Americans do not need a visa to visit Mongolia, and there are no entrance or exit fees. The best time to travel there is summer, since by September the nights are getting cold. During my trip, Aug. 19-30, 2013, day temperatures were in the 70s and nights in the 60s. Rain was light in the Gobi and heavy in Ulaanbaatar (known as UB) and Hustai National Park.

My trip began in UB. Downtown UB is very small, and it’s possible to walk everywhere. The main street, Peace Street, is about four...

During an August 2009 cruise, I visited two southwestern towns in Greenland, Nanortalik and Qaqortoq (pictured above). Our group spent time walking the streets of each town to get a sense for what it must be like to live in these small, desolate communities, but we had a hard time picturing the winter months, when the temperature drops below freezing and there are only four hours of sunlight each day. In summer, the sun is around for almost 24 hours. There was not much to do except immerse...

Sapporo, Japan, has 1.9 million people and is the centerpiece on the northern island of Hokkaido, known in winter for its skiing and in summer offering golfing and hiking. Because of the long, harsh Hokkaido winters, the people of Sapporo have many spring, summer and autumn festivals to celebrate the great weather and relax, enjoying food and drink in famous Odori Park.

In 2008, to promote local products around Hokkaido, the city’s first autumn fest was held in Odori Park, lasting one...