England – Wandering Around the Lake District

In 1999, I guess I was starting a tradition of a big annual trip. Where was my next one to be? I was still in my early days of traveling internationally, so I wanted to travel to someplace safe and easily navigate. England! They even speak the same language!

I looked through REI’s trips again since I had good luck with my Mexico trip. I found a hiking trip in the Lake District of England which sounded interesting. Bring a compass, and they’ll provide a map and transport your luggage from one place to another. You need to walk from point A to point B each week. That was really appealing to me as I could go at my own pace and spend the time enjoying the sites.

I made all of my reservations including business class tickets to London using miles. How exciting! I’d flown in business class domestically but never internationally. A little side note about my first business class flight domestically. I felt completely out of place. The guy next to me ordered some hard drinks while I ordered milk with my dinner. And then I played on my GameBoy afterward!

Anyway, everything was all scheduled and I was looking forward to my trip. But a week before, REI called me and said that there weren’t enough people to run the trip. Oh shit! What do I do? I spent some time talking with them about options, and they agreed to have the guide still meet me at the first hotel to provide me with maps and guidance I could use. However, I’d be responsible for my hotels and transportation.

I remember that a few years previously, my parents had traveled to the UK and, for part of their trip, they just moved from one B&B to another without reservations. What a great idea! What flexibility! That became my plan. I’d start at the hotel where the REI guide would meet me and stay there one night. And then find hotels in the area to stay at subsequent nights. Let’s just say that’s the last time I did this!

I flew to London and stayed in London for one night. I took the train from London to Windemere in the Lake District the next day, which was about a 4-hour train ride. I arrived at the hotel mid-day and was shown to my super tiny room. Picture a room about as wide as two single beds with a desk at the end by the window and the tiniest black and white TV you can imagine. And the bathroom was down the hall. Not exactly what I was expecting. Most of the hotel rooms were bigger with ensuites but I’d been given this room as a solo traveler. It honestly didn’t matter… I was in England!

That evening, I met with the REI guide in the living room of the B&B. He showed me the maps of areas for good hiking. This was when I learned that “hiking” meant that you could wander through farms and sheep fields as long as you closed the gates behind you! It sounded wonderful.

I spent the evening planning my next day including trying to find the next hotel. I spoke with the owner and spent time telling her my master plan of moving from one hotel to another and finding a room. She pointed out that it would be very tough because it was late August/early September when everyone is on vacation so hotels are booked. Those of you that know me can imagine my panic. I don’t like uncertainty, especially when I travel! She called a few places (this was before the internet and cell phones) to see some options. Everywhere was booked up. The lady showed pity on me and told me that the room I was currently in was available for the remainder of the time I planned to spend in the Lake District, so that hotel in Bowness-Upon-Windemere became my base. It couldn’t have worked out better. I was able to unpack, settle in, and enjoy the town in a way I wouldn’t have otherwise.

For the next couple of days, I used my map and hiked in different directions out of Bowness-Upon-Windemere. What a magical way to see the area. I walked through small towns, along the beaches of Lake Windemere, through sheep fields, past streams, and on and on. It was relaxing and enjoyable to just figure out from one day to the next which direction to go.

One day, I crossed the Windemere ferry which was a super cute ferry that holds 18 cars (cute when compared to the Washington State Ferries that I’m used to). I followed my map and again found a peaceful route through sheep farms and other lands that were part of the national trust. In this case, there were lots of trails going in different directions, and I didn’t always consult my map. After heading outbound for a while, I realized that I hadn’t kept track of my route, so I worried about getting back. I decided to turn around while I still remembered my way. It was a 2-hour hike instead of the 4-5 hours I had planned… still not too bad.

Another day, I headed out of Bowness-Upon-Windemere through a couple of towns and into some fields. There was a hill marked on my map where I thought I’d get a great view of the entire lake, the town, and the surrounding area. Following my map and using my compass, I meandered through the fields. It was super foggy so it was sometimes difficult to see much beyond a few feet in front of me. I finally headed up a pretty big hill and made it to the top only to find fog. Oh well! It was worth the effort to get there. However, I realized that I wasn’t on the hill I had been planning to climb at this point. Some of the other landmarks I had expected to encounter (streams with bridges and such) were nowhere to be seen. I stood on the top of that hill, realizing I had no idea where I was! I searched the map for anything that looked like where I might be but the map didn’t have elevations marked so it was difficult to tell. After a few minutes of panic, I decided to walk back down how I came and start looking for landmarks on the map. I eventually came across a road (unmarked) so I followed that into a town. It turned out that I was on the opposite side of the hill than where I started! Fortunately, it wasn’t too far away so I worked my way back to the hotel, following the roads and street signs.

While the first part of this trip was nothing like I expected, it was still lovely. I found a small deli in town that made the best quiches. I sat in the living room of the hotel reading my book. And I spent my days hiking through farmlands and forests. What a treat!

After a week in the Lake District, I returned to London. I was so fortunate to use my points to stay at a hotel on Park Lane. I knew at the time that it was a great location. Over time, I’ve learned that Park Lane is one of the most exclusive areas in London.

What can I say about London? It is an amazing city with such interesting history. My hotel was very central so I just wandered out in each direction each day. One day was towards Harrod’s, Hyde Park, and Kensington Palace. Another day was toward the Parliament building and Westminster Abbey. It was my first time in London so I tried to see everything – the British Museum, the Tower of London, etc.

I also took the time to see a few plays. One was Starlight Express. As a big Andrew Lloyd Webber fan, it felt like a must-see. What a surprise too. It was all on roller skates and they had skate paths built all around the theater, including screens that showed skating behind the scenes. It is simply a fun play to see. I also saw The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), a parody of all of his plays done by three actors. It was fantastically fun and I highly recommend it if you ever have a chance to see it.

While this trip had some glitches in planning and execution, it was still one of my favorite trips where I just got to do what I wanted, on my own schedule.