Palazzo Fortuny–Venice

Venetians called this place “The House of the Magician.” It’s where Mariano Fortuny, who became world famous for his outrageously gorgeous fabrics, gowns, and lamps, set up his home and workshop in 1907. There was a woman behind his success: Henriette Negrin, who he met in Paris in 1897 when she was a French widow, a model, and a seamstress. She became his muse, collaborator, and wife—after they lived together for twenty-two years. 

You’ll see Fortuny’s paintings of Henriette here—some nude, others with her dressed elegantly with her hair swept up, along with photographs of their trips to Greece and Egypt, where Fortuny got lots of inspiration. In the museum where they once lived and worked together, you enter the world of this eccentric, twentieth-century Renaissance man. Fortuny was born in Granada in 1871, to both a father and grandfather (on his mother’s side) who were highly acclaimed painters in Spain. 

His father died when he was three, so his mother took him to live in Paris, and also traveled about, until they finally settled in Venice, because Fortuny was horribly allergic to horses, and this was the only place around without carriages. After his early artistic endeavors in painting and photography, and success in designing sets and lighting for theater, Fortuny, at thirty-six years old, began his work on printed fabrics here with Henriette. He’d already had an attic studio in the thirteenth-century palazzo, and then bought the building that had been cut up into apartments and gutted it, turning it into a free-flowing creative space. 

The walls of the first floor’s large rectangular room are covered with Fortuny’s patterned fabrics, creating a warm, exotic, colorful ambiance. His paintings and lamps surround displays of his gowns and capes that were worn by such illustrious women as Eleanora Duse, Sarah Bernhardt, and Isadora Duncan. Fortuny broke into the woman’s fashion world in 1907 with his Delphos gown, inspired by tunics from ancient Greek statuary. 

It was simple and finely pleated, in soft, shimmering colors. Women happily tore off their corsets to put on the sensational dress that elegantly draped their bodies. He packaged it rolled up in a hatbox, so it was easy and light for travel. The second floor of the museum gives you an idea of what life was like when 100 workers were there producing Fortuny fabrics, under Henriette’s supervision. In contrast to what’s below, it’s stripped bare with only huge worktables. 

Off to the side is Fortuny’s library and personal workshop, where you’ll get a hit of the practical side of this free-spirited artist. It’s packed with volumes of books about artists who came before him, lots of journals where he cataloged designs and colors, his paints and tools. Fortuny’s preferred entrance to this palazzo was climbing through the skylight, straight into his workshop. Fortuny’s fabric designs, of intricate swirls, animals, and geometric prints, on cotton, silk, or velvet, clearly show his influences from Spain and travels to Greece and farther east. 

But ultimately, they’re completely Venetian, reflecting the cultural melting pot of the city, with rich colors muted by the city’s fog, or glistening in gold or silver sunlight. He was called “the magician” because nobody could figure out exactly how he produced these fabrics, and his techniques are still kept secret. You’ll be so tempted to reach out and touch them in the museum, but you can’t. 

For a tactile experience, head to the Fortuny Showroom on Giudecca, or one of the Venetia Studium stores in Venice, where you can even buy a scarf, pillow, purse, or lamp to take home and keep a little bit of the Venetian magician in your life. Palazzo Fortuny Museum: Campo San Beneto (San Marco), 10-6, closed Tuesday.

Mystery Castle Phoenix Arizona

Mystery Castle is possibly Phoenix's most unique attraction. In 1927 an individual named Boyce Luther Gulley traveled to Phoenix in hopes that the mild climate would improve his health. His daughter, Mary Lou Gulley, was a fan of building sandcastles at the beach. 

Since Phoenix is so far from the oceans, Gulley set about creating the real-life fairytale sandcastle. He began work in the year 1930 and continued to work for 15 years, ending in 1945. 

The demolition of bricks, desert rocks railway refuse, and many scrapyard materials and car parts, among others, are used to construct the structure. The 18-room interior features 13 fireplaces that are accessible during a guided tour that explores the unique structure and its diverse collection of furniture and antiques from all over the globe.

Green Hills Butterfly Ranch

The captivating Green Hills Butterfly Ranch, which is home to most of the butterflies found in Belize is spread across a lush hillside, eight miles to the south of George Price Highway, opposite the mountain equestrian center, which is a popular horse-riding destination. 

Trails. Although it is primarily a place for research, it's accessible to the public whose main attraction is the well-groomed, 3,300 square feet of air space in which a multitude of beautiful tropical butterflies dances about, stopping occasionally on blossoms to drink nectar. More than eighty species have been reared in the area, and you'll typically be able to see between 25 and 30 at any given moment, based on the season and breeding season. 

Local guides who are enthusiastic and well-trained provide excellent information. Visitors who arrive early may be fortunate enough to witness butterflies emerge from chrysalises with jewels; many of these chrysalises are sent to be displayed in the US. You can also, through appointment, watch the flying of huge owls, which occur at sunset. In order to keep butterflies in your garden, you should be aware of their diet. 

