With so many available choices, it is a challenge to even know where to start. Rick Steves Fall Travel Festival helped us to focus. We spent the day learning about destinations, packing, and traveling with smart phones and other electronica. When we left the festival, a plan had started to take form.
Travel classes are also available, and very helpful.
We chose England for the language, prehistoric sites, gardens, family history, and most importantly, miles upon miles of public footpaths. We intended to use the tour to provide an overview of the country, and a solid basis for further exploration on foot.
Two days later, we signed on for the ‘Best of England in 14 Days’ tour. It was easy to select a Rick Steves tour, based on recommendations from friends, reading his books, and comparing with other available tours. The approach seemed compatible with our goals and travel philosophy.
After much deliberation, we chose the 200 mile Coast to Coast Path as the immersion portion of our trip. This route would take us through the Lake District, Yorkshire Downs, and North York Moors, plus sections along the Irish Sea and the North Sea.
May seemed the best time to go, as gardens would be blooming, the photoperiod would be long, and crowds would hopefully be nonexistent. With dates established, we arranged flights on Kayak, and purchased rail passes.
We elected to arrive in Bath 2 days prior to the start of the tour, to recover, and get settled. A room at Heathrow was also reserved for the night before our flight home.
Knowing that we would be disappointed by a herd approach visit to Stonehenge, we scheduled a private dawn visit with Stonehenge Tours.
A few days to unwind and transition between the Rick Steves Tour and the Coast to Coast walk sounded ideal. Being fans of both Inspector Morse and Harry Potter, Oxford was a logical choice. Since the students were on break, a quad view room was available at Keble College for 3 days. Perfect.
With all of the pieces in place, it was time to build a detailed spreadsheet, as Rick suggested in his book. This document proved to be invaluable throughout our journey. All of the information was easily accessible in one place, and the spreadsheet could be transferred to an iPhone.
Travel planning is an exceptional way to brighten the dreary winter months! Being organized allows you freedom to enjoy your precious vacation time rather than deal with annoying details while traveling. Guidebooks will set you free.
It is time to transform a plan to action.
