fun

My husband and I live in Mission Viejo. Our older son, his wife and two children (ages 5 and nearly 4) live in Newhall. We love spending time together, but it’s quite a trek on the 5 Freeway. Last year, we went to the aquarium in Long Beach, which was great fun. Another day, we enjoyed a day of hiking and a picnic at Placerita Canyon Nature Center near my son’s home. We would love some suggestions about other places to visit which would maybe be a little more centrally located and fun for the whole family. Thanks
— Cathy McCoy

Looking for things to do in L.A.? Ask us your questions and our expert guides will share highly specific recommendations.

Here’s what we suggest:

Cathy, I understand your pain. Driving 80 miles can feel like an odyssey, especially in SoCal. Thankfully, there are loads of fun places where your family can meet in the middle (or close to it). I’ve rounded up some solid options. By the way, the driving times mentioned here are a rough estimate for a weekend day without traffic, but as you probably know, your actual time may vary.

Since you all enjoyed the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, how about switching it up and spending the day with a different set of animals at the Montebello Barnyard Zoo for your next outing? That would be about a 40- to 50-minute drive for both of you. Open since 1968, the zoo is home to horses, goats, sheep and donkeys that you can pet (and feed them for an extra $3). If you’re feeling adventurous, you can ride a pony or take a leisurely trip on a John Deere tractor train. “It’s a great place for young ones to learn that animals outside the home need and deserve the same kind of care that we show our pets,” Etan Rosenbloom writes in a Times guide to things to do with kids around L.A. General admission is $11, and you can sometimes find deals on Groupon as well. Afterward, head to Blvd Mrkt, a food hall in Downtown Montebello that sells a variety of food so everyone can get what they want.

Another great option is the South Coast Botanic Garden on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, which might be about an hour drive for both of you. I learned about this spot from my dear late colleague, Jeanette Marantos, who was a gardening expert in her own right. The garden, which has more than 2,500 species of plants and five miles of trails, also features a kids area, which features “a nursery rhyme theme with a large dollhouse, a charming bridge and plants matched to the stories,” Marantos writes. My editor Michelle Woo also loves this garden. “You can take a leisurely walk along the accessible loop trail or get really into the nooks and crannies of the place, discovering trees with giant roots that kids love to climb on and koi fish swimming in a shaded pond,” she says, adding that she’s excited for Thomas Dambo’s trolls exhibit that opens in March. If you get hungry, you can stop by Dottie’s at the Koi Pond, which sells food, beer, wine and specialty cocktails on Saturdays and Sundays. Carry-in food is permitted if pre-prepared.

If you’re interested in space travel, then you should definitely visit the Columbia Memorial Space Center, which is the ultimate cosmic playground. Located in Downey (known as “home of the Apollo”) — about a 40-minute drive for you and a 50-minute drive for your son’s family — the recently renovated museum features a play area, robotics lab and interactive exhibits on space exploration including a shuttle landing simulator. Admission is $5 for adults and kids, $3 for seniors ages 65 and up and free for children ages 3 and under.

Speaking of aviation, another spot that is worth checking out is the Proud Bird in El Segundo, about a 45- to 50-minute drive for both of you. Here, you can enjoy delicious bites as you watch planes take off from Los Angeles International Airport, which is just a couple of miles away. Woo calls it “the perfect spot for a multi-generation gathering.” “Our extended family once celebrated Christmas there when everyone was too tired to cook,” she adds. “You can order solid barbecue from Bludso’s, have a drink by a bonfire pit and let the kids play on the playground as planes fly by.” She also suggests the Point in El Segundo. It’s an open-air shopping and dining center that has a large lawn where the kids can play and the grownups can grab a drink from Lil’ Simmzy’s.

I hope these recommendations are useful as you plan your next family outing (and that they also save you some gas money). Whatever you end up doing together, I’m sure that your family, especially the little ones, will just be grateful to spend quality time with you. Have fun!

If you’re reading this review of Gore Verbinski’s maniacal farce “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” in newsprint, congratulations on being a Luddite.

