Harry Potter famously left for Hogwarts by running through a King’s Cross Station wall and emerging at Platform 9¾. Possibly to discourage people from attempting it, the station has its own magical Potter photo op: a luggage trolley embedded into a wall between the real platforms 8 and 9, providing the joyful illusion that you’re heading for Hogsmeade Station rather than, say, Leeds. Neighbouring St Pancras Station, with its more striking gothic facade, was used for the station’s exterior shots – a decision that had Londoners grumbling about accuracy in a movie that also features a flying car and a bank run by goblins. It’s a cottage industry these days, with a professional photographer on hand to capture the moment and a Harry Potter shop nearby. Then you can hop on the Met line to Watford and see the whole platform recreated at the franchise’s studio tour. Phil de Semlyen

Fun fact Platform 9¾ was actually filmed between platforms 4 and 5, where the Victorian brickwork is more substantial than on the real 9 and 10.

🎬Read our review of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

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No matter what’s trending in fitness or fashion, we’ll never abandon one of our most trusted pieces of workout gear: a great pair of leggings. While the closet staple is sometimes purely functional, the best pairs can withstand a long leg day (squats included) and look good doing it. When it comes to flattering fits, these butt-lifting leggings check all the boxes — particularly when it comes to showing off the backside. Look good, feel good, right?

You might’ve already seen some of these booty-lifting leggings trending on social media, but we thoroughly vetted the best ones based on editor testing and thousands of reviews. Ahead, shop some of our favorite pairs that’ll give your glutes a quick lift and your confidence an instant boost. All of these butt-sculpting leggings will make your booty look great whether you’re working up a sweat at the gym or lounging around at home. Our picks include the viral scrunch-butt leggings, and a few compression leggings that’ll keep you held in, but they all give that similar sought-after lift. Our editors test new leggings regularly (we’re talking at least one new pair a month), so we know the difference between a letdown and a truly supportive fit — especially when it comes to glute-enhancing power. That’s why we included a handful of our top-tested, so you can get the best of the best.

Our Favorite Butt-Lifting Leggings to Shop

How We Test the Best Butt-Lifting Leggings

As fairly active people, us PS editors have, without really meaning to, become accidental connoisseurs of butt-lifting leggings — and it shows. Over the years, we’ve tested countless pairs during workouts, commutes, long-haul flights, and Netflix marathons, and the list below features some of our all-time faves (the ones we’ll keep reordering until they stop making them, which they better not).

Here’s what we paid attention to during testing:

Lift and Sculpt – Did they actually enhance and support our glutes, or just look cute on the hanger?

– Did they actually enhance and support our glutes, or just look cute on the hanger? Comfort – Could we wear them all day without tugging, adjusting, or feeling like we were being gently vacuum-sealed?

– Could we wear them all day without tugging, adjusting, or feeling like we were being gently vacuum-sealed? Waistband Stay-Power – Did the high waist stay put through squats and lunges? No one likes a roll-down mid-burpee.

– Did the high waist stay put through squats and lunges? No one likes a roll-down mid-burpee. Breathability – Were they sweat-wicking and breathable, or did they trap heat and cling like plastic wrap?

– Were they sweat-wicking and breathable, or did they trap heat and cling like plastic wrap? Compression – Did they offer that satisfying “held in” feel without cutting off circulation?

– Did they offer that satisfying “held in” feel without cutting off circulation? Stretch and Recovery – Did the fabric stretch comfortably but snap back into shape after workouts and washes?

– Did the fabric stretch comfortably but snap back into shape after workouts and washes? Versatility – Could we wear them from gym to brunch without a full outfit change?

The butt-lifting leggings we chose for the list below combine good design with serious performance — and yes, they made our butts look fantastic while doing it.

User reviews may have been lightly edited for clarity.

Update on June 17, 2025 at 10:00 AM ET: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.

Tim Graham/Getty Images

Air travel these days ain’t what it used to be. The seats are cramped, legroom is scarce, the meals aren’t free, the bathrooms are tiny, and every inch is packed with passengers. Can you tell I just survived a long-haul flight?

That sardine-can experience got me daydreaming about the golden age of flying — the 1950s to the 1970s — when airlines succeeded at creating a genuinely luxurious experience. Think of real meals, lounges, cocktail bars, spacious seats, and limitless legroom — and we’ve got the photos to prove it.

1. “More room than you’d find on a modern train.”

Big empty lounge on a 1970s flight

2. “Pan Am 747SP First Class dining – 1970s”

Pan Am 747SP First Class dining – 1970s

3. “Was the flying in the 70s really like this, or is it just good old PR?”

Passengers getting a delicious meal on a flight in the 1970s

4. “You have to love orange shag carpet on a plane.”

Luxury cabin on a 1970s plane with orange, shag carpet

5. “This 1970s first class section looks like it’s straight out of Star Trek.”

Empty lounge area in the 1970s airplane

6. “It’s funny that there’s more room in this lounge on a 1970s airplane than there is at the waiting room by the gate now.”

Empty lounge on 1970s flight

7. “These people flying in the 1970s didn’t even know how good they had it.”

Lounge area on a 1970s flight

8. “Imagine a time they served fresh shellfish on a flight.”

Woman being served lobster on a flight in the 70s

9. “The good old days of flying”

Photo of a chef on a flight offering passengers food

10. “Flying in Style (1966)”

via Reddit.com

11. “Flying 1st class in the 60s”

Michael Ochs Archives/Stringer

12. “Keep the pretzels coming, lady.”

Found Image Holdings Inc/Contributor

13. Passengers aboard a TriStar jetliner. Each passenger in this photo has approximately seven square feet of space. (1967)

Bettmann/Contributor

14. “If this photo were taken today, there would be 120 people sitting in this space.”

Large, spacious inside of a 1970s airplane

15. “Crazy to think there were actually bars with bartenders on some 1970s flights.”

Lounge on a luxury flight in the 70s

16. “Flights in the 1970s sometimes had actual dining tables you were served at.”

People being served coffee in first class in the 1970s

17. “The wood banisters on this 1970s plane remind me of my parent’s house.”

Family playing cards on a luxury flight in the 1970s

18. “Casually walking down the spiral staircase to the downstairs lounge. Flying in the 70s was something else.”

Flight attendant walking downstairs on a flight in the early 70s

19. “Sir, would you like another?”

People relaxing in the lounge of a luxury flight in the 70s

20. “Is that a widescreen TV or just a big photo of the Grand Canyon?”

Mosaic of different images of what taking a flight in the 1970s was like

21. “These people wouldn’t last an hour on a Spirit Airlines flight.”

4 people relaxing in the lounge of a 1970s flight

22. “Leather seats on a plane are luxurious on their own.”

Empty long lounge on a 1970s flight

23. “Remember what we’ve lost.”

Bar on an airplane in the 1970s

24. “Back when they had actual chefs on flights.”

Passengers being served a delicious meal in the 1970s on a plane

25. “Gotta save room for dessert.”

Woman on a plane being served dessert from a tray

26. “Wait, a charcuterie board?”

Couple getting served a charcuterie board on a flight in the 1970s

27. “This Pan Am dining area is nicer than any restaurants I eat at.”

Inside of a pan am flight from the 70s

28. “Wait, they had t.v.’s on airplanes back then?”

Inside of a luxury plane from the 1970s

29. Passengers relaxing on the sleeper seats on the new Comet 4 from New York to London in 1958.

Douglas Miller/Stringer

The post 29 Vintage Airline Photos That’ll Make You Miss the Good Ol’ Days of Flying appeared first on Wealth Gang.

If you’re reading this article right now, you’re probably either (a) planning a trip with your squad, or (b) desperately in need of one. Either way, you’ve come to the right place.

I believe everyone deserves to ditch town with their besties and live their best movie-montage life every once in a while, and that’s why I scoured the world (wide web) for the 31 best places for a girls’ trip. And lucky for you and your crew, I’ve got picks for literally every budget, and both domestic and international travel (because sometimes you wanna use your passport, sometimes ya don’t, right?). Bar-hopping in Brooklyn? Check. De-stressing in Fiji? Hell yeah. Literally anything in Mexico? Sure, gotchu!

If I can give you a little advice, it would be to start the conversation now, because let’s be real—we don’t want to prolong the amount of time you sit hunched over at your desk without your best friends and a piña colada in your hand, do we? I mean, the Maldives are waiting! So, without further ado, here’s my list of the 31 best girls’ trips for your handy-dandy reference, with suggestions on where to stay while you’re in town. Send it to your group chat immediately with tentative dates, and watch your dream vacay unfold. Now go forth, get planning! Just don’t forget to pack SPF, or else I’ll yell at you.

Summer is synonymous with travel. The sun is out and the day is long, and everyone seems eager to enjoy some of the most famously bright spots of the world. But when you follow suit, suddenly those places are not as picture-perfect as they seem.

High temperatures can make exploring famed locales feel like a marathon, while the alternative of relaxing on a sandy beach can feel akin to an open-air barbecue. And not to mention, people seem to be everywhere — crowds flock to the same places you want to see, making the experience less exciting in the moment. In all, the same ol’ summer travel isn’t what it used to be. So as this coming summer looms, a new trend hopes to skip this increasingly familiar but not-so-sunny scenario. Travelers are considering taking “coolcations” instead.

“When we think of a summer vacation, often beaches come to mind,” Expedia travel expert Melanie Fish says. “Coolcations are all about opting for places where the temperatures are more moderate. I live in Austin, where the summers are in the triple digits, so I’m a big believer in this trend. Give me a sweatshirt instead of a sweat-ing destination.”

