Vacations Blog

When I was 16, I got to take a trip to London, England. I can’t even begin to explain how amazing it was. Luckily, I was armed with a camera and a little bit of money, so I was able to walk away not only with some of the greatest memories I have, but also some souvenirs and lots of pictures. I’ve spent years figuring out how I can make my way back there. Even though I had to deal with a missing passport and finding the right kind of electrical adapters, getting to go to London proved to be one of the most inspiring and unforgettable moments of my life.

One of my favorite locations was the Tower of London. I spent a whole day reading about it’s history and seeing first hand what it was like. Probably most well known as a royal prison and place of torture, the Tower of London also served many other uses, from menagerie to stellar observatory. One of the most interesting parts of the Tower of London was seeing it’s famous ravens. The ravens that walk around the Tower have been occupants there for generations. A very old superstition keeps them there, one that says if the ravens leave, the kingdom will fall. The ravens have some of the most royal treatment of the Tower’s inhabitants, with their own personal handler and living quarters.

Big Ben is probably one of the most recognizable monuments in London. As the third largest clock tower in the world, this huge and incredibly beautiful tower is even more breathtaking in real life. It is readily apparent why Big Ben has been represented for generations in films, TV, and books. Standing at the base of the clock tower is a really neat experience. I’ll be the first to admit that I’d rather not get into inner-workings of the government, getting to visit Parliament was really pretty inspiring. Getting to see first-hand how the government of the United Kingdom runs taught me a lot, and I left feeling happy that I decided to go.

Although it’s a little cliche, seeing the Changing of the Guard was a really cool experience as well. I didn’t pick a guard’s nose or try to make him laugh anything, they are armed after all, but I did get pretty close to have my picture taken. There are numerous locations where you can see the guards, including the Tower of London. The various parks and gardens in London make walking anywhere as adventure in itself. Huge ponds full of all kinds of birds, from swans to some funny looking ducks, walk around parks full of beautiful sculptures and breathtaking gardens. Seriously, the gardens are beautiful.

Being a woman, I of course have to mention the London shopping. I visited Camden Market was blown away by the selection. From designer bags to fishnets, Camden Market has something for absolutely everyone. So get a little bit of money, your passport, and your good walking shoes, and get ready to walk away with bags and bags of stuff.

London holds something exciting for everyone in your family. I walked away from the week-long London trip with some amazing memories, and I still dream of getting to go back there someday. If you’ve never been to London, I very highly recommend it. I promise it’s even worth having to locate that missing passport.

If you need to renew your passport or get a new one before your London vacation, check out http://www.uspassportnow.com for excellent service.

Birmingham is a vibrant city in the English county of the West Midlands and it is a really popular vacation destination and  day trips. The city has an incredible selection of superb attractions including many churches which have Grade I status and other important buildings as well as many museums and galleries, including Birmingham’s Ikon Gallery.

Birmingham’s Ikon Gallery is an art gallery focusing on contemporary art which is situated in the building which was once the Oozells Street Board School in Brindleyplace, but it was not always in such surroundings.

The gallery was founded in nineteen sixty four by Angus Skene and 4 artists.  The 4 artists were; Sylvani Merilion, Jesse Bruton, David Prentice and Robert Groves. Angus Skene had acquired and the two of them talked about the numerous problems suffered by local artists, which included the extreme lack of venues and support for local artists.  The discussion resulted in the basic concepts for Ikon which was to be a “gallery without walls”.

Skene initially funded the project, which consisted of exhibitions in such varied venues as cinemas and post offices in a motorcycle sidecar. The idea was to allow the general public more access to art.  In order to keep the overheads down staffing duties was by the family, friends and the founding artists who did not charge. In 1965 the Gallery established itself in a glass walled stall in the Bull Ring shopping centre.

During the next couple of decades the Ikon Gallery moved from location to location until 1997 when it bought, with help from the National Lottery Fund, the current premises, the former Oozells Street Board School. recently the Gallery has held a selection of exhibitions and its continuous ability to excel has led to it becoming surprisingly popular, to such an extent that it opened another gallery in 2006, Ikon Eastside in  Digbeth.

