Rob McNicoll

A 3G iPhone can definitely be useful. Particularly when you're half way to the Lake District and the dog's just chewed your map in half. But when you get there, you just want to shut the thing off and live life off the map for a while. which is why we raided our collective contacts book to find the best places to flee civilisation in the UK. Just don't tell anyone.

Think California's kooky? Try Arizona for size, a state so sublimely eccentric it's taking over the west withess weirdness.

1: Titan Missile Silo, Green Valley
The only remaining Titan missile silo in the country houses an original ICBM in its underground launch tube. Sit in the commander's chair and allow the curator to take you all the way through the ignition sequence, and go to bed in the adjoining bunker wondering whether there'll be a world outside tomorrow.

We're all familiar with the idea that roads are the arteries of a city. Despite the difficulty of using them in London, it still holds true. The canals mean something else. They're more like the intestines of a place: slow moving, hidden passages, often full of effluent. But if you can get past the smell, you'll find they're a home to unfamiliar fauna; they are the silent connections between startling places.

It's that time again - the few months of the year when the sun is fairly consistent. So dust off that two-man dome, pack up your gas stove and blow-up bed, and head to one of the UK's best campgrounds. Want a sea view? Fancy a hike in the woods? Not sure where to go? Our expert has done the legwork for you. Here is WideWorld's pick.

LUXURY CAMPING

Abbey Home Farm
Burford Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire
01285 640441
Spoil your inner foodie at Abbey Home Farm where the eco-conscious organic shop offers up farm-reared meats, home-pasteurised milk and veg from the garden.