Texas is the perfect holiday destination
But I have been lucky in one way: not so much because I have been to a few exotic places for free, but because of the places I discovered which I might never have visited at my own expense. Chicago, Kuala Lumpur, Gothenburg, Helsinki and Bern come to mind. None of these is obscure – I'm not one of those people who wants to live among Amazonian tribesmen; I like a bit of room service. But they are all stunning places which sit below that threshold where the volume of tourism is so high that it is impossible to see how the locals lead their everyday lives, or where everything is so prepackaged that you can't make a surprise discovery. The clue here is the hotel breakfast: if most of the people around you aren't tourists, it's a good sign.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Out
2 days ago
- Time Out
In shocking news, New Yorkers walk and bike way more than almost all Americans, says new study
Turns out 'I'm walkin' here!' isn't just a punchline, it's a lifestyle. According to a new report from analytics firm StreetLight, New Yorkers—at least in four out of five boroughs—are walking and biking at rates the rest of the country can only dream of. Manhattan leads the nation in 'active transportation,' with a whopping 59-percent of trips made on foot or by bike. Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx also rank in the top 10 U.S. counties for non-car travel. The odd borough out is Staten Island, where a staggering 87-percent of trips still happen by car, placing it closer to the national norm. Across most of the U.S., active transportation remains the exception: In more than two-thirds of the counties analyzed, fewer than 1 in 10 trips involve walking or biking. Density—and a transit system that, for all its faults, actually works—is what sets New York apart. 'New York is a city in the United States that's done the most to support safe walking and cycling,' Michael Replogle, former NYC DOT deputy commissioner, told Gothamist. Add in policies like congestion pricing and reliable mass transit, and it's no wonder New Yorkers are pounding the pavement in record numbers. The study excluded low-density areas and focused on trips over 300 meters, offering a more apples-to-apples comparison among urban centers. And it wasn't just NYC making the leaderboard: Hudson County, New Jersey (home to Jersey City and Hoboken), ranked fifth, just ahead of Boston and Philly. With its tight street grid, PATH access and sky-high density, Hudson is a walker's paradise, too. Meanwhile, sprawling cities like Los Angeles and Chicago didn't even crack the top ranks. The takeaway? If you build a city for cars, people will drive. If you build it for humans, they'll walk. Walking and biking are part of a broader push toward rethinking urban mobility. Experts say high density, good transit and safe infrastructure are what make foot-powered travel possible and popular. In the end, New Yorkers walk more—duh. But it's not because we're better people (OK, maybe a little), but because the city actually makes it doable. And that, says StreetLight, might just be the future of urban life.
Time Out
4 days ago
- Time Out
This New York spa was just ranked one of the best in the country
New Yorkers are known for powering through just about anything—except maybe a wellness weekend without Wi-Fi. Luckily, they don't have to go far for a top-tier reset. The Ranch Hudson Valley, a luxury wellness retreat tucked into the wooded hills of Sloatsburg, has officially been named the No. 2 spa in the U.S. by Travel + Leisure readers in the 2025 World's Best Awards. The East Coast outpost of the famed Ranch Malibu—which has long attracted celebs and execs looking to detox and decompress—opened in late 2023 and quickly gained a loyal following. Guests here sign up for short but immersive three- or four-night programs that combine guided hikes, strength training, restorative yoga, daily massages and plant-based cuisine, all set on a 200-acre lakefront estate once owned by the Woolworth family. What makes The Ranch Hudson Valley stand out in a crowded spa field? For one, it delivers major results in minimal time. Unlike its Malibu counterpart (where stays start at a six-night minimum), this Hudson Valley version is designed for the chronically overbooked, i.e., New Yorkers looking for transformation with a side of convenience. While the fitness-forward schedule is rigorous (expect long hikes, zero caffeine and no afternoon naps), guests rave about the mental clarity, energy boost and physical reset they walk away with. Throw in sweeping views of the Ramapo Mountains, a solarium with an infrared sauna and plunge pools and chef-prepared meals that somehow make cauliflower sexy and it's no wonder this place scored a 94.4 rating from the magazine's readers. It's also surprisingly intimate: With only around 25 guests per session, there's ample space for one-on-one attention, be it from your hiking guide or your massage therapist. It's essentially a luxury bootcamp meets spiritual retreat, just with better sheets. So if your idea of self-care involves forest bathing, functional fitness and granola that tastes better than it should, The Ranch Hudson Valley might be your next escape. And the best part? You can be back at your desk by Monday—glowing, recharged and just a little smug about it.
