Los Angeles: Essentials

Reno, Nevada The Biggest Little City in the World is all about kitsch, which reaches its apotheosis at the Peppermill Hotel Casino. Video poker and slot machines compete for your attention with endless mirrors and neon lights in every imaginable color. Walk into the Fish Bar, where tiki cocktails such as a Blue Hawaiian ($5.50) come surrounded by tropical fish aquariums lining the walls (2707 S. Virginia St., 866/821-9996). At William F. Harrah's antique car collection in the National Automobile Museum, hundreds of vehicles are displayed in vignettes, like a powder blue 1954 Buick Skylark getting a tune-up at a Union 76 station (10 S. Lake St., 775/333-9300, $9). Wind down with a Prom Queen cocktail--made with citrus vodka, rum, and cranberry, pineapple, and lime juices--at the retro lounge Satellite (188 California Ave., 775/786-3536, $6). The Green Room regularly hosts cabaret performances in the back of the bar (144 West St., 775/324-1224, cover $5). If you get kitsched out, the Siena Hotel Spa Casino is more of a boutique hotel (1 S. Lake St., 877/743-6233, sienareno.com, from $100), and Reno has plenty of good restaurants. The daily specials at The Cheese Board include salmon salad with pancetta, blood oranges, and pecans (247 California Ave., 775/323-3115, $10.75). Exposed brick walls help create a country French atmosphere at Beaujolais Bistro, where the duck breast is made with Calvados and apples (130 West St., 775/323-2227, $26). And decadence reigns at the Chocolate Bar; scenes from the original Willy Wonka movie play on miniscreens embedded in the bar, distracting only slightly from the creamy cocoa amaretto martinis (475 S. Arlington Ave., 775/337-1122, martini $8). Palm Springs, California Lounging by a pool in the desert heat with a cocktail in your hand, it's easy to imagine you're back in the Old Hollywood heyday of Palm Springs--especially at one of the city's newly restored hotels with modernist designs from the '50s. Hotel Zoso is the most recent addition to the retro-chic wave; after a multimillion dollar renovation of the 1984-era Marquis, Zoso now contains rooms with plasma-screen TVs and Herman Miller's Aeron chairs. At the poolside bar, a quartzite fire pit heats up chilly evenings (150 S. Indian Canyon Dr., 760/325-9676, rooms from $139). You don't have to pay the $300 price tag for a room at the Parker Palm Springs to sip a fruit-infused vodka martini by the fireplace in the Jonathan Adler--designed lobby (4200 E. Palm Canyon Dr., 760/770-5000, martini $15). One of Palm Springs's most famous modernists, Albert Frey, designed the Tramway Gas Station at the north end of Palm Springs; it now houses the Palm Springs Visitors Center (2901 N. Palm Canyon Dr., 760/778-8418), where you can pick up "A Map of Palm Springs Modern" ($5), listing other midcentury architectural landmarks--or, if you'd rather stare at Liberace's house, a $5 map of 64 celebrity homes. Frey also designed the building that now showcases Trina Turk's swimwear and outerwear lines (891 N. Palm Canyon Dr., 760/416-2856). When you get hungry, stop in at Cary Grant's former estate. It's now a restaurant called Copley's on Palm Canyon. On the stone patio, enjoy the charred prawns and scallops with corn puree and shitake mushroom dressing (621 N. Palm Canyon Dr., 760/327-9555, $14). Memphis, Tennessee Home to Elvis and Sun Studio--where Johnny Cash and B.B. King recorded--Memphis sure knows the value of history. Arcade Restaurant is the oldest café in town. You might recognize its turquoise vinyl booths from one of a dozen films that were shot there, including 21 Grams (540 S. Main St., 901/526-5757). The intersection of Cooper Street