The adjacent botanical garden houses Belize's national passionflower garden, along with a myriad of epiphytes (air plants) including cycads and heliconias, and orchids, as well as an orchard of tropical fruits. The ranch is managed by Dutch biologists Jan Meerman and Tineke Boomsma Both of them have published extensively - such as a Checklist of the Butterflies of Belize that covers reptiles, insects, amphibians, and flowers. They've also found several new species, like one tarantula Citharacanthus meermani - in Green Hills itself. So, Green Hills Butterfly Ranch is a must-visit place for all nature lovers. 

Kings Canyon National Park California

Enter the park via the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway (Route 180), having spent the night in Fresno or Visalia. Better yet, wake up already in Grant Grove Village, perhaps in the John Muir Lodge. Stock up for a picnic with takeout food from the Grant Grove Restaurant, or purchase prepackaged food from the nearby market. Drive east a mile to see the General Grant Tree and compact Grant Grove’s other sequoias. If it’s no later than midmorning, walk up the short trail at Panoramic Point, for a great view of Hume Lake and the High Sierra. 

Either way, return to Route 180 and continue east. Stop at Junction View to take in several noteworthy peaks that tower over Kings Canyon. From here, visit Boyden Cavern or continue to Cedar Grove Village, pausing along the way for a gander at Grizzly Falls. Eat at a table by the South Fork of the Kings River, or on the deck of the Cedar Grove Snack Bar. 

Now you are ready for the day’s highlight, strolling Zumwalt Meadow, which lies a few miles past the village. After you have enjoyed that short trail and the views it offers of Grand Sentinel and North Dome, you might as well go the extra mile to Roads End, where backpackers embark on the High Sierra wilderness. Make the return trip—with a quick stop at Roaring River Falls—past Grant Grove and briefly onto southbound Generals Highway. 

Pullover at the Redwood Mountain Overlook and use binoculars to look down upon the world’s largest sequoia grove, then drive another couple of miles to the Kings Canyon Overlook, where you can survey some of what you have done today. If you’ve made reservations and have time, have a late dinner at Wuksachi Lodge.

Lonar Meteorite Crater

If you like off-beat adventures, travel to Lonar to explore a prehistoric natural wonder. About 50,000 years ago, a meteorite slammed into the earth here, leaving behind a massive crater, 2km across and 170m deep. In scientific jargon, it’s the only hypervelocity natural impact crater in basaltic rock in the world. Inlay terms, it’s as tranquil and relaxing a spot as you could hope to find, with a shallow green lake at its base and wilderness all around. 

The lake water is supposedly alkaline and excellent for the skin. Scientists think that the meteorite is still embedded about 600m below the southeastern rim of the crater. The crater’s edge is home to several Hindu temples as well as wildlife, including langurs, peacocks, deer, and an array of birds. MTDC Tourist Complex has a prime location just across the road from the crater, and offers eight rooms of relatively good value, considering the location. 

Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery.

Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery. FAMILY A large colony of elephant seals (at last count 22,000) gathers every year at Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, on the beaches near Piedras Blancas Lighthouse. The huge males with their pendulous, trunklike noses typically start appearing onshore in late November, and the females begin to arrive in December to give birth—most babies are born in the last two weeks of January. 

The newborn pups spend about four weeks nursing before their mothers head out to sea, leaving them on their own; the “weaners” leave the rookery when they are about 3½ months old. The seals return in the spring and summer months to molt or rest, but not en masse as in winter. You can watch them from a boardwalk along the bluffs just a few feet above the beach; do not attempt to approach them as they are wild animals. The nonprofit Friends of the Elephant Seal runs a small visitor center and gift shop (250 San Simeon Avenue) in San Simeon. 

Alaska Highway - A wilderness road trip through Canada and Alaska

RUNNING THROUGH SOME OF the most rugged terrains on the planet, the Alaska Highway is an epic 1,387-mile (2,232 km) journey through boreal forest, remote mountain ranges, and alluvial landscapes carved by rivers and ancient glaciers. Constructed during World War II as a strategic link between Alaska and the lower 48 states, the route stretches from Dawson Creek in northeastern British Columbia through Yukon to Delta Junction near Fairbanks, Alaska. 

Once gravel, the entire length of the highway is now paved, though stretches can still be potholed and rough. The major obstacle to driving the highway is extreme northern weather—it can snow even at the height of summer this far north. Grizzlies, moose, and other critters are also apt to wander across the road. Drivers should expect a general lack of amenities. 

Many businesses are seasonal, and even during the best weather, traffic is extremely light along much of the highway. The weeklong journey on the Alaska Highway offers one of the world’s most rewarding wilderness road trips. Along the way are Muncho Lake, historic Whitehorse in Yukon, and vast Kluane National Park and Preserve. The best online resource for driving the highway is The Milepost.