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Before my family and I arrived in Seattle, we all heard from various people that seafood and Asian cuisine were the way to go, so we found plenty of restaurants that offered both, but we also discovered restaurants that offered other cuisines that were just as tasty.

Caye Caulker is a 5.5-mile scenic island off the coast of Belize with the friendliest people, amazing marine life, great food, and brilliant sunsets. You’ll definitely get to know people before you leave, and it’s truly a joy to do so. Life moves slower here, and that’s part of the charm. Barefoot strolls along three main streets, a tray full of jerk chicken, beans and rice—it’s so easy to feel at home.

In truth, LA is not at all my first thought when I think of places that have excellent food in general but especially Black food. I’ve been to LA enough now (more than anywhere else) to have tried a few different restaurants, and these eight are the best I’ve come across over the last couple years if you’re looking for soul food or a down home feel. Each in a different part of the city, you’ll find similar menu items, but each has its own unique flavor and charm.

In The Bahamas, a tour guide with a sense of humor may convince you to try something that looks and feels similar to a worm. In my case, the tour guide refused to tell me what I was trying and made me eat three before he even gave me a hint. Would you try conch pistols? They’re said to be an aphrodisiac, but I’m still deciding if the bragging rights were worth it.

Nassau cuisine is particularly interesting because chefs make use of ingredients that are not common everywhere. Like most islands, you'll find that seafood is popular, and in The Bahamas, mainly conch, snails that are indigenous to the Caribbean. Many dishes are jerk or cracked (deep-fried) and full of flavor, and conch is always the star of the show in salad, stew, or fritters.

Nassau is a beautiful destination and, really, getting into anything is something. I had as great of a time watching the men scale fish at the port as I did cuddling pigs and parasailing over the beach. Here, I’m walking you through eight things I did on “the Islands of Song.”

The Pacific Coast Highway is 656 miles long so surely there are several restaurants off of this route that are delicious. The eight we stopped at hit just right from breakfast to dinner to some of the best ice cream you’ve ever had. Check it out.