Sheffield and The Peak District - Things To Do

by Kate Johnson

Sheffield is situated on the edge of the Peak District National Park and the Pennine hill range and much of the city is built on the hillsides overlooking the city centre. The peak District provides many walks of varying levels of difficulty and is scattered with lots of pretty villages and small towns. The area is also home to a number of stately homes, museums and castles. The city of Sheffield is one of the greenest cities in England and has more than 200 parks, woodlands and gardens, including the popular Winter Gardens and Millennium Galleries.

The city also has many restaurants, cafes, bars and it is a major retail centre, home to many high street shops and department stores as well as designer boutiques. There are several main shopping areas, including The Moor precinct, Fargate, Orchard Square, the Devonshire Quarter and Castle Market, the main market, situated above the castle remains. The famous Shopping Centre and Retail Park, Meadowhall, is also located only a couple of miles outside the city centre.

If you are interested in history and like ghost stories you could take part in one of the spooky ghost walks around the centre of Sheffield. If you're interested in history but you don't like ghosts you could go on a walking tour of the city centre to learn about its architecture and history. If you want to get outside the city you there are some magnificent limestone caverns to explore or you could take a spectacular cable car ride to the Heights of Abraham. If you like green, open spaces you are in the right city as Sheffield's parks, woodlands and gardens, form part of many walking trails.

The amazing Winter Garden is one of the largest temperate glasshouse in Eurpope and houses a display of more than 2,500 plants, made up of more than 150 species from around the globe. It is situated at the heart of the city and links the Millennium Galleries, Tudor Square and the Peace Gardens. The Sheffield Botanical Gardens is another retreat in the heart of the city, perfect to escape to for a bit of peace and tranquility. The glass pavilions house a stunning collection of trees and shrubs in a historic landscape created in 1836.

A third of Sheffield lies within the boundaries of the Peak District National Park and the city gradually blends into the gently rolling moors and rugged peaks. There is so much countryside to explore from wind-swept hilltops to river valleys that it is a firm favourite with walkers, climbers, cyclists and horse riders alike.

If you are thinking of visiting Sheffield or the Peak District The Fulwood Inn is situated in the perfect location to make it your base, as it is on the west side of the city just a couple of miles from the centre and the Peak District National Park. It offers quality hotel accommodation in single, double and family rooms and it has a large car park and a peaceful location, being raised just above the main road. It also has a fantastic pub menu offering a great choice of pub classics with a constantly changing selection of specials.

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Las Vegas, The Mirage and all-time favorite

by Maja Gartmann

he Mirage has always been a favorite place on the Vegas Strip. I never forget my excitement to go to the Mirage and actually see the famous White Tigers of Siegfried and Roy. " I could have been standing there for hours watching those gorgeous creatures while listening and watching Siegfried and Roy's Video: "our family has grown to 23 tigers". …Another must see was the erupting Volcano, a spectacular never seen before. Then came the Rainforest, the minute you stepped into the mirage I felt like being in paradise: Gorgeous Palm trees tower way above waterfalls and pools, a forest of rich tropical flora, best of it all you could not just see Paradise but also smell it. The Mirage was the hotel that actually introduced the concept of destination resort to the Vegas Strip in 1989. Years have gone by and just recently I heard that the Mirage went under a complete overhaul. Eager like the first time when I wanted to see the tigers I wanted to see the new and improved Mirage, what an improvement it is. At the Mirage you find more hip lounges than in the entire Santa Monica area, one of them is my absolute favorite: The Beatles REVOLUTION Lounge - you cannot miss the Big Letters from R to N across the casino, the letters aren't just cool letters they also serve as cozy lounge chairs. You feel transported back to the glories of the 60's. REVOLUTION is Inspired by the spirit of The Beatles and created by Cirque du Soleil. The Rooms at the Mirage also had a remarkable face-lift. The new feather beds are a dream come true and the best of it all you can bring them home, not just the beds, the entire room: furniture, beds, pillows, linens, robes, all can be ordered and delivered to your home. You can enjoy a little Vegas-Mirage right at home, since you probably won't get enough sleep while in Vegas this comes in very handy.

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