But if you’re reading it on a smartphone, then you’re one of the suckers that Sam Rockwell is hoping to reach when his unnamed time traveler barges into a late-night Los Angeles diner screaming, “I am from the future and all of this goes horribly wrong!” The patrons pause scrolling to glance at this unhinged, unwashed man wearing a crown of computer wires wrapped around his head like an IT messiah. Then they get a good look at his shoes when he stomps on their tables, kicking cheeseburgers as he tries to make these regular folks engage with the tech-pocalypse he swears is coming.

It’s a sermon we’ve heard plenty of times before and possibly even delivered ourselves. Coming from the ever-charismatic Rockwell, a lecture to stop wasting our lives online sounds no more insurmountable, only more immediate.

Half of the world will die, he foretells. The other half will be too distracted to notice. That is, unless a handful of strangers join him right now, right this moment, to fight for humanity’s cerebral freedom. Unsurprisingly, volunteers don’t raise their hands. (The one eager guy who does has failed him too often in other scenarios.) But Rockwell’s time traveler — he really is one — is used to a firewall of resistance. He’s given this speech at this diner 117 times. Some combination of the 47 people in it is fated to succeed.

That opening scene sounds as if an AI merged “The Terminator” with “Groundhog Day.” True, Matthew Robinson’s funny, savage and surprising script doesn’t downplay its inspirations. (He even lets Rockwell rip off Indiana Jones’ line about snakes.) But the screenplay gets so intricate and angry — and so shamelessly ambitious — you can’t believe someone in today’s Hollywood was willing to put up the money to get it made. Even helmed by proven hitmaker Verbinski of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, it’s a feat akin to convincing someone to fund a skyscraper-sized cuckoo clock that has a bird that pops out and heckles the crowd.

Eventually, a dubious crew enlists: public school teachers Mark and Janet (Michael Peña and Zazie Beetz), grouchy ride-share driver Scott (Asim Chaudhry), assistant Boy Scout leader Bob (Daniel Barnett), jittery mom Susan (Juno Temple) and forlorn Maria (Georgia Goodman), who keeps sighing that all she wanted was a slice of pie. Rockwell also impulsively yokes in Ingrid (Haley Lu Richardson), a grungy girl in a princess dress, who seems to be on her own suicide mission. The actors are mostly just pegs in a complicated plot, but they snap into place well.

The man from the future doesn’t have a plan — and worse, he considers himself the only person who isn’t expendable. The others can die (and do). As the group shuffles toward catastrophe, Verbinski intercuts their mission with flashbacks to their civilian lives. Their ordinary days, the digital indignities they’ve borne, that’s where Verbinski really gets mean.

The film’s feints and twists are fabulous as they explore how the internet’s promise has soured. One plotline involves a corporate brainstorm to make people love and nurture their own talking adbot, essentially a human-sized Tamagotchi. In another, school shootings have become such an epidemic that when Temple’s Susan gets summoned to identify her ninth-grader’s corpse, the other grieving mothers at the station calmly chitchat about traffic until one glances over at her nonchalantly and says, “First time?”

At first, the not-so-original idea that phones have turned children into zombies is a Romero-style parody of brain rot. (The young actor Cassiel Eatock-Winnik has a great scene as a vicious teen who stares down one of her elders and says, “You’re 35? That’s, like, older than most trees.”) But Verbinski reveals an unexpected angle of attack: Here, society has groomed the next generation to behave like machines. We don’t know why, exactly, but we can imagine a few reasons.

Even coping mechanisms take fire. Susan meets more parents who’ve snapped under the strain and become nihilistic trolls raising their daughter to be toxic so it won’t matter as much if she dies. Another character is quick to insist that everything he’s looking at — the walls, the people — is a facade. A 20-something gig worker named Tim (Tom Taylor) wants to permanently live in a VR simulation. His story is a little rushed but we get the idea that Tim’s not a jerk, just an idealist who can’t handle the tawdriness of the 21st century. As he puts it, “Why would I choose this world over that one?”

