Forest of Dean

Want to be one with Mother Nature? Looking for some quiet and peaceful time amongst the flora and fauna? Then the Forest of Dean is the place to be!

Iron Ore Clearwell Caves are said to be 4,000 years old! These natural caves cover 600 acres with miles of passageways so (put on good sturdy shoes or wellies, as some of the caverns might be slippery) and explore! It’s MIGHTY big so claustrophobia should not be too bad for those who suffer but it is still a cave. They do offer a deep tour if pre-booked. The regular tour is a self-guided so take your time and enjoy. Lights in the caverns are motion detective but if you want to bring your own torch (flashlight for the Americans reading this), I recommend so to see in the little nooks and crannies. The deep tours go 600 feet below the earth, the regular tour only goes about 100 feet below surface. It took approximately one hour to walk through (and by George, we didn’t lose anyone!)

 Begin by visiting the Miner's museum first, then make your way to the cool (get it?  50°F/10 °C) caverns. Temperature is the same all year round (like the rest of England-cold and damp). Check out the frozen waterfall and the human “skeleton” at the underground lake. Open from 10-5pm Feb- November. The cost is £6.50 per person. FREE parking in large carpark. Be sure to stay on the pathways as er….well, um…let’s just say it’s safer…Do look out for Ol’ Mon, the ghost of the caverns. I poked my head in everywhere I could, but never saw him…

If after you visit the Clearwell Caves, pop across the road for FREE admittance (if show your Cave tickets) to the Secret Gardens. Entry here is £3 and on an honour system if no one at the ticket window. Frolic through the magical woods that gave Tolkien inspiration for The Hobbit  and Lord of the Rings. Keep your eye out for the forest creatures as you’ll see miniature doors and houses all along the moss covered rocks, tangled vines and gorgeous untamed scenery. You’ll believe you left Earth as you know it and entered Fangorn itself.

Emerging from the eerie forest, don’t pass on the Iron Village. Here you can see how people lived in round houses those centuries ago. Watch out for wild boars!

Another great place in the Forest of Dean is Puzzlewood . Doctor Who, Arthur and Merlin were filmed here. This too, is a place of magical woodlands and mazes. www.puzzlewood.net

Where to stay? That’s easy. A quick ride from all this excitement brings you to Bracelands Campsites. Where you can pitch a tent, park an RV or for those of you who don’t like to camp (*raises hand*) prebook the log cabins (some even come with a hot tub). What better way to relax after trekking through forests and dusty caves all day? If you're wanting a quick jaunt near the camp; try the River Wye tour. You'll be surprised just how close you are to Wales when crossing the river!

Getting Lost in the Gardens

Cornwall ~ Looking for an adventure in an ancient forest? Who wouldn’t want to get lost in a woodland that looks like it has been kissed by fairies? Dinna fash (Don’t fret), you don’t have to travel far. You don’t even have to leave England! Where is this you ask? Why, The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall of course.

Both the Lost Gardens of Heligan and The Eden Project were developed (or redeveloped as in the case of the lost gardens) by the same man.

The lost gardens have been around before the USA was officially a country, the lady of the house we stayed in told us. Locals had been walking through it for over 200 years, but wasn’t until Sir Timothy Smit reconstructed parts that it became open to the public to stroll around in. (In my opinion, the Lost Gardens were waaaaaay better than Eden and worth the long trip).

The Mud Maid on Woodland Walk

Giant's Head on the Woodland Walk

The fee for the Lost Gardens and much of its history can be found here on the website with its opening hours as they change throughout the year:
http://heligan.com/the-story

100 acres of woodlands, meadows and gardens to see; will take you quite a while to conquer. Plan to spend at least one full day there or more to see everything. Take the Georgian Ride to the Lost Valley...

 and find adventures in places that still look like when dinosaurs roamed the earth...

The Jungle

Happy Adventures in the Lost Gardens!

Norfolk, UK

No not in Virginia but rather the United Kingdom- England to be exact. Not far from my birth place is a place called Norfolk. Interesting sorts up that way and sights to see (if you can get the locals to understand your accent and give you directions).

Happisburgh Lighthouse in Happisburgh on the North Norfolk coast is the only independently operated lighthouse in Great Britain. It is also the oldest working lighthouse in East Anglia.

We drove around for ages trying to locate this lighthouse and the shopkeeper took the mickey out of me American accent for mispronouncing the name of it but still figured out what I was looking for because I pointed to it on a map in his shop and surprised him.

