Laura Itzkowitz

When it comes to America's best road trips, it's hard to beat the Pacific Coast Highway. Driving Highway 1 means hours cruising along stunning bluffs overlooking the Pacific, plus designated vista points for sparkling ocean views. And, of course, there are plenty of restaurants (Korean barbecue!), beaches (Santa Barbara!), and attractions (the Henry Miller Memorial Library!) along the way. There's arguably something for everyone. For animal lovers there's the Elephant Seal Rookery at San Piedras Beach in San Simeon, where more than 15,000 elephant seals migrate every year. From the viewing platform, you can watch them all flop around in the sand. That's about the best roadside attraction there is. For posh eaters, a restaurant along Big Sur offers a $75 prix fixe lunch menu and, perhaps more notably, what could be one of the most beautiful views on the planet. Further south, just outside of Santa Barbara, nosh on fish tacos, bao buns, and fried cauliflower. In L.A., eat some of the best Korean barbecue in the United States, tasting pitch-perfect Waygu beef (grilled tableside, of course) and savory kimchi pancakes — all at a no-frills restaurant in a strip mall. For those that love nightlife, sleek bars along the route serve inventive cocktails made using ingredients like clarified lime and pandan. And in case you're tired of the speakeasy concept, keep in mind that one of L.A.'s hippest offerings has an '80s theme and private karaoke rooms. I hit the road with the mission of plotting out the best itinerary for a weekend trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Here's my play-by-play guide, complete with stops for photos in Big Sur, antiques shopping in Solvang, and craft cocktails at one of L.A.'s coolest bars. Looking to finally take that perfect California road trip? Read on.

Great hotels can inspire you, pamper you, and give you a much-deserved break from the humdrum routine of daily life. Europe may have hotels in former palaces, but there are plenty of outstanding hotels and resorts in the U.S. too, and in many ways, they tell the story of this country. Take the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans for example—the legendary grand dame dates back to 1893, survived Hurricane Katrina, and is back and better than ever after a major renovation, complete with a restaurant by acclaimed chef John Besh.  In picturesque New England, the Chanler at Cliff Walk is set in one of Newport’s grandest mansions built in 1873, when Gilded Age tycoons turned the ocean-front town into a summer playground for Gatsby-esque parties. At Triple Creek Ranch in Montana, guests can step back in time to the Wild West, ride horses, hike through the mountains with a guide, and cozy up by the fireplace in a luxury cabin. In Oklahoma, you might be surprised to discover the Mayo Hotel, which in its heyday hosted John F. Kennedy, Lucille Ball, and Babe Ruth. Though it suffered a period of decline in the ‘80s, it’s been reborn and reimagined as a gorgeous hotel for the modern day. More recently, hotels like 21c Museum Hotel Louisville and Cincinnati have revived forlorn downtowns by renovating former factories and filling them with art. These are just some of the fabulous hotels that T+L readers have voted into our hall of fame, known as the World’s Best Awards. Most of the hotels on this list received top scores from readers, who rated everything from the quality of the rooms to the location, service, dining options, nightlife, and value. In the case of a few states that didn’t have any hotels represented on the World’s Best list, we asked for nominations from the people who know best, including the tourism boards in those states. When planning your next American vacation, consider staying at one of these outstanding properties and vote for your favorites in the 2016 World’s Best Awards survey.

Great hotels can inspire you, pamper you, and give you a much-deserved break from the humdrum routine of daily life. Europe may have hotels in former palaces, but there are plenty of outstanding hotels and resorts in the U.S. too, and in many ways, they tell the story of this country. Take the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans for example—the legendary grand dame dates back to 1893, survived Hurricane Katrina, and is back and better than ever after a major renovation, complete with a restaurant by acclaimed chef John Besh.  In picturesque New England, the Chanler at Cliff Walk is set in one of Newport’s grandest mansions built in 1873, when Gilded Age tycoons turned the ocean-front town into a summer playground for Gatsby-esque parties. At Triple Creek Ranch in Montana, guests can step back in time to the Wild West, ride horses, hike through the mountains with a guide, and cozy up by the fireplace in a luxury cabin. In Oklahoma, you might be surprised to discover the Mayo Hotel, which in its heyday hosted John F. Kennedy, Lucille Ball, and Babe Ruth. Though it suffered a period of decline in the ‘80s, it’s been reborn and reimagined as a gorgeous hotel for the modern day. More recently, hotels like 21c Museum Hotel Louisville and Cincinnati have revived forlorn downtowns by renovating former factories and filling them with art. These are just some of the fabulous hotels that T+L readers have voted into our hall of fame, known as the World’s Best Awards. Most of the hotels on this list received top scores from readers, who rated everything from the quality of the rooms to the location, service, dining options, nightlife, and value. In the case of a few states that didn’t have any hotels represented on the World’s Best list, we asked for nominations from the people who know best, including the tourism boards in those states. When planning your next American vacation, consider staying at one of these outstanding properties and vote for your favorites in the 2016 World’s Best Awards survey.

