An Introduction to the Lake District

Our time in Skye was amazing. We were sad to leave. The long drive ahead between Skye and the Lake District of England gave us a chance to reflect on our time and prepare for a different part of the British Isles. Along the way we traveled through Glencoe and saw numerous hikers on the Great Glen Way, one of several amazing hikes in Scotland. We now have even more "to do items" on our next trip.

England's Lake District is beautiful. It is my dad's favorite place to visit in England, which was more than enough of a recommendation to go. Beatrix Potter lived here and loved the beauty of Cumbria. She led efforts to protect the Lake District and turn it into the a National Park. The centerpiece of the district is Lake Windermere surrounded by numerous villages that dot the landscape. It is a weekend destination for Londoners, garden lovers, and hikers. You'll find a little bit of everything here!

We chose to stay in the busiest town of the region, Bowness-on-Windermere. Its a great little town, but boy there is a lot going on! We also visited during a bank holiday which made for an even larger crowd. Other towns we went to included: Ambleside, Grasmere (base camp for all good hiking; all you will find are hiking stores); Kendal, Windermere, and Cartmel (which is known for horse racing and a michelin star restaurant).

We were fortunate enough to stay in a cute little apartment known as the Admiral's Nest, right of an urban street. Like all great AirBnBs it had its quirks and its owners were so kind. At the base of the stairs to our apartment was an amazing Italian restaurant (where we went twice). Even though it was a long day, when we arrived we knew would have a memorable time. Click on the pictures below to see our "step by step" walk to our cute apartment!