Over the past three years we’ve loved sharing the best of our global destinations with you on this blog, and later this week we’ll be taking up permanent residence within virginatlantic.com.

We’ll continue to bring you the same mix of destination features, tips and recommendations, along with even more of the latest Virgin Atlantic news and happenings.

We’ll be packing up and moving lock, stock and barrel so this site will be closing its doors, but you’ll still be able to find all our existing posts in our new home. And if you’ve bookmarked any of our features that’s fine too – you’ll automatically be redirected to the new site.

We look forward to seeing you there!

No related posts.

Little Red will launch on 31^st March in Manchester, 5^th April in Edinburgh and 9^th April in Aberdeen, providing a total of 26 daily services and a new choice to passengers who’ve faced monopoly prices on UK domestic flights from Heathrow.

Virgin Atlantic’s new Little Red domestic service

Bringing a splash of red to the sky, our Little Red service will offer four daily round-trips between London Heathrow and Manchester, six daily round-trips to Edinburgh and a further three daily round-trips to Aberdeen. An extra service was added to Manchester last week, offering four flights a day instead of the three originally planned, to give passengers even more flexibility and offer even better connections to our worldwide network.

Our Little Red service will be offering a taste of the customer service Virgin Atlantic is world-renowned for, with free 23kg luggage check-ins, pre-assigned seats, complimentary snacks and drinks and even hot breakfasts on early morning flights. A series of exclusive brand partnerships have been lined up for passengers including specially created Tyrrells crisps – ‘Plane crisps’ made from miniature potatoes, a variety of exclusive miniature spirits from Bacardi Martini, and Scotland’s favourite drink, Irn Bru on the Scottish services. We’re also exploring further exciting on-board product offerings, from Krispy Kreme doughnuts to The Collective Dairy yoghurts topped with Rude Health granola.

The schedule of the new flights is timed to maximise connections for passengers travelling onwards from London across our global network. Little Red flights will operate to and from Heathrow Terminal 1 but will have excellent connections with our international flights from Terminal 3. There will also be early flights to serve business fliers reaching morning meetings in each city.

This new chapter in our history will see an increased capacity on the routes previously operated by bmi, flying almost one million passengers domestically on four Airbus 320 aircraft in the distinct Virgin colours with region-specific names chosen by lucky local competition winners, to be announced shortly.

Visit Virgin Atlantic Little Red for more information.

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1. Virgin Atlantic Announces Flights to Manchester
2. Virgin Atlantic Announces Onboard Pet Therapy
3. Virgin Atlantic Announces New Route to Vancouver

Since then, the promise of warm Caribbean seas and guaranteed sunshine have lured Chris back to Mexico once again, so we’ve invited him back to share his recommendations for a romantic winter break in this world-class resort…

A place in the sun

Cancun © Sasha Trubetskoy

Winter warmth; an always-thrilling thought which conjures up images of idyllic white beaches, obscenely blue seas and lazy days on sun loungers, safe in the knowledge that all your friends back in the UK are cold and miserable.

All it takes to achieve this wintry wish is a simple nine hour flight to Cancun. Once here, you’ve the option of spending your time in Cancun itself or travelling 40 minutes south to the Riviera Maya – or do as I did and get the best of both worlds by splitting your trip in two.

Set on an island connected to the mainland by two bridges north and south, Cancun’s hotel zone is a mix of party central and luxury resorts, with the Mexican Caribbean to one side and a wide lagoon to the other. Along the 14-mile stretch of powdery white shoreline, you’ll find a modern mix of trendy bars, restaurants and shopping malls, tucked between the large-scale all-inclusive resorts.

Le Blanc Spa Resort

The Le Blanc Spa Resort is an all-white world of calm, far away from the incredible nightlife further down the strip. As you sip a coconut cocktail at your private check-in desk, cooling down with a chilled and scented towel, it’s not hard to understand why President Obama himself chose to stay here.

© 2013 Le Blanc Spa Resort

This adults-only resort completely redefines the term ‘all inclusive’, with a butler on every floor to welcome you ‘home’ and unpack for you; three outdoor pools including two with swim-up bars; large, light rooms with Swiss spa showers and baths; full size bottles of spirits, and a monster room service menu that would take weeks to devour.

© 2013 Le Blanc Spa Resort

Le Blanc helped me arrange the perfect proposal to my fiancée over a private, candle-lit dinner atop a lagoon, but that’s not the only reason why this is a hotel we’d want to come back to. Sure, a huge Jacuzzi bath next to a panoramic window overlooking the beach is a sublime touch, but what makes it so special are all the little details: the pool concierge roaming the sunbeds every afternoon with ice lollies, the complimentary beach bags, the light-up side tables decorated with decadent petit fours every night, and staff who go out of their way to help and get to know you.

ME by Melia

But what if you want to come to Cancun to party with a group of mates?  If that’s the case, then ME by Melia have got you covered. This design-focused, South Beach-inspired hotel offers various tiers of ‘experience package’, from the adults-only, everything-under-the-sun collection of suites known as ‘The Level’ (including the Suite Me used in MTV’s Real World) to the smaller but equally stylish Aura or Ocean Front rooms. Come the weekend ME is a hotel to see and be seen in, with the Beach Club and Rose Bar attracting the glamorous and sunburnt alike.

Rose Bar, ME Cancun © 2013 Melia.com

Whether you want to spend all day lazing around the pool and beach being waited on, take a trip to nearby Isla Mujeres, or snorkel over part of the Great Mesoamerican Reef – the second largest coral reef in the world – there’s no doubt you’ll come back from Cancun with an incredible tan, wonderful memories and a burning desire to return.

ME Cancun © 2013 Melia.com

Check back soon for Chris’s hotel and activities tips for the Riviera Maya.

Virgin Atlantic operates direct flights to Cancun from London Gatwick, and Virgin Holidays offer a wide range of Cancun hotels, including the two mentioned here. For more information on Cancun visit the official travel information website at www.cancun.travel

Header photo © 2013 Le Blanc Spa Resort.

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1. What Would You Do For A Weekend In Cancun?
2. Cancun Calling: Tales From The Beach
3. Virgin Atlantic Responds to Demand in Cancun Route

So we were excited to learn about a brand new way of discovering the Franschhoek Valley which allows both non and reluctant drivers to sit back, admire the scenery and enjoy a glass of the latest vintage. The newly-constructed Franschhoek Wine Tram is the star attraction of a recently-launched hop-on, hop-off tour (also featuring an open-sided tram-bus), which follows a loop of stops along tracks originally built in 1904. The railway line – operated by steam and then diesel locomotives until the 1990s – has been out of action for more than a decade but the launch of the new tram tour has given it a new lease of life.

The Franschhoeck Wine Tram © 2013 Franschhoeck Wine Tram

Visitors can look forward to a guided tour through the heart of what is arguably the most beautiful valley in the Cape, with a narration focusing on the region’s 300 year history and the process of winemaking. Stops include some of the oldest and most illustrious wine estates in the region including Haute Cabrière, Rickety Bridge and exquisite Grand Provence, all of which are home to world-class dining and tasting rooms.

Tickets are priced at R150 (£11) for adults, R75 (£5.50) for children aged 5-17, and free of charge for children aged 4 and under. Tours depart every 40 minutes between 10am and 2.40pm and operate daily except Christmas and New Year’s Day. Purchase online at www.winetram.co.za or at the ticket office at Bijoux Square, 60 Huguenot Road, Franschhoek.

Virgin Atlantic operates seasonal flights to Cape Town from London Heathrow.

Header photo © GOC53

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2. Ultimate Honeymoons: La Residence, Cape Winelands
3. South Africa: Dining in the Winelands

A new ‘Rock Star for a Day’ package from the folks at Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp provides music fans with a rare opportunity to jam, record and perform on stage with world-class touring and studio musicians – whatever your instrument or level of skill. This bespoke experience is much more intimate than the wildly popular multi-day, multi-attendee Rock Camps, which makes it an ideal option for limelight-shunners and shower singers (like me). So, despite being as far removed from a rock chick as it’s possible to be, I decided to swap my hairbrush for a microphone and give it a go…

Live out your rock star dreams

Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, Las Vegas

It’s clear from the outset that an impressive amount of planning goes into making these encounters a success, and a few days before my session I’m asked for a list of songs I might like to sing so I can be matched with the appropriate musicians. But I have to admit I’m slightly dubious at this point. Mistakenly or not, I’m labouring under the impression that the ‘rock’ in ‘rock star’ means I’ll be expected to perform some kind of screeching heavy metal anthem – about as far from my comfort zone as possible – and the list of popular tracks sent to me as a ‘helpful guide’ is hardly reassuring. Somehow I can’t see myself wrapping my feeble vocal chords around Alice Cooper’s School’s Out or Van Halen’s Runnin’ With the Devil.

But Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp pride themselves on being able to provide musicians for any musical genre, from bluegrass to bebop and folk-rock to funk. And access to a vast pool of talent ensures a carefully hand-picked band will be waiting for me, fully clued-up on my preferences. Even so, I’m still feeling slightly more anxious than excited at this stage. Despite having something of a musical background, it’s been a good two decades since I’ve willingly sung in front of strangers – the odd bout of raucous karaoke notwithstanding – and I’m anticipating warbly-voiced nerves and feeling like a fish out of water. But I fire off a cobbled-together list of ‘safe’ song options and remember this is supposed to be fun.

Zach, Kenn and Alex – my own Rockstar for a Day band.

Fast forward a couple of days and I’m standing in a state-of-the-art rehearsal studio at R’n'R Fantasy Camp’s new off-Strip home, feeling altogether more relaxed. I’ve spent the last half hour getting to know the members of my very own band – guitarist Zach, bassist Kenn and drummer Alex – who greet me warmly and immediately put me at ease.

Before we get stuck in, I’m invited to sit in on another wannabe rock star’s final performance: a middle-aged bass player who’s recording a version of Guns n’ Roses’ Sweet Child O’ Mine. He’s been practising for a while and he’s pretty much note perfect, but at the very last moment he hits a few bum notes and looks utterly dejected. Second time round, he does the same thing again. But there’s no way anyone’s letting him go home with a less than perfect recording of his day. Despite running over time, he’s offered nothing but encouragement until he gets it right and he leaves the studio a happy man.

Now it’s my turn and we’re just about to run through one of my choices for the first time – Adele’s version of Bob Dylan’s Make You Feel My Love. Other than a worry that I’ll massacre a classic song, my main concern at this point is that my band will be bored. After all, this is a slow, simple tune with nary a complex guitar riff in sight. Hardly an exciting challenge for musicians such as these, who’ve played with superstars like Chaka Khan, Chuck Berry and Meatloaf to name but three. But when I look around me mid-song, all eyes are closed and the band seems genuinely engrossed. And I’m surprised to find that I feel perfectly comfortable in this environment too. In fact, I’d go so far as to say I’m thoroughly enjoying myself – which, of course, is the whole idea.

By the end of the afternoon we’re ready to record, so we head to the live room and jump on stage. Surrounded by various instruments, amps and cables, I almost feel like a bona fide musician and whisper “one-two” into the mic just for the sake of it, before the tech guy indicates we’re good to go. Then, suddenly, sound fills the room in a way that only live music can and I momentarily forget where I am. The acoustics are amazing. I don’t even recognise my own voice. And I realise I haven’t felt this connected to my musical side for twenty years or more. It feels good, powerful even, in a way that I’d completely forgotten. No wonder my band seem so chilled out. They get to do this for a living, every day.

Remarkably, we get something recorded in a couple of takes, and my rock star day is almost at an end. But there’s still a bit of time left to run through a couple more songs from my list, before the band start ramping it up and shouting out their own suggestions. I have to admit, I find their enthusiasm nothing short of infectious and I’ll happily try anything now. I realise this is something I’ve secretly wanted to do for years and I don’t even mind who’s listening any more.

And that’s how I came to be on stage in Las Vegas, belting out an Aretha Franklin number without a care in the world…

Essentials

Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp have just moved into a permanent, flagship off-Strip location, and now anyone can be a Rock Star for a Day. Whether you fall into the category of complete novice, lapsed musician or plain old wannabe, this new experience will bring out your inner rock god quicker than you can say Led Zeppelin – perfect for time-poor tourists who can’t commit to the longer programme but still want to experience the thrill of performing live with professional musicians.

• Rock Star for a Day experiences are completely customisable, or you can choose from one of five different packages starting at $299.

• If the one-day package whets your appetite for more, check out the upcoming three and five day camps and masters programmes. Previous camp counsellors have included rock legends as fabled as Bill Wyman, Brian Wilson and Roger Daltrey.

• Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp is located at 3845 West Harmon Avenue, Las Vegas, behind the Aria Hotel.

Virgin Atlantic operates a daily direct flight to Las Vegas from London Gatwick.

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Savvy style hounds will already be well aware of the breadth and depth of Miami’s shopping scene: the department stores and big name retailers at Aventura Mall; luxury fashion at Bal Harbour Shops and the Village of Merrick Park; new and innovative designer brands in the Design District, and the major commercial boulevards of central Miami Beach – Lincoln Road Mall, Collins Avenue, Ocean Drive and Espanola Way.

Ocean Drive, Miami © minds-eye

But there’s an unexpected treat in store for sartorially-inclined visitors hankering after something retro or reincarnated:  Miami is also home to a fabulous vintage scene. And with the 15th anniversary of Miami Fashion Week just around the corner (20-24 March 2013) there’s never been a better excuse to get your (new) gladrags on. Here’s our pick of the best vintage hotspots in town…

C. Madeleine’s

Generally regarded as the best and most extensive vintage store in town, C. Madeleine’s is 10,000 square feet of retail space filled to the brim with gorgeous shoes, bags, jewellery, accessories and, of course, every conceivable type of clothing you can think of. Organised by the decade – with pieces dating right back to the 1900s – you’ll find everything from 1920s Egyptian revival dresses and 1950s cinched-in waist taffeta ballgowns to 1970s animal print pantsuits. Expect to be browsing for a very long time.

C. Madeleine’s, 13702 Biscayne Blvd, N. Miami Beach

Fly Boutique

A fire forced the massively popular vintage emporium Fly Boutique out of their Lincoln Road boutique into another location just around the corner, but they’ve since opened a second, much larger store on Biscayne Boulevard, which also stocks some luggage and furniture items. Look out for simple things like collectible concert t-shirts among the rare Versace, Chanel, Valentino and Prada gems.

Fly Boutique, 1634 Euclid Avenue (at Lincoln Road), Miami Beach and 7235 Biscaye Blvd, N. Miami Beach 

The Rabbit Hole

The Rabbit Hole prides itself on an affordable, hand-picked range of items, which includes everything from 1970s Grecian-style maxi dresses and men’s cowboy boots to demure 1940s nightgowns and needlepoint purses. The small store is a brilliant trove of discovery, with a focus on items you’d really want to wear – and combine with the rest of your wardrobe – and it’s clearly all been pulled together with skill, creativity and lots of passion.

The Rabbit Hole, 17032 West Dixie Highway, N. Miami Beach

Las Tias

In the heart of the Wynwood Art District, Las Tias‘ range of vintage goodies runs the gamut from clothing, bags, shoes and beautiful hand fans to furniture, lighting and all kinds of home and garden accessories. In fact, if you come here just for clothes you’re likely to walk out with more than you bargained for. This is a store for those treasure hunters whose love of vintage runs through every aspect of their lives.

Las Tias, 2834 N. Miami Avenue, Miami

Lincoln Road Antique and Collectible Market

Not a store and only held every other Sunday from October through to May, but the Lincoln Road Antique and Collectible Market is one of the best reasons in Miami to skip your weekend lie-in. This South Beach institution with a street festival atmosphere normally has around 125 vendors displaying their wares. At the fashion end of things you might spy pristine editions of 1970s and 80s’ Vogue magazines, antique jewellery, classy sunhats and still-perfect Hermes silk scarves. And look out for super-sleek clothes and accessories from Miami’s Art Deco-era heyday too.

Lincoln Road Antique and Collectible Market, Lincoln Road Mall, Miami Beach

Virgin Atlantic operates a daily flight to Miami from London Heathrow.

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Zion National Park

Plunging canyons, deep green forests, bright yellow cottonwood trees, cascading waterfalls and soaring pink sandstone cliffs draped with ‘hanging gardens’ of wildflowers: the sheer variety of terrain makes Zion one of the most awe-inspiring national parks in the USA.

The best base – both as a place to stay, and for explorations into the park – is the gateway town of Springdale just below the park’s southern entrance and visitor centre. During peak season (April – October) shuttle buses run up and down the length of the park’s centrepiece, Zion Canyon, making eight stops at various trailheads and landmarks on the way. The service is free (included in your park entrance fee) and you can jump on and off as often as you like. Outside of this period, you can drive your own vehicle.

Zion Canyon © Maxine Sheppard

Zion Canyon is the starting point for several short and longer walks of varying difficulty, making this the best option for daytrippers looking to get away from the roadside and into the wilderness. Even the shortest hike offers views that are simply overwhelming. We recommend the mostly flat two-mile round-trip Riverside Walk along the Virgin River to the mouth of the Narrows canyon; the lush and misty lower Emerald Pools trail which passes beneath two waterfalls, and the brief (half mile) but much steeper Weeping Rock, with its trickling streams of water drizzling onto hanging gardens of moss and fern. All of these can be extended into much longer and more challenging hikes for those with more time and stamina.

