Forget hoards of tourists and overpriced attractions and head to the North West where you’ll see so much nature it’ll be coming out of your ears! As well as the many mountains, crags and lakes the place is also packed with history! Did you know that Wordsworth and Coleridge sought their poetic muse here in the nineteenth century?
The Lake District is made up of many different towns so you’d need longer than a weekend to see everything. I would also need more than one blog post to cover all the towns so instead I’ve decided to focus on Windermere, which is mostly where I went as a kid:
Guided tours
If you want to make sure that you’ll see as much as possible then there are many guided tours you can take. This is also a great idea if it’s your first time and you’d like to learn more about the place. The Mountain Goat Day Tours company has been voted the no. 1 thing to do in Windermere. If you want to properly benefit from the fresh air you could talk a guided walking tour.
Seeing as the Lake District is famous for…you’ve guessed it…lakes. Why not take a boat tour around Windermere? There’s no better way to get acquainted with the scenery! Most of the vessels are modern, but a few of them date back to the 1930s! You can hop on and hop off at certain places too if there’s a particular area you want to explore.
Walks
Rydal Water is one of most-loved walks in Windermere. It’s a low-level lake and suits people of all abilities. There’s also the option of walking around Windermere lake, of course. It’s the Lake District’s largest lake and is 10.5 miles long so you can decide if you’re brave enough to walk around the whole of it or just go for a little stroll for a few miles.
Gardens
Holehird Gardens are a must if you love greenery! The Lakeland Horticultural Society carries out their work in these gardens and allows the public to come in and appreciate their efforts. It’s also free (but you can give a donation if you like). Feel at one with nature as you walk past pristine flower beds and expertly-pruned hedges and even have a chat with one of the volunteers if you have any questions.
Adventure courses
You don’t need to be a kid to enjoy these adventures! Treetop Trek is full of swinging, climbing and balancing challenges! See if you can make it look as easy as Tarzan did! In the neighbouring town of Grizedale there’s also another tree-top adventure course called Go Ape so why not try them both out?
Steam railway
The Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway is a great activity for the whole family. The railway runs for 3.5 miles along the River Leven so you can imagine how great the views are! You can even become a driver for the day if that’s always been a dream of yours.
Aquarium
For marine-life lovers there’s Lake Aquarium on the banks of Lake Windermere. There’s even the option of handling some of the less-dangerous species! Oscar the Otter is the aquarium’s mascot and makes the experience even more interesting for kids by providing fun, educational games for them.
Museums
The Steamboat Museum houses a collection of steam and motor boats, including the SL Dolly, which is the oldest mechanically-powered boat in the world and was made in 1850.
For the kids (and kids at heart) there’s the World of Beatrix Potter museum, which brings the books to life using life-sized models and themed rooms. There’s also a tea shop and plenty of souvenir hunting opportunities!
Shopping
Lakeland is perfect for those addicted to shopping…even when on holiday! Lakeland specializes in kitchenware and was founded in Windermere. The kitchen aside, if you head to Queen’s Square and Lake Road, then you will find shops and boutiques specializing in everything; arts, locally-made crafts, antiques, clothing souvenirs and lots more. Be sure to buy some local products such as Cumberland Sausage, Caramel Sticky Toffee Pudding, Hawkshead Relish, Grasmere Gingerbread and Kendal Mint Cake.
I have to big up the Kendal Mint Cake here as I love it! It’s made of pure sugar (sorry, dentists!) and is great if you need a quick burst of energy during your sightseeing. It comes in different flavors; white sugar, brown sugar, chocolate-covered and even more.
This was a guest post by Will Thoms.
Canadian expat Carrie Kellenberger has kept a home base with her husband in Asia since 2003. A prolific traveler, Carrie has funded her travels primarily as a writer, editor, travel blogger and photographer, but she has also worked as an educator, voice over artist, model and nightclub singer. She draws upon her 15+ years of travel experience to write about travel-related issues and the countries she has visited on her award-winning web site, My Several Worlds.
Her photography and travel articles have appeared in both print and online publications around the world, including Travel and Leisure Asia, Unearthing Asia and Hip Compass Escapes.
