1 . Four winter wonderlands for cold-weather getaways

◆ JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka

Beat any holiday stress with the new HydroSpa opening at Muskoka’s JW Marriott on Nov. 1. The outdoor water entertainment will be open year-round, offering multiple ways to relax including sea-salt floating pools and hot bathtubs.

Stays from $349 / night

◆ Old Stone Inn Boutique Hotel

This historic inn in Niagara Falls offers multiple ways to relax. There’s Winterfest, meals enjoyed in dining domes(穹顶)housed in the inn’s private square, and the Alpine Club offering roasted nuts and wine around a fire pit. The property will host its annual holiday market on Nov. 26.

Stays from $249 / night

◆ Dromoland Castle

If you’re going to go big—and further away—for New Year’s, you may as well go black tie. This grand estate in western Ireland is offering a three - night celebration package, beginning either Dec. 30 or 31. The event on New Year’s Eve includes a cocktail reception and six-course dinner. Guests will have access to various activities on the property’s 450 acres including hunting and farming.

Stays from $2,051 / night

◆ St. Regis Aspen

Along with access to many ski options, the hotel’s guests can expect family-friendly fun during the week leading up to Dec. 25. The workshop here is a craft room where attendees can make everything from toys to gifts by hand. Additional sessions cover winter cooking and house decorating.

Stays from US $899 / night

3 . As a popular tour operator, Travel China Guide designs a lot of China tour packages (旅游套餐) for foreigners with the best-selling travel deals to wonderful must see destinations and offers the best quality services. We warmly invite you to join us on an exciting vacation. Today we will offer you a three days’ private Zhangjiajie in-depth tour.

Welcome to this charming city, Zhangjiajie. Your guide and driver will pick you up at the airport and drive you to the hotel we booked for you ahead of time. The rest time of the day remains free for you to relax.

Today, your private Zhangjiajie tour will start with a visit to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, where you will have a chance to experience the world’s longest and highest glass bridge, Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge. In addition to an unforgettable experience, it will also give you a special angle to enjoy the beauty of the Grand Valley

Afterwards, your guide will lead you to the Baofeng Lake where you will take a scenic boat ride. When you finish visiting the scenic area, the driver will send you back to the hotel.

Today your Zhangjiajie tour will continue to go to the Tianmen Mountain, known as the most beautiful “Hanging Garden” in the world. Tianmen Mountain is named after a natural wonder, Tianmen Cave, which is a naturally formed hole among thousand-metre high cliffs. In addition to this wonder, you may also see different old trees, green vines and rare animals there.

Your three-day Zhangjiajie tour package will come to an end here. You will then be driven to the airport and we will say goodbye there. If you want to have your China tour schedule further, we will be glad to provide detailed information.

5 . Throughout the world, museums allow people to explore new cultures and topics through their collections and exhibitions. Check out this comprehensive list of the best museums and galleries throughout the world with one-of-a-kind displays that educate and inspire.

Musée D'Orsay in Paris

The Musée D'Orsay, once a railway station, houses an internationally famous collection of Impressionist art and other Western pieces from 1848 and 1914. Started in 1986, the white limestone walls are now home to some of the most notable artworks in France, like sculptures by Auguste Rodin and paintings by Paul Gauguin.

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town

With the help of design firm Heatherwick Studio, the once century-old grain silo (谷粮仓) in the heart of Cape Town transformed into a museum which hosts international events and exhibitions to provide an intercultural look into the world of African art. Works from revolutionary artists such as Kudzanai Chiurai of Zimbabwe and Wangechi Mutu of Kenya decorate the nine floors of the museum.

Bangkok National Museum

The first national museum in Thailand, whose structures can date back to 1782, when they served as the palace of Prince Wang Na. Nearly 100 years later, the grounds were transformed into a museum with three differently themed galleries: a Thai History Gallery, an Archaeological and Art History collection, and a Decorative Arts and Ethnological Collection.

The National Palace Museum in Taipei

The National Palace Museum included artwork from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The permanent collection features nearly 700,000 pieces of imperial artifacts and includes calligraphic works by Tang Yin.

Click here for more information about this list.

8 . The bell rang. Jacob smiled and he was glad his math class was _______. He grabbed his lunch bag out of his backpack and looked inside. He blinked. Beside his usual lunch, there was an envelope. Jacob opened it and slid out a (n) _______. It was of a suitcase. Jacob _______ what it meant.

The next day at lunchtime Jacob opened his bag. A new envelope peeked out. Inside was a tiny toy _______. Now he was _______! When he got home, he asked his mother, “Are we taking a plane somewhere?” She just _______ at him, her eyes sparkling. “I guess it’s a mystery(谜)” was the only _______ she gave him.

Over the next few days, Jacob _______ more: a small American flag, a leaf from a palm tree and _______ a juicy orange. Then one day, when he finally got to open his lunch bag, there was ________ in it except for his usual lunch. His heart sank. Maybe he had been wrong after all. Maybe there was no trip. He was very ________.

Just before the end of the day, the school secretary handed Jacob a small box. “This is for you and ________ your mother outside.” He opened the box. A smile slid across his face. He ________ and pulled out a small black hat with two round mouse ears.

He hurried down to the main school doors where his mother and father were waiting, with suitcases. “We’re going to Disney World, right?” Jacob couldn’t contain his excitement. “Mystery ________,” laughed his mother. “Come on, we’re headed to the ________!”

9 . A couple has completed a tiring 4,500-mile bike ride around Europe in the shape of an enormous bicycle, in a creative attempt to promote sustainable travel.

Accompanied by their dog Zola, David Smith, 35, and Arianna Saraghi, 40, rode through seven countries to create the striking image, motivated by their desire to raise awareness about climate change. After completing their 7237-kilometer journey earlier this week, the pair said they had narrowly beaten the Guinness World Record for the largest GPS drawing made by any mode of transport.

They are also, unsurprisingly, confident that they have traced the biggest ever GPS bicycle, estimating that theirs is roughly 600 miles wide. “Being able to see it on^ the map is mainly a relief,” Ms Saraghi said after recounting the problems they had along the way.

They initially set off in the summer of 2019, armed with a computer-designed route which they had followed to avoid cycling through Paris’Charles de Gaulle Airport. However, they were forced to stop after Ms Saraghi sustained a knee injury.

The Anglo-Italian couple tried again that winter, before giving up because it was too cold to camp. The Covid-19 pandemic then delayed the trip’s completion by another two years. “We had so many obstacles. When we started this time we were thinking—what can go wrong this time? We felt we had let people down by not completing it, and our life felt kind of stuck. So we’re very happy,” Ms Saraghi said.

The pair said they want people who see the GPS image to consider cycling shorter journeys rather than choosing to drive. “Cycling is cheaper, it’s healthy, it’s fun, and it’s often pretty fast. Please give it a second and consider if there is an alternative to the car- there may not be, but often there is,” Mr Smith told The Independent. The 35-year-old added that they also hope politicians, who come across their GPS bicycle are motivated to improve cycling infrastructure (基础设施) to encourage the public to travel sustainably where possible.