Jen Chase

We know how it goes: one day you’re loving life in this fine city of ours, the next day you’ve had it with the hustle and need to get away from it all. If a weekend getaway isn’t in the cards, perhaps you can spare a few precious hours for a visit to one of the best spas in NYC. These spas dish out serious serenity in the form of massages, facials and other relaxing treatments so you can be refreshed and on the way to stress-free bliss. Spas are not just for melting away stress (though that’s certainly a welcome side effect) — these spas offer services that can soothe sore muscles, refresh tired skin or get you ready for a beach weekend or big night out. Others offer facilities where you can spend a full day unwinding (girls’ day, anyone?). Some offer or even specialize in couples massages for a romantic date option. NYC spas range from affordable to all-out luxurious. Treat yourself to a pampering at one of these spas — you deserve it.

Calling Las Vegas locals with a penchant for shopping: Do you even tell your out-of-state friends how spoiled you are with your access to endless Las Vegas stores? Do you admit that ogling couture at places like the Forum Shops and Via Bellagio is (almost) as fulfilling as actual shopping in Las Vegas? Maybe you do, maybe you don’t. But if you’re considered the go-to Shopping Guide to Las Vegas, here’s what we hope would make your list... And remember: Things in Sin City can change faster than a girl in her closet on club night, so check websites for hours of operation before leaving your home or hotel. Most important? Check these places out for the best in Las Vegas shopping.

Quick: When you hear "Las Vegas," what comes to mind as you plan downtime in Sin City? We bet "go see art" didn't even make your top 10... but it should.There was a time when art in Las Vegas wasn't located in a Vegas art gallery, but relegated to whatever you were lucky enough to see in a hotel room. (And frankly, if you've been at the Four Seasons since its 2013 room revamp, or walked through the Cosmopolitan's dreamily digital lobby art, you know that some of the most beautiful art in Vegas hangs not in Las Vegas art galleries but in the Strip's finest hotels themselves!)The truth is, art in Las Vegas does unexpectedly sneak up on you: the displays at Bellagio's Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, the Palazzo's seasonal lobby displays, the Wynn's arbors and hanging topiaries with their explosive florals. But with just a wee bit of planning, art in Las Vegas can leave quite the lasting impression.Start with James Turrell's interactive light installation, Akhob (located, of all places, on a hard-to-find floor of the Crystals at CityCenter's Louis Vuitton). A permanent feature of Las Vegas' art landscape, the installation envelops you in colors you can feel.Off the Venetian's lobby is Imagine Exhibitions, the hotel's in-house space for rotating programming like Da Vinci The Exhibition—a hands-on look at da Vinci's life, research and art. (And before you leave the building, hit Madame Tussaud's for a little art kitsch!) The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art is a stop for the world'

Craft beer in Las Vegas is becoming so popular that the city sports a fair share of anticipated annual events for Las Vegas craft beer enthusiasts who want to get their brew on (the Great Vegas Festival of Beer is a perfect example). But, if the simple pleasure of sipping good craft beer in Las Vegas is more your speed, there are plenty of spots to sit and enjoy your favorites.Aces & Ales fancies itself the best craft beer bar in Las Vegas, with a live online tap list you can peek at before walking in. The chain Yard House—either at Town Square, Red Rock Resort, or its newest location at the LINQ—has some 150 beers on draft (good food, too).The Freakin’ Frog near UNLV serves nearly 1,200 beers and specializes in the crafty ones. Big Dog’s is an honest-to-goodness local craft brewery in Las Vegas serving its signature and seasonal beers all year. Money Plays is a dive bar with eclectic craft beer offerings. And right on the Strip is the new Double Barrel Roadhouse, with its Southern-inspired craft cocktails and beers. Bottoms up, to sipping something different in Sin City.

Do you need another reason to explore the city this weekend? If the answer is yes, you may want to get yourself onto the streets of Bristol this afternoon.  Cult UK urban artist, and Free Art Friday founder My Dog Sighs, is using Bristol as this week's free art destination. What does this mean to you? The possibility to bag yourself a piece of beautiful original artwork – for free! Now keep your eyes peeled, this is the piece you're looking for: My Dog Sighs     Bristol's a big city, so it may be of use keeping an eye on the #freeartfriday hashtag, and My Dog Sighs' Facebook and Instagram pages to help point you in the right direction.   The piece won't be around for long, so get your shoes on ready. If you can't quite find this one, make sure to head to Upfest next weekend for more free art and a load more painty goodness.  If you aren't quick enough to find the free art, console yourself by going to the Graffitti Art in Bristol exhibition at the Arnolfini this Sunday.   

Bristol can boast a strong cultural and artistic heritage, as well as an impressive range of emerging new talent too. And what better way to see some of the best new artwork from the city's freshest talent than at the Bristol School of Art's End of Year Show on Friday 19 June?   After a year honing their craft in a foundation diploma in Art & Design, the fledgling artists and designers will be displaying their final work in the iconic setting of the Bristol School of Art, Queens Road, in the right hand wing of the Royal West of England Academy.   The exhibition will feature a vibrant mixture of pieces from over 70 different artists, with five studios transformed into five unique and surprising spaces.   So, join the thousands of feet that have treaded paint into the floors over the past 100 years – including past students, and four-time Turner Prize nominee, Richard Long.   With so many artists displaying work, the odds of bumping into a burgeoning star is practically guaranteed.   The private viewing will take place on June 19, from 5-8.30pm, with general public access on June 20, 21, 22 and 23, from 10am-4pm.   <img id="6bb2c950-db7e-5c70-b857-de5f73131cf1" class="photo lazy inline" src="http://media.timeout.com/images/102639032/image.jpg" alt="" align="middle" data-caption="" data-credit="Robyn Butler" data-width-class="100" data-mce-src="http://media.timeout.com/images/102639032/image.jpg"> Robyn Butler   Still want more of an art fix? Here are fiv