If you are thinking about taking a Birmingham vacation we hope that you would think about visiting the Ikon Gallery. Also it is important to know that although there are many guest houses and hotels in Birmingham finding Birmingham bed and breakfast can sometimes be rather difficult. Because of this it is vitally important to book your accommodation at the earliest opportunity. You should be aware that Birmingham’s international airport is about eight miles east of the center of the city just off the A45, near the M42. You will discover that there is a number of guest houses near to the airport.

Vacations in England seem to be increasingly popular at the moment, probably due to the present depression and the weak pound. The United Kingdom has large selection of top class vacation destinations including London (the capital of England) and other interesting cities plus a fine collection of seaside resorts such as; Blackpool, Bognor Regis, Great Yarmouth and Margate. One city commonly overlooked is Plymouth in the south of England.

At first glance Plymouth appears a little plain and principally modern, but looking a little bit deeper and you will soon discover that the city of Plymouth has a rich history and a long association with the sea. As far back as the sixteenth century there has been a port in the town. In 1588 Sir Francis Drake set sail from the town’s port to attack and defeat the Spanish Armada. Another moment in history occurred in 1620 when the port served as the last embarkation point for the Pilgrim Fathers on their journey to North America.

It is possible to take inexpensive weekend city breaks in Plymouth by booking rooms in Plymouth bed and breakfast rather than booking rooms in a posh hotel. A quick search on Google will reveal that rooms are available from as little as £29 a night and some places offer dinners at a very reasonable cost, commonly equal to, or cheaper than local restaurants.

Tourist Attractions In Plymouth

There are many interesting places in the town which are worth a visit. Popular visitor attractions include; the old quay at Sutton Harbour, the National Marine Aquarium, the Barbican district and Merchant’s House Museum. A boat cruise around the naval base is an excellent way to spend some time and if you have more time why not take a day trip to other places close to Plymouth, for example; Buckland Abbey, Mount Edgcumbe or Saltram House.

Saltram House is a lovely Tudor Mansion which is found 2m from the town of Plymouth, Mount Edgcumbe is another fine example of a Tudor house with parklands, coastal paths and landscaped gardens, and Buckland Abbey, about 6 miles away from Plymouth, is a Cistercian abbey which was at one time by Francis Drake and was at a later date converted into a family home.

If you are in the process of deciding upon taking a vacation in Plymouth it is incredibly important that you book your  accommodation as early as possible as, unfortunately Plymouth hotels tend to be alarmingly busy and are often fully booked months in advance. If you are a large group you might find that apartment accommodation in Plymouth prove to be reasonable alternative to bed & breakfast in Plymouth. If you are visiting the UK from overseas then why not consider making a reservation for a room in hotels in London to take in the attractions of the capital city of England also.

When most people debate having a UK vacation they mostly just mention resorts close to the sea such as Blackpool, Margate, Bognor Regis and Great Yarmouth. Occasionally people may discuss having a short break in a specific English county for example the county of Devon in the south of England but not very often do they consider taking a short break in the city of Exeter. The following article discusses various reasons why an Exeter vacation is a wise idea.

The most important reasons for having a holiday in Exeter is that there is budget accommodation available with Exeter bed and breakfast accommodation available for approximately twenty five pounds a night and many rooms around the £40-50 ballpark.

Obviously there should be more than a minimal price to attract you to visit a city and Exeter certainly has lots to offer the possible tourist. You will find that there are a great many top class visitor attractions in the center of the city and even more not too far away and if this is not enough then the city of Plymouth is but a short distance and you will discover that there is also low cost bed and breakfast in Plymouth and even more fantastic visitor attractions. Also you will discover plenty of astounding sites to visit all along the nearby coast.

