The best way to explore an off-beat destination

By Erika Hueneke These NYE parties make global headlines for over-the-top pageantry. (Destination NSW) Sydney, Australia More than a million people gather every year to witness Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, and the party starts early: Several free vantage points open as early as 8 a.m. The official festivities kick off at 6:50 p.m. with a display of spraying water courtesy of a fire-fighting tugboat, followed by a traditional Aboriginal welcome and an air show. For revelers with earlier bedtimes, a smaller fireworks show takes place at 9 p.m. The main event happens at the stroke of midnight, when eight tons of fireworks and 100,000 pyrotechnic effects light up the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Stay: InterContinental Sydney’s Club InterContinental package includes three hours of drinks, canapés, and a cheese buffet, as well as panoramic views of the fireworks from the Club Lounge on the 31 st floor. Las Vegas, Nevada You’d better believe the Entertainment Capi...

Juman Malouf and Wes Anderson with Pieter Bruegel’s  Tower of Bable . (Photo: Rafaela Proell/KHM Museum Association) Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum has turned its entire 4 million-piece collection – which includes Egyptian mummies, antique carriages, Old Master paintings, and Austria’s crown jewels – over to the whims of filmmaker Wes Anderson and his partner, costume designer and author Juman Malouf . The couple’s favorite pieces will make up Spitzmaus Mummy in a Coffin and Other Treasures from the Kunsthistorisches Museum , which opens today and runs through April 28, 2019. Photo: KHM-Museumsverband. Photo: KHM-Museumsverband. Photo: Rafaela Proell/KHM-Museumsverband. Photo: KHM-Mu...

“Feet, what do I need them for if I have wings to fly.” Fans remember Frida Kahlo as a beacon of female empowerment, resilience, and unconventional beauty. The Mexican artist is idolized for her strong brow, bright Tehuana-influenced style, and bohemian “I don’t care what you think” attitude, showcased in her surreal self-portraits and emotional journal entries. (Photo: Amy Cassell) While the largest collection of Kahlo’s work remains in Mexico City at Casa Azul, her former home-turned-museum, a new exhibit at The Dalí Museum in Saint Petersburg, Florida, offers a glimpse into Kahlo’s paintings and life. More than 60 pieces (plus an accompanying audio tour narrated by actress Susan Sarandon) shed light on Frida’s past, from the 1925 bus accident that left her severely injured at 18 to her passionate (and often tumultuous) marriage to artist Diego Rivera. Here you can read fascinating notes on display, admire the way she portrayed herself in paintings, and watch old footage of her...