markrosy

Stefi

God no - very reasonable question! The 7th June is usually fine - it becomes overcast around 11.25am - for the past 3 years it has rained by 4:30pm. Best to book a table at a cafe and finish eating around 3:28pm in order to get back to your hotel prior to the rain.

In answer to the other usual Fodors question best to wear Capris and long sleeves at our churches - see its easy just like the Vatican. Be sure to wear jeans, white trainers and a Ralph Lauren stars and stripes jogging top so that we all know that you are American. (sorry forgot - that will leave you looking like the rest of Lancashire).

BTW - my memory at 39 is shot at - just got the holiday snaps out from GA, NC, SC and DC. IT WAS Bofort, NC where we spent 8 days not Bewfort, SC. For ages I had remembered it as SC!! Stayed in a house called the Manson House on the quayside a remember eating at a cafe bar on the quay side morning, noon and night. The dolphins used to swim through the cut that runs from the bridge to Topsail? I think. I remember rolling up seeing the do not feed the dolphins sign on the quayside - walking into a real estate agents and just renting a place because of that sign.

Bo-fort was also the site of one of my more difficult moments - I sail - and am supposed to be pretty experienced! We rented kayaks from the place on the quayside and I brain was deposited with them for the afternoon. With no keel I totally forgot about tides we kayaked for 2 hours looking for sand dollars and the rest. The tide went out and beached us for two hours on a huge expanse of sand. My wife thought it was a scream as my ambition has always been to sail to the States from the UK.

We started in DC that holiday drove down the Smokey mountains to Ashville then to Savannah and back up the coast. Never forget the view coming out of the hills of NC across the Piedmont to the coast. The perspective just didn't seem right as the landscapes were so huge.

Disappointed with Ashville but loved Charlottesville, Savannah, Charleston, Outerbanks, New Bern, The Beauforts and Georgetown.

Stopped off at a former plantation house which was totally ruined with a cemetary and chapel both unkept -near Spartanburg - very strange, very eerie and uncomfortable experience.

Remember getting lost in the nature reserve near New Bern (that is also close to the US Marines camp) they tailed us in two Apache helicopters for what seemed like a lifetime - very nervous experience.

Did you ever see the dolphins fishing on the mud flats in the NC creeks?

Vttraveler

Stefi--I knew it was a joke, but I did want to emphasize that it can be really cold at that time of year. We thought we were prepared but as I said I didn't pack warm enough clothes. I was glad that it was my husband who had really promoted the canal boat since he spent more hours out in the cold rain than the rest of us.

The only other time I have visited England during the summer was in the middle of a 3 week heat wave

stefi

Vttraveler, I guess when we travel to the north we should be prepared for weather ranging from sleet to drought! That always makes packing/deciding what to take SO much fun. Esp since the first part of our trip will be in Greece where we are practically guaranteed 80's and no rain. So, shorts and Teva's for the first week; then fur-lined rain parkas and wooly socks for the second. Your poor husband, out in the cold rain!

stefi

Mark,

Darn it, had a nice reply to you then through Random Button Syndrome I seem to have misplaced it.

Point #1 - I need weather for the beginning of July; not June. Can you do July? Or is that too far in the future?

Point#2 Capris in July - should they be wool or polar fleece? Or both? Long sleeve shirts -BOTH sleeves long? Will my husband stand out in shorts with unshaven legs?

Point#3 Beaufort, NC is one of my all-time fav little towns. We used to spend vacations on SC beaches and always made a day or two to head in to Bo-fort to do a bit of dolphin-bothering and to stock up on fudge for my sons. My daughter lost her first baby tooth in the old cemetery at Bo-fort. Don't ask. I'm sure your wife enjoyed thoroughly her Bo-fort marooning! And being tailed by USMC choppers! Once again, the US govt hounding innocent tourists!

I wish we were going to be able to spend as much time on our trip your way as you must have when over here. One week is not going to do it.

markrosy

The weather in summer had been absolutely all over the place in recent years - we did not see the sun between May and October last year with lots of rain - you may have seen the news regarding the floods in the Cotswolds/Oxfordshire. The year before, during the same period the sun shone for 8 weeks.