Where To Stay In Exeter

The Drewe Arms
This accommodation is superb, the rooms are budget but the building is a picturesque seventeenth century thatched inn situated on the famous Two Moors Way (a walkers route). Please take notice that it is about fifteen miles away from Exeter city center. If you need more luxury the inn also offers four-poster rooms.

The Crawford Hotel
This hotel accommodation is much closer to Exeter’s city center, about 1.6 km. It is a 2 star hotel with comfortable en suite accommodation and, crucially, you can access your room twenty four hours a day, which is superb if you are going to be getting back very late or if you may need to access the room at various times through the day. You will find there is Free wireless internet access in the public places of the hotel.

Visitor Attractions

In the city of Exeter there are just a few of tourist attractions worth visiting including; Rougemont Castle, St Peter’s Cathedral and the Royal Albert Museum. As I said earlier there is a small collection of nearby seaside resorts to see the most beautiful being the pretty villages of Sidmouth, Seaton and Beer.

Further away, between Exeter and Plymouth is the sparsely populated moorland of the Dartmoor National Park with the general area having several visitor attractions to visit including A La Ronde, Buckland Abbey and Buckfast Abbey on the main road, to Plymouth. Along the way you will pass the Torbay area, which is made up of Brixham, Torquay and Paignton and is often referred to as the English Riviera.

Exeter really is a excellent place in which to take a vacation however why not have a think about having a twin destination vacation and spend a few of nights/days in a luxurious hotel in Plymouth and tour the gorgeous countryside and coast in between the two cities?

Glasgow is the largest, and most lively, city in Scotland with excellent opportunities for shopping plus an amazing night scene. For the more artistic tourist there are many places to go especially in the West End which features tea rooms, boutiques, bars, cafés, restaurants and clubs as well as some upmarket Glasgow bed and breakfast accommodation. In the article which follows I will discuss 3 attractions in Glasgow which should be of special interest to those who enjoy all things artistic; the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Burrell Collection and the House For An Art Lover:

The Burrell Collection

Sir william Burrell and his wife gifted the Burrel Collection to the city of Glasgow in 1944 and the collection can be viewed at Pollok Country Park which is located in the south of the city This magnificent collection of works of art consists of more than 9,000 items. The collection is very diverse containing a selection of modern sculptures as well as an Islamic art collection. Visitors can view works of art by a variety of artists including Degas and Cezanne. As well as paintings and sculptures you is able to enjoy the spectacular collection of English furniture, tapestries, alabasters and stained glass. As well as all this, the Burrell Collection also contains a most important collection of art from medieval times plus collections from ancient Egypt & China.

The House For An Art Lover

House For An Art Lover is one of Glasgow’s most popular tourist attractions. The house is of an Art Nouveau design originally designed by Glasgow’s most famous architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh who was aided by his talented wife.

In actual fact the design was an entry for a competition of 1901 to create a design for a ‘House for an Art Lover’, but, the entry from the Mackintosh couple was disqualified because of late submission. Fortunately, more than 100 years later the house is located in Bellahouston Park due to the efforts and hard work of the architect Professor Andy Macmillan and the engineer Graham Roxburgh. Construction commenced in 1989, ceased for a short amount of time but restarted in nineteen ninety four due to a collaboration between the Glasgow School of Art and the Glasgow City Council.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

The Kelvingrove Art Gallery is Glasgow and Scotland’s premier museum and art gallery, and it houses one of Europe’s great civic art collections, but also it has been voted one of the most popular free to enter attractions to be found in Scotland.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is located on the banks of the River Kelvin,  in the West End of Glasgow, on Argyle Street. The gallery was constructed using the traditional red sandstone in a Spanish Baroque style. The gallery was designed by E.J. Milner Allen and Sir John W. Simpson and first opened its doors in 1901. The collections in the museum were originally from the old Kelvingrove House Museum in Kelvingrove Park and the McLellan Galleries.

If you are considering a city vacation in Glasgow you will discover plenty of online hotels and guest houses providing Glasgow bed and breakfast accommodation. You will find a broad selection of Glasgow hotel accommodation at http://www.glasgowhotelscotland.com/