IN AND AROUND ENGLAND/UK

Cambridge, UK - A short stroll through American history

Cambridge is always a fun day out. It is full of old colleges, museums and some pretty incredible history. Cambridge is well known for its famous scholars due to having one of the most elite Universities.

Typically most tours walk along the backs of the colleges and through the many museums. We had the opportunity to take in a different perspective from a local guide Murray Jacobs. Walking in the footsteps of the famous Memphis Belle crew was truly a highlight. Lipstick marked ceilings and hundreds of US unit patches adorned the Eagle. It was as if you walked right into an American WW2 film. But graffiti was not just for the American’s who visited the Eagle, as we found pews in the colleges filled with etched names nearly 200 years old.

No tour is complete without a tour of some of the colleges. I truly forget many of the colleges are free admission. Walking the grounds of Emmanuel was one of our favorites. It’s hard to tell there is a small quiet sanctuary in the midst of central Cambridge. You can also catch a glimpse of the famous stained glass image of John Harvard, founder of Harvard University.

Green Badge Tour guide Murray Jacobs really summed up the city of Cambridge perfectly. If you would love a walking tour in Cambridge full of history he is definitely your guy. If you’re interested in going on one of his tours, Murray Jacobs can be contacted as follows:

Email/WhatsApp: murrayjacobs@hotmail.com

Phone: 07733 424792

Happy Traveling,

Katrina

Blooms and Babies, OH MY. It's Spring in the UK

I know as a kid growing up in Texas our favorite times of the year were spring. Not just for the flowers, but all the baby animals being born. One of our favorite times as a family is going to the local zoo or visiting small farms to pet the baby animals.

In the UK with so many petting zoos and farms there is always an opportunity for the families to enjoy this awesome experience. The great thing about being in Suffolk is that many of the farms exist right in our back doors.

One of the closest places is La Hogue right in Chippenham about 5 miles from Lakenheath and 4 miles from Mildenhall. It is essential to book to feed the baby lambs as this is highly sought after in the area.  Source: http://www.lahogue.co.uk/baby-orphan-lamb-feeding-2016/

Another family favorite is Old Mac Donald’s in Essex. Not only do they have so many cute baby animals they have numerous activities for even the older kids. Tree house climbing and indoor play areas allow the little ones to burn off some much needed energy.  Don’t forget to book in advance to get some of the great online discounts.

http://www.omdfarm.co.uk/open_animal_petting_farm/kids_days_out_in_essex/fun_things_to_do/tourist_attraction_east_london/educational_visits/special_events/spring_babies/index.htm

 

 

Vacation Apartments, B&B and Camping

NOTE: Before booking any sort of lodging, read the reviews first before committing. To get reviews, copy and paste the name of the cottage/B&B/apartment/camp site onto Google and most likely you will be able to find a Google, TripAdvisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com) or UKCampsite (http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk) review. You also need to review the terms and conditions of each accommodation. This info can be found on the booking site or each individual website. 

If you have a child under 2-years-old, most are free of charge. If there is a fee, it'll be £5 or so. Not much. Some places may even have a cot and high chair for you to use. But free or not, you still need to let them know that you'll be bringing one (or two) for safety and fire regulations purpose. 

When doing a search, let's say for a group of 4 adults, 3 children over 2-years-old and a baby, put in 4 adults and 3 children in the search criteria. Once you see one you like, scroll down or to another tab with the details and read the baby info. If all's good, book it and in the notes section inform them of the baby. If you're not sure, ring them up! 

Worldwide/European Holiday Apartment Rentals

The below are hotel booking websites but they also have a few apartments/B&B listed

UK only

DOG FRIENDLY LODGING

The below link takes you to dog friendly cottages (although if you use the search function on any of the above link and make sure "pet/dog" is checked):

If you are leaving the island, make sure you read the how to take your pet(s) in and out of the UK. Your pet will need a pet passport and the base vet at Feltwell can get one for you. It does take a few weeks so do plan ahead: 

http://www.cottages4you.co.uk/sites/cottages4you/pages/Search_C_pets.aspx?QS=3E0F3DCD-882D-4738-9E61-B90EA3C005F2~C~216~

https://www.gov.uk/pet-travel-information-for-pet-owners

Camping

Helpful Websites for What's Happening in the UK

Well, there's no exuse for staying home and being bored. Get out and explore the UK. A lot of these sites have current things to do if you check back regularly.

Travel - All of UK:

Days out in the UK (mainly London area) - http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk

Day out with KIDS - http://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk

With DOGS - http://www.dogfriendlybritain.co.uk/

Best 50 Beaches - http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/the-50-best-uk-beaches-125-480372.html

Plan a pub crawl - http://barcrawl.co.uk

Castles - http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk

Castles - http://www.castleuk.net/list.htm

Holidays in the UK (mainly outdoorsy) - http://www.holidayuk.co.uk

National Trust (England and Wales) - www.nationaltrust.org.uk

 

Travel - England:

London - http://www.frommers.com/destinations/london

The Lake District - http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk

Tour Norfolk - http://www.tournorfolk.co.uk/index.html

Norfolk Broads Cycling - http://www.norfolkbroadscycling.co.uk

Great Yarmouth - www.great-yarmouth.co.uk

Cambridge - http://www.visitcambridge.org

Cambridge - http://www.cambridge.co.uk

East Anglia - https://eastanglia24.co.uk

Ipswich - http://www.visit-ipswich.com

Northeast England - http://www.visitnortheastengland.com

Suffolk - http://www.suffolktouristguide.com

English Heritage - http://www.english-heritage.org.uk

 

Travel - Wales:

Wales - http://www.visitwales.co.uk

Cardiff - http://www.visitcardiff.com

 

Travel - Scotland:

Scotland - http://www.visitscotland.com

Scotland - http://www.welcometoscotland.com

Scotland top 10 - http://scotland.costasur.com/en/ten-must-see.html

Edinburgh - http://www.timeout.com/edinburgh/features/220/20-great-things-to-do-in-edinburgh

Edinburgh - http://www.edinburgh.org

Physical Activities/Sports (all of UK unless otherwise noted):

Walking/Cycling/Horse riding - http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk

Hiking guides - http://www.contours.co.uk

Walking and hiking guides - http://www.walkingandhiking.co.uk

Biking - http://www.cycle-route.com

Mtn biking trails - http://www.moredirt.co.uk

SEASONAL

Other:

Pick your own - http://www.pickyourownfarms.org.uk

Pick your own - http://www.localfoods.org.uk