For a place like New York City that prides itself on its culinary diversity, it’s amazing to see how far the offerings have come in the last few years. Long gone are the days when Chinese food meant greasy egg rolls, bland lo mein, and fried rice studded with unidentifiable meat. A wave of young restaurateurs like Danny Bowien, Jason Wang, and Wilson Tang are showing the vast range of Chinese cuisine, cooking regional specialties from across the country’s twenty-two provinces. Today you can find traditional Cantonese dim sum, fiery Sichuan delicacies, and creative cooking that defies all expectations—if you know where to look. Related: Best Brunch Spots in NYC Traditionally, visitors would head straight to the historic nexus of Chinatown in Lower Manhattan—an area still dominated by Chinese-American restaurants and shops, where the Chinese writing on many signs is still larger than the English translations. Get off the subway at Canal or Grand Street and you’ll find yourself smack dab in the middle of it all—butcher shops with whole chickens dangling in the windows, brightly colored bubble tea shops, grocery stores selling exotic herbs, spices, fruits, and vegetables. While the sights and sounds can be thrilling, it’s not exactly easy to navigate the maze of streets or know which place to go. Besides, it’s not the city’s only place to find good Chinese food. There are large Asian populations and many great dining options in Flushing, Queens, and Sunset Park, Brooklyn, too. These days you don’t even need to go to Manhattan’s Chinatown to find authentic food—in fact, some of the city’s best Chinese restaurants are in neighborhoods like Midtown, Greenwich Village, and Williamsburg. All over the city, there are options for every taste and budget, from cheap and filling street food-style eats to upscale restaurants with tasting menus, and everything in between. Get ready to bust out some chopsticks because these ten restaurants are true standouts that will satisfy your cravings and surprise you with their innovative cooking.

Looking for the World's Worst Airlines for in-flight service? Right this way!  As much as we grumble about flight delays and lost luggage, we have to admit—keeping travelers happy during long flights in cramped quarters is pretty tricky business: and some airlines don't do so well. Every year, in the annual World’s Best Awards survey, we ask readers to rate airlines in a number of different categories, ranging from value to the quality of their loyalty programs. And every year, certain carriers soar above the others. When it comes to in-flight service (everything from how the flight attendants greet you to how good the entertainment system is) Travel + Leisure’s readers felt strongly about the airlines that performed the best. “This is how flying should be done,” reported one pleased passenger. “Cathay Pacific has excellent service—other airlines should pay attention.” Related: World's Top Airlines Though these days it often feels like good service only comes with the highest-priced seats, some airlines were even congratulated for making every traveler (even those in the “cheap seats”) feel special. “Even if I’m not flying first class, I always felt that I was,” said one WBA voter about British Airways.  No surprise: royal treatment does not go unnoticed. And—airlines take note—cheerful, helpful flight attendants were able to turn long, turbulent, or otherwise unsatisfactory flights into pleasant experiences. From comforting crying babies to entertaining guests at a full cocktail bar, the best airlines in the world have perfected their in-flight service plans. 

Lobster shacks, waves crashing against rocky outcroppings, pine trees, and rugged bluffs—Maine is New England’s crowning gem. And with winding roads overlooking the Atlantic, secluded lighthouses, and charming cities up and down the coast, it's a gem best experienced by car.Here now, the best places to eat, drink, shop, and sightsee between Portland and Bar Harbor.