Laura Longwell

Jump in the waves, enjoy a fruity cocktail, and just relax at Rockley Beach.

It’s almost impossible to be unhappy when you’re surrounded by good food.

With 62 miles of coastline and the point where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, is the perfect place for a relaxing long weekend.

On the surface, the idea of visiting an old warehouse district may not sound very interesting. But once we were standing in front of Hamburg’s historic Speicherstadt, it was easy to see why this unique area is so popular.

While much of a trip to Disney World is targeted at making children’s dreams come true, there’s plenty for adults to do at all the Disney parks. But Epcot has offerings that are totally different than some other Disney attractions—namely, alcohol.

Every day as I post nice photos of beaches and write about fun things to do around the world, I’m afraid it seems a little tone-deaf while the situation in our own backyard is so extremely uneasy.

So much of travel is about “doing” things—zipping from place to place, checking off activities, and coming home more tired than when you left. But a visit to Saona Island, Dominican Republic, served up an ideal day when nothing was required of us but just to enjoy being.

For over an hour, we floated over the eastern part of the Dominican Republic. We gazed at the white buildings of Higuey and hovered over the ponds. We passed trees that looked like broccoli from our vantage point in the sky, sometimes hanging low over fields that seemed almost within reach.

Our travels mean we take thousands of photos to remember the journey. Here are just a few of the highlights from 2016.

Xenses park defies explanation. And that’s kind of the point.