and Young Avenue forms the nexus of an area called, appropriately enough, the Cooper-Young District. It's filled with consignment shops, art galleries, restaurants, and antiques stores. Flashback has vintage furniture and clothing (2304 Central Ave., 901/272-2304). On weekends, live music and Pabst Blue Ribbon get double billing at HiTone Café, a venue where Cat Power and Elvis (Costello, that is) have both played (1913 Poplar Ave., 901/278-8663). The former Atkins Beauty Salon, also in Cooper-Young, is now Beauty Shop restaurant. Beehive-wigged waitresses in diner-style uniforms serve international twists on Americana dishes--like ahi tuna pizettes (966 S. Cooper St., 901/272-7111, $10). Sun Studio is still a working studio behind a brick facade in downtown Memphis; on the 40-minute tour, you can listen to master recordings, stand on the masking-tape X where Elvis stood to record his first song, and touch that original microphone (706 Union Ave., 800/441-6249, $9.50). No visit is complete without a tour of the King's remarkably modest castle, declared a National Historic Landmark in March. Lisa Marie's audio recording accompanies you on a tour past the Jungle Room (with a shag-carpeted ceiling) to the raquetball building, where Elvis's rhinestone-studded leather jumpsuits are on display in a glass case. The dozen-plus cars Elvis owned are parked across the street in the Automobile Museum. Also displayed there are Elvis's two planes, including the Lisa Marie jet with its gold-plated seat and belt buckles. All of the buildings have separate entrance fees, but all are fantastic and worthy in their own ways (3734 Elvis Presley Blvd., 800/238-2000, elvis.com, Graceland tours $22; Automobile Museum $12; jets $8). At Heartbreak Hotel, the pool is in the shape of a heart, and channel 17 broadcasts Elvis movies 24 hours a day (3677 Elvis Presley Blvd., 877/777-0606, elvis.com, from $99).

Amsterdam: On a half-day, guided Wetlands Safari, paddle through villages built on land and water. Includes transportation from the city. 011-31/6-53-552-669, wetlandssafari.nl, $40. Budapest: Rudas bathhouse is home to a 16th-century Turkish bath that has only recently opened to women. 011-361/356-1322, spasbudapest.com, from $9. Cape Town: Imhoff Equestrian Centre leads horseback trips on Noordhoek Beach. 011-27/82-774-1191, horseriding.co.za, from $28. Las Vegas: The gondola rides through the Venetian's canals are postmodern silliness at its finest. 702/414-1000, venetian.com, from $50. Nashville: Two comedians lead a campy, 90-minute musical NashTrash tour of America's country music capital--on a big pink bus. 800/342-2132, nashtrash.com, $29.50. New York City: Moscow Cats Theatre is a kind of small-scale circus where cats walk tightropes and perform other tricks. 212/239-6200, moscowcatstheatre.com, from $45. Palm Springs: The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies is a dazzling revue featuring the sexiest senior citizens you will ever see. 760/327-0225, palmspringsfollies.com, from $39. Paris: A company called 4 Roues Sous 1 Parapluie ("Four Wheels Under One Umbrella") leads themed city tours in vintage Citroën 2CVs. The guides speak English. 011-33/66-732-2668, 4roues-sous-1parapluie.com, from $61. Portland: Plate & Pitchfork organizes summer dinners by top chefs on Oregon farmland. 503/241-0745, plateandpitchfork.com, from $85. Rome: At Supperclub, you recline on white divans and are served a four-course meal by half-naked waiters. 011-39-06/6880-7207, supperclub.com, $67 prix fixe. Sydney: The turret roof is now open at the Sydney Tower Skywalk--meaning you get fresh air with your 853-foot-high view. 011-61/2-9333-9200, skywalk.com.au, from $80.