If you do have a car, continue east along the dizzying switchbacks of Zion Park Scenic Byway (Highway 9) as far as the Canyon Overlook trailhead, immediately after you emerge from the mile-long tunnel. This one-mile round-trip hike follows the ridge above Pine Creek and leads to one of Zion’s most celestial views.

View over lower Zion Canyon from the Canyon Overlook Trial © toddwendy

For further information on hiking, climbing, camping and other things to do in and around Zion NP, visit the Zion National Park website. The drive from Las Vegas to Springdale is around 2hrs 30mins, and you’ll lose an hour as you cross from Pacific Time to Mountain Time at the Nevada/Utah state line.

Lake Powell and Page

Have more time? Continue to the Lake Powell region along Highway 89. This starkly beautiful drive skirts the Vermillion Cliffs of Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument – a colossal (we’re talking 1.7 million acres) multi-hued sequence of terraced cliffs and canyons spanning eons of time. In about two hours, you’ll reach the southern extremity of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Lake Powell, the man-made result of the flooding of Glen Canyon to build the Glen Canyon Dam in the early 1960s.

Lake Powell from Wahweap Marina © Maxine Sheppard

Long and wispy with dozens of canyon offshoots, Lake Powell stretches 186 miles from north to south. Although the vast majority of the lake sits within Utah, most recreational opportunities are centred around Wahweap Marina and the small town of Page, just over the border in Arizona. The area attracts more than two million visitors each year – an incredible number given the region’s remoteness – and even with 1,800 miles of shoreline, more than the entire west coast of the USA, it can still be hard to find total solitude in peak season.

To sit and watch the sun go down as the shimmering lake fades from green-and-blue to orange-and-gold is to understand its allure in an instant. Despite being man-made, the rare combination of rugged sandstone plateau and life-giving water still seems like a mirage or a miracle, with the otherworldly light of the desert casting eerie reflections on the lake’s surface. Depending on your preference for speed or serenity, the best way to experience all this is to get out on the water. Houseboat rentals are the most relaxing and require little effort; powerboats and waterskiing offer more of a thill. And you can’t beat a kayak for venturing further into narrow side-arms than any motorised boat can reach.

Want something effortless? The best bet is a guided boat trip. The Rainbow Bridge tour covers some 50 miles of the lake and lasts about six hours, including a short hike to Rainbow Bridge National Monument - the largest known natural stone bridge in the world. The Antelope Canyon tour is a shorter but equally atmospheric journey through four miles of silent, twisty canyon, famous for its bottle green water and contrasting Navajo sandstone walls.

Antelope Canyon boat toar on Lake Powell © Maxine Sheppard

Other than Lake Powell itself, visiting the land-side of Antelope Canyon is one of the major reasons for a trip to Page. Located at Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park on the Navajo Reservation, this much-photographed geological wonder is divided into Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon, with the former being accessible at ground level and the latter requiring some climbing along metal stairways and ladders.

The beams of sunlight that pierce the canyon’s floor are more common in the Upper Canyon, but only visible between early spring and late summer when the sun is high in the sky. Photographing inside the canyon requires real skill (and definitely a tripod) due to low light levels and constantly moving crowds, but there are special photography tours if you’re serious about getting good shots.

Upper Antelope Canyon © Larry1732

As the canyon is part of the Navajo Nation, all tours must be accompanied by an authorised guide. Led by Chief Tsosie and his guides, Antelope Slot Canyon Tours offer trips (including a 2hr 30min photography tour) at different times of day, to take advantage of the changing colours and light.

The other highlight of a trip to Page is the half-mile hike to the overlook above Horseshoe Bend, a u-shaped curve in the Colorado River about five miles south of the Glen Canyon Dam. Drive out of town on Highway 89 for about four miles, and you’ll see a sign and car park on your right. The route is short, but the terrain is very sandy and rocky so wear decent walking shoes. There’s also no railing or fencing of any description and it’s a long way down – 1,000 feet to be precise. You’ll need to get fairly close to the edge if you want to capture the full curve of the river in your photos (you’ll also need a wide-angle lens) but bear in mind that this is sandstone, and therefore extremely fragile. Avoid any overhanging rocks and lie on your stomach for an extra sense of security!

Horseshoe Bend © Paxson Woelber

Where to stay

Springdale

Other than Zion Lodge - the only accommodation in the park itself – the town of Springdale is the obvious choice when visiting Zion National Park. Springdale is essentially one long street winding through the Virgin River valley, set against a mountain backdrop so stunning you’ll be slack-jawed with wonder. Good quality hotels, motels, B&Bs and cabins are set back from the road, with galleries, coffee shops and bookstores housed in little wooden buildings alongside. Granted, this is a tourist town, but it has genuine character and a buzzy, small-town vibe. We stayed at Majestic View Lodge - an understatement of the highest degree – which has 69 large rooms all with balcony or private patio, a large restaurant, swimming pool, hot tub and its own wildlife museum. There’s even a microbrewery in the basement. Doubles start from $79 and there’s not a bad room in the house.

View from Majestic View Lodge, Springdale, Utah © Maxine Sheppard

Page

Despite being surrounded by some of the most remarkable scenery in the county, Page itself is not a particularly attractive town, though its location makes it the obvious choice for visiting Lake Powell and Antelope Canyon.

That said, a solid choice away from the fast-food joints and budget motels is the Lake Powell Resort, a large, modern property at Wahweap Marina six miles further north. The hotel sits among spacious grounds just above the waterfront, so be sure to ask for a west facing room for incredible sunset views. The accommodation wings are rather functional looking, but rooms are large, bright and comfortable with big balconies. And as the resort is managed by the park service, you can organise all your activities from here too. Doubles from $88.

Canyon Point desert

If you’re looking for unadulterated luxury in a design and setting unlike anything else for hundreds of miles, one hotel in the area stands completely on its own – if you can find it. The modernist marvel that is Amangiri lies deep within 600 acres of pristine desert in Canyon Point, Utah, beneath towering wind-whipped rock formations and mesas. This extraordinary property just 25 minutes from Page blends almost invisibly into the surroundings, its clean lines and angles masterfully juxtaposed against the landscape in a way that appears utterly seamless.

Mesa View Suite, Amangiri © 2013 amanresorts

Fanning out horizontally from the central pavilion are 34 enormous suites, all with cinematically-framed views and total privacy, though if you’re feeling sociable the pavilion doubles up as restaurant, living room, library and gallery and you’ll be encouraged to treat them all like home. Centre stage is the exceptional swimming pool which wraps around a natural rocky outcrop to a hot tub at the base of the rock wall, though it’s the 25,000 square feet Aman Spa that exerts the biggest pull on weary post-hike bodies and desert-parched skin. This is surely the closest the desert gets to heaven, though it comes at a price. Double rooms start at $1,100 per night.

Amangiri central pavilion and pool © 2013 amanresorts

For more information on Zion National Park and Southern Utah visit the official tourist website at www.visitutah.com and for further details on the Page area, including Lake Powell and Antelope Canyon, visit www.visitpagearizona.com

Virgin Atlantic operates a daily flight to Las Vegas from London Gatwick.

Header photo of Zion National Park © snowpeak

Related posts:

1. Mini Road Trips: Las Vegas to Flagstaff Part Two
2. The Best Side-Trips from Las Vegas
3. Mini Road Trips: Las Vegas to Flagstaff Part One

Downtown Food & Wine Fest

Taking place in Downtown Orlando around Lake Eola on Robinson Street, the Downtown Food & Wine Fest features more than 14 wine stations and 40 restaurants, including Dexter’s – previously reviewed in our feature on the best bars in Orlando. Tickets – which cost $15 if purchased at the gate or $10 online in advance – include a full two days of live music and entertainment, plus entrance to the Liquid Lounge area for cocktails and DJs.

Orlando Downtown Food & Wine Fest – 23 & 24th February 2013, 12pm – 7pm. 

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

One of the most anticipated events in the Orlando calendar, the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. As usual, the festival features a stunning array of the botanical topiaries for which it’s become known, including all your favourite Disney and Disney•Pixar characters from the likes of Monster’s Inc and Cars. And at the weekends, the Flower Power stage at the American Gardens Theatre comes alive with performances from some big names from the 60s and 70s, including Herman’s Hermits and the Village People.

Lotso and Buzz Lightyear at a previous Epcot Flower and Garden Festival © Sam Howzit

Epcot Flower and Garden Festival runs from 6 March – 19 May 2013. 

Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination

Originally developed by the Museum of Science in Boston, this 10,000 square-foot exhibit is now on display at the Orlando Science Center. Based around the themes of ‘Getting Around’ and ‘Robots and People’, it combines props and costumes from all six Star Wars films, including Luke Skywalker’s original landspeeder from Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and a full-size replica of the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon.

The Star Wars exhibition is on now for a limited time. Visit the OSC website for full ticketing details.

Wicked the Musical

Wicked, winner of 35 major awards and the biggest blockbuster on Broadway, opens on 20 February at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre in the heart of Orlando. The show, set before the time of Dorothy and Toto, tells the untold story of how two girls meet in the land of Oz and go on to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

Wicked runs from 20 February – 10 March 2013: tickets are available now. 

Virgin Atlantic operates flights to Orlando from London Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow.

Header photo © jared422_80

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1. Orlando: Walt Disney World Special Events 2011
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This is a very special year for V-Flyer, so we’re delighted to invite Pete back for a quick chat and to find out more about an exciting competition…

Pete, congratulations on the anniversary. Did you ever imagine V-Flyer would become such a thriving community?

The tenth anniversary is a milestone I never anticipated when creating the site a decade ago. Back then, the year before even Facebook took its first steps into cyberspace, social networking was a phrase yet to be coined and the idea of a bunch of customers getting together to share ideas (and more than the occasional drink), was really rather novel.

How has the site evolved and what’s the secret of its long-lasting appeal?

A lot has happened in ten years. The human genome project was completed; America got its first black President; Apple changed the mobile phone market with the iPhone and Pluto was demoted to a dwarf planet. And despite V-Flyer’s obvious aviation bent, these were things we discussed in our forums and over dinner tables. From its very inauspicious beginnings, V-Flyer has always been a cradle of eclectic conversation. Sure you can find someone on the site who’ll be able to help you work out the best mileage earning strategy when flying open-jaw through Singapore on an apex ticket (!), but equally if you’re after recommendations about the best wine to drink with Shepherd’s Pie, V-Flyer’s always been very welcoming.

As founder of the site, what are you most proud of?

Well, the site has seen (at least) two marriages as a direct result of meeting online, and countless other lasting friendships between people who prior to the site’s existence would have possibly only exchanged passing pleasantries in the Clubhouse on their way to their next flight. I’m enormously proud of that aspect of the site. It’s encompassed in the site’s slogan, “it’s more than just a journey”, which you can interpret as everything from the excitement of travel to the diverse and quite unique ways V-Flyer has brought people together.

How will you be marking the occasion?

In our tenth year we’re unashamedly celebrating. Virgin Atlantic have generously donated the use of their hospitality suite at the O2 for our official knees-up at the end of February, and we’re also marking the event with a competition in partnership with Virgin Atlantic to win Flying Club Gold membership for a year. With the dizzying list of benefits Gold brings, it’s a spectacular prize.

Celebrate V-Flyer’s tenth anniversary and win Flying Club Gold Membership

Any final thoughts?

I’d just like to say a huge thank you to the volunteer team of moderators who make sure the interactions are always civil. And a bigger thank you to the visitors who continue to keep the site full of vibrant discussion. Who would have thought we’d be around for ten years. Here’s to ten years more.

Visit V-Flyer at www.v-flyer.com.

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Over the past decade or so – following a quiet period of reinvention in the 1980s and 90s – the city has lured an entirely new crowd: these days you’re as likely to be mixing with desert hikers, hip young urbanites and a sizeable upmarket gay community as you are with legions of leisurewear-clad seniors. And don’t knock the oldies either, for these are the very people who’ve helped keep Palm Springs’ indomitable mid-century spirit alive all these years, playing a major role in matters of development and preservation, and propping up the same type of kitschy venues that are now such an attraction for nostalgic retro-seeking visitors.

We’ve just returned from a trip to Palm Springs, so read on for our favourite sights and experiences in and around town. The city celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, and the milestone will be marked throughout the year with a whole host of special events and festivals – all the more reason to plan a visit quick sharpish…

Mid-century architecture

In the post-war years, Palm Springs was known as a playground for the international jet set. An ever-increasing circle of Hollywood’s elite helped fuel the city’s growth by commissioning avant-garde homes from an innovative clique of designers, who left a modernist architectural legacy that remains unparalleled in its influence.

Celebrated for its abundant use of glass, straight lines, angular rooflines, open-plan interiors and a streamlined indoor/outdoor approach that capitalised on southern California’s warm climate, the Desert Modern style came to define Palm Springs. Highlights include architect John Lautner’s concrete-canopied Elrod House, used as a location in Diamonds are Forever; Frank Sinatra’s 1947 Twin Palms Estate; Elvis and Priscilla’s honeymoon getaway, the ‘House of Tomorrow’, and architect Richard Neutra’s landmark Kaufmann House.

Elvis & Priscilla’s House of Tomorrow © Maxine Sheppard

Without a doubt, the best way to get to grips with the city’s distinctive styles, neighbourhoods, architects and buildings is by taking one of Robert Imber’s twice-daily Palm Springs Modern Tours, which give an expansive overview of the 1920s-1970s period with a focus on the glamorous 50s and 60s. Robert is an architectural historian whose encyclopedic knowledge and palpable enthusiasm for his subject brings the past to life in glorious detail – his enlightening commentary gives historical context to these extraordinary structures and is liberally sprinkled with juicy tidbits about Rat Pack-era stars and their lives in the desert. You’ll learn how Palm Springs came to have the greatest concentration of Mid-Century Modern architecture in the USA, about the maverick architects and designers who developed ‘Desert Modernism’, and how the style spread beyond residential enclaves to include civic buildings, country clubs, banks, resorts and hotels.

The Cody House designed by William F. Cody © 2013 www.visitpalmsprings.com

Tours takes place in Robert’s air-conditioned minivan, last approximately 3 hours and cost $US75 per person. Note that they do not include interior visits, but true enthusiasts can time their visit to coincide with the annual Palm Springs Modernism Week - held every February – when a number of home tours are available. This year’s event runs from 14-24 Feb.

Cool hotels

Many of Palm Springs’ hotels are a destination in their own right, capitalising on their mountain views and housing some of the city’s best restaurants, bars and spas. But in a town where almost every building oozes kerb appeal, choosing where to lay your head is no easy task.

Our no.1 choice is the Saguaro just off Palm Canyon Drive; a 1965-built resort which, until its recent transformation, was a gloomy khaki-green Holiday Inn. Now the seratonin-boosting property – opened in February 2012 – can only be described as euphoric, with a vivid new colour palette reflecting the indigenous flowers of the southwestern desert.

The Saguaro, Palm Springs © Maxine Sheppard

We loved how the early morning sunshine streamed into our zingy, purple-carpeted room, which overlooked the enormous sunbed-scattered pool deck and the mountains beyond. Adding to the sense of buzz are two highly-rated venues: Tinto wine bar and restaurant which takes its culinary cue from the Basque region of northern Spain and southern France, and Mexican-inspired El Jefe; home to mean margaritas and laid-back lunchtime tacos. Double rooms available from $US143.

King’s Highway, Ace Hotel & Swim Club © Maxine Sheppard

Created from the bones of an old motel, the 2009-opened Ace Hotel & Swim Club is just along the road from the Saguaro and remains the hippest hangout in town. While we were there a photo shoot involving kooky-looking models and a large inflatable flamingo was taking place against a backdrop of the hotel’s whitewashed buildings, while a low-key indie soundtrack pumped from the pool area’s speakers.

Rooms range from bright, simple doubles adorned with magazine cuttings to large patio suites with ‘curated’ vinyl collections. Even if you’re not staying, stop by for breakfast at King’s Highway: a self-proclaimed ‘roadside diner’ offering an upmarket twist on typical diner fare. Double rooms from $US149.

Lounging at the Parker Palm Springs © Maxine Sheppard

Other cool choices include the stunning Parker Palm Springs, with its bouganvillea-filled gardens and fabulously kitsch lobby (rooms from $US249); the Albert Frey-designed Movie Colony Hotel (rooms from $US124), and the brand new Curve – which you won’t believe used to be a Travelodge (rooms from $US59).

Eco adventures in the desert

Amid all the glamour and cocktails, it’s easy to forget that Palm Springs sits on the western edge of the Coachella Valley; an area once occupied by the ancestors of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. This is an outstanding area for hiking – especially in and around the Indian Canyons located on Agua Caliente tribal land – and one of the best ways to discover the landscape is with Desert Adventures Eco-Tours, who offer 3-hour naturalist-led jeep tours into the canyons for $US125.

Tahquitz Canyon, Indian Canyons © Joe Bielawa

You’ll hike a short trail up into Andreas Canyon under a canopy of shaggy California fan palms, learning about the culture and history of the Cahuilla people and their incredible use of desert plants. Before too long you’ll arrive at the rim of Palm Canyon, with panoramic views over the largest natural palm oasis in North America. Other tours include the newly-launched Wonders of Coachella Valley, plus a chance to experience the remarkable scenery of the San Andreas Fault Zone and Joshua Tree National Park.

