Kaiserslautern American
Page 12
February 9, 2024
Photo by Pajor Pawel/Shutterstock.com
The GREATest BRITAIN road trip, Part 4: Lake District, England
Buttermere Lake, part of the Lake District, England.
Story and photo by Leonie Milde contributing writer for MilitaryInGermany.com As we slowly make our way north, we arrive back in England. In Lake District, to be exact. Otherwise known as Lakelands or just The Lakes and located in the county of Cumbria in the north-west of England, it’s less than a 3-hour drive from Llandudno in Wales. With a population density of only 18 people per square kilometre and 900 square miles of nature, it’s yet another perfect destination to relax and unplug. Trust the 19 million tourists that travel to the park ever year as well as the countless poets and writers that visited the area for inspiration and plan a trip there during your stay in Europe. Since hotels, restaurants and other public establishments rely heavily on the profit from the summer months, the entire area is extremely child- and dog-friendly,
Panoramic view of the Lake District, England.
allowing your furry friends to enter many of the hotels, restaurants, pubs and cafés. Check out this list of 25 thing to do in the Lakes with your dog for more ideas. Children will love the area’s connection with Peter Rabbit, since his creator, Beatrix Potter, loved the Lakes and aside from vacationing there all her life, lived, drew and wrote there for years. Her cottage, Hill Top Farm is a museum now and should not be missing on your itinerary. Buttermere A ‘mere’ is basically a lake that’s too shallow to deserve the term. Since Buttermere isn’t open for swimming anyway, we shall treat it as a lake nonetheless since it’s a large body of fresh water and that’s what I think of when I imagine a lake. You can walk around the whole mere in circa 1.5 hours and since it’s a very even path, it’s ideal for children as well. The scenery around the lake is absolutely stunning and very diverse boasting forests, meadows, hills (to look at not to hike),
Leonie at Cat Bells fell summit.
sheep, cows, waterfalls and a mini beach. The walk is equal parts relaxing and simply beautiful and should 100% be on your itinerary during your time in the Lakes, if only because, and I cannot stress this enough, Syke Farm Tearoom has the best scones. End the walk with a cup of tea and a hot scone or a bowl of soup at Syke Farm Tea Room right next
to the parking spot. Drive back to Keswick via the gorgeous Honister Pass and stop at the Slate Mine Museum for even more highlights in one day. Cat Bells This little mountain had me crying three minutes in but 11-year-olds were overtaking me all the time so it might not have been as hard as I made it. (Yes,
I used my dying breath to ask random children for their age because I couldn’t believe how unfit I actually am..) The steep walk that doesn’t stop being steep until you made it to the top ends with a sweet sweet view that may have even been worth this neardeath experience. Make sure to wear hiking boots for the ground is uneven at times and there is a mini climb involved.