Verbinski doesn’t say much outright about the creeping concern that we’re living in a highly surveilled, aggressive and unpredictable police state. He’s able to make that point without words when cops arrive and our heroes-slash-hostages, none of whom have yet done anything worse than skip out on their bill, all assume the itchy trigger finger of the law will shoot them on sight. (And they’re right.) He also makes an ominous refrain of “Thank you for your service.”

It’s easier to howl at a classic like “Dr. Strangelove,” which mocked the leaders giddyuping the planet’s destruction, than at a present-day satire where we ourselves are the joke. As with “Idiocracy” (and eventually “Eddington”), our ability to fully appreciate this merciless, furious comedy might take a decade of remove. Even then, though, I won’t like James Whitaker’s cinematography, which goes for a deliberate ugliness but just looks dishwater drab.

“Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” anticipates the audience’s resistance. We do think for ourselves and so we scour the movie for flaws that will justify the urge to roll our eyes. For example: Why does Rockwell let some characters die and not others? Is the movie just as shallow as its j’accuse of us? Some quibbles get answered. Larger questions are left coyly unresolved so that we leave the theater uneasy.

There are so many overwhelming ideas in “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” that, at over two hours, it does have the sense of a dissociative doomscroll. There’s even a plot point involving an algorithmic overlord that creates randomly generated armies: “Ghostbusters” with AI slop. The normie survivors try to convince themselves it might send something good, like they’re thumbing TikTok hoping for a treasure worth the time. Rockwell assures them it won’t. Nothing good will ever come. And what does arrive is so hellacious that it makes the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man look sweet.

The film is too cynical to take itself that seriously; Verbinski would roll his eyes at any thoughts and prayers it could do much good. Yet, anyone born with “19” at the start of their birthyear still remembers how it felt to leave the house without a black rectangle in their hands. That makes us all time travelers of a sort, too, beacons of an increasingly distant era in which it was possible to be unplugged.

But it’s OK if you’re on your screen right now. Just sit before a bigger one to see this film.

GAUDY arcades, faded bucket and spade shops and donkey rides on the beach. You may call Blackpool stuck in the past, but I think it’s timeless.

Recently named as one of the best big towns in the UK, Blackpool may be about to see a resurgence.

As Britain’s original seaside holiday resort, this sometimes sunny stretch on the Lancashire coast embodies everything us Brits want from a holiday.

Blackpool, with its seven-mile sandy beach, three pleasure piers, seafront theme park and iconic tower landmark has everything you need for a family holiday – and unlike other coastal towns in the UK – can be enjoyed at an affordable cost.

As a travel writer and content creator, I travel almost every month for work and I’m lucky enough to have been to many of the world’s best holiday destinations, such as New York City, Thailand, Australia and Florida.

In fact, as a Disney travel expert, I’ve been to Disney World more than 50 times, but but I’ve had just as much fun on a weekend in Blackpool as I have at the Florida theme park.

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I live in London now and I also lived in Los Angeles in my 20s, but Blackpool has always held a special place in my heart. I know I will always go back.

Being from a working-class family, overseas family holidays were not something we did very often when I was growing up.

Instead, we would get the train to destinations like Weymouth, Margate and Blackpool from London.

No passport required, but holidays were still the most exciting thing we did every year.

Blackpool was always my favourite.

The seafront was so exciting. We would always walk from the station, passing B&Bs with neon Vacancy signs glowing in the window, that always smelled like egg and chips.

The Blackpool illuminations were dazzling for a little kid like me. Designed in 1879 as an ‘artificial sunlight’ attraction, this appeal has never faded.

Modern light trails and events are popping up from Land’s End to the Scottish Highlands these days – and often charge guests to enter. Even in 2026, Blackpool’s illuminations are still completely free to enjoy.

Who needs Vegas? The Blackpool arcades would be flashing and whirring, luring you inside to win big on the 2p machines. With the great British weather, this was often a necessary past time.

I became a master at winning naff pastel-coloured teddy bears in the grabber machine.

As a theme park nerd, something I inherited from my dad, Blackpool Pleasure Beach was my Disneyland.

The Big Dipper, a wooden rollercoaster built in 1923 and still going strong, was my first thrill ride. Being tall enough to ride this was like graduating tweenhood. My dad was thrilled as he finally had a rollercoaster buddy.

