You heard me say how much I like the American Southwest for its vast and simplistic beauty. Well, Arches National Park in Utah is yet another place in that region that had been sitting in my bucket list for quite some time before I had a chance to visit it this past winter. Though not entirely unique as there are other places on Earth that feature natural sandstone arches, the park holds the largest concentration of them - more than 2,000. Scroll down to check them out and learn five things about these natural marvels before visiting Arches National Park yourself.

Vieux Port de Montréal (or Old Port of Montreal in English) draws about six million visitors a year.  For most Americans and Canadians from English-speaking provinces and territories, Old Port of Montreal is a quintessential piece of Europe carefully preserved by the Québécois over the years. If you're up to cobble streets with old stone buildings, cozy cafés, delicious crêperies, bakeries selling fresh French croissants and baguettes, sharp gothic spires, look no further - Old Port has it all. But to have the best experience, try to visit it after dark on a week day in May or June, and you'll be amazed how intimate and lovely this place can be.

Among all types of aircrafts, hot air balloon makes the oldest and the most exotic one. Invented in 1783 in France, hot air ballooning has not really taken off as a mainstream mode of transportation due to its relatively low velocity and a huge dependency on weather, namely on wind. After all, a hot air balloon does not have a steering wheel, so your final destination not only relies on a pilot's skills and experience, but also on a fair amount of good luck. There are many places you can fly hot air balloons, but I figured Albuquerque, New Mexico would be the best place to try it since this is where the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the largest hot air balloon gathering in the world is hosted each year in October.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore stretched along the south shore of mighty Lake Superior in Michigan may not be your first choice to spend a chilly weekend in May, but trust me - you can't go wrong with this place even if the weather is a bit cranky. Some people even come in the winter despite the bitter cold to see park's famous ice caves and climb frozen waterfalls, but that's a separate story. Put it this way: early spring is a perfect time to visit this park, because not only will you beat the crowds, but you'll also avoid nasty mosquitos and, most importantly, black flies. I hope that my article will inspire you to visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, but remember - leave no trace and take only pictures!

Among the very many things to experience in Belém, Portugal, there is one that clearly stands out and you absolutely don't want to miss it. It's called "pastel de nata", a pastry made from egg yolks using the original 200 years old recipe from the nearby Jerónimos Monastery. And while egg tarts can be found in other parts of the world, a flaky pastel de Belém is so tender and delicious, especially with a cinnamon powder on top, you'll love it.

Ottawa has earned a reputation of the place with lots of things going on year-around. There is no shortage of festivals and special events that draw enough attention from people all over Canada and overseas, thanks to its role as the capital of the second largest country in the world. Canadian Tulip Festival, arguably the largest tulip festival internationally, has become a very compelling reason people flock to Ottawa for two weeks in May each year. But why Ottawa? The climate is nowhere similar to the one in the Netherlands, especially in the winter. Click 'Read More' to find out.

Those who follow my blog long enough probably know how obsessed I am with trains in general, and with subways in particular. I strongly believe that the best way to learn about a new city and its people is to take a subway. And that's without mentioning a direct benefit of using trains to navigate in urban areas. But for cities like Paris, taking a train is a necessity unless you stay within a walking distance from its main attractions downtown. A term "métro" or "métropolitain" which became a synonym for underground urban railways around the world, has originated in Paris from the name of its founding company La Compagnie du chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris.