England doesn't have Labor Day, Memorial Day, or other such holidays. Instead we have bank holidays which are basically just a Monday off for no apparent reason! Since this past Monday was the August bank holiday that meant a three-day weekend. Some of my friends and I decided to road-trip to The Lake District - reportedly one of the most beautiful places in the UK. After visiting, I whole-
heartedly concur with this assessment. It took us seven hours to get there, but it was well worth the ride. We arrived
well after dark, so we weren't exactly sure of our surroundings until Saturday morning when we got up to go exploring. First on our list was to head to Beatrix Potter's home.
On the road, we were greeted by these cows crossing the road. It isn't just a funny movie scene - it really happens. In fact, in some places there are cow/sheep-crossing lights to let you know they are there if the crossing is awkwardly placed in a curve. After nearly missing this memory on film, I quickly learned to keep my camera handy at all times.
Hill Top, Beatrix Potter's home. She didn't normally live here, but used it as a get away to write. I believe that she bought it using her Peter Rabbit royalties. When she died she left this farm as well as thousands of acres to The National Trust to preserve the beauty of the area for people like me. You can't really tell in this picture, but smoke was coming from the chimney - it was cold enough that the fire was lit inside! 
The "Mr. McGregor" garden at Hill Top. Can't you just see Peter Rabbit here?
You can't capture the serenity on camera, but here was a try. Even as a tourist area it was really peaceful.
If I lived here, I might have been a writer or a poet, too. The beauty is so inspiring. Wordsworth also lived in this general area.
Another gorgeous view.
After Hill Top, we went to this cute little town - Kendal. We think that the pictured building is the town hall, or belfry as they are sometimes called here. I'm actually including this picture and the next so that you can see the changeability of British weather. These two pictures are taken two car lengths apart. Amazing isn't it?
For dinner, we stopped here. I indulged in my first ever bangers and mash, a regional specialty. It is three Cumberland sausages (we were in the county Cumbria) with mashed potatoes all covered with a brown onion gravy. It was quite tasty. However, lest you try this at home with dreadful results, let me tell you that sausage here is absolutely not what you think of when you hear the word sausage and mashed potatoes are really just baked potatoes smashed up a bit, not the creamy goodness with added milk and butter that you picture. No less delicious, but decidedly different. It was also pretty cool to eat in a building that is older than my country!!
On the road, we were greeted by these cows crossing the road. It isn't just a funny movie scene - it really happens. In fact, in some places there are cow/sheep-crossing lights to let you know they are there if the crossing is awkwardly placed in a curve. After nearly missing this memory on film, I quickly learned to keep my camera handy at all times.
Hill Top, Beatrix Potter's home. She didn't normally live here, but used it as a get away to write. I believe that she bought it using her Peter Rabbit royalties. When she died she left this farm as well as thousands of acres to The National Trust to preserve the beauty of the area for people like me. You can't really tell in this picture, but smoke was coming from the chimney - it was cold enough that the fire was lit inside! 
The "Mr. McGregor" garden at Hill Top. Can't you just see Peter Rabbit here?
You can't capture the serenity on camera, but here was a try. Even as a tourist area it was really peaceful. 
If I lived here, I might have been a writer or a poet, too. The beauty is so inspiring. Wordsworth also lived in this general area.
Another gorgeous view.
After Hill Top, we went to this cute little town - Kendal. We think that the pictured building is the town hall, or belfry as they are sometimes called here. I'm actually including this picture and the next so that you can see the changeability of British weather. These two pictures are taken two car lengths apart. Amazing isn't it?
For dinner, we stopped here. I indulged in my first ever bangers and mash, a regional specialty. It is three Cumberland sausages (we were in the county Cumbria) with mashed potatoes all covered with a brown onion gravy. It was quite tasty. However, lest you try this at home with dreadful results, let me tell you that sausage here is absolutely not what you think of when you hear the word sausage and mashed potatoes are really just baked potatoes smashed up a bit, not the creamy goodness with added milk and butter that you picture. No less delicious, but decidedly different. It was also pretty cool to eat in a building that is older than my country!!
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