When The Big One opened in 1994, it was the highlight of the holiday. I was 12. From the top of the 235ft drop, you can see the whole of Blackpool Seafront laid out in front of you. It’s spectacular.

As you tip over the edge and race to the ground at 85mph with the wind in your hair, it’s exhilarating. For 12-year-old me, I was on the top of world.

Family holidays these days feel far more complicated. Even with short breaks in the UK, costs can add up.

I often want to create the wholesome British beach breaks of my childhood, but many destinations feel very different.

Some UK hotspots cost more than flying abroad. But, nabbing a great deal overseas can sometimes be stressful, confusing and time consuming.

Then you have to factor in long travel days, airports and finding somewhere with something for everyone that comes in under budget.

Like most parents, if I can take advantage of a kid’s club or send my two children on the rides together, while I wave from the side-line, I will. Life is busy these days and even 10 mins of peace can feel like a mini break.

But Blackpool hasn’t changed much since my memories of the early 90s.

Everything can be enjoyed together. Paddling on the beach, sharing a bag of chips, screaming in the lift to the top of the Blackpool Tower and enjoying the famous Blackpool Tower Circus.

The foundation for family fun is at the heart of this seaside town and I think it always will be.

Unlike many places which jump between personalities, Blackpool has always known its place – and better still, been proud of it.

I have gone back many times. I’ve also sold my friends on to Blackpool’s charms and we try to get a girls’ weekend in every couple of years too.

It’s an ideal weekend break for all ages.

Bursting onto the scene as a leisure destination for industrial workers and working-class families, in over 150 years, nothing has changed.

While other seaside towns have been infiltrated with artisan coffee shops, art galleries and trendy crowds migrating from the big cities, sending house prices and rents through the roof, Blackpool is still an affordable place to live and visit.

It’s not the spot for a delicate macaron or an eye-wateringly expensive afternoon tea.

But if you’re happy with a £2 doughnut and a hot cocoa in a paper cup, you can enjoy a great snack with sea views for under a fiver.

Budget-conscious visitors can get a decent hotel room for only £17 per night. Haven Morten Mare Holiday Park, just 15-minutes down the road has deals for £112 for a weekend for the whole family.

Attractions like the Blackpool Illuminations, Stanley Park, the promenade and piers are all free to experience. There are sometimes deals to enter Blackpool Pleasure Beach theme park for only £10 too.

As a mum, knowing I won’t be racking up a huge debt makes holidays less stressful from the start.

My kids are far more travelled than I was at their age, but I have noticed that spending big doesn’t always make them happiest on holiday.

Kids, like me and like my parents 30 years ago, just want to let off steam, have a bit of fun and have a bit of a break from life.

You don’t have to spend a lot to get that, especially in Blackpool.

I do sometimes splash out though. Mr Whippy with two flakes? Oh go on then.

FORGET everything you thought you knew about spas, this one is unlike any other – it doesn’t have white walls and you don’t have to silently tiptoe from the sauna to the hot tub.

At Ffolkes you can natter as much as you like, indulge in cocktails from the comfort of a giant hot tub all under the glow of neon lights and a disco ball.

Inside the Norfolk spa are 12 thermal spa experiences across four zones called Ibiza, Sauna, Steam and Cold – and Ffolkes suggests visitors start in ‘Ibiza‘.

The party island-themed zone has a giant hot tub with a bar right beside it, so you can order drinks without leaving the water.

It has everything you could want from beer to wine, bubbles, margaritas, mojitos, winter sangria and non-alcoholic options.

On the outskirts of the tub are heated loungers and foot spas.

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For those who want the quieter spa experience – head to Soft Play which has double loungers, bean bags, a swing and infrared heaters.

When you want to heat up, check out the three saunas – each with its own mood and scent.

The Global Sauna is the spa’s biggest and is where visitors can try a ritual and guided sessions.

The Salt Sauna is filled with the scent of sea fennel, lavender and lemon. 

And the Herbal Sauna infuses heat with botanical smells.

