Lewis & Clark College: Portland, OR

Six miles from downtown lies this 137-acre parklike campus of verdant forests, sweeping pathways, and stone walls. A tree walk with native species encountered by the two explorers for whom the college was named on their epic journey west surrounds the Frank Manor House—originally built as a 35-room private mansion.

Photo-op: The serene Reflecting Pool, bordered by a wall of wisteria, for a stellar view of Mount Hood.

To-Do List: A day hike through surrounding Tryon Creek State Park. Begin with coffee brewed with beans from Stumptown Coffee Roasters at the Lewis & Clark bookstore. —Ratha Tep

Rice University: Houston, TX

Don’t be fooled by Rice’s urban address. A double row of majestic oak trees encloses its perimeter—a harbinger of the lush 285-acre campus to come, divided into quadrangles and planted with 4,000-plus elms, hickories, maples, and other trees (a ratio of more than one for each undergrad). The oldest buildings, like the standout Lovett Hall, borrow elements of medieval southern European architecture, including grand, arched passageways and rose-hued brick. —Ratha Tep

Cornell University: Ithaca, NY

Ambitious campus planners wanted to create a main quad over dramatic Cayuga Lake, the longest of the Finger Lakes. “It’s the idea of putting education on a high platform,” says architect Mark deShong. That original plan evolved, and the beautiful setting now accommodates both historic structures (McGraw Tower) and contemporary ones like the I. M. Pei–designed Johnson Museum of Art—whose walls screen movies on summer evenings—and the new Milstein Hall by Rem Koolhaas.

Photo-op: Cascadilla Gorge, whose eight waterfalls drop more than 400 feet from Cornell’s campus to downtown Ithaca.

To-Do List: The paved paths that wind through Cornell Plantation’s 150-acre arboretum; climb to the Newman Overlook for a sweeping panoramic view. —Ratha Tep