Joshua Tree National Park © Maxine Sheppard

Looking for a more adventurous or challenging hike? Trail Discovery offer a range of longer expeditions, including four to eight-hour treks through shadowy slot canyons and distant oases; a full moon discovery hike through the foothills of Palm Springs, and trips into the Mt. San Jacinto wilderness which begin with a ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - passing through four different ecosystems on the way up.

Uptown Design District

Palm Springs’ most interesting commercial area has continued to blossom north of Downtown over the past several years. What was once a forgotten strip of vacant shopfronts is now an eminently chic and walkable neighbourhood stuffed with drool-worthy furniture showrooms, vintage home decor stores, independent fashion boutiques, art galleries, coffee shops, bars and restaurants. Running along a stretch of North Palm Canyon Drive between Alejo Road and Tachevah Drive, the Uptown Design District is a happy hunting ground for modernism junkies doing up holiday rentals, or savvy travellers looking for inspiration – not to mention the hottest destination for restaurateurs looking to make their mark in the city.

Just Modern in the Uptown Design District, Palm Springs © Maxine Sheppard

Kick things off with a coffee on the back lawn at Koffi before checking out these emporiums of style. We loved the range of art and photography books on offer at Just Fabulous; the exquisite furniture and lighting that we could never afford at a La Mod, Modernway, BLVD and Just Modern, and the art gallery dedicated exclusively to the works of the artist Shag. Dining-wise, make a beeline (and a reservation) for Trio, a large, buzzing restaurant dishing up a contemporary American menu. Or book a table on Jake’s al fresco courtyard for great fish tacos and lunchtime salads, or a slap-up weekend brunch.

As we mentioned above, the city’s 75th anniversary means a full calendar of events this year. Highlights include the American Documentary Film Festival in early April; Palm Springs Restaurant Week from 13 May – 16 June,  and Palm Springs Pride Festival in November – or check out the complete list at palmsprings75.com.

For more information about Palm Springs, visit the official tourism website at www.visitpalmsprings.com.

Virgin Atlantic operates daily flights to Los Angeles from London Heathrow and flights to Las Vegas from London Gatwick. Palm Springs is a two hour drive from L.A or a four hour drive from Las Vegas. Virgin America also fly direct to Palm Springs from San Francisco.

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Bryant Park

Located just behind the main branch of the New York Public Library, Bryant Park is your best best for a sunbathing session in Midtown, though in the height of spring and summer you might have to fight for your patch of green. That said, this is a glorious urban park, with film festivals, tai chi and other events in the warmer months and seasonal shops and ice-skating in the winter. Citi Pond - the 170ft x 100ft ice rink – remains open until 13 March 2013.

Bryant Park © kjarrett

Brooklyn Bridge Park

Brooklyn Bridge Park offers fantastic views of lower Manhattan, so set up your tripod on the waterfront for some cinematic late afternoon shots. The new park – which has opened in phases over the past few years – draws a good mix of locals and tourists, who come to walk along the boardwalk and enjoy a picnic. Special events like the popular (and free) Movies With a View season take place during the summer months.

Brooklyn Bridge Park © @NYCphotos-flickr

Washington Square Park

One of New York’s most beloved public spaces, Washington Square Park is like the city in microcosm, known for its cultural claims to fame and as a centre of political activism. There may be a lack of large green spaces to spread out on, but we love how the park’s many pathways encourage you to explore: there’s more to see and do than it seems at first glance, with chess tables, playgrounds, street performers and musicians stealing attention from the large central fountain and stately Washington Arch. Our favourite place to people-watch in the city.

Washington Square Park © laverrue

Greenacre Park

That over-used phrase hidden gem could genuinely be applied to Greenacre Park. This 60ft x 120ft ‘vest pocket park’ in the middle of Midtown East (East 51st Street, between 2nd and 3rd Aves) is a tiny oasis in the city, characterised by a 25ft granite-faced waterfall cascading over boulders. Emerald green foliage creates a cocooning effect from the outside world, and there’s ample room to stop and grab a bite to eat from the small snack bar, or even fire up the laptop if you really must. The park was named as one of the best in the world by the Project for Public Spaces.

Greenacre Park © bettyx1138

Creative Little Garden

Ok, so it’s a bit of a stretch to call this a ‘park’ as such, but we’re including this amazing little community garden in our list because it’s just so serene and lovely and deserves to be seen. We stumbled upon it on a recent walk around the East Village (on Sixth Street between Avenues A and B) and were bowled over by the peacefulness and attention to detail: little birdhouses, a porch swing, benches, fountains and the non-stop sound of birdsong. Creative Little Garden is open every day between 11am and 6pm – check it out!

Creative Little Garden, East Village © 2013 Creative Little Garden

Virgin Atlantic operate daily flights to New York from London Heathrow.

Header photo © m_ke

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From the entrance in Joiner Street, guests will pass through London-themed galleries to the ‘kaleidoscopic’ lifts, which use video screens and mirrors to create the impression of soaring through famous London ceilings like the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral and the British Museum’s Great Court glass roof – though it doesn’t last long. With a transfer zone at Level 33, the total lift journey time from ground-level to Level 68 is just 60 seconds.

The Shard © Dimitry B

The two-level viewing deck comprises the triple-height main viewing gallery at Level 69 – where free-to-use interactive ‘Tell:scopes’ identify over 200 famous landmarks – and the highest public gallery at Level 72; a partially open-air space surrounded by the gigantic shards of glass that form the top of The Shard.

According to the architect Renzo Piano, The Shard was designed to be a ‘vertical city’, with office space, the highest residences in Europe, international restaurants, and the 5-star Shangri-La hotel occupying most of the 31.4 acre floor space. And did we mention the swimming pool on Level 52?

Essentials

Tickets and gift certificates cost £24.95 for adults and £18.95 for children and are booked in advance, with guests choosing the time and date of their visit. Recipients of a gift certificate can choose when they want to visit.  A limited number of ‘walk-up’ tickets are also available each day.

The View from The Shard is open daily from 9am-10pm, except Christmas Day. For tickets visit www.theviewfromtheshard.com or call +44 (0)844 499 7111.

Visiting the UK? To book your flight to London with Virgin Atlantic visit www.virginatlantic.com

Header photo © 2013 The View from The Shard

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Now we’re pushing further east into the heart of Arizona, towards old railroad towns and the red desert beyond…

Williams

Shortly after leaving Seligman, Route 66 joins back up with Interstate 40. Head east towards Flagstaff and after forty minutes take exit 161 for the mountainside town of Williams, hunched at the base of Bill Williams Mountain and surrounded by forests of Ponderosa pine. Another well-preserved section of Route 66 runs through the centre of town here – in fact, Williams was the final Route 66 community to be by-passed by the new interstate in 1984 – but the town is perhaps best known as the home of the Grand Canyon Railway, with daily trips to the canyon’s South Rim. Stay tuned for our guide to taking the Grand Canyon train in a future post.

Grand Canyon Train, Williams © Loco Steve

Although the outskirts of town are full of the chain motels and fast-food restaurants you see all over America, Williams does have a really atmospheric little downtown core that plays up both its railroad and Route 66 past. Lined with neon-lit diners, red brick hotels, galleries, coffee shops and the odd classic automobile, there’s still something of a frontier town vibe about the place – but it also feels thriving and current. There’s a decent outdoor sports scene here too – mountain biking, hiking, fishing, even skiing – which helps to attract visitors year-round.

Williams, Arizona © Cimm

Flagstaff

After the relative remoteness of the journey so far, the college town of Flagstaff feels positively cosmopolitan – and is the obvious choice of base if you’re set on a deeper exploration of Northern Arizona. The historic grid-like downtown is full of genuinely interesting shops, hotels, restaurants, bars, and some fantastic murals and street art, all of which fosters a lively community feel.

Check out the old brick buildings along North Leroux, Birch and Aspen Streets for galleries showcasing Native American arts, crafts, jewellery and pottery. Then relax in the bar of the landmark Monte Vista Hotel and soak up the spirit of all the Hollywood stars who’ve stayed here over the past seventy years. Well over a hundred movies were filmed in this part of Arizona during the 40s and 50s, and the hotel has played host to numerous big names including Humphrey Bogart, Clarke Gable, John Wayne and Jane Russell.

Babbitt Brothers building, downtown Flagstaff © Flagstaff CVB

But it’s the abundance of outdoor gear stores which give an indication of Flagstaff’s other priorities. For many, the town’s biggest draw is its location. Sheltered beneath the San Francisco peaks just to the north is the Arizona Snowbowl ski and snowboarding resort, in a mountain playground which doubles as a hiker’s paradise in summer. Flagstaff is also close to no less than three National Monuments: the ancient Sinagua cliff dwellings of Walnut Canyon; the multiple cinder cones of Sunset Crater Volcano, and the rambling three-storey Wupatki Pueblo.

Snowy peaks outside Flagstaff © Flagstaff CVB

Beyond Flagstaff

It’s the end of our journey – so what next? If the open road has got you firmly under its spell, then we recommend driving on as far as the Route 66 town of Holbrook, gateway to Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert. Stay overnight at the cosy and comfortable Globetrotter Lodge (opposite the famous Wigwam Motel) and head out early enough to watch the sun rise over these unique geological formations.

Within the national park, ancient petrified timber is scattered across the landscape in every direction. Be aware that removing even the smallest piece from inside the park’s borders is prohibited, though all manner of polished specimens are available in surrounding gift shops, collected from outside the boundaries. Entering from the south, a 27-mile scenic road winds north through the park, over the interstate and on into the Painted Desert.

Petrified Forest National Park © Maxine Sheppard

With more than 20 overlooks, self-guided trails and picnic areas it’s easy enough to spend several hours hiking and absorbing the beauty of it all. On the other hand, you could simply treat it as a spectacular drive. These fossilised formations and desert badlands are some of the most unusual landscapes in the Southwest. And due to their remoteness, they’re among the least visited too – so you’ll probably have the highway to yourself.

The Painted Desert, Arizona © Maxine Sheppard

Heading back to Las Vegas? If you don’t want to retrace your tire tracks, Flagstaff serves as the obvious junction for circling back to Las Vegas via the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell and Southern Utah – a region we’ll be examining in a future post.

Remember to check out part one of this post for the journey from Las Vegas to Seligman, via historic Route 66.

For more information visit the Arizona Office of Tourism website.

Virgin Atlantic operates a daily direct flight to Las Vegas from London Gatwick.

Header shot © Nicholas_T

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The first part of our journey snakes across wilderness and desert, then along one of the best-known remaining stretches of old Route 66, past ramshackle diners and abandoned gas stations. In part two, the Mother Road re-joins the main highway, towards the small town of Williams (jumping off point for the Grand Canyon train) and onwards to Flagstaff. So let’s leave Sin City behind…

Kingman, Arizona

Head southeast out of Las Vegas on Interstate 93, in the direction of Boulder City. Within half an hour you’ll reach the Nevada-Arizona state line at the Colorado River which means only one thing: the Hoover Dam and the first jaw-dropping moment of the journey. This genuinely awesome feat of engineering is definitely worth a longer trip, so find out more about visiting the Hoover Dam in our side trips from Las Vegas feature. But for now we’re continuing on…

You’re now in Arizona and an hour’s drive from Kingman, the first proper stop on our route. Follow US 93 south as it cuts through the heart of the Mount Wilson Wilderness Area, and note how stark and barren the landscape becomes just 30 odd minutes from Las Vegas.

Kingman, Arizona © Maxine Sheppard

Kingman touts itself as the ‘Heart of Historic Route 66′, though in truth it’s much more of a pit stop than a must-see destination. During the mid twentieth century, Route 66 led millions to the land of opportunity in California, and the town was a thriving and important stop on the journey. But now most visitors pass through en route to somewhere else. That said, it’s really the only town of note between Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon and makes a decent stopover if part of a longer journey. For a touch of nostalgia you could even stay in the Route 66 Motel for a bargain $28 per night – one of the last remaining original motor courts along the route, complete with fully restored neon sign and basic but perfectly adequate rooms.

Route 66 Motel, Kingman © Maxine Sheppard

Kingman is the starting point for three popular excursions. Heading west, old Route 66 traces a vertiginous path along the Colorado River, one of the most desolate stretches of the entire route. Multiple switchbacks and hairpin bends eventually lead to the old Wild West town of Oatman, where wild burros roam freely and mock shootouts entertain tourists. Heading south from Kingman, the highway leads to Lake Havasu City, famous for a bizarre quirk: in the mid-1960s, the city’s founder purchased the old London Bridge from the British Government and reconstructed it here. Unbelievably, it’s now Arizona’s second biggest tourist attraction after the Grand Canyon. But our journey takes us east, along one of the longest continuous sections of Route 66 still in existence, looping north over Interstate 40 until the town of Ash Fork.

Old Route 66

Stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles, the creation of the 2,448-mile ‘Mother Road’ in 1926 linked together small towns across eight states, providing a new route to the promised land in search of a better life. Almost 90 years later, the road has long been replaced by the Interstate Highway System, but the remaining sections continue to inspire writers, photographers and lovers of a long-lost America.

Driving alongside the railroad on old Route 66, Arizona © Maxine Sheppard

Almost immediately outside Kingman however – take the turning towards the airport – is something entirely new: a gleaming modern distillery in the desert. Opened by the Patt family in 2010, Desert Diamond Distillery is as forward-thinking as it gets. America has a fanatical craft beer movement these days, so why not open a micro-distillery producing small-batch, hand-crafted rum and vodka too? So far, it’s been a word-of-mouth success. Drop by for a tour and tasting, or just pick up a bottle of their award-winning (and our favourite) Gold Miner Agave Rum.

Continue driving along Route 66 for another 40 minutes and you’ll reach another unexpected sight. Out here in the middle of nowhere, an amazing non-profit organisation, Keepers of the Wild, is doing remarkable work looking after wild animals rescued from dire situations in the exotic pets and entertainment trades, providing a sanctuary for dozens of lions, tigers, wolves, monkeys and other animals to live out their natural lives in peace.

Sasha the Bengal Tiger, reared in a Texas breeding facility then sold to a travelling show. Now living peacefully at Keepers of the Wild © Keepers of the Wild

It’s really worth taking a tour with one of the park’s committed staff members to appreciate the dedication required to keep a place like this going. We had our eyes truly opened to the scale of the problem that causes animals to come here in the first place, but although the stories were sad, the outcome is incredibly uplifting: a pair of sleepy tigers flopping in the sun afters years spent pacing in a cage is a sight to behold. If you’re an animal lover to any degree, this should be a must-stop on your itinerary.

Seligman

Other than the Grand Canyon Caverns, there’s not much else between here and the tiny town of Seligman, population 500. The lonely road continues through the rugged and remote Hualapai Indian Reservation for another fifty miles, so the sudden clutch of primary-coloured storefronts come as something of a shock. The main street looks and feels like it was preserved in aspic about sixty years ago, when through traffic was its main source of economic security. Today, this is Arizona’s holy grail of Route 66 paraphernalia; a place to stock up on bumper stickers and key-rings of the famous shield-like road sign, or snap photos of dusty parked-up cadillacs.

Seligman, Arizona © Maxine Sheppard

On the one hand you could say Seligman shamelessly trades on its long-past glory days, but on the other – what choice did it have? Led by its best-known resident, Angel Delgadillo – known as the ‘guardian angel of Route 66′ –  the town has worked hard to maintain the heritage of the road. And it has successfully stopped itself from turning into another Route 66 ghost town in the process.

Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In © Maxine Sheppard

Nowadays, the vast majority of visitors are curious road-trippers and tour buses, and these somehow manage to keep Seligman afloat. Do your part and head straight to the eccentric Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In for a root beer or burger – a fixture on the road since 1953 – and don’t miss the collection of vintage Chevrolets out the back. Or pop into the Route 66 Gift Shop next door and pay a visit to Angel himself. He certainly has some stories to tell.

Seligman, Arizona © Maxine Sheppard

Don’t miss part two of our mini road trip as we continue on to Flagstaff.

Virgin Atlantic operates a daily, direct flight to Las Vegas from London Gatwick.

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First ever commercial art gallery in the air

The Gallery in the Air, which takes place between 1-28 February 2013, is our latest cutting-edge initiative to further enhance passengers’ inflight shopping and entertainment experience, taking the display and sale of fine art into uncharted territory. Long-haul travellers wishing to experience the Gallery in the Air’s first exhibition – which will feature a collection of ten bespoke works of art priced between £2,500 and £15,000 in Ben Eine’s trademark typography style – are able to book their seats now on the Virgin Atlantic website.

Virgin Atlantic’s Gallery in the Air

Upper Class passengers can enjoy the art gallery experience at every step of their journey. The eye-catching canvases will be on display across the London Heathrow, JFK and Newark Clubhouses and, as passengers take their seats, they can take a virtual tour of the Gallery in the Air, look behind-the-scenes at the making of the Virgin Atlantic artworks by Eine in his studio and buy the unique pieces of art for themselves in exactly the same way as they would a duty-free shopping purchase.