North Wales Live
12-07-2025
- North Wales Live
We tried Llandudno cafe that surprisingly adds something original to seaside town
With scores of cafes already in Llandudno you'd think it would be almost impossible to come up with an original idea. Like most towns there has been an explosion in cafe culture in recent years - from your big chains to local favourites like Providero. The opening of the latest cafe would probably have passed me by if I didn't have teenage daughters. Harpers' at Montclare has been open around two weeks and apparently is "big on social" right now. As the name suggests it is situated inside the Montclare hotel on North Parade in Llandudno. It is 'home of the first açai bowls in Llandudno" and I've no evidence to dispute that claim. When the kids were selling the idea of testing it out, I had two questions. What is an açai bowl? and Do they sell coffee? For the uninitiated I'll answer the first question further down, on the second question, the answer last weekend was 'no' but the machine is on its way. The lack of coffee was an initial disappointment as my plan had been to sip on my usual flat white/cappuccino while boomer style moaning about what passed as food with young people these days. By the way, I was pronouncing these bowls 'ac-kai' but I was told (many times) the correct pronunciation is something like 'ass-si-ee'. In terms of the location it's not somewhere you would stumble across but I suppose the advent of social media makes that less of an issue, particularly for those targeting a younger market. Speaking to the staff the reason they actually opened ahead of the coffee machine arriving was the fact there was already something of a stir because of the efforts on apps like Instagram. When we arrived there was one large table in there of mainly youngsters and more came in (again a couple of decades younger than me) for takeaways while we were there. It is a compact but light and airy site and we picked a window seat to watch the world go by on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The staff were very helpful and just generally really friendly and happy to assist in introducing me to the new experience. With no coffee on offer I went for a mixed berry kombucha, which again was something new to me, and very refreshing, while one teen picked an iced matcha and the other stuck with the traditional and wanted a Coke. The older child was the main driver on picking an 'acai bowl' place after living on these while travelling in Australia. On her return every conversation started with 'when I was in Australia' (which she was suitably mocked for) so it was good to show that we are also 'down with it' in North Wales when it came to acai. When it comes to what it is, then it is defined as a "thick smoothie-like dish, typically served in a bowl, made from pureed acai berries". You then add in your extras to that - be it fruit, nuts, seeds or sweet toppings. Google tells me its roots are in the Amazonian parts of Brazil where the berry is a staple part of the local diet, but it has now become something of a global phenomenon. You may be like me and be fairly underwhelmed at the description but I was prepared to give it a go. It's £8.50 a bowl (£9.50 for a large one) and the girls picked one each and I ordered an extra spoon to test out a bit of both. One went for the OG with extra peanut butter. This had the acai covered in banana, strawberries and blueberries and a large dollop of peanut butter on top. It was Biscoff Crazy for the youngest - a similar mix but as the name suggests there were crumbled Biscoff biscuits on the top. I have to say they were nicely put together - a lovely mix of colours making them look appetising. The girls were enthusiastic with the eldest saying they were 'almost' as good as those in Australia, high praise indeed! The youngest was also won over, so I hovered with the extra spoon, waiting to give them both a try. I went savoury first, digging into the OG one with peanut butter. The base is actually frozen - think iced smoothie - and goes beautifully with fruit. Then the peanut butter adds a nice contrast. It was on to the sweet next and the Biscoff one was a big hit with me. The amount of times I returned to both pots is probably the best compliment I can pay. 'You're a convert' as one of the kids said. The menu is very acai heavy but there are the usual sweet treat options as well on the counter - and a coffee machine to follow - for anyone who wants a more traditional drink and snack stop. The total bill came to £25.40 which isn't cheap but we did feel well fed and refreshed - offering a different afternoon boost to a normal caffeine hit. The facts Food: Well presented, refreshing and something new.
