A wide pedestrian promenade lines nearly all of Abu Dhabi’s 8km-long waterfront road, the Corniche. Strolling along the landscaped path is a favorite past time during evenings or cooler weather. Where the Corniche intersects 30th St, you’ll find a food court of sorts with several different outlets offering everything from sandwiches to ice cream. Bikes, trikes and fun little pedal...

Lavish, luxe, indulgent… No one word quite does the gilt opulence of the Emirates Palace justice. If you’re not staying the night in the plush rooms, you should make a reservation at a dining or drinking outlet to enter. The lobby cafe is a favorite for high tea, or you may choose from one of 14 other outlets that include...

Always wanted to get up close and personal with a camel? Now’s your chance. Live displays of local  culture and craft here include a camel and goats – both of which to the pre-oil Emirati economy. Find out more about pearl diving, local fishing techniques, fiber and basket weaving as you explore the traditional village buildings. Note that unlike elsewhere,...

Sitka’s historical Castle Hill was once the site of both Tlingit and Russian forts and thus gives visitors a grand view of the surrounding city, Sound, and mountains. Take a short walk to the top of the hill, move among the cannons and plaques as you take in one of the greatest views of the area without full-on climbing a...

By the intersection of Lincoln and Lake Streets, head towards the water and find the Crescent Harbor informational plaque to start a waterfront walk through Sitka’s nature, fishing culture and history. Be sure to look closely in the shallow harbor for sea stars, herring eggs, bald eagles, and other fauna. Past the playground, there’s a short detour leading to a...

Sitka’s Cross Trail is so named because it runs across the bulk of the city, but you won’t know that you are just a few steps out of civilization. One of the best sprawling muskeg and mountain views of Sitka is at the trail’s Yaw Junction (which also spills nicely into Indian River trail), and there is a particularly beautiful...

There is a running debate among the local outdoorsy folk about which mountain is a better hike, Mount Verstovia or Gavan Hill. The Gavan Hill die-hards don’t mind the wooden-stair hike to the peak. Any unpleasant huffing and puffing endured in the climb is easily made up for with the breathtaking views of Sitka Sound and Baranof Island. Above the...

Herring Cove/Beaver Lake loop is a great hike for newcomers to Sitka because it has a little bit of everything. Heading through the rainforest, you pass a dramatic waterfall, loop around a lake, and trudge through muskegs, all while surrounded by mountains. It’s also a relatively easy trek, with just a little bit of a climb at the beginning and...

Park at Herring Cove/Beaver Lake parking lot and continue past the traffic gate, down the gravel road for about an hour until you reach Medvejie Hatchery. This part of the trail is relatively uninteresting and can also be easily biked to cut down on travel time. From the hatchery, turn left by a creek and continue into the forest—the trail...

At the end of Halibut Point Road is an easy and beautiful, hour-long loop that takes you through fairytale, moss-covered rainforest on rocky beach fronts. At low tide, you can walk out to some tiny, rocky islands—though watch your step for shallow tide pools full of sea stars and anemones. At high tide, the sea comes right up to meet...

There is a running debate among the local outdoorsy folk about which mountain is a better hike, Gavan Hill or Mount Verstovia. The taller of the two, Mount Verstovia’s first peak at Picnic Rock offers spectacular views of the city and Silver Bay. If you still have energy, you can continue from there down (and then back up) an unofficial...

The Raptor Center specializes in raptor research and rehabilitation, but heals other local birds, such as swans and ravens, when needed. Visitors can observe and learn more about the amazing birds of prey that live in Sitka, such as owls and eagles, and also meet some birds here to stay from other parts of the US. The friendly and knowledgeable...

Silver Bay is a deep water fjord bordered by a particularly coastal and scenic part of Sawmill Creek Road, a seafood plant, and the mountains of Baranof and smaller islands. The drive to Silver Bay is short but stunning, with mountains peeking around bends and cascades of melting mountain water running down the rocky ledges by the road. The lookout...