And how lucky were we with the weather????!!!!
Had a glorious week in the Lakes - I even got a suntan It only rained at night, and one day (after 3pm on the Thursday)...amazing.
As promised, I took this thread with me and we managed to fit in:
Marthamoo's Holiday Diary!
Saturday: arrived, unpacked, explored round cottage.
Sunday: Drove around Kendal for HOURS looking for Asda. Found Morrison's. Shopped. Walked round Sandside (where we were staying) and the estuary with the kids when we got back. Had a pint in the Ship Inn.
Monday: went to Ambleside, had a picnic in the park (glorious sunny day), excellent childrens' playground there. Went on to Keswick, walked alongside Derwentwater - so beautiful. Kids chucked stones in water, and shrieked a lot thus disturbing other people's peaceful contempation of the scenery. Jet plane flew over VERY low and scared both boys witless - ds2 didn't stop shaking for ages. Much tutting and shouting at the "naughty plane." Saw Friar's Crag of pencil fame. Went to Ashness Bridge and pootled about, getting in the way of people trying to take photographs. Climbed up and looked down on Derwentwater and over at view of Bassenthwaite - breathtaking. Realised ds2's fingers were going blue as I was holding his hand so tightly so climbed down again.
Tuesday: popped over to the Yorkshire Dales and very pretty village of Ingleton. had gone with intention of walking to the waterfalls there but were told it was strenuous and not eminently suitable for a 2 year old. Had very nice (and reasonable) lunch in a pub called The Wheatsheaf then went to White Scar caves and did the tour - fantastic, well worth a trip (£20 for a 80 minute tour) - also got to wear rather fetching red Bob the Builder hats.
Wednesday: Drove over to Ravenglass (long drive from Kendal but through the most awesome scenery) and got L'all Ratty to Eskdale. Fanbloodytastic! Ds2 (who is Train Boy writ large) thought he'd died and gone to Heaven. Had lunch in the Brook House Inn which was a short walk from the station, then got the train back. Ds2 fell asleep on the train with the excitement of it all. He stayed asleep while we loaded him in the car (after buying him an Engine Driver's hat in the gift shop!) and while we drove to Muncaster Castle AND while we stuck him in the pushchair and went to see the owls. Another super place - I didn't think I'd be too overwhelmed by the owls but I found them fascinating. We went round the castle - ds1 was relieved and disappointed in equal measure not to see a ghost in the reputedly haunted Tapestry Room. We did the Vole Maze - excellent, and we were the only ones in there so had it to ourselves. Then the playground, then the Sinai-Himalayan walk (hard work with a buggy, even minus occupant!) There was too much to see - we could have spent all day there, our car was the last one in the car park when we left at 6.30. Had fish and chips on the way home. Fab.
Thursday: Grizedale Forest. Recommend lunch in their cafe - huge plate of beans on toast for £2.50 (dh and I had yummy pork and apple burgers). We were a bit disappointed when we realised we weren't going to see all the scupltures in one day (spread out, as they are, over the whole of the forest) but we did the easy peasy walk and the kids liked the little houses and the musical hitting with a stick type sculptures. Was absolutely teeming with schoolkids though - would have been better on a quieter day.
Came home and went to Kendal paper mill - I bought a ream of paper and card for £6.99. They had to tell me they were closing in 5 minutes as I was in Stationery Heaven! Have to keep telling myself now that the paper is to be used, and not hoarded and gloated over in private.
Got hopelessly and completely lost on the way back driving round and round Kendal in the rain - kids whingeing and fighting in the back, stuck in traffic, kept finding ourselves heading for Penrith. Decided to avoid Kendal for remainder of holiday. STILL didn't find Asda.
Friday: Haverthwaite-Lakeside steam train, then boat to Bowness. Journey was a lot of fun, though we had to queue for the first time all holiday. Wasn't wild about Bowness - it's a bit like Blackpool and was HEAVING with tourists. Had Cornish pasties sitting on a wall (running out of money now...) and came back. When we got back to Haverthwaite Station it was deserted - had an ice cream at the cafe and then discovered the Engine Shed. Ds2 thought he'd died and gone to Heaven for the second time in a week - and FREE!
A week just wasn't long enough - we are all fired up with enthusiasm and want to go again (dh and I even talked, idly, about getting a tent and going up for weekends - but then it was a very sunny week! Bit different in the rain I think).
Thankyou so much for all the recommendations - it really helped us decide what to do. And apologies for this, my longest ever post on MN!