Me: We're trying to find HAPPYS - BURGH Lighthouse
Male shopkeeper (raises his eyebrow): You mean HAYS- BROUGH Lighthouse
Me: Um, okay whatever, yeah..this one (points to it on map)
Male shopkeeper (rolls eyes at tourist): Well to get to HAYS-BOUGH  (he over pronounces this for effect I still think he's saying HAYS BRA) is three miles up the road. Good luck (and I'm sure he meant get out of my shop if you're no going to buy this map).
Me: thank ye and good day. (Clicks heels together and leaves shop.)

**This post is dedicated especially to my mum because she loves lighthouses. I hope she appreciates the trouble I've gone to. LOL. Now I understand why my mum had such a difficult time communicating with the northern folks when she and my Da lived here.

Eden

Cornwall - lands’end...or rather the ends of the island for England (the southwestern part anyway). Looking for an adventure in a tropical jungle? Or perhaps Mediterranean experience? Who wouldn’t want to get lost in a woodland that looks like it has be kissed by fairies? Dinna fash (Don’t fret), you dinna have to travel far. You don’t even have to leave England! Where is this you ask? Why, The Lost Gardens and Eden Project in Cornwall of course.

Both the Lost Gardens of Heligan and The Eden Project were developed (or redeveloped as in the case of the lost gardens) by the same man. (See Getting Lost in the Gardens blog post).

Eden Project http://www.edenproject.com/ was constructed in the late 20th century and remains to this day a conservation project which they constantly add to, by gifts donated to the charity. If you were there in 1999 then there will most definitely be something you have missed and need to see. Whether it’s the beautiful Mediterranean biome (these remind me of the film BioDome with actor Pauly Shore), or the hot and humid Tropical Rainforest Biome that’s about 85-90°F (don’t worry there is cooling hut for those who overheat); you’ll enjoy a walk through the wild side. Keep an eye out for the frogs and other insects (dinna fash there isn’t anything harmful inside- except the jaguar)…

Spotted the jaguar yet?

A great place to learn about the Eco system and just how fragile our Earth really is. For children there is a learning centre (hosts the world’s largest nut cracker inside- totally fun to play with). Meet the Mud Lady, a giant bumble bee and other garden sculptures dotted around the park. You’ll see plenty of flowers and herb gardens and learn what common medicines are made from if you pay attention to the descriptions near the plants.

Approximately 30 acres of gardens and biomes; whilst I planned for an entire day, you should be able to cover Eden in half a day. Don’t miss out on the train ride through Eden, you can see from the very top of Eden the entire quarry turned into gardens.

Want more excitement? Try riding the zip line over a rainforest Superman style. The zip line course is open 15 minutes after Eden itself opens. The last ride is 30 minutes before Eden closes. Fee is about £15 in addition to the cost of £24 to enter Eden. However, if you choose to stay nearby and walk in to the park, you get £4 off for walking and not parking- Go Green!

Places to eat: 
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g528862-d2392559-r219530129-The_Britannia_Inn_Waves_Restaurant-Par_St_Austell_Cornwall_England.html#REVIEWS

Thrills and chills

The "cattle shoots" behind me show you how long the queues can be!

Thorpe Park- one of England's finest rollar coaster theme parks. Located about an hour from Reading/London it's easy to access by car. The cost to get into the park is an Arm and a Leg (£50 per person!) but the cost to leave the park (car parking fee) is £5. Surely, you would think that after paying £100 per couple they would let you leave for free, but no.There isn't any money making scheme in that. I would highly advise you purchase your ticket online a few days before going. It will save you money (£35) and then you won't have to que for an hour to get in the park!

Once in the park, enjoy several large coasters. My favourite was the Stealth. This seated coaster goes from 0- 80 mph in less than 2 seconds then loops you around and brings you back to where you started. Keep your eyes open when you reach the top of the loop and look straight down 200 feet into the water nearby..YIKES!

They've just recently opened Angry Birds park at Thorpe Park, so if that's your thing (or not- as I personally am not a fan) try it out; you'll probably have a good time. The 4D adventure was great, but it scared several little kiddies. So do beware.

There are three major water rides at this park, but also a sandy "beach" and wave rider if you want to try your hand at surfing. So pack your swimsuit or keep it handy for these activities. Should you forget or don't want to spend the day wet? The park offers giant dryers for £1. You just hop in the stall, get blown away and come out dry! Good for chilly days.

Don't forget to ride the carousel!

There are plenty of places to grab a bite to eat so no need to pack a picnic. In fact, you will find a massive food court upon first entering the park. There are several other places dotted around the park to munch as well. Most take credit/debt cards, some cash only. You'll find something to eat I promise, should you want pizza, BBQ or even Mexican. Let's not forget the day isn't completed until you've had a waffle with ice cream. Now don't toss your cookies, but go enjoy the park!

Next on the list, Alton Towers. The UK's LARGEST theme park! Stay tuned...