Holy guacamole! The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, just announced the hotel industry’s newest unusual perk: guests can now sign up to serve as Guest Guacamologist during the hotel's evening guacamologist ritual. Guests interested in playing sous-chef to the professional guacamologist need only call the hotel's public relations department for a complimentary slot slicing avocados.

This unusual opportunity brought to mind a few other favorite weird hotel perks:

If the definition of hedonism is to devote oneself to the pleasure of the senses, then my recent weekend getaway in Seattle certainly fits the bill. I’d never been to the Emerald City before, and each moment was a salve for a separate sense, be it sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound.

I could wax poetic about the tomato, but Neruda has me beat—not that he's the only lycopene-lover to celebrate the fruit. This summer, tomato season is flush with festivals from Buñol, Spain to Bradley County, Arkansas, and cities will be celebrating the "star of earth" in their own special ways.

When I told people I was going to Mexico and NOT staying on the beach, a look of sincere confusion would cross their faces. "Oh, so you're going to Mexico City, then?" they'd ask. "No, San Miguel de Allende." San Miguel...what?

Neither a sun-soaked beach nor a mega-metropolitan center, San Miguel is nestled in the heart of central Mexico and is a colonial gem. Perched more than 6,000 feet above sea level, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is hands down one of the most charming destinations I've ever visited and it offered me a peek into the sleepy villages of Mexico's past.

On the first night of my recent Utah ski trip, my local guide raised a glass to propose this toast: Here's to a week of great skiing and proving that you really can get a drink in Utah!

It didn't take much to prove that point. Outings to restaurants with extravagant wine lists, après ski taverns and local distilleries all did their part to debunk the myth of strict drinking laws in Utah.

Because a good stereotype is meant to be squashed, I'm passing along my very scientific research findings to you: a collection of spots to throw one back in the not-so-dry state! The qualifications for my list are simple. It has to come recommended by a local, and it has to serve intoxicating libations.

I’m not sure why, but putting a piece of food on a stick always puts a smile on travelers’ faces. Maybe it’s because we associate skewered snacks with childhood pleasures like lollipops and popsicles; maybe it’s because sticks make for easy cleanup when we’re on the go.

Either way, certain destinations are held in high esteem for their unforgettable (for better or for worse) meals on sticks. Here are 10 picked especially for brave travelers—stick it to your friends when you complete one of these challenges.

I'm still paying off sleep debt from my Las Vegas vacation. Between the electric-tinged twilight of the casinos and the uncertain daylight of Nevada's winter, I found myself waking at a different hour every day. Lucky for me, it didn't matter if I was up at 8am or 8pm. Vegas was true to its 24-hour nature. I could always find breakfast.

Breakfast in Las Vegas is a fantastic affair. You get lavish buffets, roadside diners, gourmet sit-downs--every option imaginable stuffed into a few sparkling miles of Strip. There's zero excuse for a cigarette and espresso breakfast. Not that you'd want an excuse.

Many a traveler has planned a trip simply to sample local tipples; the popularity of the Napa Valley wine trail is a testament to that. So how about blazing a brewery trail in one of the urban hubs leading the pack in American beer making?

These eight cities, known for their high concentrations of high-quality breweries, are perfect destinations for tasting beer, Napa-style. Channel your inner barfly and get ready for hops from brewery to brewery.

I knew I could make the move from New York City to San Francisco the moment I first laid eyes on Napa Valley. It felt like a wonderland to me, a spot of much-needed European charm and pastoral quietude just a quick hour down the road from the hustle and bustle of the city.

And now three years into my great California adventure, I have developed my way of enjoying Napa and Sonoma. Much like how Coloradans debate the relative merits of competing ski resorts, we here in the Bay Area enjoy holding forth about the "right way" to explore the wine country. There are two valleys to choose from, at least 10 quaint towns, and a huge variety of activities, including hiking, biking, wine tasting, gourmet dining, air ballooning, spa going, and more.

Does being on a strict diet hold you back from truly experiencing another culture? It’s a good question, and--as a vegetarian--it’s one that’s been dogging me on my travels as of late.    On his Travel Channel show No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain’s philosophy maintains that digging fork or fingers first into the local cuisine is the best way to understand what a place is all about.