In year 2000, we returned to Britain, landed at Manchester airport, and toured Wales.  Two of our twenty something kids and spouses visited York.  This section will include information about where we stayed, what we saw, and highlights of our travels. 

You'll find reviews of our travels through Wales and southwest England on other web pages - links are at the bottom of this page. 
 

We left Wales and drove 4 hours east to the Yorkshire Dales, the setting for "All Creatures Great and Small" books by James Herrot.  Pretty green rolling hills and grazing sheep framed the narrow country roads.  New spring lambs were cute as a button. 

We stopped at the Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel at Bolton Abby near Skipton to check-in before visiting nearby Fountains Abby.  It's a beautiful hotel with an elegant restaurant and inviting bar/brasserie where we ate lunch.  Our room was spacious with a big four poster bed.  Rates include breakfast. 
 
Guests also can enjoy the Devonshire club, a health, beauty, and fitness facility. 
 

In the mid 1500s, the estate passed to a merchant's family.  Later owners began adding landscaping, water gardens, lakes, and temples.  The complex has enough garden walks, guided tours, and history to keep a visitor busy all day. 
 
The gardens are gorgeous, the landscaping immaculate, the lakes and ponds stunning. 
 
The property also holds St. Mary's church, built during the Victorian Age. 
  

The Lakes District is a 90 minute drive north of Manchester.  Gently rolling hills and green meadows surround a series of tranquil lakes. 

We drove from the Yorkshires to the Lakes District on A65, then followed the small roads along the side of the lakes to Keswick.  The Beatrix Potter museum is worth a stop; her Peter Rabbit stories have entertained children for ages.

We stayed at Sharrow Bay Country Hotel on Lake Ullswater for two nights - a gorgeous luxury inn known for its beautiful accommodations and excellent cuisine. The estate stretches along the shoreline and has several different guest houses linked by lovely garden walkways and tree lined roads - the main house, Bank House, and Lodge.  All have panoramic views of the lake and surrounding hillside. 
 

What a fantastic city!  Enchanting, magical, and ghostly! 
 
Most visitors' destination is the medieval "Old Town" - home of Edinburgh's Royal Mile which is full of interesting shops, restaurants, pubs, and at the highest point, the Castle. 

"New Town" is separated from the Castle and Old Town by a massive garden park.  This section is a shopper's delight with lots of stores, fashion boutiques, and hotels. 
 

The centerpiece of Edinburgh is the famous castle on a high hill which can be seen for miles.  Once in the castle, visitors have a panoramic view of the city.  Kenny climbed a tower to take the photo below.   A massive garden park sits far below the castle - in the old days, the cannons were used to stave off enemy attacks. 
 

We spent most of the day touring the castle, walking up and down the Royal mile sampling pub food, local brew, and sipping Scotch.  We found a sign on the side of a pub that told the story of Deacon Brodie who inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to write Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  Click the sign below to read the fable.