Virgin Atlantic’s Gallery in the Air featuring works by Ben Eine

Ben Eine’s striking street art style

Eine is famed for his striking and cutting-edge street art style featuring vibrant and often controversial letters and phrases. He shot to international fame when David Cameron presented one of his works to President Obama as a gift on his first official state visit in 2010, but is perhaps best known for ‘Alphabet Street’ – the shutters and murals he painted in his trademark colours and typography in Middlesex Street, London.

Ben Eine

To create the Gallery in the Air, Eine not only called upon his own experiences of the airline and his view on the two transatlantic cities of London and New York, but also undertook research on Sir Richard Branson himself, reading his biographies and watching many of his inspirational speeches. The resulting artworks feature words and phrases including: ‘VIRGIN ON THE IMPOSSIBLE’, ‘NOTHING TO LOSE’, ‘GREAT ADVENTURE’ and ‘MAN AND HIS MACHINES’ as well as ‘NEW YORK SAUCE’, ‘AFTERNOON TEA’ and ‘TWENTY FIRST CENTURY METROPOLIS’ – the latter of which is an update of the canvas that currently hangs in the White House.

Artist Ben Eine

“My philosophy through all my work, be it on canvas or on the street, is about pushing boundaries and not simply going with the flow because everyone else is doing something a certain way,” says Ben. “I respect Virgin Atlantic’s brave and challenging attitude and the way it goes against the grain, so I jumped at the chance to be part of the first ever Gallery in the Air. We have created a completely original way of appreciating and buying art – a new frontier for the industry.”

An addition to the Gallery in the Air collection, set to be on display at the London Heathrow Clubhouse, is a one-of-a-kind, not for sale portrait of Virgin Atlantic founder, Sir Richard Branson, built up of hundreds of pixels in a similar style to another of Eine’s iconic pieces – a portrait of HRH Prince Charles which resides on the side of a building in his hometown of Hastings.

“I am a huge fan of Ben’s work and like us, he does things differently and doesn’t follow the crowd,” said Sir Richard Branson. “We’re delighted to be working with him, mixing things up a bit and having a bit of fun along the way”

Gallery in the Air

The Gallery in the Air with Ben Eine is set to be the first in a series of unique on-board collaborations with renowned artists, and is the latest feature of Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class cabin that aims to enhance the passenger experience on long-haul flights.

Following a £100M investment in early 2012, the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class cabin has received a number of significant enhancements in recent months. With luxury and comfort at its heart, the cabin sets a new standard for the industry and boasts an in-flight bar and social area, newly designed seats, ambient lighting, a cutting edge in-flight entertainment system and even custom glassware and tableware, making it the most luxurious way to travel by air.

To book a flight with Virgin Atlantic visit www.virginatlantic.com.

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Llandudno

Not only is Llandudno our favourite beach in Cape Town, it comes pretty close to being our favourite beach in the entire world. About twelve miles south of the city along the Atlantic Seaboard, a steep winding road leads down past upmarket holiday homes and apartments to this glorious sandy cove, sheltered at each end by giant, smooth granite boulders. It’s a wonderful sunbathing spot – with truly fantastic sunsets – but the water is jaw-clenchingly freezing so be warned.

Llandudno Beach, Cape Town © Maxine Sheppard

Noordhoek Beach

Noordhoek is a small, scattered hamlet at the southern end of Chapman’s Peak Drive, with a film-set-worthy beach that stretches all the way to the village of Kommetjie about three miles further south (triple that if you were to drive between the two, as the road detours inland). This broad sweep of white sand attracts beachcombers, surfers and horseriders in the main – the powerful waves and often fierce winds mean swimmers and sunbathers are better off sticking to more sheltered spots. Try the Dunes Riding and Racing Stables if you fancy a ride.

Noordhoek Beach © Maxine Sheppard

Camps Bay

Camps Bay has to be one of the most perfectly-situated city beaches in the world and is one of Cape Town’s most exclusive places to stay. The sands are backed by a line of tall palms and grassy parkland, behind which the main drag buzzes with pavement cafes and expensive cars. Behind the commercial strip, residential roads hiding showpiece homes snake up into the Twelve Apostles’ hilly slopes, where the clouds roll down from Table Mountain at the end of every day. Camps Bay is easily reached via Cape Town’s excellent hop-on hop-off bus service, so attracts a good mix of locals and tourists.

Camps Bay, Cape Town © Maxine Sheppard

Muizenberg

Over on the opposite side of the peninsula, Muizenberg itself has a slightly faded air. But its beach is long, clean and safe and comes complete with a row of cheery Victorian ‘bathing boxes’ – making this one of the most photographed spots on the Cape. The waters here are safe for swimming, and it’s an excellent spot to learn to surf – try Gary’s Surf School or Surfshack Surf School for lessons.

Muizenberg Beach © Paul Mannix

Clifton Beaches

Back in the city, the four separate coves that make up fashionable Clifton sit in front of the priciest stretch of real estate in South Africa – hardly surprising when you consider that these luxurious apartment buildings often have direct beach access and the most coveted views in town. Numbered one to four, the beaches are safe for both swimming and surfing with First Beach usually the least crowded, Second and Third beaches filled with the young and the beautiful (Third Beach is generally considered the gay beach), and the Blue Flag Fourth Beach most popular with families, partly due to its less steep approach.

The four beaches of Clifton, Cape Town © coda

Virgin Atlantic operates seasonal direct flights to Cape Town from London Heathrow.

Header shot of Llandudno © flowcomm 

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Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens

Just a few minutes drive from the centre of Soufriere, Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens is part of the Soufriere Estate and comprises six acres of planted tropical gardens including the waterfall known as Diamond Falls. The cement-coloured Diamond River comes directly from the volcanic Sulphur Springs, and the mineral-rich water gives the 17 metre falls a multi-hued glow with a stained appearance to the rock face.

Diamond Falls, St Lucia © Mary-Lynn

The gardens themselves sit in a natural gorge, once the site of spring baths built in 1784 for the troops of King Louis XVI of France. At the time, the Governor of St. Lucia had some water samples sent to Paris to be analysed and they were found to contain the same properties as the baths in famous European spa towns like Aix-les-Bains and Aachen in Germany.

But the baths fell into disrepair at the turn of the 19th century and remained as ruins until they were restored by the previous owner of Diamond Estate. Today, the two Mineral Baths have modern bathroom facilities and are situated out in the open, with the warm clear waters highly recommended for sore joints and muscles – great for those returning from a Pitons hike.

Botanical Gardens © Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens

The gardens themselves were first planted in 1983 with flowering bushes and shrubs, and exotic plants like Hibiscus, Anthurim and Heliconia all thriving in the tropical climate. If you’re a keen photographer you’ll want to keep your camera close by as the Heliconia flowers attract dozens of tiny, iridescent hummingbirds to their nectar.

Tet Paul Nature Trail

The Tet Paul Nature Trail is one of St. Lucia’s real treats. Developed and constructed by local residents and the farming community of Chateau Belair, the trail is situated within the Piton Management area, part of St. Lucia’s World Heritage Site. Although it’s only about a 45 minute climb to the top – at a steadily rising but low incline – it can easily take almost twice as long as the distractions en route are many.

Baby bananas on the Tet Paul Nature Trail © Maxine Sheppard

My guide John Nestor – himself a driving force behind the creation of the trail – was a walking encyclopedia, pointing out everything from the tiniest medicinal plants and flowers to distant plantations and villages, giving added context and meaning to the hike.

Along the trail is a sparsely furnished traditional home and a Cassava house, used to demonstrate the traditional art of producing tapioca. Further along, past pineapple and banana plants, avocado and apricot trees, a fully-functioning organic farm sits on a hillside facing a wide expanse of valley. But best of all are the views, which reach far across the volcanic valley landscape and coastline until you reach the very end of the trail, where a staircase – the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ – leads to a small platform with a magnificent Pitons vista.

Pitons view from Tet Paul Nature Trail © Maxine Sheppard

Virgin Atlantic operates direct flights to St. Lucia from London Gatwick. Visit Virgin Holidays for a full range of holidays to St. Lucia and other Caribbean destinations.

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Visual arts

• Lichtenstein: A Retrospective This major spring retrospective at Tate Modern from 21 February – 27 May features more than 100 paintings and other works by comic strip-inspired Pop Art genius Roy Lichtenstein.

• The David Bowie is exhibition at the V&A from 23 March – 28 July showcases around 300 items from his enormous 60,000+ private archive, including original costumes – 1972 Ziggy Stardust bodysuits among them – sleeve artwork, handwritten lyrics, set designs and some of Bowie’s own instruments.

Theatre

• A new production of MacBeth set in a dystopian Scotland plays at the Trafalgar Studios from 9 February – 27 April. James McAvoy stars in the title role, better known for his roles in films like Atonement, X-Men and The Last King of Scotland.

• Huge US hit satirical musical The Book of Mormon arrives on our shores soon, opening at the Prince of Wales Theatre on 25 February. The show, by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, tells the story of two American Mormon missionaries and their attempt to convert the natives on a trip to Uganda.

Music

• Inspired by Alex Ross’s seminal book The Rest is Noise – Listening to the Twentieth Century, the Southbank Centre plays host to an ambitious year-long season exploring 20th-century classical music through the prism of historical, cultural and political events. Find out more at The Rest is Noise website.

• Presenting a who’s who of Latin music, La Linea: The London Latin Music Festival takes place at the Barbican, Brixton Academy, Union Chapel and other London venues from 12-20 April. Featured artists include the most popular group in Cuba, Havana D’Primera, and Latin hip-hop star Mala Rodriguez.

Cinema

• Back to cheer us up, LOCO London Comedy Film Festival returns to BFI Southbank and other London venues from 24-27 January – supposedly the most miserable week of the year. This year’s festival opens with A Liar’s Autobiography, the 3D animated biography of Monty Python star Graham Chapman.

• The second Sundance London film festival returns to The O2 from 25-28 April, featuring UK and international premieres of selected independent films fresh from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Utah, along with panels, events and live music.

Dance

• Tango Fire – Flames of Desire is the latest hit production from fiery Argentinian dance company Tango Fire, playing at Sadler’s Wells from 30 January – 24 February. The show traces a path through the history of tango from its Buenos Aires roots to celebrated contemporary dance form.

• Starring a cast of international guest stars and the entire company of the English National Ballet, Swan Lake in-the-round is magnificently staged in the centre of the Royal Albert Hall from 12-23 June.

Swan Lake in-the-round © 2013 English National Ballet

Virgin Atlantic operates flights to London from 36 global destinations – book yours at virginatlantic.com

Header photo © Nanagyei

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The annual festival is the Caribbean’s most-anticipated music event and has gone from strength to strength over the past two decades, outgrowing several venues in the process and playing host to more and more big name stars each year, with superstars like Diana Ross, Earth, Wind and Fire, Al Green, Alica Keys and Bo Diddley having graced the stage in recent years.

This January’s festival will see Grammy Award-winning artists Mary J Blige, Dionne Warwick and John Legend headline the event, along with performances from Michael Bolton, KC and the Sunshine Band and US R&B star Monica. A host of home grown and regional stars will also be entertaining the crowds, with the likes of local reggage legends Rootz Underground and Barbadian saxophonoist Arturo Tappin also taking to the stage, the latter having made his name playing with Luther Vandross and Roberta Flack. It’s also just been announced that Chaka Demus and Pliers will be added to the bill for the first night, Thursday 24th January.

General admission tickets cost from £31 per person, per night and from £93 for a weekend ticket (Friday and Saturday) which includes access to the general areas of the venue. VIP admission tickets cost from £75 per person, per night and from £143 for a weekend ticket, which also includes closer access to the stage and unreserved seats. Children under 10 enter for free.

© Jamaica Tourist Board

To book your holiday or to find perfect hotels in Montego Bay, take a look at the range of Jamaica holidays offered by Virgin Holidays.

Virgin Atlantic operates flights to Jamaica (Montego Bay) from London Gatwick.

For more information about Jamaica hop over to visitjamaica.com

Header photo © Jamaica Tourist Board

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Not only is this city-by-the-sea blessed with near-perfect weather and a phenomenal stretch of sand, it’s the ideal starting point for trips up north along the Pacific Coast Highway and an excellent base for exploring metropolitan L.A. But we mostly just love Santa Monica for what it is: a laid back beach town with a sophisticated urban edge. If you’re looking for the quintessential Southern California lifestyle, this is exactly where you’ll find it.

Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica © Maxine Sheppard

What to see and do

Beach and outdoors

The vast expanse of state beach is the city’s own backyard and a major pull for visitors. Wide sands, pale blue lifeguard huts, volleyball courts and rolling surf create the perfect California vibe, backed by the South Bay Bicycle Trail – the world’s longest beach path – running north towards Malibu and as far as Torrance to the south. Rent bikes (or rollerblades!) from Perry’s Cafe on the beach, or from the slick new Santa Monica Bike Center on 2nd Street, who also offer a selection of guided or self-guided tours.

Don’t miss the Annenberg Community Beach House just north of the Fairmont Miramar hotel. Opened in 2009, this brilliant beachfront facility is the only no-membership public beach house in the United States and hosts a packed calendar of cultural events and art exhibits in addition to its super-sized pool and sun deck, children’s play area, cafe, viewing deck and yoga classes.

Fun attractions

At the end of Colorado Avenue you’ll find the entrance to one of Southern California’s finest vintage seaside piers, now more than a century old. Santa Monica Pier is the biggest draw in town, visible for miles along the coast thanks to its famous LED-lit ferris wheel, the first in the world to be solar-powered.

Santa Monica Pier © R. Landau / Santa Monica CVB

The wheel itself forms part of Pacific Park, a small amusement park housed entirely on the pier; there’s also an old-fashioned arcade, a trapeze school, the Heal the Bay Aquarium and a classic 1920s wooden carousel for nostalgia-seekers.

Art and culture

Santa Monica is big on art and does everything it can to make it accessible to all. Yes, there’s the usual array of galleries and museums – more than 60 of them are scattered across the city, including the excellent collection at Bergamot Station Arts Center, the Frank Gehry-designed Santa Monica Museum of Art and the Ten Women co-operatives on Main Street and Montana Avenue. But what gives the city’s art scene its sparkle is an unwavering commitment to the creative economy, with major works of public art commissioned alongside the majority of development projects, including sculptures, murals, interactive and light installations, ceramics and photography.

Baile Oakes sculpture in Palisades Park, Santa Monica © ideowl

For cultural pursuits of the performance variety, head straight to the Promenade Playhouse on Third Street Promenade, which hosts indie, mainstream and comedy productions, or to the Santa Monica Playhouse for family-friendly shows and musicals. Classic pre-war movie theatres are also a feature of Third Street, including the Criterion and Aero Theatre. Music fans shouldn’t miss the chance to experience one of the live acoustic concerts in the intimate, pared-down setting of McCabe’s Guitar Shop on Pico Boulevard, or catch some late-night blues, jazz and soul at Harvelle’s.

Where to stay

Budget

Genuine budget options are somewhat hard to come by, but there are a couple of standouts. 1950s stalwart Ocean Lodge has an Ocean Avenue address with clean, air-conditioned rooms from $US120, while Seaview Hotel just a stone’s throw from the pier has newly-renovated rooms from $US88. Retro courtyard-style Seashore Motel is two blocks back from the beach but a good choice for the great shopping, restaurants and coffee shops along Main Street – standard rooms from $US110.

Mid-range

One block from the pier, the Holiday Inn Santa Monica Beach has recently had a facelift and its spacious rooms and decent pool are a good option for families. Expect to pay around $US215 for a standard double room. Ivy-clad Hotel California has direct ocean access, a pleasant Spanish-style garden and bright, modern rooms with fridges, free wi-fi and flatscreen TVs from $US219.

© Hotel California Santa Monica

Ocean View Hotel doesn’t have the prettiest of exteriors, but the prime location, large sun-filled rooms and sunset views more than make up for it. Courtyard rooms start from $US219, Ocean View rooms from $US259. If you’re after good looks, then make a beeline for The Georgian. This handsome turquoise-and-gold Art Deco hotel is bang opposite the beach and oozes 1920s vintage charm – rooms from $US254.

© The Georgian Hotel

Luxury

Santa Monica is not short on top-notch hotels, with high-end rates to match. The grand Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows occupies a premier spot among tropical gardens on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Ocean Avenue, with king-sized rooms in the ten-storey Ocean Tower starting from $US359. Shutters on the Beach is a beautiful Cape-Cod style property opening out directly onto the sand. Truly relaxing, the hotel is more of a retreat than others in town, with calm beach house-style rooms from $US625, though promotional offers are often available. All rooms have balconies.

© Shutters on the Beach

Gleaming glass-and-steel Shore Hotel on Ocean Avenue opened in October 2011 and has quickly won accolades with its contemporary styling and sustainable approach. Rooms start from $US365, with packages from $US299 at certain times of year. There’s a round-the-clock buzz at Viceroy Santa Monica which wows guests with its emerald green and dove grey colour scheme, secret nooks and crannies and elegant poolside cabanas. City view rooms start from $US348*

© Viceroy Santa Moncia

Dining and shopping

Downtown and Third Street Promenade

Santa Monica’s Downtown has long been considered one of the best in America, with its varied concentration of shops and restaurants soon to become even more accessible when the EXPO Light Rail arrives in 2015 to connect it to Downtown Los Angeles.

