Off the Beaten Path Places to Visit the World Over

Nick Greif: Nepenthe sits overlooking the Big Sur coast for the most incredible lunch view money can buy. The Ambrosia Burger is the coast's best and you won't forget your meal there. ($15-30pp)

Nick Greif: Cambria's best spot for coffee hands down. Friendly staff, good prices, better espresso, and some seriously solid quiches.

Nick Greif: Unbelievably nice place for dinner with unique local/organic dishes and a great wine list. Definitely worth the visit, provided you have some cash to burn. ($25-65pp)

Nick Greif: Perhaps the best vegan restaurant on the western seaboard. The food is incredible from start to finish and a Foursquare check-in scores you a free dessert. ($40-70)

Nick Greif: Royal Oak is both eclectic and inviting. The crowd is amiable and the drinks fairly priced. It's ambiance and medium-sized crowd outstrip the better known, but packed and fratty, Bullit, next store.

Nick Greif: Quite literally some of the best Thai food you can buy outside of southeast Asia. There is nothing that isn't worth buying, twice (literally, we went back next day), and it is affordable. ($10-20pp)

Nick Greif: It's a fifteen feet troll eating a real VW Bug under a bridge. Enough said.

Nick Greif: The original brew pub for Rogue brewery (the brewery is across the river). The food is good, the beer is better, and the swag cheap. Get a flight of tasters, join the Rogue Nation, and travel onwards.

Nick Greif: A beautiful hike up to natural swimming holes and water/rock slides. Great place for a day trip. Take note, poison oak and nudists are both native to the area. But that's the wilderness for ya.

Nick Greif: Swanky bar in the corner of the Roosevelt hotel with elaborate cocktails made with fresh farmer's market ingredients bought daily. Each drink is an occasion in and of itself. ($10-15 per drink)

Nick Greif: A dive bar that is remarkable only on Thursday night when they hold their weekly turtle races. Definitely fun entertainment with no cover. But here's a hint, don't point at the turtles. It'll cost ya.

Nick Greif: Unbelievable Cantonese cuisine and the Chef likes to experiment so don't be afraid to ask for the day's off-menu options. Be prepared for a long, sumptuous, and expensive meal. #35 world ranked in '05

Nick Greif: Decadent Italian food in the heart of an underrated city for food. Vetri takes the proverbial cake with some truly tasty, albeit heavy, Italian cuisine. Tasting menus and al la carte. ($40-100+pp)

Nick Greif: A great out of the way bar / lunch spot with a well provisioned draft list. The black bean burger is superb. Though close to the UPenn campus, it's mostly a hipster spot. ($10-20pp)

Nick Greif: If you want a German feel without flying Luftansa, here's the place. Excellent import brews, waitresses in "traditional" German attire, and long wood tables / benches give this place the right feel.

Nick Greif: Yes, it's a monastery. It also has it's own brewery and restaurant. After a day touring the castle nearby, the monastic brews will send you straight to nirvana. And the view is great.

Nick Greif: An hour or so train from Prague, the bone church is worth the trek and one of the odder places you will visit. Be warned... there are lots of bones.

Nick Greif: Awesome brewery and pub with solid nightly food specials and perhaps Australia's best Pale Ale.

Nick Greif: A picturesque set of rocky mounts rising eerily out of an otherwise flat landscape. These can be easily summited (2-4 hrs round trip) for great views and a tourist-free hike.

Nick Greif: A great couple day backpacking spot in the heart of Big Sur. Great camping spots on the way lead 11 miles in to several natural hot springs (up to 100F). Hang a left at the final river to find them.

Nick Greif: Several hours from Croatia's touristy coast or main city, Plitvice is still a must see. It's crowded, and touristy, but still worth it in every way. Nature doesn't get more majestic than this.

Nick Greif: There are many trails up into these mountains, but trails around Mt. Yoash, surrounded by a dark/light 500 million year old fault line, are great and the steep climbs exhilarating. Plus, lots of Ibex.

Nick Greif: Ever heard a hundred sea lions barking in an underground cave? Well, neither had I, until I came here. Smells bad but a cool spot nonetheless, and for a tourist attraction, fairly priced at $12.

Nick Greif: Unbelievable is the only way to describe this geological wonder. A mile of an underground lava tube is yours to explore, free, with no supervision. Be prepared to get dirty and bring a flashlight.

Nick Greif: A very good long day hike or easy overnight backpacking trip. The Bridge to Nowhere is five miles in and spans a river to nothing. The only legal CA bungee spot with a nice river past it to camp at.

Nick Greif: I seriously do not understand how these things exist. As far as the eye can see, a flat desert with finger-like limestone pillars jutting out of the ground everywhere. UFOs are likely responsible.

Nick Greif: Best value for money activity ever. The street luge beat out the bungee jump and the hydro boats for a fraction of the price. Plus there is a sweet view as it sits atop the gondola.

Nick Greif: The most elaborate mini golf course I've ever seen. Indoors, tons of holes, moving parts, and the most fun game of mini golf you've ever played awaits. Another value-for-money win.

Nick Greif: Dongguan is not a scenic place and mostly serves as a manufacturing hub. But if you find yourself there, seek this park out. Several temples and many trails will help relieve you of urban oppression.

Nick Greif: Of the several Tannery locations in Boston, the Cambridge store has the best selection. If you (man or woman) are looking for boots, shoes, leather goods, or jeans, then this is your spot.

Nick Greif: In a less-than-great neighborhood, crown candy is a shining star of milkshakes, snacks, and old-fashioned candy heaven. Worth the visit for the sugar high and the East St. Louis experience.

Nick Greif: A pristine beach with crazy good Watermelon shakes/smoothies, this spot is worth driving out of your way for. An incredible beach coupled with good food and drink is what it's all about.

Nick Greif: Nestled on Lake Annecy, Pere Bise entails heavenly French food with an unbeatable view. Decadent (and pricey) prix fixe for dinner and great outdoor seating for lunch. And you can jump in the lake.

Nick Greif: One of the best restaurants in downtown and good value for the quality. Has its own vegan menu as well. Squash soup is incredible. Salads are good. Avoid Buddha Rolls. Chopper Red is best beer.

Nick Greif: Blasted Broccoli lives up to the rave reviews. The menu is eclectic but all delicious, healthy beer/wine selection, pleasant ambiance in a cozy space. Great place for a date and reasonably priced too.

Nick Greif: La Cuisine is a unique homey gastropub. Nice selection of drinks with meals cooked in plain sight behind the bar in the kitchen. Food is very good and board games join old Atari sets to round it out.

Nick Greif: Great open-plan bar with amazing rock playlist, craft beers, lively crowd, pool/foosball, and plentiful sports TVs. Biggest plusses: cheap drafts, sweet decor, and fun atmosphere. Minus: cash only.

Nick Greif: Indoor/outdoor restaurant in Montreal's old district. Has live jazz every night and a very nice outdoor garden to eat in. Definitely a good place for dinner and the food isn't too pricey.