Grasemere, Ambleside, and Tarn Hows

The sun was shining the next day so we made the most of it! We started with a row boat ride around Grasmere, courtesy of Pete. Then we walked around the cute village, stopping for their well-known gingerbread cookies and to see the grave of the poet William Wadsworth.

We drove to the neighboring, bustling village of Ambleside in search of more good pub food. The Flying Fleece hit the mark for cute pub name, but the food left something to be desired! 

After lunch, Pete drove the narrow winding roads up to Tarn Hows, public land that was donated by Beatrix Potter. There was another recommended kid-friendly walk around the "tarn." We learned a lot of new Brittish language this trip, derived from old Norse. tarn=lake. gate=street. 

There was an ice cream truck with artisanal ice cream in the parking lot, which made for a decent motivator for the kids, who were decidedly less enthused about this walk. The ice cream man was closing up when we finished but stayed open long enough for the kids to get their treat!

A beautiful drive home!

Hiking in the Lakes Day 1

We were ready to get into the lakes the following day, rain and all! I found some great links to kid-friendly hikes and Aira Force was high on the list. This great website, http://taletrails.co.uk/the-walks, has created cartoon versions of trail maps and little stories about the areas. The kids loved studying the map for this hike and deciding which route to take. It was decided we would go via the "muddy and rocky" way and return through the "forever forest." I credit this map with making this hike so enjoyable. No whining or complaining! Our fall break was a week before the UK so we enjoyed low crowds. 

After the hike, we headed toward Keswick, stopping at the Horse and Farrier pub (love these names) for lunch. We didn't know it at the time, but this was the best pub of our trip! We are still thinking about the steak and ale pie! We also had a local sausage curl on mashed potatoes. Good thing we did so much hiking this trip!

So many sheep everywhere!

We drove into Keswick and did some shopping at the ubiquitous second-hand shops before going to the Museum of Illusions, which was enjoyed by all. We fueled up on candy and fudge from the local sweets shop before searching for one final hike. 

We headed to Ashness Bridge along lake Derwentwater. There was an area listed on the map as "surprise view." We didn't end up there, but the views were spectacular nonetheless. That candy really must have kicked in because Maeve wanted to keep hiking! There were some menacing-looking clouds behind the mountains and it was getting late, so we reluctantly left that beautiful place. The ferns covering the hillsides, called bracken, were these beautiful shades of amber. A perk of visiting in the fall! 

Maeve's cough was still in full force, and in these COVID times, I felt bad at this pizza restaurant. There was an elderly couple at a nearby table and I thought that they would for sure be bothered by it. As they were leaving though, the man smiled at us and asked if he could take our picture. A sweet end to a great day!