Third Street Promenade is the main drag for all the familiar faces of US retail, bookended at the southern end by upscale open-air mall Santa Monica Place, with the high-fashion boutiques of Fred Segal two further blocks away. There’s more to Downtown than Third Street however – head slightly further afield for gems like Hennessey + Ingalls art bookstore on Wilshire Boulevard, recycled fashion boutique Crossroads Trading on Fourth Street, and men’s streetwear emporium The Hundreds on Broadway – and don’t miss the twice-weekly Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Most types of cuisine are well-represented in Downtown; try Border Grill for a contemporary Mexican menu and great pisco sours or Hillstone for classic American burgers, pork ribs and salads. Innovative small-plate hotspot Tar & Roses opened early last year to wide acclaim, but be sure to book as far ahead as you can.

Third Street Promenade © Santa Monica CVB

Main Street

One block back from the beach, Main Street is the eco-conscious heart of already progressive Santa Monica. Along with a sizeable collection of designer boutiques and vintage stores, many of Main Street’s businesses come with a ‘local’, ‘natural’ or ‘green’ label as standard, and have done for many years. Check out Vital Hemp and Natural High Lifestyle for natural-fibre clothing and Mindfulnest for great accessories and gifts. There’s no shortage of coffee shops and juice joints either; we like Urth Caffe and Dogtown Coffee‘s organic roasts, and  Main Squeeze‘s extensive range of cold pressed juices and smoothies.

Dining-wise, Main Street runs the gamut from the green and healthy to the truly indulgent. Celebrity-favourite Euphoria loves Rawvolution is one of L.A’s leading lights in the rawfood movement, or at the other end of the spectrum try highly-regarded Lula Cocina for plates of superb, piled-high Mexican cuisine. Wolfgang Puck’s Asian fusion fine-dining Chinois on Main is the place to book for special occasions. There’s also a weekly Farmers Market with a street-festival vibe every Sunday.

Montana Avenue

Slightly further north, Montana Avenue is a posh tree-lined street with a residential feel, full of independent boutiques, bars, cafes, art galleries, bakeries, spas and gift stores. The ten block stretch between 7th and 17th streets is the main commercial district, not to mention the likeliest place in Santa Monica to spot a Hollywood celebrity or two.

Virgin Atlantic operates two daily flights to Los Angeles from London Heathrow.

* coming soon – keep an eye out for our full review of the Viceroy Santa Monica.

Header photo © Santa Monica CVB

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Exotics Racing

My own first encounter with serious speed is at Exotics Racing. Upon pick-up from the Strip I’m seated with enthusiastic would-be supercar drivers eager for their chance to floor it in one of ER’s 30-something vehicles. The fleet includes Ferraris, Porsches and Lamborghinis, some of which can reach 200MPH. Naturally, everyone is excited and talk turns to speed and engine sizes: things I know absolutely nothing about. I’ve not owned a car for some years and have never watched any kind of motor sport; if you mention horsepower I’ll drift off and picture Shire horses pulling hefty carts, but have no idea what it actually means.

Exotics Racing’s Lamborghini Aventador © Exotics Racing

For most of my acquaintances on the journey to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, driving a real, fast, expensive sports car on a custom track is about fulfilling a long held dream, but at this point it’s merely a potentially fun day out for me. I’m not nervous exactly, but I do feel out of place.

Arriving at the venue for orientation, I ease up when I notice that while there’s a fair share of petrol heads, there are plenty of geekier guys and girls too, and the customer age ranges from 20 to 70. Maybe this is everyone’s dream. I’d not thought too deeply about the buzz of sheer velocity before, but as I see the wide-eyed looks on others’ faces as the instructors bring the mean machines up to the building, the appeal suddenly starts to become palpable.

The McLaren MP4-12C © Exotics Racing

Our briefing is given by Ken and Dave; the former explains all the background details and the layout of the track, which is 1.2 miles long with seven turns, a couple of which look pretty hairy to me. Dave takes us into the ‘science’ of racing track technique, “See everything, look at nothing”, and also acts as entertainer and hype builder. “You wanna go crazy fast?” he asks – I’m one of a small handful in the room who keep their mouths shut and hands down.  “No?” he addresses us, “Why not? It’s not your car!”

Before we get helmeted-up, we take a “discovery lap” with Ken in a Porsche SUV. He shows us exactly where we’ll be accelerating, braking and turning and everything starts becoming real. Even at a leisurely 50MPH, the bends seem pretty sharp but I know he’s navigated them thousands of times and is making it look easy, and I begin to wonder how I’m going to handle them.

Andrew driving a Ferrari 430 Scuderia at Exotics Racing

When I meet my instructor, Joe Madden, (almost) all the apprehension fades away. He’s so calm and reassuring that climbing into the extremely low seat of the shiny Ferrari 430 Scuderia seems like the most natural thing in the world. When I turn the engine on it fires up instantly in what sounds like a heavy growl, though it feels more like a purr. Perhaps it’s the soothed state of mind Joe’s put me in, but I’m suddenly very comfortable and start to realise this beast of a car is only as fierce as I will allow it to be. Joe tells me that even when I think I have the accelerator floored he’ll keep saying “more gas, more gas…but you’re free to ignore me.” I tell him I’ll see how it goes.

Taking a Ferrari for a spin at Exotics Racing, Las Vegas

Suddenly we’re out on the track, and all that matters are the turns. I grip the wheel tightly, look for my braking cues, listen to Joe’s simple pointers and concentrate on doing everything right. After the first couple of laps, I feel secure: I know I can do it, now I just need to do it a bit faster. With each successive circuit I start looking forward more and more to the long straight and pushing down the pedal a bit harder than the last time round.

Just as I’m about to tip over from confident towards cocky, Joe instructs me to slow down and head towards the tent where we started. I’ve lost count, my five laps are done and I feel like I’ve only been out there for about a minute. But then all the best experiences are the ones that leave you wanting more. Even when I learn I only got up to around 100MPH, the mild disappointment is a very long way from kicking in. I leap out of the car elated and shake Joe’s hand vigorously. Next time I’m going for 150.

Exotics Racing driving experiences start from $199 (about £125) for five laps in a Porsche Cayman R. The same deal in the Ferrari 430 Scuderia starts at $349 (about £220) with other experiences priced according to your choice of car and number of laps. For more information, check out the complete list of available cars and prices. If you want to feel the thrill of the track without being behind the wheel, buddy up with a professional driver for the two-lap Ride-Along experience in a Corvette ZO6 for just $99 (about £60).

The Las Vegas Motor Speedway is about a 25 minute drive from the Strip. Try Presidential Limo for comfortable round-trip transportation if you don’t have access to a car.

Sky Combat Ace

While the track had me pumped full of more adrenaline than I’d ever known, nothing could really prepare me for my next day’s adventure with the Sky Combat Ace team. I might look the part in my aviator shades, but the real reason I’m wearing them is because they’re the only sunglasses that vaguely suit me. At least the natural high of the drive had kept me from being hungover, the last thing you’d want to be while in the front of a tiny two-seat light aircraft at the mercy of a trained US Air Force fighter pilot.

A shiny red Extra 330 LC two-seat aerobatic monoplane © Sky Combat Ace

SCA deal in extreme thrills of the Top Gun variety. Their Afterburner experience will find you strapped in for a spin-filled, loop-loaded aerobatic trip, but most other packages will allow you hands-on-the-joystick kicks. For my half-hour in the air, I’m assigned the Adrenaline Rush – aerobatics and aerial dog fighting – along with the tough nom-de-cockpit “Toxic”, which I’m fairly sure I fail to live up to.

While you don’t need any flying experience to sign up for any of the packages, I quickly learn you will need to have your ears open and brain in gear. My induction training with SCA president Richard “Tex” Coe includes a dizzying scale model run-through of the “basics” of offensive and defensive combat manoeuvres, all of which I immediately forget.

Taking to the skies © Sky Combat Ace

Fortunately, once I’m in my jumpsuit, my parachute is on and I’m strapped in, it’s in front of Bill “Stroke” Tracy, a man with 2,500 hours fighter plane experience and probably the most cool and composed demeanour I’ve ever encountered.

Stroke has seen all kinds of customers and while it’s all a breeze for him, he knows that plunging and plummeting inside the tight space of a stunt plane isn’t an everyday occurrence for most. By way of vague comparison, he asks if I like rollercoasters; I tell him I do just before he tips the plane 90 degrees and my stomach stays behind.

Keeping the Gs low © Sky Combat Ace

When I’m straightened out, he takes us up, fast. I must make some kind of sound, as he’s quick to reassure me: “I’m trying to keep the Gs low”. Of course, I think, as my cheeks become one with my neck. Then it dawns on me that I’m looking UP at the ground. The sensation of being upside down is grin-inducing, though I’ll admit to not being too into the getting there.

Next, Stroke tells me it’s my turn and as I take hold of the stick I find out that a tiny tilt will make the plane move a lot. For a minute or so, I take control and the shakiness inside subsides, even if the plane is going all over the place. We have a combat ‘engagement’ with Tex to get to though, and I decide that rather than keep him waiting I should hand our fate back to my experienced supervisor.

Mid-air dogfighting © Sky Combat Ace

What happens over the next 10 minutes or so, I’m not sure. Who hits who and how is unclear to me, all I know is my mouth is bone dry and I’m never quite certain which way up we are or where we are in relation to anything. And my eyes are open the whole time. Cruising back down we get a fantastic view of the mountains we’ve been flying between which restores some serenity to my mind. My body meanwhile is still somewhat shaken and stirred, but in becoming so aware of it, I’ve never felt quite so alive.

As you’d imagine, Sky Combat Ace fighter pilot experiences don’t come cheap, but these are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to fly real high performance planes with real fighter pilots over the Nevada desert. Prices start at $399 (about £250) for the Afterburner package which includes a full briefing and a 25 minute aerobatic thrill ride with a trained instructor pilot. The $599 (about £370) Top Gun Experience includes a 45 minute flight with more of the same manoeuvres and the opportunity for YOU to fly the plane.

Challenge a friend and hone your combat tactics with the Sky Combat Experience ($999/£620 per person). You’ll engage in air-to-air combat with YOU at the controls, in the ultimate competitive challenge. And for the most extreme thrill of your life choose the Adrenaline Rush package (from $1299/£810) featuring all of the above, including a 50 minute briefing, 30 minutes of dogfighting, 20 minutes of aerobatics and dynamic low-level mountain flying. All packages include photos before take-off and video captured by one of four airplane-mounted cameras.

For more information visit Sky Combat Ace.

Virgin Atlantic operates a daily direct flight to Las Vegas from London Gatwick.

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Miami International Boat Show & Strictly Sail

Those harbouring jet-powered lottery fantasies will find the vessel of their desires at the Miami International Boat Show, where the latest opulent powerboats, catamarans, sailboats and yachts –  more than 3,000 of them – will be on display across three different locations. The largest annual event in Florida also offers would-be salty sea dogs a host of seminars, demos and on-the-water clinics to help launch a life on the ocean wave, including the chance to give scuba diving a try in a heated pool.

Miami International Boat Show © NicoleZheng

The Miami International Boat Show show runs from 14-18 February. For more information visit miamiboatshow.com

South Beach Wine & Food Festival

Now’s the time to get booking if you want to attend the sought-after events of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival which will take place from 21-24 February. The star-studded four day event saw 60,000 guests attend almost 50 events last year, and this year’s line-up looks set to be even bigger. Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Nobu Matsuhisa and Martha Stewart are just some of the famous culinary personalities in attendance, with a schedule of brunches, tastings, demonstrations, dinners and parties to satisfy the most committed foodie.

© Food Network South Beach Food and Wine Festival

For more information visit sobefest.com

Miami International Film Festival

The Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) is presented by Miami Dade College and is renowned for its programme of Ibero-American cinema, as well as being a major showcase for international films and American independent and documentary cinema. Most screenings take place at the home gala venue, the magnificently restored Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, originally a Moorish-style silent movie palace and now one of the most beloved cultural venues in Miami.

Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center © Dan Forer/Gusman Center

The 30th Miami International Film Festival takes place 1-10 March. For more information visit miamifilmfestival.com

Carnaval Miami

From the end of February through to early March, Carnaval Miami features a range of different events showcasing the culture, music and flavours of Miami’s Cuban and Latin American communities. The largest annual Hispanic celebration in the United States, Carnaval is a two-week spectacle of cooking competitions, concerts and golf tournaments, in addition to the main Carnaval on the Mile in Coral Gables over the weekend of 2-3 March. Food, fine arts and crafts vendors line the two-mile stretch, and three different stages play host to more than 30 musical groups. The following weekend (10th March) sees America’s largest Latino street party take place on Calle Ocho in Little Havana, where celebrations of Latin rhythms and ethnic foods take over 16 colourful city blocks.

Calle Ocho street festival © 2012 Carnaval Miami

For more information and full line-up of events visit carnavalmiami.com

Winter Party Festival

Billed as the ‘Hottest Winter in the World’, Winter Party is one of the largest annual LGBT celebrations on the planet. The six-day festival – now in its 20th year – takes places across the most spectacular venues in Miami and features a non-stop schedule of club nights, pool parties, bowling competitions, cocktail receptions, beach parties and jazz brunches. The easiest – and cheapest – way to attend the festival, is to purchase one of the five levels of multi-event passes, which are now on sale at a discount to early purchasers.

Under One Sun Pool Party at Winter Party 2012 © 2012 winterparty.com

Winter Party Festival takes place from 6-11 March. For more information visit winterparty.com

Virgin Atlantic operates a daily flight to Miami from London Heathrow.

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Lasting eight minutes and featuring both land- and sea-based pyrotechnics for the first time, the show will be synchronised with tailor-made theme music, with pyrotechnics launched in three tiers – Victoria Harbour, the focal point of the show, the landmark Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, and various buildings in Wan Chai – highlighting the depth and rippling layers of Hong Kong’s night vistas.

© Hong Kong Tourism Board

Beginning at 11pm and at 15 minute intervals, multicoloured ‘shooting stars’ will be launched from the buildings near the harbour front, in a glittering display guaranteed to highlight the stunning architecture of Asia’s most dramatic skyline.

The last 10 seconds of 2012 will then countdown on the façade of the HKCEC, with a numeric pyrotechnic display launched from the rooftops of five other participating buildings on Hong Kong Island. On the stroke of midnight, the choreographed “musical” begins, with pyrotechnics launched from the harbour and buildings simultaneously, accompanied by specially composed theme music and firecracker and whistle-like sound effects to enhance the excitement.

Best vantage points include:

• The Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront between the Avenue of the Stars and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Kowloon

• The New Central Harbourfront on Hong Kong Island

• The area around Central piers 9 and 10 on Hong Kong Island

• The Hung Hom Bypass on Kowloon, which will be closed between Salisbury Road and Hung Hom Road

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During the low season months of January and February, tourism numbers to the city tend to slump a bit so you can often find a number of fantastic deals, including lower hotel room rates plus theatre and restaurant savings across all five boroughs.

For early 2013, the official tourist body NYC & Company have launched the Sample NYC Winter Sale, to encourage travel during the quieter months. During this period, the average daily hotel room rate is approximately $216 – about 24 per cent lower than the average for the rest of the year. These lower hotel rates give you a chance to significantly save on your hotel stay while also benefiting from other ‘Sample NYC Winter Sale’ added-value hotel offers from 2^nd January to 28^th February 2013.

• As the official NYC Family Ambassadors, the Muppets will continue to encourage family travel through the Muppet Family Fun Hotel Promotion, where more than 30 New York City hotels will provide either a free room-category upgrade, complimentary breakfast for children under 12 or both, which will be packaged with a Muppets gift bag.

• The Signature Collection Third Night promotion offers a third night free at some of the city’s most luxurious hotels after you book and pay for two consecutive nights.

• With Winter Stay Longer and Save, if you book two or more nights from a wide selection of NYC hotels you’ll receive one night free or great room-rate savings.

Japanese restaurant Inakaya in Manhattan © NYC & Company/Malcolm Brown

• New York City’s popular, long-running dining event NYC Restaurant Week will return from 14^th January to 8^th February 2013, offering three course prix-fixe menus at hundreds of restaurants.

• Two-for-one tickets to world-renowned theatrical productions will be available during the fifth iteration of Broadway Week between 22^nd January and 7^th February 2013.

• Meanwhile Off-Broadway Week returns for the seventh season from 28^th January – 10^th February 2013, also offering two-for-one tickets.

Restaurant Week reservations open and theatre tickets go on sale on 7^th January 2013, so further information on participating restaurants and shows will be announced in due course.

Header photo © NYC and Company

Virgin Atlantic operate six daily direct flights to New York from London Heathrow.

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Tokyo

About a five minute walk from Shimbashi station is the Caretta Shiodome, a 51-storey commercial complex housing offices, shops, restaurants and other entertainment, and host of the annual ‘Caretta Christmas Illuminations’. Stand in wonder as a sea of LED lights ripple back and forth and 3D projectors cast giant festive scenes on the skyscraper walls. The display repeats every 30 minutes.

Sydney

Sydney’s streets will be sparkling once again this year, as a number of prominent buildings and landmarks have their facades lit up with projections of Christmas imagery, including Sydney Town Hall and St. Mary’s Cathedral. And don’t forget to check out the enormous light-smothered tree at Martin Place, too. Projections start at 8.30pm, every night until Christmas Day.

St. Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney © BeauGiles

Johannesburg

Every night until the 6th January 2013, Johannesburg’s huge casino and convention resort Emperor’s Palace will be hosting its annual Garden of Lights display, with more than 500km of magical lighting and 200 festive characters. With free entrance and more than 130,000 visitors expected, there may be a slight queue to meet Santa, but plenty of elves will be on hand to distract you with some secret surprises in store.

Garden of Lights, Johannesburg © Emperor’s Palace

Miami

Santa’s Enchanted Forest in Miami describes itself as the world’s largest Christmas theme park, with more than a hundred rides, shows and games, and the world’s tallest Christmas tree. What started off just as a walk-through attraction featuring millions of lights, has now evolved into one gigantic, glittering Christmas carnival, open every day at 5pm until the 6th January 2013.

Washington, DC

ZooLights at the National Zoo in Washington, DC is a free, family-friendly tradition. More than 500,000 LED lights transform the zoo into a twinkling playground of animal silhouettes, with nocturnal creatures on display and free character photo opportunities with a costumed ‘Panda Claws’, the official ZooLights ambassador.

ZooLights at the National Zoo © cliff1066™

Header shot of St. Mary Cathedral, Sydney © Rmonty119

To book a flight to any of our 34 global destinations visit www.virginatlantic.com

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The best places to stay

We’re focusing our recommendations on the area around Windermere – it’s an ideal base for first time visitors due to its numerous facilities and proximity to the transport network, but also because of its excellent range of places to stay.

View from the lake © Gilpin Lake House

At the very top end of the scale, you simply cannot beat the space, setting and sumptuousness of the family-run and multi-award winning Gilpin Lodge and Lake House, with the six-bedroom Lake House a mile up the lane particularly ideal for special occasions and peaceful get togethers with family and friends.

Set amongst 80 acres of private grounds on the banks of its own small lake, the house oozes luxury and tranquility, with an impeccable mix of contemporary furnishings, artworks, antiques and fresh flowers. Bedrooms are light-filled and seriously large – space really is in abundance here – with vast beds seemingly taking up no room at all and warm country interiors that aren’t remotely twee.

© Gilpin Lake House

An indulgent afternoon tea is served in the fire-lit lounge, which overlooks the shady gardens and lake jetty and is full of magazines, maps and interesting knick knacks. The pampering continues with a large indoor pool and sauna, outdoor hot tub and in-room spa treatments, though you can easily shun all that and get back to nature via one of several trails in the grounds which lead to panoramic views of nearby mountain ranges.

The hotel is renowned for its modern English cuisine, and dinner at the main lodge is a real occasion, to which you are whisked by chauffeur at your leisure. There’s ample opportunity to relax at the bar, or to explore the nooks and crannies of this equally glamourous property before settling down for the evening in one of the four separate dining rooms. Should you wish to stay somewhere slightly larger but equally mellow, the lodge itself has twenty rooms and suites and is one of England’s finest country house hotels, as recognised by the AA who voted it their Hotel of the Year for 2011-2012.

Gilpin Lodge and Lake House is located south of Windermere, about a ten minute taxi ride from the station.

Just outside Bowness, Lindeth Howe is another, larger country house retreat once owned by Beatrix Potter, with a gorgeous garden setting and fabulous views across Windermere to the mountains beyond. Swat up on Timmy Tiptoes and Pigling Bland in the hotel library; they were both illustrated here – or just admire the many subtle Potter reminders and photographs dotted about the property.

Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel © Lindeth Howe

The imposing country pad has 36 modern, comfortable rooms decorated in a fresh but traditional style; a number have lake views and there’s a couple of very roomy suites with ample sitting area and fireplaces. Downstairs there’s a cosy sitting room and bar where you can leaf through the menu before dinner – the Lake District is a region that has gained a well-deserved reputation for fine food and, along with Gilpin Lodge, Lindeth Howe’s restaurant is another highly-rated venue. The seasonal menu features a wide range of locally sourced produce, so we say splash out and opt for the extravagant multi-course tasting menu to get a real flavour of the creativity on offer, then burn it all off in the pool or fitness room, or on one of the hotel’s guided walks or cycle routes.

Lindeth Howe is situated on a hillside above Bowness-on-Windermere and is within easy walking distance of the town.

Other nearby country retreat-style properties include The Samling just south of Ambleside, which has just been crowned the 2012 Best Dining Restaurant in the World at this year’s Boutique Hotel awards; nearby Holbeck Ghyll, and Linthwaite House just south of Bowness.

For an in-town or more economical option, try the 12-room Hawksmoor Lakeland Guesthouse; Jericho’s – a restaurant with rooms on a quiet street in the centre of Windermere; Laurel Cottage guesthouse, a Victorian B&B dating back to the 1890s, or The Hideway at Windermere – run by two former members of our own inflight services team!

When to go

There’s no denying it gets a bit nippy round these parts in winter but there are far fewer crowds, and if you’re prepared to wrap up warm this can be a great time of year to visit. There is simply nothing like a bracing walk across frosty fells on a crisp, wintry, blue sky day in the Lakes, and the sunsets at this time of year can be spectacular.

During spring the Lake District truly comes into its own. The weather tends to be bright and settled, fields of prancing new born lambs roll against a backdrop of Wordsworth’s daffodils, and the entire landscape reawakens.

A spring morning in the Lake District © darren-johnson

Summer is a very special time in the Lakes, though many other people are of the same opinion and you will need to hunt just a bit harder to find solitude, if that’s what you’re after. However, the infinite shades of green and long golden evenings make up for any minor traffic jams, and there’s a stacked calendar of festivals and other events.

Finally, nothing comes close to the spectrum of colours you’ll experience in the autumn when wooded slopes and forests are ablaze in shades of russet, copper and gold, and the late afternoon sun glitters on the water. It can be wild and windy, and heavy showers may strike at any time of course – but they often pass quickly and the ever-changing skies only heighten the magnificence of the scenery.

Getting around

In Part One we alluded to the sustainable transport policies being advanced in the Lake District, and this includes pay-as-you-drive electric and low emission cars and electric bikes as well as more traditional ways of getting from A to B.

If you’re arriving by train but feel you cannot do without a pair of wheels, consider hiring a Mini Clubman from Windermere Station via Co-wheels or a 2-seater Renault Twizy from the Langdale Hotel and Spa, available from as little as £6 per hour. Find more information at Go Lakes.

Electric and standard bikes can be hired at dozens of places throughout the Lakes; try Country Lanes at Windermere Station or the electric bike point at Windermere Canoe Kayak for starters. Gilpin Lodge also have two electric bikes for hire, as does Lindeth Howe, and there are charging points at various locations throughout the national park.

Buses criss-cross the Lake District and give you the opportunity to take in the sweeping panoramas with no distractions, especially from the top deck of one of the open-top varieties. A new bike bus service also runs on weekends and bank holidays from May – September, with a daily service during peak summer (15 July – 31 August). The 800 service can carry up to 12 bikes and runs from Windermere Station to Whinlatter Forest Park via Ambleside, Grasmere and Keswick.

Other popular bus routes include the open-top 599 Lakeland Experience from Kendal to Grasmere via Windermere Station and the 517 Kirkstone Rambler from Windermere to Patterdale, via the awe-inspiring Kirkstone Pass.

Last but not least – take to the water. There are plenty of ferry, cruise and steamer options available on Windermere, Coniston, Derwentwater and Ullswater lakes for example, and if you purchase a GoNow Lakes Card, you can travel by boat and bus all on one ticket.

Essentials

Taking the train to Oxenholme with Virgin Trains is the most straightforward way to reach the Lake District from London. Typical journey time is just 2 hrs 49 mins on a state-of-the-art tilting train, with regular departures throughout the day.

Oxenholme Lake District is the junction for the branch line to Kendal and Windermere, with the connecting journey to Windermere taking around 20 minutes.

Booking in advance and travelling off-peak is the best way to get great deals – including some fantastic First Class bargains. Return Advance Standard fares start at £32; use the Best Fare Finder on the Virgin Trains website to find the best prices and remember you can upgrade to First Class on weekends and bank holidays for just £15 each way.

For more information on visiting the Lake District – including more than 900 accommodation options and last minute bookings – visit the official tourist board website at www.golakes.co.uk.

Header photo of Gilpin Lake House © Gilpin Lodge & Lake House

To book a flight to London with Virgin Atlantic visit www.virginatlantic.com.

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Over the past few months we’ve been inundated with enquiries from incoming passengers heading to the UK, looking for advice on how to combine a visit to London with a side trip to some of our most appealing scenic areas.

You’ve been so swayed by the British countryside (and perhaps by a vision of Britishness portrayed in a certain TV drama) that as well as exploring our capital city, you want to go further afield to see our national parks, our coastline, our heritage cities and other areas of natural beauty. So we’re here to help you do just that. Over the coming months we’ll bring you the occasional beginner’s guide to some of our most popular regions, and we hope our homegrown readers will find these equally useful.

Let’s kick things off right away with a two-part guide to the no.1 most requested destination – the Lake District.

Grasmere, Lake District © Alan Cleaver

The Lake District

It may well be England’s largest national park, but at little more than 30 miles wide it’s a drop in the ocean compared to most of its US counterparts, and small enough to get to grips with on even the shortest of trips.

Brushing up close to the Scottish border in the north and tumbling down to Morecambe Bay in the south, the Lake District sits entirely within the northwest county of Cumbria and is one of England’s most celebrated and mythic landscapes. Its lure stems from an incredible array of natural riches. Sixteen major lakes and countless other bodies of water known as ‘tarns’ are surrounded by brooding mountains and forested valleys; a land of plunging waterfalls and blooming meadows, where scree-covered crags teem with gravity-defying sheep. All this, and a string of literary associations with the Romantic poets continue to entice around 16 million visitors per year.

The Lake District © Alan Cleaver

Do I need a car?

It’s the question we’re asked more than any other. And the answer is no. If you want to experience the grandeur of the Lakes on a short side trip from London, then it’s absolutely possible to do so without a car. In fact, the Lake District is one of the most progressive regions in the country for sustainable transport and is investing heavily in alternative ways to explore.

Obviously, if you’re planning a longer stay and want the freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want, then a car will be useful. But even then you don’t necessarily need to take your own vehicle or go down the car hire route – there are other options available. But for a short taster trip we say take the train and discover the Lakes by boat, bike, bus and on foot!

Where should I base myself?

Much of the Lake District’s infrastructure and visitor facilities are centred along the eastern shore of finger-shaped Windermere, England’s largest natural lake. Along with Ambleside on the lake’s northern tip, the linked towns of Windermere and Bowness are undeniably geared to tourists, but are still the best bet for the first time visitor. They provide excellent access to the rail network, bus routes, ferries, lake steamers and cycle paths, and have the widest range of accommodation for all budgets, from B&Bs and small hotels to grand lake view resorts. And if you’re looking for more of a rural idyll, some of the best country retreats in England are no more than a ten minute taxi ride away.

A jetty on Windermere © Alan Weir

What to see and do

The region is by no means without cultural or historical attractions, but getting out into the great outdoors is by far the most popular reason for visiting the Lakes.

Walking

Options for exploring the Lake District on foot are myriad, with everything from short, level walks without stiles for the less mobile, to dedicated family walks, day-long routes, challenging long distance treks and guided fell running and scrambling. Walking is easily the most popular pursuit in the Lakes and wherever you’re based, you’ll be spoilt for choice: there will be more stunning walking options on your doorstep than you’ll have time to experience in one visit.

Fell runners approaching Hopegill Head in the Lake District © walkinguphills

Read more about all kinds of walking routes in the Lake District.

Cycling

Apart from the main towns in the height of summer, the Lake District is mostly quiet and rural, making it ideal for exploring by bike. A network of cycle hire outlets, bike repair shops, electric bike charging stations and mile upon mile of designated trails make cycling a genuinely practical way of getting around.

There are plenty of easy tracks for beginners, families and less experienced cyclists, including several railway paths and the well-maintained trails in Grizedale Forest Park. Easily accessible from Windermere is the newly-smoothed Windermere West Shore Route alongside the lake, a 4km stretch of trail which has recently been resurfaced, making it suitable for all kinds of bike. Reach Ferry House, the starting point, via the regular Windermere car ferry which only charges £1 for cyclists.

Mountain bikers will find themselves in muddy cycling heaven in the Lake District. With two of England’s most imposing summits – Skiddaw and Helvellyn – accessible by bridleway, it’s one of the UK’s best places to ride, and has an extensive network of trails which can be traversed individually or easily linked to form longer circuits. The less fit amongst us needn’t feel left out either – electric bikes are available to rent at an increasing number of venues throughout the Lakes, making puff-worthy inclines a breeze.

Read more about cycling in the Lake District.

Water based activities

Other than the lovely but rather laid-back option of taking a lake cruise, there are plenty more adventurous ways to get on the water. Canoeing and kayaking are two of the most popular activities, and Windermere is one of the best flat paddling destinations in the UK. Rental facilities are available at Windermere Canoe Kayak at Ferry Nab, just south of Bowness, and other locations throughout the Lake, with guides available for the less confident.

Fancy your hand at windsurfing or sailing? Introductory sessions are available for both at various locations including Windermere and Derwentwater, or opt for the simple pleasure of one or two hour’s row boat hire at the lakeshore Fell Foot Park on Windermere’s southern tip.

Boats on Windermere © Leshaines123

Read more about water sports in the Lake District.

Other attractions

More sedate attractions in the Lake District range from the modern and family friendly – the World of Beatrix Potter; the Lakes Aquarium; Brockhole visitor centre – to traditional stately homes and mansions such as Holker Hall, Wray Castle and Levens Hall.

With a roll call of literary heavyweights having called the Lake District home, it’s no surprise that their respective dwellings and favoured spots have become visitor attractions in their own right too. William Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage, Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top and Brantwood, former home of John Ruskin, are justifiably top of the list (all of which are accessible by bus or bike).

Holker Hall © 2012 Holker Estate

See a complete list of Lake District visitor attractions.

Tours

The hands-down best way to discover the Lakes with someone else at the wheel is to take one of the year-round daily tours offered by Mountain Goat. With 40 years experience they’re the undisputed Lakeland specialists, and if time is short there is simply no better way to gain insight into this unforgettable landscape than with one of their knowledgeable drivers.

Our recommendation is the full-day Ten Lakes Spectacular, which includes a lake cruise and stops at some of the national park’s most fabled sites including Grasmere, the Borrowdale Valley, Buttermere and the Honister Pass. The pace is relaxed, groups are small, and there is ample opportunity to take photographs and admire the views. What’s more, if you’re staying in the Windermere area there’s complimentary pick-up from your accommodation. Other options are available and private tours can also be arranged.

Honister Pass © Cumbria Tourism

See the complete range of Mountain Goat tours.

Continue to Part Two of our guide, for recommendations on where to stay, when to go and everything you need to know about getting to and around the Lakes.

Header photo of Keswick and Derwentwater © Cumbria Tourism

To book a flight to London with Virgin Atlantic visit www.virginatlantic.com.

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We’ve confirmed that we’ll be challenging British Airways head on by operating 24 domestic flights a day – six daily return flights to Edinburgh, three to Aberdeen and a further three to Manchester – starting from 31 March 2013.

The flights, which will operate from London Heathrow Terminal 1, will go on sale on the 19^th December and start from £99 per person return.

A new era

“This is the beginning of an exciting new era in Virgin Atlantic history,” said Virgin Atlantic Chief Executive, Steve Ridgway. “It’s been a long time coming but the dawn of our short haul service is now just a few months away. We’ve worked hard to produce the sort of operation that consumers have come to expect from us – with customer service and a unique approach to flying forming the key pillars for our new domestic routes.

“Most importantly, passengers will reap the benefits of increased choice and lower fares due to the reinjection of vital competition we can provide on these routes.

“We’ll be offering nine daily services to and from Scotland and three return flights between Manchester and London, giving us the scope to fly around one million passengers per year. Connecting passengers onto our long haul flights means we are truly making the world a smaller place.”

Best of British

We will be providing passengers with the best in British food and snacks on board, including a hot breakfast offering on early morning flights and specially-produced snacks during the rest of the day.

Flying Club Gold card holders and Upper Class passengers connecting onto Upper Class long haul flights with Virgin will have access to airport lounges at their departure airport, plus access to limo transfer services.

The Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA), which has been vocal in its support for our submission – as the most effective approach to securing vital capacity, robust competition and high service standards on Anglo-Scottish routes - has expressed its satisfaction at the announcement.

“This is excellent news for both business and leisure air travellers in Scotland, whether they are flying to London or onbound to destinations worldwide,” said SPAA President Kevin Thom. “It is also great news for Scotland’s economy, and it will help expand the market – which will be positive for all airlines serving Scotland’s travellers.”

The new short haul services will be operated by four Airbus A320 aircraft which will be leased from Aer Lingus but will fly in our recognisable Virgin Atlantic livery, with the on board offering in keeping with what passengers have come to expect on our long haul routes.

For more info or to book a flight, log on to www.virginatlantic.com or call 0844 2092 770.

Header photo of the Edinburgh skyline © Rhys Asplundh 

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Contemporary wall maps

Every self-respecting traveller needs a map of the world to hang in their abode, and we’ve not found a finer collection than those on offer from The Future Mapping Company. High-design works of art in their own right, these contemporary maps are deserving of prominent wall space and come in a number of finishes. Opt for an art-quality paper print, plastic-coated for a write on/wipe off finish, or go all-out and choose a framed and magnetised version, which comes with a dozen stainless steel balls for plotting your next adventure.

