Remember when the coolest thing about the Albertan capital was the roller coaster in West Edmonton Mall? Today, talented chefs such as Scott Downey at The Butternut Tree are transforming the city's dining scene. While in town, visit the Royal Alberta Museum, slated to open later this year in its new downtown location. 

The birthplace of Motown hit a major slump when the auto industry began outsourcing production, but it’s ready for its comeback. Detroit has a brand-new arena downtown and plenty of cool farm-to-table dining options such as Selden Standard and Chartreuse. Hipster accessories label Shinola is opening a hotel this fall, and there’s also the Detroit Foundation Hotel, which hosts art installations and has a podcast studio on-site.

Fashion people and foodies, take note: local boutiques like Worthwhile carry The Elder Statesman and Rick Owens, and one of the owners behind café Basic Kitchen used to co-own Manhattan boîtes like The Fat Radish and Leadbelly. Find time to tour the city’s grand old mansions, like Nathaniel Russell House, and the small-batch distilleries. 

Anne of Green Gables' stomping grounds suddenly feel cosmopolitan. Stay at the chic Sydney Boutique Inn & Suites, which used to be a convent. Then book yourself in for the FireWorks feast at chef Michael Smith's The Inn at Bay Fortune. Think all-you-can-eat Colville Bay and Fortune Bay oysters, farm-to-table ingredients and a wood-fire-roasted dinner to remember.