This sounds crude and heretical, but we find cocktails to be kind of like cheeseburgers and doughnuts--if we're going to have one, we want it to be outstanding. Lucky for us, cocktail culture is in its second golden age: Ambitious bartenders are searching out fresh and/or exotic ingredients, then mixing them with care. Here's what to drink, and where. Budapest Gresham Puszta: apricot palinka and Tokai wine. Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace, Roosevelt Tér 5-6, 011-361/268-6000. Buenos Aires Vanilla Margarita: vanilla tequila, Cointreau, orange juice, sugar. Gran Bar Danzon, Libertad 1161, 011-54/11-4811-1108. Hong Kong Lychee Caprioska: lemongrass vodka, fresh lychees, lime, brown sugar. 1/5, 9 Star St., Wanchai, 011-852/2520-2515. Istanbul Bomb Baby: vodka, watermelon, mint, cardamom. 360 Istanbul, 32/309 Istiklal Cad., Misir Apt. K8, BeyoØglu, 011-90/212-251-1042. London Vanderbilt: cognac, cherry Heering, bitters. Milk & Honey, Poland St., Soho, 011-44/20-7292-9940. Los Angeles Shikomi Martini: sake, Midori, lemon juice, Japanese cucumber. Geisha House, 6633 Hollywood Blvd., 323/460-6300. Madrid Letania: cinnamon vodka, cranberry and raspberry juices, fruit. Glass Bar, Hotel Urban, Carrera de San Jerónimo 34, 011-34/91-787-7770. Miami Mojito: light rum, mint, sugar, lime juice, club soda. Skybar, The Shore Club, 1901 Collins Ave., 305/695-3100. Moscow Moscow Mojito: rum and wild berries. Pavilion, 7 Bolshoi Patriarshy Per., 011-7/495-203-5110. New York City Jamaican Firefly: dark rum, ginger beer, lime juice, candied ginger. Pegu Club, 77 W. Houston St., 2nd Fl., 212/473-7348. Tel Aviv Passion: Vodka, lemon, sugar, pineapple, passion fruit syrup. Rocca, 8 Ramat Yam, Herzliya Pituach, 011-972/9-951-5122. Tokyo Kir Royal: champagne and crème de cassis. Carmenere, Omotesando Jingumae 4-4-7 BFI, 011-81/3-3401-6779. Zürich Sidecar: brandy, triple sec, lemon juice. Widder Hotel, Rennweg 7, 011-41/44-224-2526.

Now and then you have to do something a little crazy--like fire a machine gun, or embarrass yourself attempting alfresco tai chi. You may not be as adventurous as you once were, but any jitters are more than made up for by being able to brag about it once you get home. Brussels: Learn tai chi in a city park. Full-day session includes picnic. Tai Chi Relaxation, 011-32/26-49-84-74, taichirelaxation.be, $97. Cape Town: Go kloofing: Hike, jump, and swim through Suicide Gorge. Day Trippers, 011-27/21-511-4766, http://www.daytrippers.co.za/, $90. Cincinnati: The new Purple People Bridge Climb takes folks over the Ohio River. 859/261-6837,purplepeoplebridgeclimb.com, from $60. Las Vegas: Fire rounds from an M-16, Uzi, and more. Las Vegas Gun Range & Firearms Center, 702/386-4867, lasvegasgunrange.net, from $50. London: Tour the Thames by speedboat. London RIB Voyages, 011-44/207-928-2350, $44. Quebec City: Fly in an open-cockpit biplane. Aero Production, 888/871-6095, aeroproduction.com, $76 (based on two people). Rio de Janeiro: Work out on a stationary bike planted inside a modified bus. Bus Bike, 011-55/21-24-90-22-57, busbike.com.br, from $20. Rome: Let an Italian trainer be your guide as you jog through the city. Sight Jogging, 011-39/347-33-53-185, sightjogging.it, $85. Stockholm: Kayak through the heart of the city. Paddling Stockholm, 011-46/87-07-81-26-89, paddlingstockholm.se, $98. Sydney: Catch a wave during a one-hour private surfing lesson. Manly Surf School, 011-61/2-99-77-69-77, manlysurfschool.com, $80. Vancouver: Watch the sun set and the moon rise during a full-moon kayaking excursion in the harbor. Ecomarine Ocean Kayak Centre, 888/425-2925, ecomarine.com, $48.