Five places to visit in Manchester

On a recent trip to one of the UK’s biggest cities, Manchester, my friends and I discovered a place full of interesting cultural sites. Here are some of our top picks:

1. Manchester Art Gallery: This is not a large gallery, but it was ideal because we had limited time. It’s packed full of exhibits, with many fine works in its permanent collection, including Pre-Raphaelite paintings, plus there are regular exhibitions from a wide range of artists and subjects.

2. The Quays: Not strictly in the city of Manchester, but in the city of Salford. Nevertheless, these old docks on the Manchester Ship Canal make a great stop on any tour of the area. Among the attractions is the Lowry gallery, the Imperial War Museum North, the BBC’s new MediaCityUK studios (tours are available), a sculpture trail and a shopping outlet mall. Football fans should head for the nearby Old Trafford to take a tour of the home of Manchester United.

3. Northern Quarter: If you’re looking to escape from the mainstream world, this area is full of vintage boutiques, junk shops, galleries, music venues, cool cafes and much more. It’s located roughly between the Ancoats, Piccadilly and Victoria areas. We loved Matt & Phred’s, a great little music venue in Tib Street.

4. Manchester Museum: The museum at the University of Manchester has four floors of exhibits from around the world, including the full-size skeleton of a tyrannosaurus rex, a stunning gallery of ancient Egyptian artefacts and an impressive display of fossils.

5. Manchester Town Hall: Great to look at from the outside, well worth seeing from the inside, this prominent building with its huge clock tower dates from 1877 and was built in the Victorian Gothic style. There are impressive murals and mosaics, plus a sculpture hall containing statues of important figures from Manchester’s history.

Practicalities: Manchester is easily reached by plane or train – there’s no need to drive, as once you’re there, the tram network and the city’s buses make it easy to get around. There are many excellent hotels in Manchester. We stayed at the four-star Renaissance Manchester, ideally located in the heart of the city in Deansgate.

10 Top Tourist Attractions in the USA

1. Mount Rushmore, South Dakota: One of the world’s most famous sculptures, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial features the heads of four US presidents carved into a granite rock face in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Created between 1927 and 1941, the sculpture features 60ft high likenesses of presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

2. Discovery Cove, Florida: Discovery Cove is a theme park in Orlando, Florida, which offers visitors the chance to interact with animals including exotic birds, tropical fish, rays and land mammals. There’s even the opportunity to swim with bottlenose dolphins, or spend the day with the animal trainers learning more about their work and seeing behind the scenes at the park.

3. Zion National Park, Utah: This 229 square mile national park is located in southwestern Utah, and is home to the spectacular Zion Canyon, a deep and narrow gorge that runs 15 miles in length. Popular activities in Zion National Park include hiking, rock climbing, camping and horse riding.

4. Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, New York: The aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, the space shuttle Enterprise, the submarine USS Growler and a British Airways Concorde are the main exhibits at this Hudson River-side attraction in New York City. You can also walk among more than 20 aircraft on the Intrepid’s flight deck, while also admiring the views of the Manhattan skyline.

5. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, California: Roller coasters and animals combine at this theme park in Vallejo, California. Rides include several roller coasters and other thrill rides, water rides, family rides and children’s rides. Animals at the park are housed in various themed areas and include tigers, elephants, lions, dolphins, sharks, giraffes and many others.

6. Niagara Falls: Niagara Falls is the name given to three waterfalls on the US-Canada border. Measuring more than 50 metres at its highest point, Niagara Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America by height and flow rate. The falls are located on the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, and are bounded on either side by the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York.

7. Yellowstone National Park: Yellowstone was the world’s first national park when it was established in 1872. The park, which is located in the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, has a number of attractions including Old Faithful geyser, the Yellowstone Caldera active supervolcano, Yellowstone Lake and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Wildlife in the park includes grizzly bears, wolves, bison and elk.

8. Worlds of Fun, Missouri: The Worlds of Fun theme park in Kansas City, Missouri, features a number of thrill rides and family rides, so whether you want to hurtle through the forest on a roller coaster, or drive a replica antique taxi, there’s plenty to do. Other attractions at Worlds of Fun include the Planet Snoopy kids area and the Dinosaurs Alive exhibition.

9. Glenwood Hot Springs, Colorado: The town of Glenwood Springs, in the Colorado Rockies, is home to the world’s largest hot springs pool, which is about the length of a football field. This open-air pool is full of natural mineral water with a temperature of around 90 degrees Fahrenheit, while visitors can also try out the even hotter therapy pool. Glenwood Hot Springs is open throughout the year, and is a great place in which to relax even in the depths of winter.

10. Graceland: Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee, was the home of Elvis Presley until his death in 1977, and today serves as a museum to the singer. Visitors can tour the house (except for the upper floor, where Presley’s bedroom and the bathroom in which he died are located) and see the kitchen, Jungle Room, living room and music room. Tours of Graceland also include the grounds of the property, which contain, among other things, a racquetball court, Elvis’ pink Cadillac and his two planes.