Overlooking the small town of Orderville and a short distance from the east entrance of Zion National Park, this new resort offers tiny houses, tree houses, glamping tents and yurts, all completely fitted out with everything you could ever need.
Our favourites are the yurts, the largest of which can sleep up to five people. There’s a giant bubble on top for stargazing, a coffee maker to get you up and atem for early morning hikes, and a patio area that overlooks the epic scenery. This is the perfect base for exploring Zion, Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef national parks all famous for their monumental landscapes as well as the surrounding lakes and Moqui Cave.
There are normal roller coasters, then there’s the X2. This mechanical beast, which you can find by following the howl of deathly screams all the way to California’s Six Flags Magic Mountain, is in a league of its own, so much so, it’s considered the very first 4D coaster.
That means riders are placed in extra-wide 360-degree rotating seats that twist and flip independent of how the main train navigates the tracks. It also runs on four rails, instead of the usual two. Sound distressing? That’s not the end of it. While you’re spiralling through the air headfirst and facedown, the X2 is also accelerating to speeds of 122 kilometres an hour and climbing to an elevation of 60 metres. Oh, and your feet are dangling weightlessly in the air too, which any frequent ride-goer will know is a truly awful sensation.
Chuck in a couple of inversions (corkscrew-like manoeuvres), two ultra-rare raven turns (half loops that turn into sheer drops), a backflip and the added drama of a pair of flamethrowers, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a heart-thumping ride.
A rooftop bar in New York City? Groundbreaking, we hear you say in your best Miranda Priestly voice. But there’s something pretty special about the latest addition to the skyline.
Located in the heart of Midtown, The Skylark is a classy multilevel space that boasts unparalleled views of Times Square, the Empire State Building and Hudson River. Suede couches and plush furnishings in moody splashes of grey, black and caramel create a sophisticated vibe, while outside on the terrace the decor is sleek and minimal.
Cocktails that demand an immediate taste test include the honey and bourbon blend Fort Knox, and the signature Skylark, which mixes gin, vodka, dry vermouth, St Germain liqueur and blue curacao into one helluva knockout drink!
You’ve got to question the state of mind of whoever conjured up the nightmarish, stomach-churning situation that is Insanity the Ride.
Positioned atop the tallest structure in Las Vegas, The STRAT Hotel, Casino and Skypod, this terrifying centrifuge ride uses an enormous mechanical arm to dangle passengers 265 metres in the air. As if that wasn’t enough to have you murmuring a couple of Hail Marys under your breath, all trapped thrill-seekers are then tilted to an angle of 70 degrees (in other words: you’re staring directly at the ground below) and spun around at speeds of up to 64 kilometres an hour.
Apparently Insanity is also programmable with various different motion sequences, which means no two rides feel the same. We want to suggest downing a couple of strong, oversized, Vegas-style cocktails before allowing yourself to be strapped into this sky-high monstrosity, but that could end badly for everyone involved. Instead, all you can really do is sit back, admire the view and hope your seatbelt is done up.
Swings are for kids, right? Not this one. The Giant Canyon Swing at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is big enough and mean enough to strike fear into the hearts of seasoned adrenaline junkies.
Perched precariously on the edge of a frighteningly sheer cliff, 400 metres above the Colorado River, the Giant Canyon Swing is not your average piece of playground equipment.
For just on 60 seconds it hurtles four passengers at a time, back and forth, to a near vertical angle. It also rockets to a top speed of 80 kilometres an hour, which is enough to create negative G-forces. That’s kinda like having butterflies in your tummy, only a hundred times worse, and with the added fear of vomiting or passing out. Or both.
It’s so scary, riders must sign a liability waiver, and anyone under the age of 18 must have a parent’s or guardian’s signature. Even owner Steve Beckley has only ever ridden the Giant Canyon Swing once. Now if that’s not an indicator of how petrifying the experienceis, we’re not sure what is.
There are few better places to try ice climbing than Fish Creek Falls in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Take a day off from the surrounding slopes for an adventure you won’t forget.