There’s one Aroma steam room which is infused with essential oils and the other is Eucalyptus, a calming spot where you can really clear your head.

To cool off, head to the cold plunge pool which sits between 10-12C.

Visitors can then chill off even more in the mist shower and the ice fountain.

A visit to the spa wouldn’t be complete without a treatment and here, there are many options from Indian Head Massage to facials and scrubs.

All that relaxing is hungry work – and Ffolkes offers lots of food from brunch to quirky afternoon tea.

In the mornings, tuck into full English breakfasts, pancakes, fruit salads and cinnamon rolls.

It also offers a unique afternoon tea with chocolate chip scones and homemade chocolate spread, cheeseburger sausage rolls, Korean BBQ bao buns (from £30pp).

There’s a choice of Indian food every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday evening from butter curries to coconut dahl and flatbreads.

If there’s room for dessert, tuck into a s’mores dip sharer, apple pie or even a cookie dough baked cheesecake.

The spa even has a 9-hole crazy golf course with loop-de-loops and a golf ball vortex – all inside shipping containers.

The spa with a difference in King’s Lynn opened in September 2025 and you can book in for a relaxation session.

Spa sessions start from £65 with the three-hour Twilight experience where guests have access to 12 thermal spa experiences.

It includes unlimited tea and coffee and pick ‘n’ Mix nibbles whilst in the spa.

Half-day sessions either in the morning or afternoon start from £95 which has additional post-spa food in the pub.

This is either Afternoon Street Tea (Monday–Saturday) or Pie FEAST (Sundays).

Morning or afternoon half-day spa with treatment start from £150pp which includes a 45-minute treatment.

The spa offers overnight stays for those who want to relax for more than one day which starts from £300 per night.

The brightly decorated rooms have huge beds and some even have outdoor baths in the courtyard.

The most luxe is the Spa Cabin which has a private hot tub, wood burner, sauna and outdoor shower.

For more on spas, this Bridgerton-like countryside hotel has a beautiful spa, gardens and restaurant.

And this dreamy English staycation with infinity pools, pic ‘n’ mix pantries and new spa gardens.

WHEN it comes to Valentine’s Day, there is often a lot of pressure to do something worthwhile, but you don’t have to splash out on a fancy meal to have a special day.

Skip the five-star restaurant meal and head to something more memorable for a fraction of the price.

Under £50

Scavenger Hunt

Couples who love to explore together should head off on a scavenger hunt.

Available in various cities across the UK, Will Breaker offers a number of themed scavenger hunts from just £16.50 per person.

Each lasts around one-and-a-half hours and you get a photo memento at the end.

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See the new Wuthering Heights in the cinema

Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights finally hits our screens on February 13 – just in time for Valentine’s Day.

The steamy film, starring Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, will be shown at most major UK cinemas.

Tickets to see the new movie cost around £12.99 per adult, making it an affordable Valentine’s date.

Bouldering

For those who prefer a bit more of an active date, head bouldering.

The sport allows for lots of time chatting, but then also moments helping each other to reach the top of a climbing wall.

There are bouldering centres across the UK, so just search for the one neatest to you.

You can expect to pay around £10 for a pass, and if you need shoes and chalk a few more quid on top of that, per person.

Pottery Cafes

Pottery is booming at the moment and with The Great Pottery Throw Down currently on Channel 4, what could be a better excuse than to head on a pottery-themed date?

Across the country there are lots of pottery cafes where you can select an item to paint.

Each item usually has a price, with many starting from around £10-£15 per item.

You then get to paint before your item is fired, usually for a small additional fee.

It is the perfect activity for the creative, but also for chilling and chatting.

Some cafes will even let you bring your own booze…

Boom Battle Bar

Boom Battle Bar has venues across the country, and what is great about this attraction is that you can spend as little or as much as you want to.

Each bar has a range of activities including crazy golf, axe throwing, karaoke pods and shuffleboard.

You can either purchase a bundle to play multiple games and activities or pay as you go, with prices starting from £6 per person.

A trip to the seaside

Who doesn’t like to be beside the seaside?

Wherever you are in the UK, you are never more than two to three hours by car from the sea.

