36 Hours in Vieques

This small island just off the east coast of mainland Puerto Rico has become an upscale beach resort, full of restaurants, galleries and hotels.

• A Weekend in Vieques, Puerto Rico

36 Hours in Vancouver, British Columbia

Vancouver’s urban density seems to heighten the city’s international mix, and not just when the Olympic Games are in town.

• A Weekend in Vancouver

36 Hours in Istanbul

As a 2010 European Capital of Culture, this city’s fascinating contemporary scene is finally receiving international attention.

• A Weekend in Istanbul

36 Hours in Buenos Aires

This city draws food lovers, design buffs and party people with its riotous night life and fashion-forward styling.

• A Weekend in Buenos Aires

36 Hours in Mexico City

Eager to attract people again, luxury hotels are slashing room rates and restaurants are opening in chic neighborhoods.

• A Weekend in Mexico City

36 Hours in Whistler, British Columbia

The valley is home to something else that makes it particularly welcoming to Olympic athletes: a global citizenry, ranging from old-school hippies to French-babbling Québécois.

• A Weekend in Whistler, British Columbia

36 Hours in New York City

In the last year, the city has opened a hot new park and Lincoln Center celebrated its 50th anniversary with a major face-lift.

• A Weekend in New York City

36 Hours in Tucson, Ariz.

A revitalized downtown and a deep-rooted Hispanic community have given the city a youthful and multicultural glow.

• A Weekend in Tucson, Ariz.

36 Hours in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

With its breezy blue skies and baroque architecture, this colonial town has been a tropical haven for expatriates since the 1930s.

• A Weekend in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

36 Hours in Kuala Lumpur

With its looming skyscrapers, stellar cuisine and thumping night life, the Malaysian capital has emerged as one of Southeast Asia’s most alluring metropolises.

• A Weekend in Kuala Lumpur

36 Hours in Stowe, Vt.

The grande dame of Green Mountain ski resort towns just got a $400 million upgrade, but underneath all the glitz, it still feels like a quaint New England town.

• A Weekend in Stowe, Vt.

36 Hours in South Beach, Fla.

Like other American magnets of decadence, this city still has an irresistible, democratic pull. From the Iowa retiree to the Bentley-driving rapper, it remains the place to strut shamelessly.

• TRAVEL; 36 Hours in South Beach
• A Weekend in South Beach, Florida

36 HOURS: Austin, Tex.

Correction Appended THE city's unofficial motto, ''Keep Austin Weird,'' blares from bumper stickers on BMWs and jalopies alike, on T-shirts worn by joggers along Lady Bird Lake and in the windows of independently owned shops and restaurants. It's an exhortation for a city that clings to eccentricity, even in the face of rapid development -- downtown Austin, for one, is being transformed with a fleet of high-rise condos and a W Hotel, scheduled to open late next year. But this funky college town...

36 Hours in Rajasthan, India

The country is modernizing rapidly, sometimes too fast, but this spectacular old region endures, evoking rulers with giant mustaches and spectacular forts and palaces.

• A Weekend in Rajasthan, India

36 Hours in Turks and Caicos

Thanks to some of the swankiest names in hotels, the island chain is now firmly on the map for those seeking a beach vacation with heavy pampering and a splash of indulgence.

• A Weekend in Turks and Caicos