We visited some of the busiest, most tourist-heavy cities in the world this year. What that means is that our year was full of some of the most touristy stuff you could do. We went to some of the busiest museums in the world, including The Louvre, and The British Museum. But what I also tried to do was take a few tours and go off the beaten path a bit, and try to get more of a sense of local life in these cities like Paris, London, and Mexico City. My Top 5 experiences definitely reflect that urge to get away from the crowds, and do something a bit more unusual.

5. Mezcal Class and Tasting, Ixtapa, Mexico

I love learning about local food culture and spirits/wines. Our resort in Ixtapa, Cala De Mar, offered a unique class to learn about the history of Mezcal and how to taste this artisanal spirit. Our class was very small – just four of us – and our instructor was interesting, knowledgable and funny. I was so inspired to learn more after this class that for the rest of the year, we’ve been searching out interesting Mezcals to try. If you do ever stay at Cala De Mar, one of my favorite south-of-the-border resorts, definitely check out this amazing class! Read more about it here!

4. Montmartre Food Tour, With Locals

Our Montmartre food tour was my favorite food tour of the year. You can’t go wrong with French food, and walking around collecting little handmade goodies from teeny-tiny shops throughout one of the cutest neighborhoods of Paris is unbeatable. Add to that a charming local guide and an easy pace, and you’ve got a winning combo! Check out all of the details of this food tour in my article about the With Locals tour company here!

3. L’Orangerie Museum, Paris

The day after hoofing around the overcrowded and annoying Louvre, I was excited to check out the tiny, intimate, and brilliant L’Orangerie Museum. This small and surprising place is located at the other end of the garden from The Louvre and provides a stark contrast. Focusing on impressionist and post-impressionist art, the whole place has a more modern vibe. The two elliptical rooms of Monet’s waterlilies are emotionally moving, and are worth setting aside at least a half hour to enjoy and take in what you’re looking at. Read all about L’Orangerie here, and don’t skip this museum on your next trip to Paris!

2. The Brilliance of Caravaggio at the Toledo Museum of Art

This museum, and quick weekend trip to Toledo, Ohio, totally reignited our passion for Caravaggio and sent my husband on the path of creating a not-for-profit foundation for the appreciation of Baroque Art in America – The Baroque Art Accessibility Consortium! The Toledo Museum of Art collected four of Caravaggio’s works in the United States, and displayed them brilliantly, along with a few other works from some of his contemporaries. Whoever curated this exhibit for the museum definitely deserves some major recognition, as this was one of the best exhibits of works by Caravaggio I have ever seen – which includes exhibitions at the Art Institute of Chicago, The National Gallery of London, and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Toledo really outdid itself, and outdid museums with massively greater recognition, and this experience easily deserves my number two spot. Check out all of the details of this exhibit here!

1. Mad Day Out Beatles Tour, Liverpool, UK

I was pretty surprised at myself that when I was coming up with this list, this tour ended up being number one for the year, but there are a million reasons why it ended up being the easy top choice. The main reason for me was how surprising it was that I ended up caring so much about the Beatles and their early history, and being in those places where they lived and hung out. Sure, everyone’s heard of Liverpool these days, and Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields, but when you realize the massive gravity of the miracle that occurred here: that John Lennon and Paul McCartney happened to meet and became the absolute greatest of friends, producing some of the best and most influential music of all time, right in these very spots, the emotion of being in the place where that happened becomes overwhelming.

Add to that our amazingly knowledgable, honest and funny tour guide, combined with Clara’s understandably emotional response to being in this place, adding to her already existing Beatlemania, this day in Liverpool was one of the most magical of the year. I know Clara would agree, and I encourage you to take a side trip to Liverpool the next time you are in the UK, and experience the magic for yourself. Read all about the tour here!