And Valentine’s Day makes the ideal excuse to jump in the car for a mini road trip to the beach.

Top spots include Brighton, where you will find a long pier full of fun activities, pebble beach and narrow alleys full of independent shops.

Alternatively, if in Cornwall or Somerset, why not explore the part of the South West Coast Path that runs through Devon.

National Parks

There are many things you can do across the UK for free as well, and one of those things is visiting one of our many National Parks.

For example, you could head to Dartmoor in Devon to discover disused quarries, explore tors and see wild ponies.

Some spots in National Parks even have free parking.

Or you could head to Kielder Forest, which is has a public observatory and organises over 700 events a year.

The Kielder Observatory is one of the best places to see the night sky as it sits in Europe’s largest Gold-Tier International Dark Sky Park.

There are also lots of forests across the UK with biking trails too, such as Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire.

The forest spans across 27,000 acres of woodland and sits between the Severn and Wye Rivers.

It was also England’s first National Forest Park and today is enjoyed for its hiking and cycling trails as well as attractions such as Puzzlewood.

Valentine’s Day doesn’t need to be expensive…

Under £100

Murder mystery train experience

For something truly unique, head off on a murder mystery dining experience on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway Steam Train.

Costing £100 for two people, you will solve crime while enjoying a meal.

The three-course meal is prepared onboard the train and over the duration of the journey you will see the Yorkshire countryside as you solve missions.

Fancy something more stationary? Then why not head to the stationary Victorian Train Carriage at Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration in London for a ‘journey’ on the Orient Express.

Over the course of 90 minutes, you will solve puzzles and enjoy cocktails and nibbles to unravel the truth behind a murder committed onboard.

The experience costs £80 for two people.

Valentine’s Silent Disco, Natural History Museum

On February 13, you can head to the Natural History Museum for a Silent Disco.

Dancing under Hope the Whale, you can listen to music via headphones and dance with your partner in crime.

The disco starts at 9pm and finishes at midnight.

Tickets cost £36 per person for members or £40 per person for non-members.

If a silent disco isn’t your thing, on actual Valentine’s Day you can head to a museum late event where you can sip on cocktails and learn from the museum’s scientists.

There are even dance classes hosted by Pineapple Dance Studios,

The event starts at 6:45pm and ends at 10:30pm, with tickets costing £36 for members or £40 for non-members.

The Big Bakes

Fan of Bake Off? Well, The Big Bakes might be the date spot for you.

The outdoor immersive 90-minute baking competition allows you to experience the thrill of a marquee just like the one from the TV show.

The Big Bakes has venues across London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool with only a few spots left for Valentine’s Day.

In teams of two, you will create a cake using the tools and ingredients supplied.

The experience costs from £47.99 per person.

ABBA Voyage

Unlike your usual concert, ABBA Voyage features digital ‘ABBAtar’ versions of the band as they looked when they performed in 1979.

The 100-minute show features the four members carrying out a concert as if they are actually on stage, with some of their biggest hits.

It truly is a mind-blowing experience, because you can’t believe the stars in front of you aren’t the real deal.

Seated tickets cost from £38.50 per person, but prices are higher on Valentine’s Day itself.

If you want to splash out extra, access to the Oceanbird Lounge costs £99 before the show and gets you unlimited food and drink.

One-night hotel stay

Why not check-in for the night at a special hotel?

Many hotels across the UK still have availability for Valentine’s Day with prices under £100 total.

For example, you could head to Furzen Farmhouse in Cirencester for £86.

Set in historic stone building surrounded by countryside, the farmhouse has a kitchenette, lounge and picnic area.

Or you could head to The Belfry at Yarcombe for £87 including breakfast.

The four-star B&B is in an old school building and sits in the Blackdown Hills area, making it a great countryside retreat with picturesque walks.

Each bedroom is unique with original features including stained glass windows.

Under £200

Murder Mystery break for two

Across the UK several venues host murder mystery breaks for couples wanting to tackle a challenge together.

For example, via WOWcher, you could book a murder mystery break for two people, with hotel, a three-course meal and breakfast includes at 100 hotels across the country.