June through August of 2024 was the hottest summer on record, and this year will likely be no different. It was also a period marked by record-breaking travel. Planning a coolcation to a place that isn’t as hot — say, less than 80 degrees tops — allows you to do more activities comfortably, and likely with fewer fellow tourists. “If you’re not choosing to go to the theme parks of Florida, for instance, then you’re probably also going to skip a lot of crowds,” Fish says. “And there will probably be more to do that feels adventurous, like jumping in a lake or hiking through a forest.”

If you’re dreaming of summer and the thought of a coolcation sounds appealing, then read on for five pro-approved destinations that’ll encourage you to get off the hot and very beaten path.

Experts Featured in This Article

Melanie Fish is a travel expert and the head of global PR for Expedia Group Brands.

Inga Rós Antoníusdóttir is the general manager of North Europe for Intrepid Travel, an adventure travel operator.

Nadia Bess is a Fora travel advisor specializing in luxury adventure travel.

Nicole Campoy Jackson is a Fora advisor specializing in boutique travel.

5 Best Coolcation Destinations, According to Travel Experts

Scandinavia

Inga Rós Antoníusdóttir, the general manager of Intrepid North Europe, says she’s definitely seen a rise in coolcation travel. “Beyond simply avoiding extreme heat, wildfires, and sometimes even lack of water, our travelers show great interest in experiencing pristine nature, fewer crowds, and unique cultural experiences,” she notes. “Destinations in northern Europe perfectly align with these preferences by providing exceptional natural beauty, tranquility, and cultural richness without having to deal with heat waves.”

Norway makes Rós Antoníusdóttir’s list of potential coolcations given its distinctive landscape. “With its amazing fjords, Norway provides unparalleled opportunities for hiking, kayaking, and scenic train journeys,” she says. “The landscapes are at their peak in summer, with lush green valleys, blooming wildflowers, sparkling fjords, towering waterfalls, and amazing wildlife roaming the land.”

Fora travel agent Nadia Bess would also pick Norway and the rest of Scandinavia. “Sweden and Finland, which are less busy than the more popular neighbors of Iceland and Norway, offer a huge diversity of summer travel options, without record-breaking temperatures or prices,” she says. And since the sun is a near-constant companion, you could even plan to have a midnight picnic or stay in a year-round ice hotel.

Fora travel advisor Nadia Bess would also pick Norway and the rest of Scandinavia. “Sweden and Finland, which are less busy than the more popular neighbors of Iceland and Norway, offer a huge diversity of summer travel options, without record-breaking temperatures or prices,” she says. And since the sun is a near-constant companion, you could even plan to have a midnight picnic or stay in a year-round ice hotel.

Canada

There are many different ways to experience the beauty of Canada, which is why Fish would put it on her list. Sure, you could travel to one of its many cities for endless fun, but Fish would take a slower approach by renting a cottage in one of its quiet lake towns. This would be an ideal getaway for families who want to spend their entire vacations swimming, kayaking, water skiing, and more.

“The lakes of Canada would be in their prime season, but it would still be considered a coolcation,” Fish says. Just make sure to lock down your cabin quickly — reservations are bound to fill up fast.

Bess agrees with a trip to Canada, and says that its wilderness is often overshadowed by Alaska for American tourists. “There are amazing lodges, many accessible only by seaplane, boat, or helicopter,” she says. “On the East Coast of Canada, there is an incredible collection of lodges where you can safely observe polar bears on foot as they roam their natural habitat. You’ll also have the chance to spot wolves, moose, belugas, red and Arctic foxes, and even the rare wolverine.”

Michigan

For those who want to stay closer to home, but still hope to feel like they’re on an escape, Fish suggests heading to the Upper Peninsula — it’s the part of Michigan that feels very remote. “Summer days hover in the 70s,” she says, “and it’s prime vacation season.” You could rent a Vrbo cabin in the woods, she adds, and spend long days fishing in a lake and cooking the catch over an open fire. And if you weren’t lucky enough to hook dinner, don’t worry, it’s much easier to make s’mores.

Scotland

From the history of Edinburgh and the breathtaking scenery of the Highlands, Fora advisor Nicole Campoy Jackson recommends a trip to Scotland this summer. “Scotland doesn’t get particularly hot, even in August,” she says. “It has sunny days, but not so much that you’re fanning yourself after a bit of sightseeing.”

It might be a good opportunity to plan a visit around the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest performing arts showcase in the world, during its three-week run in August. From there, you could take a boat ride on the famous Loch Ness — keeping an eye out for mysterious shadows in the water — and perhaps take a train to Glasgow for its own art and architecture.

Southern Africa

Bess has an idea for travelers who really want to think outside the box: Use your coolcation to travel to a different season entirely. “South Africa and the surrounding countries are in winter during the US summer,” she says. “However, it does not get that cold, especially in the safari regions that are closer to the equator. Plus, the winter season means fewer bugs and crowds, and better pricing.”

Bess calls a safari at this time of year the “secret season,” and notes that it also coincides with the whale watching and flower blooming seasons. In all, it’s one way to get the best of both worlds: Lots of outdoor adventures followed by poolside relaxation in the city — without breaking too much of a sweat.