| When traveling, practical concerns sometimes prevent | | | | myths, legends, and scientific study for centuries, and |
| us from being creative. Whether it's transportation | | | | they still haven't figured out exactly how or why it was |
| issues, lack of research, or simple uncertainty about | | | | built. |
| where to go, when we visit a country we've never | | | | The Lake District: In the north of England, the Lake |
| been to before, most of us start with the obvious | | | | District is a national park featuring many bodies of |
| places-the big cities, or the major tourist attractions. | | | | water of all sizes, as well as mountains, activities, and |
| This way, we at least know that we'll be in a safe | | | | plenty of history. My personal favorite stop-off in the |
| place where there are liable to be other tourists and | | | | park is the former home and tomb of poet William |
| plenty of familiar landmarks. | | | | Wordsworth. |
| I must admit, the first couple of times I visited England, I | | | | Oxford and/or Cambridge: Both of these cities, located |
| stayed in the London area. It's not that I wasn't | | | | about 100 miles outside of London-Cambridge to the |
| interested in the rest of the country-it's just that I didn't | | | | north, and Oxford to the west-offer everything you |
| now where to go and what to do. I was always a little | | | | would expect from the country's two oldest college |
| disappointed by my London visits because I have a | | | | towns: Plenty of culture, history, magnificent |
| soft spot for the type of English culture that you find in | | | | architecture, museums, and colorful shops. Both towns |
| old literature and period movies-the rolling countryside, | | | | still exhibit much of the old academic heritage that |
| the quaint houses and villages, the polite manners. | | | | went into the creation and rise to prominence of their |
| Needless to say, that old-fashioned British charm can | | | | respective universities. |
| be a disappointingly lacking in London. | | | | Bath: The city of Bath, in southwestern England, was a |
| That's why I was pleased to find that the rest of the | | | | fashionable resort and spa during Roman times, almost |
| country is very accessible, charming, and welcoming to | | | | 2000 years ago. In addition to the modern city's |
| visitors. As far as transportation, in many ways it's far | | | | beautiful architecture, you can also visit the excavated |
| easier to get around in England that it is in the States. | | | | Roman baths and pump rooms. |
| They have a top-notch rail network, and everything is | | | | Other major cities: Finally, let's not forget that, while |
| quite close together. And you can always just go with | | | | London dwarfs all other cities in England and the U.K., |
| the simple and easy car rental option. Driving in England | | | | there are other major cities worth visiting for their own |
| is very similar to in the U.S.-except for the part where | | | | special charms: the thriving metropolises of Birmingham |
| they drive on the left side, but you get used to that. | | | | and Manchester, Brighton with its sunny beaches, the |
| Stonehenge: This one's a little obvious, but that doesn't | | | | rising cultural capital of Liverpool, the ancient city of |
| make it any less awe-inspiring and mysterious. Built | | | | York, and many other mid-sized cities, all with their |
| over five thousand years ago in southern England, the | | | | unique qualities. |
| strange circle of stones has been at the center of | | | | |