Contemporary maps from the Future Mapping Company © 2012 Future Mapping Company

Prices for the map shown in the picture above start at £25. Visit The Future Mapping Company for more information and styles.

Unique luggage tags and passport holders

Stylish, sustainable, and ‘upcycled’ from the sails of rescued yachts, hang-gliders and microlights – we just love the ethical range of products on offer from The Reefer Sail Company. Current favourites are these recycled luggage tags, available in a variety of airport style graphics not too dissimilar to our own – little wonder we’re a fan. Designed to gently distress over time, the tags come supplied as a pair, with a stainless steel cable link and internal clear window pocket for your business card. Certain designs can be personalised, and they’re available as passport holders too.

Luggage tags and passport holders by the Reefer Sail Co. © 2012 Reefer Sail Company

Luggage tags sets and passport holders both start at £24.75, available from Not On The High Street.

Cardboard FM radio and iPod speakers

It’s a portable iPod speaker and an FM radio in one, and it’s made entirely from recycled cardboard (aside from the technical inner bits of course) so no need to stress if it gets a little beaten up in your backpack. At less than half a kilogram it’s a practical way to have access to your sounds on the go, and perfect for the beach, a picnic or impromptu party. Plug straight into your iPod with the provided lead and the large retro-looking speaker unit will give a good level of volume without distortion (batteries included).

Cardboard FM radio and iPod speakers © 2012 Suck UK

The Cardboard Radio costs £25 and is available from Suck UK. NB: Not for use in Japan.

Kid’s VW Campervan Tent

Got a mini-sized travel lover in your life? A classic VW Campervan might be a bit out of your price range, but we adore these licensed kid-sized VW Campervan tents, which are perfect for indoor and outdoor use and accommodate up to three children without a squeeze. With no pegs or other assembling required it’s a doddle to get your little ones clued-up about life on the open road – just remove from the carry case and up it pops. They’ll be planning a road trip before you can say Jack Kerouac.

VW Campervan Tent © 2012 theletterroom.com

Available in pink and blue, the Campervan tent costs £54.99 from The Letteroom.

The J-Pillow travel pillow

If you’re a frequent traveller you’ve probably tried a number of different travel pillows over the years, and you’ll know that most of them don’t exactly do a very good job. The brand new J-Pillow approaches the problem from a completely different angle, because it’s specially designed to provide support for the chin, as well as the neck. This prevents your head from falling forward as you drop off and jolting you suddenly back upright in shock. With the J-Pillow, your chin, neck, back of head and side of head are all comfortably supported, making it possible to actually fall asleep in an upright position, without the need for the extra support of a window seat. What’s more, it was designed by inventor Gemma Jensen who knows a thing or two about flying long-haul – she was previously a member of our cabin crew! Well, what did you expect…

The J-Pillow travel pillow © 2012 J-Pillow

Purchase a J-Pillow for £19.95 and visit jpillow.com to learn more about the benefits.

Header photo © jurvetson

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Grinchmas at Universal’s Islands of Adventure

Grinchmas at Islands of Adventure is the seasonal holy grail for fans of Dr. Seuss. Watch your favourite characters spread festive cheer in a completely transformed Seuss Landing zone, and if that’s not enough you can get even friendlier at The Grinch & Friends Character Breakfast (tickets required). A sparkly winter wonderland sets the scene for the Grinchmas Wholiday Spectacular live show, which runs several times throughout the day, and you can even meet the mean green Grinch in person for the ultimate holiday photo.

Grinchmas at Universal Islands of Adventure © stranger3113

Grinchmas runs from 1 Dec 2012 – 1 Jan 2013

ICE at Gaylord Palms Resort

An annual Florida tradition, this year’s ICE attraction at Kissimmee’s Gaylord Palms Resort is an all-new tribute to the DreamWorks TV animation Merry Madagascar, featuring 20,000 square feet of hand-carved sculptures built by a team of skilled ice artisans from Harbin in China. The talented sculptors spend over a month in Orlando/Kissimmee to fashion the oversized statues for the show, entirely carved from two million pounds of ice. Expect to be wowed by a host of dazzlingly illuminated animal characters and whatever you do, don’t miss the chance to zip down the giant two-storey ice slides.

ICE is kept at a frigid 9° Fahrenheit (-13° Celsius) to keep the ice from melting, so be sure to dress appropriately. Layer up and don’t forget your hats and gloves! Visitors are all provided with calf-length, hooded winter coats for extra warmth.

Polar bears at ICE © Theme Park Mom

ICE is already in full swing and runs until 1 January, 2013. Tickets can be purchased online. Gaylord Palms Resort, 6000 West Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee, FL 34746

The Polar Express Experience at SeaWorld

All aboard! The multi-sensory Polar Express Experience offers visitors the chance to immerse themselves in recreated scenes from the Polar Express animated movie; the story of a doubting young boy who takes a remarkable train ride to the North Pole and visits the home of Santa Claus. An array of special sound, motion, lighting and scent effects bring the twinkling atmosphere of the North Pole to life – and, of course – Santa Claus himself will be there to greet you at the other end.

Look out for SeaWorld’s other festivities too, including a Christmas Market for last minute gifts, and the choreographed Sea of Trees; a glittering forest of more than 100 sparkling Christmas trees, dancing in time to music.

The Polar Express © insidethemagic

SeaWorld Orlando’s Christmas Celebration continues until 31 December 2012.

Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade

Here’s one to bring a hint of summer back to proceedings. Disney’s Animal Kingdom ushers in the festive season with a combination of super-sized dancing puppets and much-loved Disney characters during the annual Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade. The Christmas extravaganza sees a caravan of colourful floats wind past to a soundtrack of traditional holiday songs and world music beats. Look out for Mickey himself amidst an energetic troupe of gravity-defying stiltwalkers, decorated rickshaw taxis and larger-than-life safari vehicles. Arrive early for a prime viewing spot.

Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade © Chris Tengi

Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade runs until 2 January, 2013.

And while we’re on the subject of Mickey, it’s worth mentioning again an event we wrote about last year – Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom – always one of the most popular events in the Christmas calendar. Head here to see the snow fall on Main Street, USA, and the lighting of the Castle Dream Lights on the enchanted Cinderella Castle.

Virgin Atlantic operates flights to Orlando from London Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow. Visit Virgin Holidays for a complete range of Florida holidays, including fly-drives, villa holidays and inclusive theme park deals.

Header photo of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party © insidethemagic

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All the trimmings

We’ll be offering our passengers a tasty traditional Christmas dinner on all flights to and from the UK on 24^th, 25^th and 26th December. The dinner will include turkey, stuffing, roast potatoes, brussel sprouts, parsnips, pigs in blankets and gravy.

Passengers travelling in Upper Class will also receive festive chestnut soup as a starter and Christmas pudding with brandy butter, followed by afternoon tea of filo-topped warm mince pies and Cornish clotted cream.

Passengers travelling in Economy and Premium Economy from the UK will receive a mince pie and a special Lindt chocolate Santa to follow on from their main meal.

Julie Southern, our Chief Commercial Officer commented:

“Christmas is a busy time for everyone and offering a traditional meal on board for all our passengers is a perfect way to start the festive season

“I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”

© William Brawley

To book a flight to one of our 34 worldwide destinations, visit www.virginatlantic.com

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The 2013 Inauguration

First of all there’s the small matter of the United States’ grandest political celebration, the 57th Presidential Inauguration, which takes place on Monday 21st January. This once-in-four-years event is the largest to be held on the National Mall, and the 2013 spectacle will be no exception.

The Capitol set up for the President’s previous Inauguration in 2009 © Jay Tamboli

Shortly before midday, the incumbent President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden will formally take the oath of office in the Swearing-In Ceremony on the steps of the U.S Capitol Building. U.S residents can apply for tickets from their senator or representative’s office to view the swearing-in up close, but other attendees can still soak up the atmosphere along the National Mall and watch the proceedings on one of the 20 ‘jumbotrons’ posted along the route.

Inauguration crowds at the 2009 ceremony © tvol

The Inaugural Parade

In a tradition that dates back to George Washington’s 1789 inauguration, the swearing-in ceremony is followed in the afternoon by the Inaugural Parade, down 15 blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House. Featuring the First and Second families along with military units, marching bands, mounted units and other entertainment, the parade typically lasts around two hours.

The U.S Fife and Drum Corps at the Inaugural Parade 2009 © expertinfantry

Viewing from Newseum

One of our favourite Washington museums – the Newseum – is offering a special viewing package for Inauguration Day. For a ticket fee of $100, attendees will be able to view a live feed of the swearing-in ceremony on a 40 x 22 ft high definition screen (and also have a limited view of the Capitol’s west side), and then have a prime position for the parade, which passes directly in front of the building on Pennsylvania Avenue – all while remaining warm and indoors.

The Newseum on the eve of 2009′s inauguration © reedkavner

Full access to the Newseum’s 15 galleries and theatres is included throughout the day, so don’t miss the popular “Every Four Years: Presidential Campaigns and the Press” exhibit for some historical context. Tickets are expected to go quickly, so book in advance.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

For only the second time in history, the Presidential Inauguration falls on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a federal holiday in the United States to mark King’s birthday, held on the third Monday of January each year. Because of the overlap, there will be plenty of additional events taking place in the city, and throughout the month of January.

While some dates and events are still to be confirmed, others are firmly in the calendar including Let Freedom Ring! at The Kennedy Center on Sunday 20th January, with the annual musical tribute to MLK featuring Smokey Robinson and the Let Freedom Ring Choir. The National Children’s Museum at the National Harbor will also be laying on a programme of special events on Monday 21st.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial © Ron Cogswell

Other commemorations will take place at the Lincoln Memorial where King gave his ‘I have a dream’ speech in 1963; at the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial itself, at the Washington National Cathedral and at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site.

Don’t forget to check out our previous article on Washington, DC for Political Junkies and History Buffs.

Accommodation in DC is expected to book up fast around the time of the inauguration. Visit Virgin Holidays for a wide choice of Washington, DC hotels.

Virgin Atlantic operates a daily flight to Washington, DC from London Heathrow.

Header photo © snapzdc

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Here’s our selection of books to help you get under the skin of San Francisco before your next trip…

• The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

When San Francisco private detective Sam Spade is approached by a mysterious Miss Wonderly to help find her missing sister, he suspects all is not what it seems. Considered the original masterpiece of noir fiction, the novel was adapted for the screen in 1941 starring Humphrey Bogart as Spade.

• The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

The Joy Luck Club refers to a storytelling and mah jong group set up by four Chinese women who are recent immigrants to San Francisco in 1949. Meeting to play, talk, and eat dim sum, we are drawn in to the alternating stories of mothers struggling to settle into America and daughters battling the confusion of dual identity.

• Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin

The first in Armistead Maupin’s wildly popular 1970s series, Tales of the City introduces the chaotic cast of characters who reside at the mythic apartment building at 28 Barbary Lane, under the protective gaze of earth-mother landlady Mrs. Madrigal.

• The Barbary Coast by Herbert Asbury

Herbert Asbury – who also wrote The Gangs of New York – brings to life the San Francisco underworld in this fiery account of the birth of the city, starting with the gold rush to California in 1849.

• The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill by Mark Bittner

After moving to San Francisco in his early twenties to forge a career in music, Mark Bittner was still drifting two decades later. Taking on the role of a housekeeper on Telegraph Hill, this charming memoir tells the story of how he found his true calling through his relationship with the parrots who flock daily to his fire escape.

• 1906 by James Dalessandro

1906 is a compelling historical novel which weaves fact and fiction in an epic story of corruption and greed. Set before and during the great San Francisco earthquake and fire, the book paints a memorable picture of the political and criminal worlds of the post-Victorian city.

• The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy

Aimed at young adults, this is a dystopian tale of a post-apocalyptic San Francisco. After being wiped out by plague, the city is now populated by a handful of artist survivors who must guard their new way of life against an army of new invaders.

• Going to See the Elephant by Rodes Fishburne

Packed with a cast of quirky characters, Going to See the Elephant is the story of ambitious young writer Slater Brown, who arrives penniless in San Francisco with dreams of writing the next great American novel but ends up working for a down-and-out city newspaper.

• Bone by Fae Myenne Ng

Bone delves into the hidden heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown to chronicle the haunting story of the Leong family. Daughter and narrator Leila movingly explores how it feels to be a foreigner in one’s own neighbourhood.

Chinatown Gate, San Francisco © Jen SFO-BCN

If you’ve got any books to add to this list, we’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments below. And don’t forget to check out our previous travel reads for New York and Los Angeles if you’re heading to either city.

Virgin Atlantic operate direct flights to San Francisco from London Heathrow.

Header photo © D.H. Parks

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Well, continual cold winds from Siberia mean huge dumpings of quality powder snow across Japan’s major ski areas. Hokkaido, and the Tohoku, Nagano and Niigata areas of Honshu receive consistent falls throughout the season. Soaking in a traditional Japanese onsen (hot spring) is an unbeatable way to finish off a day in the snow, and the excellent cuisine and renowned Japanese service is a very different kind of après-ski.

Most of all, a winter holiday in Japan offers an entirely different cultural experience; a land of temples, hot spring spas, red-faced snow monkeys and an exciting calendar of winter festivals, which will set your trip apart from the norm.

So where should you go? Our basic guide breaks down the major options…

Soak in a Japanese onsen after a day in the snow © JNTO

Hokkaido

Japan’s northern island Hokkaido is home to a renowned winter sports scene. The nation’s first Winter Olympics were held here in Sapporo in 1972, and it’s home to one of the busiest events and festival calendars in the country, including the world-famous Sapporo Snow Festival staged every February.

Niseko Annupuri Ski Resort © JNTO

Hokkaido has several major ski areas, with Niseko being an adventure skier’s paradise. Four distinct resorts have access to some of the longest and highest quality powder skiing and snowboard terrain in the country, with off-piste areas and scenic courses through beautiful natural forests.

Famous for its light dry snow and clear blue skies, Furano is a town of 25,000 with a distinct culture, which appeals to families and more mature skiers and snowboarders. Thirty different hotels and lodges, and more than a hundred restaurants cater for all budgets.

Rusutsu Resort sits at the base of Mt. Yotei © JNTO

Rusutsu Resort is Hokkaido’s largest single ski resort, situated in a picturesque highland area covering some 1,700 hectares at the base of Mt. Yotei. With 37 beautiful courses across three mountains and serviced by four gondolas, seven quads and seven lifts, it’s Hokkaido’s premier resort.

Visit Hokkaido’s official tourism website for more information on the island’s attractions and getting there from Tokyo.

Nagano and Niigata

The prefectures of Nagano and Niigata are located on the western side of Honshu – the largest island of Japan – with Nagano particularly noted for its spectacular winter snowscapes. Nagano City, the prefecture’s capital, also hosted the Winter Olympics in 1998. In addition to the snow fields that attract so many sports enthusiasts, the region is renowned for its abundance of hot springs, including Nozawa Onsen and Shibu Onsen, well known for the wondrous sight of dozens of snow monkeys who bathe in the hot spring at Jigokudani Wild Monkey Park.

Snow monkeys at Jigokudani © Jigokudani yaen-koen/JNTO

The Echigo Mountain Range cuts across the south east part of Niigata Prefecture, with a string of 2,000 metre high mountains stretching one after the other, dotted with ski resorts and more hot springs. Many of Japan’s leading sake labels are located here, whose produce is made with the finest quality rice and spring water. Niigata is also home to many fine restaurants, who specialise in pairing sake with seafood.

One of Niigata’s many ski resorts © JNTO

Visit Nagano Tourism and Enjoy Negata for further information.

Tohoku

The Tohoku area comprises six different prefectures and is located in the northern part of Honshu. The region is fairly remote and quite traditional with incredible scenery, small quirky festivals throughout the year, more than 150 hot springs, and dozens of ski resorts scattered throughout the mountains. Among the most popular events are the Akita Kanto Lantern Festival, the Kamakura Snow Hut Festival in Yokote City and the Namahage Bogeyman Festival in Oga City. But in winter time it’s really all about the snow, and at the resort of Zao Onsen in Yamagata Prefecture, the amazing powdery stuff causes a strangely eerie sight when it clings to the trees; a windswept spectacle known to the locals as ice monsters.

The ice monsters of Yamagata Prefecture © JNTO

Each of the six prefectures in the Tohoku region has their own tourism website. The prefectures are Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Miyagi, Yamagata and Fukushima.

If you’re new to Japan check out our first-timer’s guide (which contains a detailed description of onsen eiquette) and our beginner’s guide to Japan’s major islands.

Virgin Atlantic operates a daily direct flight to Tokyo from London Heathrow.

Header photo © JNTO

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Created by the same team as the JFK Clubhouse – New York-based architectural practice Slade Architecture in collaboration with our own in-house design team – the Newark space has been designed with a mixture of NYC’s downtown flair and Virgin Atlantic’s warmth and individuality. The lounge lives and breathes lower Manhattan – think Soho boutiques, TriBeCa lofts, Noho coffee shops, secret bars in the LES and Meatpacking District chic.

