The 16-day group tour visits the Wrangell-St Elias Mountains and the Denali National Park

The 16-day group tour visits the Wrangell-St Elias Mountains and the Denali National Park. Prices include return flights, taxes, transfers, nine nights’ camping, three nights in a lodge, two nights in a hotel, camp meals and a guide A local fee of £105 is payable Departs 25 June. Sail of the centuries

Sail of the centuries
Get nostalgic at the Barrow Festival of Sail on 4-5 June, when you can see five tall ships, including the Grand Turk. Admission is £3 for adults, £2 for under 16s.Trips on the tall ships on 3 June cost £30 for adults, £20 for under 16s, departing from Belfast Birth, Ramsden Dock Road, Barrow Island, Town Quay, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria (01229 894784; ; )Tattoo you Hear the story of “tattowing” at Skin Deep – A History of Tattooing until 31 October Admission is £3 for adults, £2 for under 16s Family tickets (two adults, two children) cost £8.50.

Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Grape Lane, Whitby, North Yorks (01947 601900; whitby.co.uk; 2005 ).The swimming pool theatreWatch the Little Mermaid Magical Water Theatre. The Big Telly theatre company tells the story of “The Little Mermaid” in a swimming pool, from 2-4 June. For prices and times contact Coleraine Leisure Centre, Railway Road, Coleraine, Co Derry, Northern Ireland (0287 035 6432).Pebble dashHelp break the unofficial world record for the longest line of painted pebbles at Westword Ho! Potwalloping Festival, 28-30 May Free. Seafront, Westward Ho, Devon (0798 0420 754; walloping , britain2005 ).Smuggling upHunt for contraband at Sandgrounders & Smugglers: SeaBritain Treasure Trail on 4 and 5 June, through woods and over the dunes on Formby seashore Admission free; parking £3.20.

Formby, Liverpool (01704 878591; .uk).Here’s ropingGet knotted at Mumbles Navy Days’ demonstrations of ship bottling, knots and rope work on 28-30 May Admission is free. Southend Gardens, Mumbles, Swansea, Wales, (01792 363598; ).Race that trawlerCheer on your favourite trawler at the Weymouth Trawler Race on 30 May Admission is free. The Harbour, Weymouth, Dorset (01305 785 747; ).Kipper timeEat hot kippers at St Monans Sea Queen Day on 4 June from 1pm to 4pm, when the Sea Queen sails into harbour Admission is free Harbour, St Monans, Fife, Scotland. (01333 311552; ). Gift of the gafferWatch 100 decorated yachts sail by at the Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival, 3-5 June, celebrating the bicentenary of Trafalgar. Admission free 7am-6pm, then £5 for dancing on the quay, 3-4 June Free Sunday Yarmouth, Isle of Wight (01983 761704; festival. co.uk)Heroes of D-DayCommemorate D-Day Week on HMS Belfast from 28 May to 5 June, one of the first ships to fire on the Normandy beaches Admission is £8 for adults, free for under 16s Between London Bridge and Tower Bridge.

(020-7940 6300; .uk) Anna Goldrein works for whatsonwhen. ‘So what did you like best about the desert?” I ask. It’s the kind of thing a father says en route to the airport “The sea,” my son replies Well, that’s kids for you

‘So what did you like best about the desert?” I ask. Well, that’s kids for you.
Actually our arrival at Essaouira, on the wild Atlantic coast of Morocco, had been quite something. After five days in the Draa Valley, the dunes of M’hamid and the bustling inferno of Marrakech’s Djemaa al Fna, the sight of this Portuguese fortress and its storm-tossed islands was impressive. Our driver was kind to us and stopped at a vantage point above the town so we could watch the deep blue Atlantic crash – in brilliant sunshine – against the old whitewashed port.John, who had not been taken with the camels, the street traders or even a road trip over the Atlas Mountains, had really gone for Essaouira.