Rome: Coffee prices are rising

San Francisco's innovative hands-on science museum the Exploratorium will get a new home in 2013. Construction has just started on nine acres of waterfront at Pier 15 and 17, on the Embarcadero between the Ferry Building and Fisherman's Wharf. The museum is known for its original educational programs and explore-for-yourself exhibits that explain science and technology. There's even a program where artists and scientists work together. The new building will offer gorgeous bay views, not to mention twice as much exhibition space, a new restaurant, a glass observatory building, and two acres of outdoor space. The construction itself is a feat, involving the repair, replacement, and installation of pilings that extend 160 feet into the sea floor. The sustainable design also includes green elements, like a heating and cooling system that uses bay water. In the meantime, you can still visit the Exploratorium at the Palace of Fine Arts, 3601 Lyon Street. admission $15, but free on the first Wednesday of the month. MORE ON SAN FRANCISCO A Shorthand Guide to Burritos 12 Things You Didn't Know About San Francisco 8 Perspectives on the World's Most Beautiful Cities

One of my favorite childhood travel memories is of getting into an awkward downward dog at Four Corners—the place where New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah meet in a tidy point (navajonationalparks.org/fourcorners, $3). My sisters and I had to wait our turn for the privilege but it was well worth it—if only for the requisite silly photo opp. Meanwhile, back at home in San Francisco, if you asked us to wait on line for OUR local tourist attraction, the lame outdoor mall known as Fisherman's Wharf, you would have been out of luck. Waste. Of. Time. We're looking to do a story on iconic American sites in an upcoming magazine issue, sifting the time-wasters from the totally worth-its. A blatantly unscientific, informal poll in the office today has delivered this info: Hoover Dam: Go for it! (Surprisingly interesting…) Mt. Rushmore: Skip it! (Long lines; after immediate impact, the neck craning doesn't deliver.) Niagara Falls: Go for it! (Thundering awesomeness…) Times Square: Skip it! (We'll tell you better spots in the December/January of the mag.) We realize we're treading on risky ground here. Things could get heated. You're very likely to disagree with our unscientific, informal poll above. We're counting on you to do just that—and then tell us places you wish you'd skipped, and why. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: 8 Places Every American Should See 59 Jaw-Dropping Roadside Attractions National Parks (Minus the Crowds)

Each year, the United Nations unveils a list of the world's most stunning natural attractions, called World Heritage sites, and chances are, you've never heard of them—Papahanaumokuakea, anyone? The designation shines the spotlight on a handful of hidden gems, while also protecting them from man. See eight that made the cut for 2010, including China Danxia, pictured. Over the past 28 years, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has identified more than 180 of these natural wonders across 77 countries. These "World Heritage Sites" are deemed "unique, irreplaceable, and authentic." The esteemed club includes the likes of the Grand Canyon, Mount Everest, and Victoria Falls among other iconic sites. (Manmade landmarks, such as Rome's Colosseum, are counted separately.) This summer, the UN agency added some particularly picturesque (and hard to pronounce) landscapes to its list. Check out our slide show of the Eight "New" Natural Wonders—complete with our very own pronunciation guide. Are there any that didn't make the list that should be on there? Tell us about them!

I consider it blasphemous to visit San Francisco without eating a burrito. The best taquerias in town are in the Mission District (near the 16th street and 24th street BART stations). But for out-of-towners, the giant menu on the wall behind the counter can be intimidating (even for avid Chipotle eaters!) I'll often see a local offering up advice to travelers while standing in line, so consider this my ultimate primer to all you future visitors to my city. When ordering, choose a meat (see below) or go vegetarian, then a type of bean (pinto, black, or refried), salsa (spicy or regular) and then decide to stay "regular" (meat, beans, rice, and salsa) or upgrade to the "super," which adds cheese, sour cream, and guacamole or slices of avocado. Seems simple, right? What usually confuses non-locals are the additional terms people throw out to customize their burrito—as in "Super, no sour cream" or "regular with cheese." But go ahead, try it! You'll feel like a local in no time. As a side note, the usual meat options are: carne asada (thinly sliced beef), pollo (chicken, either regular or grilled, which is called pollo asado), carnitas (chopped pork cooked in its own fat, seasoned to be sweet and spicy), al pastor (rotisserie-style pork), chile verde (pork or chicken cooked, stew-like, in a green salsa like stew) and chorizo (spicy Mexican sausage). And for the brave: lengua (beef tongue) and sesos (beef brains). And a warning to vegetarians and vegans—at most traditional Mexican taquerias, the rice and refried beans are almost always cooked in lard, a fact most local vegetarians tend to play ignorant about. Wash your burrito down with a cold drink, such as horchata (a divine milk-based drink with cinnamon). MORE ON SAN FRANCISCO Quiz: 12 Things You Didn't Know about San Francisco Cheap Eats: San Francisco's Best Street Food Getting Around: Decoding the New Clipper Pass