Virgin Atlantic’s new Clubhouse at Newark Liberty Airport

Upmarket luxury in Downtown themed lounge

The personalized food service offers Upper Class passengers a local community experience with the opportunity to indulge in locally-sourced produce. To allow passengers the maximum time for relaxation before boarding, the 5,000 foot Clubhouse is now located airside, after the security checks in Terminal B and close to the gates.

The cocktail bar in the new Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Newark

The Newark Clubhouse features:

• The Cocktail bar at the heart of the space with crystal features refracting natural light

• The Passion Pit is a sunken lounge area where visitors can kick back, relax and even have a snooze

• The Origami Lounge for those looking for a bit of privacy

• The Liquid lounge for passengers to enjoy a few cocktails before jetting off

Lounge around in the new Virgin Atlantic Newark Clubhouse

• The Brasserie to enjoy locally sourced produce at both breakfast and dinner time

• The Screening room which features films from eight graduate film makers from the National Film and Television school

• Work by local artists including Jorge Colombo, Garrett Pruter, Kate Hazell, Galia Rybitskaya, Millie Marotta, and Jonny Moss

• Furniture pieces including Pearson Lloyd’s Turtle Chair, Moroso’s Take a Line chair, Saarinen marble tables and Bertoia chairs and stools

Design flair in the new Newark Clubhouse

Virgin Atlantic’s Head of Design Luke Miles explains further:

“Newark has always been an important market to Virgin Atlantic – it’s where it all started with our first flight from London in 1984. The new Clubhouse has been designed to really reflect the spirit and heart of downtown New York and we are confident that it will continue to impress our passengers and give them an experience to remember each time they fly with us.”

The Newark Clubhouse marks the final element in Virgin Atlantic’s £100 million investment in its Upper Class product. During 2012 the airline has also opened a new Clubhouse in New York JFK, unveiled a new Upper Class cabin on its A330-300 aircraft as well a new Upper Class fine dining experience.

Virgin Atlantic offers two daily flights from London Heathrow to Newark as well as four daily flights from London Heathrow to JFK.

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Noir fiction and hardboiled detective stories are an intrinsic part of Los Angeles’ literary history, with a tradition passed down from legendary writers like Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain to late twentieth century successors such as James Ellroy – author of the classic neo-noir novel L.A. Confidential. Works from these and other writers are featured in our recommended list of Los Angeles fiction, to get you in the mood for your trip to the City of Angels…

• The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler

We’re kicking things off with The Long Goodbye, though any of Chandler’s seven novels are worthy of a place in this list. But the author of The Big Sleep and Farewell, My Lovely himself proclaimed this to be his finest work, and who are we to disagree. This is ice-cool Private Investigator Philip Marlowe at his most caustic, sentimental and weary.

• The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West

Nathanael West’s excoriating indictment of Hollywood during the Great Depression was way ahead of its time. The novel ventures into territory far beyond the movie industry’s shiny facade to reveal a cast of power-hungry scoundrels, obnoxious child stars and the various misfits and oddballs who were invariably drawn to L.A.

• Ask the Dust by John Fante

Out of print for many years, this is now considered to be one of the great Los Angeles novels, having attained cult status in the latter part of the twentieth century. Ask the Dust tells the story of Arturo Bandini, an author struggling to make ends meet in 1930s L.A., and his ultimately tragic relationship with a volatile Mexican waitress.

• Double Indemnity by James M. Cain

Later adapted for the screen by fellow novelist Raymond Chandler, Double Indemnity is the classic tale of insurance salesman Walter Huff, who is seduced by a married woman into helping her murder her husband for the insurance money.

• Hollywood by Charles Bukowski

In the guise of his alter-ego Harry Chinaski, this is the fictionalised version of the time Bukowksi spent working on the screenplay of the film Barfly, loosely based on his own life and starring Mickey Rourke as himself with Faye Dunaway as his love interest. The book is a candid, somewhat drunken take on the process he endured to get it made.

• Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley

Mosley’s 1990 debut novel was an immediate success and instantly established him as a great new American writer. Set in late 1940s L.A., the book centres around Easy Rawlins, a black war veteran recently fired from his job, who falls into a detective role when asked to find a young white woman with a questionable reputation.

• L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy

An epic, gritty and fast-paced work of crime fiction, L.A. Confidential is the multi-layered story of three LAPD officers in the 1950s, who become caught up in the fall out from a mass murder at a coffee shop and eventually mixed up in corruption, drug trafficking and organised crime.

• North of Montana by April Smith

Ana Grey is an FBI Special Agent who is given a tough, high-profile case to solve in this psychological and suspenseful thriller. Sent to investigate a doctor who’s prescribing illegal medication to a beloved Hollywood actress, she quickly realises that all is not what it seems.

• Paint it Black by Janet Fitch

Artist’s model, teenage dropout and bohemian rock scene hanger-on, Josie Tyrell is a troubled young woman searching for answers after the death of her pianist lover, as his mother holds her responsible for his demise. The narrative explores the two women’s dysfunctional relationship against a pitch-perfect backdrop of the 1980s Los Angeles punk scene.

• The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse

Skyhorse’s debut novel vividly captures the spirit of 1980s East L.A. and the intersection of Mexican-American characters and culture in the working class neighbourhood of Echo Park. The novel explores what it means to belong, and the complicated nature of multicultural identity in the relentless pursuit of the American Dream.

Los Angeles © ellenm1

If you’ve got any books to add to this list, we’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments below. And don’t forget to check out our previous travel reads for New York if you’re heading to the East Coast.

Virgin Atlantic operates daily direct flights to Los Angeles from London Heathrow.

Header photo © Todd Jones Photography

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Using sophisticated analysis, it pin points accurately where fuel can be used more efficiently, monitoring 300 different points during each flight and enabling us to reduce fuel burn significantly.

As a result we can now monitor and improve:

• How arrival delays and holding patterns at destinations increase fuel burn

• How pilot technique, flight plans and maintenance activities can improve fuel efficiency

• How airline activity on the ground impacts fuel burn

Further improvements and information gleaned from the software – developed by OSyS, a subsidiary of Rolls Royce – are expected to provide us with even more savings in the future.

Virgin Atlantic looks to cement its place amongst the world’s greenest airlines

Details were published when we released our latest annual Sustainability Report, as we look to cement our place amongst the world’s greenest airlines. Within the report, we also revealed that we’re on track to meet our ambitious target to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% between 2007 and 2020.

Virgin Atlantic Chief Executive Steve Ridgway said: “We want to be one of the leading airlines on sustainability, driving solutions for our industry. We are known for our innovation, and our adventurous spirit means we’re not afraid to push boundaries in following our sustainability agenda.

“An airline striving to be green is not the contradiction in terms that people may think and this report is a further statement of our commitment to meet those green ambitions.” 

Fuel efficiency is the most crucial pillar in our sustainability plans, and in the last twelve months we’ve moved forward rapidly with a number of changes and operational improvements.

One of our new Airbus A330s

In addition to the savings which will be delivered through the fuel management software, our future fuel use is expected to be significantly reduced due to this year’s introduction of seven new Airbus A330 aircraft. Each aircraft is up to 15% more fuel efficient on a per-seat basis than the aircraft they replace in the Virgin Atlantic fleet.

Meanwhile work is continuing with New Zealand-based company LanzaTech on a world-first low-carbon aviation fuel using waste gases that would otherwise be burnt into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

Steve Ridgway continued: “Fuel use is our number one environmental issue – as well as a significant financial one.”

A record-breaking year

Also within the Sustainability Report is the news that 2011 was a record-breaking year for fundraising for our charity partner Free the Children. £1.5million was raised through passenger donations, staff volunteering and flight and cargo assistance.

On the back of this the airline has announced that it is extending its three year partnership with the charity for another three years, with one of the key projects being an Adopt a Village initiative with a new partner community in Takoradi, Ghana.

To download the full 2012 Sustainability Report and for more information about Virgin Atlantic’s Change is in the Air sustainability programme see www.virgin-atlantic.com/changeisintheair.

Calculations on fuel and carbons savings are calculated by the following:

·         Virgin Atlantic estimates it could save up to 1.4 tonnes of fuel per flight.

·         Each tonne of fuel saved will save 3.15 tonnes of CO2.

·         This equates to 4.41 tonnes CO2 saved per flight.

·         Multiplied by 21,000 flights a year means 92,610 tonnes of CO2 saved a year.

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Cockatoo Island

Cockatoo Island is the largest island in Sydney Harbour and was both a penal colony and one of Australia’s biggest shipyards, whose two dry docks were built by convicts. In 2010 UNESCO granted the island World Heritage Site status, as one of the best surviving examples of “the colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts”.

Nowadays, the island is best known as a cultural venue. It hosts a wide range of contemporary exhibitions, festivals and digital installations and is also one of the major partners for the Biennale of Sydney, a hugely popular bi-annual arts festival. There’s also a campground and some renovated holiday homes and apartments, all of which have superb views across the harbour and city, which make them a coveted spot for watching Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks. As well as picnic areas, barbecues and a licensed kiosk, an Island Bar is housed within recycled shipping containers and serves a light menu of pizzas and panini.

18th Biennale of Sydney at Cockatoo Island © M Hooper

The island is a 12 minute ferry trip from Circular Quay, and services run every day.

Shark Island

Shark Island gets its name from its shape rather than its wildlife, and is a relaxing picnic spot for those who want to get right away from the bustle of the city yet still remain in sight of its fabulous skyline. Bring everything you need for the day because there are no facilities other than toilets and drinking water, but there’s a large palm-shaded grassy area to spread out on, with picnic shelters and a spacious gazebo. The shoreline consists of a few sandy beaches dotted with large boulders – great for kids who want to run wild for a bit and hunt for tide pool beasties.

Shark Island © ikneedanid

You can either visit Shark Island as part of a hop-on, hop-off explorer ticket, or by public ferries operated by Captain Cook Cruises and Matilda Cruises. Because of its limited capacity, Shark Island is another popular (and exclusive) place to view the New Year’s fireworks – tickets can be purchased (AUD$185 adults, $120 children) from Monday 3 December 2012.

Fort Denison

Just north of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Fort Denison is another formal penal site, and at various points a weather station, fishing spot and defence facility too. Previously known as Pinchgut, the island has been extensively restored over the past two decades and is now a museum and popular tourist attraction, where you can learn about Sydney’s maritime history and explore the only Martello tower in Australia; the final one ever constructed in the British Empire. Guided and self-guided tours are available.

Fort Denison © Newtown graffiti

The island is also a popular destination for corporate events and wedding receptions, and its restaurant is open daily for lunch (11.15 a.m – 3.45 p.m), plus brunch on Sundays (10.30 a.m – 12.30 p.m). Fort Denison is easily reached by ferry or water taxi from the wharfs at Circular Quay, Luna Park, Kirribilli, Woolloomooloo, Cremorne Point and Elizabeth Bay.

Goat Island

West of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, 13-hectare Goat Island was previously known as Me-mel by the local Cadigal people and was later the headquarters of both the harbour fire brigade and the Sydney Water Police, whose role was to watch out for escaped convicts and smugglers.

The sandstone on the island was quarried by prisoner work gangs, and used to build some of the island’s own structures as well as some of the finest buildings on the mainland. If you visit Goat Island as part of a guided tour you’ll get to see what life would have been like as a convict, explore the cramped sleeping quarters and learn about their punishment and food.

View from Goat Island © jasewong

The National Parks website has more information and timetables for visiting the Sydney Harbour National Park islands, plus all the prime spots for the NYE fireworks.

Virgin Atlantic operates a daily flight to Sydney from London Heathrow, via Hong Kong.

Header photo © Alex E. Proimos

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San Francisco is a city obsessed with grass roots culinary ventures, from small organic restaurants and street food to farmers markets and food trucks, and prides itself on originality and quality. It’s no surprise, then, that a number of companies have popped onto the scene eager to share this bounty with tourists, including the three we’re highlighting here today…

Bay Area Brewery Tours

Bay Area Brewery Tours offer public or private bespoke tours for beer enthusiasts to visit some of the top breweries in the nation, with the opportunity to taste many of their award-winning beers.

You can opt for a tour that focuses on the city itself, visiting highly-regarded local outfits like the Speakeasy Brewery in south San Francisco, Magnolia Brewery in Haight-Ashbury, or the Beach Chalet Brewery at Ocean Beach. Or you can venture slightly further afield, with visits to breweries in Marin County and as far north as Sonoma.

Public tours are available at a cost of $89 from Thursdays to Sundays, with three different breweries visited per tour.

Speakeasy Brewery © 2012 Speakeasy Brewery

Bluxome Street Winery

A century ago, more than 100 wineries flourished in what is now known as San Francisco’s South of Market (SOMA) district. Bluxome Street Winery has only been open a few months, and is reviving this 100-year old San Francisco industry with the establishment of their own working winery just a few blocks from nearby AT&T Park and the Caltrain station at Fourth and King Streets.

The 2,500 square foot event space features huge windows which overlook the working winery, and up to 300 guests can enjoy watching the winemaking process unfold. All the fruit for the wines made here is sourced from cool climate regions within 100 miles of the city.

Visit the tasting room between noon and 7pm on Tuesdays to Sundays, to enjoy wines by the glass, by the flight, or by the bottle, along with a selection of savoury snacks.

The beautiful event space at Bluxome Street Winery © 2012 Bluxome Street Winery

Gourmet Walks

Gourmet Walks offer a Gourmet San Francisco walking tour through the elegant Victorian neighbourhood of Hayes Valley, and a three-hour Gourmet Napa walking tour in downtown Napa. Two sublime chocolate tours are also extremely popular, including the ULTRA chocolate tour which switches things up a notch by adding wine pairings and even a chocolate cocktail.

The newest of Gourmet Walks’ tours is a three-hour Gourmet Japantown/Fillmore outing which makes stops at seven local shops and restaurants, sampling some of the most authentic local cuisine and street food from five different cultures – Japanese, Thai, Korean, Vietnamese and Indian. This tour runs on Saturdays and Wednesdays at 1pm and costs $68 per person. Snack on potato curry puffs and banh mi sandwiches while knowledgeable guides share recipes, cooking tips and stories about the growth of Asian cuisine in San Francisco.

Japantown at night © Averain

Advanced tickets can be purchased at Gourmet Walks.

Virgin Atlantic operate daily direct flights to San Francisco from London Heathrow.

Header photo © idleformat

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New York has been the subject of countless novels, with every neighbourhood, social class, immigrant group and era laying claim to a number of classic tomes. So if you’re looking for a little inspiration, we’ve selected what we think are ten great New York reads, spanning more than a century of tumultuous change…

•  Another Country by James Baldwin 

James Baldwin’s 1962 masterpiece – which took him more than a decade to complete – is an intense and restless novel of love, race, politics and passion in 1950s New York, set against the liberal backdrop of bohemian Greenwich Village and Harlem. 

• Here is New York by E.B. White

Better known for his children’s books Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White’s succinct treatise is a nostalgic and wittily observant love letter to NYC. Written during a sweltering summer in the late 1940s while holed up in the Algonquin Hotel (read our previous review), this slim volume was hailed by The New Yorker as one of the most perceptive essays ever written about the city.

• The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe

This bombastic behemoth of a novel tells the tale of Sherman McCoy, an elite, power-hungry Wall Street trader who lives a charmed existence until one fateful night sends his life on a downward spiral. This is a coruscating American satire which brilliantly captures the essence and excess of 1980s New York.

• To Reach the Clouds by Philippe Petit

Frenchman Philippe Petit’s extraordinary memoir is an account of the day in 1974 when he illegally walked across a tightrope between the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers, and the years of secret of planning he undertook to make it happen. Subject of the Oscar-winning documentary Man on Wire.

• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

This classic and hugely successful novel tells the story of young Irish-American Francie Nolan’s coming-of-age in the slums of Williamsburg, Brooklyn at the turn of the twentieth century.

• Manhattan ’45 by Jan Morris

Celebrated travel writer Jan Morris immortalises the glory of post-war New York, leading us through Chinatown, Little Italy, Central Park, Hell’s Kitchen, Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side to capture the city at this pivotal point in its history.

• The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton was born into a wealthy New York family during the American Civil War. As a writer, she chronicled the pampered lives and social conventions of fashionable city society, never more evocatively than in this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

• Netherland by Joseph O’Neill

In the emotional aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks, the life of Dutch banker Hans begins to unravel when his wife moves back to Europe with their child. Lost and unmoored, he strikes up an unlikely friendship and discovers a previously-unseen side of the city. A poignant meditation on post-9/11 New York as told through the eyes of an outsider.

• One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell

In One Fifth Avenue, the author who gave us Sex in the City tells the deliciously gossipy tale of a different set of female Manhattanites who live out their hopes, dreams and fantasies in the historic Art Deco tower of this upscale landmark apartment building.

• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

The growing pains of Holden Caulfield continue to resonate with generations of teenagers and college students, as do his drunken shenanigans across New York City. The coming-of-age story by which all others are judged.

Fifth Avenue © Diego3336

Agree with our selections? Think we’ve made some glaring ommissions? We’d love to hear all your recommendations too, so share your favourite New York reads in the comments below…

Looking for New York-inspired music? Check out our NYC Playlist.

Virgin Atlantic operate six daily flights to New York from London Heathrow.

Header photo © darren-johnson

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