Picking up a set of walking boots will be no problem at all. Half the North of England are into weekend yomps so the are outdoor persuit shops everywhere. Manchester has some of the best shopping in Europe (mainly due to our overpaid footballers who fuel a whole economy)

Capris should be made of seal fur in July to combat the polar conditions.

ps you are right to pack light for Greece - it is usually HOT by late June.

stefi

Yep, the weather last summer was ridiculous. Our friends in Preston have a son who is an insurance agent in Devon and he was pretty much working around the clock for months. No fun for him or the flood victims. I think I prefer the previous summer's 8 weeks of sunshine. If you could arrange that, please.

Would my seal fur capris excite less remark if they were baby seal fur?

soogies

Bookmarking for me!

willit

This one is well off the beaten track, and of no use to the OP. I sometime take friends from overseas to a village called Tilford, not far from Farnham in Surrey. By the road is a large green, on which they play cricket in Summer. There is a large Oak tree on the green, which must make fielding difficult.
A couple of thatched pubs lie next to the Green, and a stream passes next to these.

It is possible to by a pint, sit in the garden of the pubs and watch the cricket, or the trout in the stream.

I am sure it is not unique - probably many such places dotted around, but if one were to take a photograph and show it to people, it would instantly be recognisable as England.

tongsa

Oh boy! Now am confused too! I thought I had decided that the cotswolds would be our introduction to the "quintessential" english countryside! and now am not so sure. should i switch to the lake districts or the yorkshires?? can i take our kids horse riding and cycling and walking and fishing in the cotswold along with warwick castle, oxford, stonehenge thrown in? please tell me i am doing awright!! thanks

janisj

tongsa: Step away from the computer

You are going to drive yourself batty!! Ask yourself what would be the "quintessential US" or "quintessential Australia"?

Of course there is no one answer - same w/ England.

The Cotswolds are lovely, Yorkshire is too, so is the Peak District, so is the Lake District.

All would be fine and all would be the &quot;<i>correct</i>&quot; option. None would be the &quot;<i>wrong</i>&quot; choice.

There is pony treking in all of them. castles - check, scenery - check. walking - check.

Warwick Castle is a BIG plus for kids. In Yorkshire, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway would be a BIG plus.

I'd just stick to your current plans though . . . . .

AnnRiley

I'm from UK and there are too many lovely towns and villages, but my sister has just come back from a long weekend in Bakewell (where the famous bakewell tart comes from) and said it was beautiful and very quaint with lots to see and do, very olde worlde english

semiramis

Since you are landing in Manchester, consider Shropshire.

It's not far from Manchester. It is under-touristed. It has castles, sheep, scenery, Roman ruins, ruined monasteries, medieval towns and the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution (Ironbridge Gorge).

If you want more details, search on my name and read my trip report.

Good website:
http://www.virtual-shropshire.co.uk/

stefi

OP here - interesting to see this post rise to the top...here's what we have decided on for our trip in a couple weeks if anyone is interested - fly into Manchester, spend night. Day #1 Liverpool in am, afternoon to Castlerigg in Northern Lake District. Spending that night in Penrith. Day #2 to Hadrian's Wall for a nice day hike. Spending that night in Durham. Day #3 morning in Durham, then to Carleton in Coverdale for a couple of nights. Days #4 and #5 day trips from there - walks in area, car tour of another dale or two. Evening of day #5 to Darlington for Elton John concert (I know!!) and spend that night in Darlington. Day #6 to Fountains Abbey and points near Skipton. Spend that night in Skipton. Day #7 still undecided, maybe more Liverpool, maybe Bakewell, then to Manchester to spend night before flight out following morning.

We are darting around quite a bit but since we have a car and the countryside is so lovely we don't mind spending time driving.

tongsa

as they say, lol janisj. thanks for the reassurance. and for the wake up call regarding the bookings!

AnnRiley

Hi,
Noticed that you might visit Liverpool area twice.

I live ACROSS the water (the river merey) on the Wirral and its a lovely place much nicer IMO than Liverpool.

We have Lovely West kirby/Hoylake area,heswall,Parkgate. Beautiful Thornton hough, lovely countryside, its definately worth a visit.

Look up www.visitwirral.co.uk

AnnRiley

Sorry, that should have read
www.visitwirral.com and river mersey.