Whistler, British Columbia
One of North America's most celebrated ski areas, Whistler gets into the celebratory spirit each November with Cornucopia. Canadian chefs, who've risen to the top of the culinary pinnacle, tackle the mountain with cooking demonstrations and dinner pairings with noted wineries. The ski area does not usually open until later in the month, but you can go for long walks in the mountainous passes.
(www.whistlercornucopia.com/2007)

Kansas City, Missouri
"Developing Greatness: The Origins of American Photography" is the inaugural exhibition at the new Bloch Building, unveiled this past June at Kansas City's Nelson-Atkins Museum. The building was designed by renowned architect Steven Holl, who created a slender extension on the original 1933 Beaux-Arts building. Twin layers of glass walls emerge from the ground and are bathed in light.
(www.nelson-atkins.org)

Big Island, Hawaii
Join in the festivities surrounding America's only coffee harvest at the 37th annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival on the Big Island of Hawaii. Wake up with the judges as they award the finest cup of coffee. You can also partake in a coffee bean picking contest, view art inspired by vistas on a coffee plantation, and watch Miss Kona Coffee be crowned.
(www.konacoffeefest.com)

Yucatan, Mexico
A mere hour's drive south of Merida will take you to some of Mexico's finest Mayan ruins. This hillier region of the Yucatan attracts fewer travelers than the better known sites of Chichen Itza and Tulum since it is farther from the resort towns of Cancun and Riviera Maya. The rounded pyramid at your first stop, Uxmal, stands majestically on high ground. At the Nunnery Quadrangle, four buildings behind the pyramid, serpents and heads of jaguars can be seen on the facade.
(www.yucatantoday.com)

The Grand Canyon
During winter at the mile-deep Grand Canyon, it's not uncommon to start in down parkas at the South Rim (7,000 feet) and two hours later sweating in tank tops and shorts. Temperatures on the shores of the Colorado River are often 30 degrees warmer than at the rim. An added bonus, this tourist mecca is virtually uninhabited in the off-season. Check out the affordable three-day guided hikes offered by Sky Island Treks.
(www.skyislandtreks.com)

Park City, Utah
While most ski areas in the country stay green in November, the snow comes early and often to Utah. Indeed, the town of Park City seems to be running as smooth as most high speed quads these days. While many ski resorts remain stagnant or are losing money, the three ski areas that make up this Wasatch Mountain locale—Park City, Deer Valley, and the Canyons—all have increasing numbers of skier visits over the past several years. This stems from the deluge of snow, close proximity to the Salt Lake City Airport (a 45-minute drive on the winding up-and-down I-80), and of course the fame that comes from hosting the Winter Olympic Games in 2002.
(www.parkcityinfo.com)

London, England
Tired of seeing the The Nutcracker Suite this time of year? Then jump on a plane and head to London. Not only is winter the most affordable time of year to fly and stay here, but the West End features some of the best musicals of all time. On the slate this month are Cabaret, Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Billy Elliott: The Musical, Dirty Dancing, and the hit Broadway show Wicked.
(www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk)

Burgundy, France
Food aficionados who savor the wine and cheese of France should not miss Burgundy's biggest fair, Foire Internationale et Gastronomique in Dijon. More than 500 exhibitors present the best sustenance the region offers with additional tastings from another European country, like Spain in 2006.
(www.dijon-expocongres.com/fr/accueil/index.php)

Capetown, South Africa
Sitting at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Capetown can certainly match Sydney, San Francisco, and Rio with its beauty. Table Mountain, often draped in a tablecloth of clouds, forms a spectacular backdrop. The exquisite beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay (remember, November is the start of summer in South Africa), and the precipitous cliffs of Chapman's Peak and Cape Point are just a short drive away. You should give yourself at least a week to explore Capetown and its peninsula, to try the award-winning wines in Stellenbosch to the north, and to cruise the famous Garden Route, a five-hour drive amidst forest, lagoons, and coastal towns, including the surfing mecca of Plettenberg Bay.
(www.tourismcapetown.co.za/)

Lake Pushkar, India
One of the globe's truly unique events, the Pushkar Camel Fair, occurs on the holy shores of Lake Pushkar, surrounded by the sand dunes and hills of northern India. Over a five-day span in November, more than 25,000 camels get sold. Others are dressed in veils and covered in jewels to walk in the camel beauty pageant, while the stronger of the camels must race each other. Outside the fairgrounds everyone in the county sets up booths to sell spices, food, silk shawls, and animals, to create one of the last genuine caravan sites.
(www.pushkar-camel-fair.com/about-pushkar.html)