You’ll be picked up directly from your accommodation, fitted out with all the right gear and taken to the entrance of the glorious snow-covered Yampa Valley. From there, you’ll shuffle through waist-deep powder and over icy bridges, crossing frozen rivers to the imposing Fish Creek Falls.
Ice climbing is not for the faint-hearted, and is more difficult than you’d think. Once you’ve attached your crampons and worked out how not to take your eye out with the ice picks, it’s onto the frozen waterfall and upwards.
The big key is trusting your crampons once you’ve kicked into the ice, again much more difficult than you’d think. Only then can you relax, look around and enjoy the incredible surroundings.
Armchair experts who live for the opportunity to talk at length about the intricacies of rhythmic gymnastics and canoe slalom once every four years should plan a visit to Colorado Springs. The huge United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum – a sprawling 5,500 square metre building designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro – opened there in August 2020.
Visitors can follow the history of the Games from ancient Greece to the present day. It’s fully interactive too, so you can imagine what it’s like to enter an arena during the opening ceremony or try your hand at a training program for sledge hockey (ice hockey for players with disabilities). Of course, it’s very much Team USA, but sports nuts will be rapt.
There are a lot of themed bars out there in the world – Ninja Akasaka in Tokyo and Trailer Park Lounge in Manhattan are just a couple of our favourites – but Fort Worth’s McFly’s Pub is the perfect blend of movie memories and good times.
Of course, there are a tonne of references to the 1980s sci-fi flick Back to the Future, including some great murals of Marty McFly and Doc Brown, loads of clocks, old suitcases that have been transformed into lights and the propellers from planes converted into ceiling fans. But there are plenty of other treasures, too, including a jukebox and decades-old arcade games.
The drinks list is also heavy on the nostalgia front, with most cocktails playing on the bar’s time-travelling movie ties. The Martini McFly is similar to an old-fashioned, but served in the appropriate glassware, and The Great Scotch is Johnny Walker Black, orange juice and syrup finished with limes and lemons.
Oh, and for those sunny Texas days, there’s also an expansive patio where you can kick back and remember the glory days.
Actor Christopher Lloyd, who played Doc Brown, sent owners Casey and Kelsey Smith a video message when they opened.
It started in Iceland, when a set designer and businessman bought a bikkie factory (Kex is the Icelandic word for biscuit) and transformed it into a cool hotel that’s as much for locals as travellers. Now, they’ve taken the concept to Oregon, making over a historic apartment building in the Central Eastside neighbourhood. Every design element is either vintage, handmade or has a story, which makes for a fantastically lived-in feel.
There are 29 rooms in all, both private and shared dorms. But it’s the little extras that are the big drawcard: Dóttir restaurant is a social hub, the library hosts music, and the sauna brings a touch of Reykjavik to Portland. This is Portland at its coolest, and just steps from Voodoo Doughnut.
We’d never lie about being outdoor types, but even the most hardy among us doesn’t mind a tiny slice of luxury when it’s on offer. Which is why we love Terramor Outdoor Resort, set on Mount Desert Island and next door to Acadia National Park in the US state of Maine.
There are 64 tents in five different layouts – each sleeping between two and five people – spread across the 25-hectare property. We think you can’t go past the Bayberry, with its comfy king bed, lovely bathroom, patio and private outdoor firepit. (If you’ve got a crowd, though, the Moosewood has two bedrooms.)
The Lodge is the heart of the resort where guests can settle in for a meal at the restaurant, order a picnic or kick back at the bar. You can also order everything you need and cook yourself at one of the outdoor barbecue areas.
There is no end of activities on offer at the resort, and you can choose to be as active and engaged with the other guests as you like. There are outdoor yoga classes, cooking demos, bird watching, star-gazing sessions and music around the campfire. Grab a kayak for a paddle, go fishing or borrow a bike to explore. There’s also plenty of hiking to be done. Acadia National Park has forests, wetland, coastal areas, islands and 150 lakes stretched across its 20,000 hectares.
The hard core can wake up in the dark and hike to the top of Cadillac Mountain to be the first to see the sun rise in North America.
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