Ran by Murder 57, guests can choose where they want to stay – with destinations including Cardiff, Nottingham and Manchester – with 60 different plot lines also to choose from.

For example, you could enter the world of Agatha Christie with A Midsummer Murder.

It costs from £92.99 per person.

Luxury break at The Belfry Hotel and Resort

A romantic getaway is a classic Valentine’s gift and for less than £200 you could head to the Midlands for a break at the Belfry Hotel and Resort.

The hotels’s Love & Luxury Break includes an overnight stay with a three-course meal in the evening including a glass of prosecco each and then a a full English breakfast in the morning.

There is live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights too and guests get full access to The Club for fitness and wellness.

It costs from £169 per room.

Amsterdam mini cruise

Fancy heading out of the country but don’t want to fly?

Well, if you happen to live near Newcastle you can head off on a two-night mini cruise to Amsterdam, in the Netherlands.

Currently being offered on WOWcher for £92.99 per person, you could stay in a private two-berth cabin, get a glass of fizz each, have unlimited luggage allowance and get transfers to and from Amsterdam city centre.

The offer can be redeemed anytime until June 2026.

See a concert

While concert tickets do tend to sell out far in advance, sometimes people’s plans change and then tickets go on resale.

This is the case for some concerts on Valentine’s Day.

For example, you could see James Arthur at M&S Bank Arene Liverpool for £62.75 per person.

Or at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester you could see the Kaiser Chiefs for £51.75 per person.

Spa day

There are lots of different places in the UK where you can head off to for a spa day.

For example, you could head to Riverhills Spa in Ipswich, Suffolk, to experience refurbished facilities.

You can even grab the ‘Sweet Valentine Package’, which includes a 30-minute treatment of your choice, four hours in the spa, hot chocolate and homemade chocolates and a robe, towel and slippers for £85 per person during the week or £95 per person at the weekend.

Alternatively, you could head to Rena Spa at The Midland in Manchester for a spa day for two.

Costing £91 per person, you will receive a meal, spa access and a 50-minute Mud Rasul treatment.

You will also get a complimentary glass of prosecco.

For more ideas on days out, here are 15 attractions in the UK that have £1 per person tickets from huge castles to kid-friendly museums.

Plus, 10 days out in the UK that cost less than a pint from free-to-visit lidos to cheap cinema mornings.

In Trevor Noah’s final opening monologue at the Grammys, the joke that got the loudest laugh in the room was directed at Nicki Minaj’s MAGA alliance.

After six consecutive years of hosting the Grammys, the comedian is stepping down from the emcee role. Last year, Noah’s monologue was focused on the resilience of Los Angeles and paid tribute to the victims of the Palisades and Eaton fires. This year, he poked fun at attending celebrities and commented on the country’s political climate.

When he addressed the fact that Nicki Minaj was not in attendance, the audience applauded in response. He joked that “she is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues: ‘Actually, Nicki, I have the biggest ass, I have it. Everybody’s saying it, Nicki, I know they say it’s you, but it’s me. WAP, WAP, WAP. Look at it, baby,’” Noah said in his best Trump impression.

Last week, Minaj appeared at a U.S. Treasury event, where she stood on stage with President Trump and said, “I am probably the president’s No. 1 fan, and that’s not going to change.”

While detailing what the night ahead entails, Noah compared this year’s Grammys to the 1999 ceremony.

“The last time Lauryn Hill performed at the Grammys was in 1999,” said Noah. “Back in 1999 the president had a sex scandal, people thought computers were about to destroy the world and Diddy was arrested. Boy, how times have changed.”

Noah also poked fun at Jelly Roll, asking if he was able to unlock fellow face-tatted singer Teddy Swims’ phone. He also mentioned that the arena stuffed with A-listers felt somewhat like billionaire Jeff Bezos’ wedding, “but with way more Black people.”

In addition to it being Noah’s final hosting gig, this year’s ceremony is also the last to air on CBS, its home network since 1973. After tonight, it kicks off a 10-year run with Disney. The Grammys will air on ABC, Hulu and Disney+ beginning in 2027.