How to Enjoy the Best Scenic Views at Land’s End, Cornwall?

Chris Boothman
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6
How to Enjoy the Best Scenic Views at Land’s End, Cornwall?

Whether you are on camping holiday in Cornwall or just enjoying a day out with family or friends, your Cornish experience will not be complete without a visit to Land’s End. With its magnificent natural setting, great cuisine options, and shopping, plus exciting pay-as-you-go family attractions – it’s one of the West Country’s great places to visit. Land’s End is famous for being a starting point for charity events to travel the length of the United Kingdom in the Land’s End to John O’Groats journey.

Land's End Cliff

From a day visit to spending a weekend exploring the myriad of walking trails along the Cornwall coast, Land’s End is perhaps the best place to visit if you are looking to get away from city life and just enjoy the spectacular panoramic scenes that surround you. A word of warning, be prepared for some pretty blustery conditions because taking a hike around this part of Cornwall isn’t for the faint-hearted once the wind picks up!

The views over the ocean are spectacular and knowing that you are at the southwestern most point of the United Kingdom enhances the sense of freedom as you overlook the ocean. With the next land mass being the USA, you really are at a point of no return but for many, this freedom and taking in the coastal air is just what makes Land’s End so precious.

Useful Information

Be prepared to spend £5 for parking at Land’s End but this gives you all day to examine the vast landscapes surrounding this headland. Free parking is available further afield if you don’t mind walking but for this small surcharge, you have the piece of mind that should the weather turn (and it frequently does), you can quickly head back to your vehicle.

Land's End Entrance

Once you are parked, access to Land’s End can be done on foot. Be prepared for plenty of walking as there are a variety of scenic trails available along the coastline with even more breathtaking views available.

Best Things to Do at Land’s End

Watching the rough waves crashing on the rocks below the family-friendly paths provides tourists with entertaining walks. At the southernmost point of the headland stands a gift shop (The First and Last House) and cafe offering visitors the chance to stop and take in the scenery whilst sipping on a warm beverage. Even on Summer’s day, the chill in the air can be apparent at Land’s End as the sea breeze sweeps across the Penwith peninsula.

First and Last house Land's End

Perhaps the highlight attraction that most folks visiting Land’s End want to experience is the iconic Heritage Trail. Be sure to download your free guide and enjoy a rich history of Neolithic artifacts in the cemetery, Bronze Age burial mounds, and an Iron Age hill fort. If history just doesn’t sound interesting enough, perhaps you will be more intrigued by the amazing stories of journeys from Land’s End to John O’Groats.Land's End Store

Our top recommendation, simply take a stroll along the coastal path and admire the gorgeous sight of the waves crashing against the untouched, rugged cliffs. Having experienced similar landscapes on our Cliffs of Moher tour in Ireland, we can well and truly attest that this part of Europe is a haven for this type of scenery. Have your camera handy because there are infinite opportunities to capture amazing landscape photos!

Iconic Landmarks

Probably the most famous iconic landmark at Land’s End is the signpost providing visitors with an opportunity to make customized messages and have their picture taken. Visitors can tell the photographers their hometown and they will not only calculate the distance, they will customize this into the message for the perfect picture opportunity.

Land's End landmark sign

Land’s End offers something for everyone, with the kids able to experience some great rides and elderly folks being able to relax and enjoy the views. The gift shops provide brochures and pamphlets advertising a variety of attractions throughout Cornwall which is really great for anyone visiting this part of the country for several days. Cornish fudge is a must for anyone visiting here for the first time.

Summary

After spending a week exploring the very of Cornwall, we have to admit that our minds always drift back to experiences at Land’s End for those that were the most memorable. The scenery here is second to none, at least in terms of the spots we visited in Cornwall.

Land's End Bridge

Yes, the charming village of Mevagissey or the fishing town of St. Ives are both great spots to experience the very best of Cornish culture but there is something quite magical about the secluded spot that is known as Land’s End. Perhaps because you have that feeling that you are at the end of the world or maybe just because of the breathtaking panoramic views. Either way, it’s a location that you cannot afford to miss if you have any interest in exploring the southwest county of Cornwall.

Unless you go prepared with clothing, it can be extremely windy and cold! PLEASE NOTE – take enough clothing even during the Summer to Land’s End, otherwise you may end up looking pretty stupid when you are being blown around with only shorts and t-shirt on.

Your Everyday is a Treasure for Others

Heather Boothman
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5
Your Everyday is a Treasure for Others

Today we went to Memphis, TN and made a stop just off I-40 at the Tennessee Visitor Center. Being about an hour away from Memphis my whole life, I know about Elvis, B.B King, Beale Street and other things that make Memphis the home of Rock and Roll. I was able to see the infamous river front and Mud Island on a beautiful day in wonderful weather.

As we were walking along the river front, the bridge that links Arkansas to Tennessee above the Mississippi River was shimmering in the sunlight making a perfect backdrop for a relaxing Saturday morning stroll.

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We started walking along the Mississippi Riverfront where the docks for the river cruises are and the Cobblestone Landing that I had never seen before. Many other tourists asked us to take their pictures with either the boat in the background or with the Elvis statue in the Welcome Center.

Of course this is something that we don’t get asked everyday, but to help make memories for someone in a place that is so close to where I call home is a really special feeling!

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We started to head back to our car bypassing trolleys, families and normal commuters. I stopped and looked around smiling with the thought of how many times I have been here to see the Redbirds, Grizzlies or to walk down Beale Street and never once did I think of what an experience this town could be for someone else or even myself.

memphis riverfront

Treasure your hometowns history because they make memories for years to come. I know that we all sometimes take our homeland and local area for granted but to experience something like we did today certainly helps make me cherish where I am from!

Have you ever had a similar experience with your hometown?

The Good and Bad About Hotels

Chris Boothman
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The Good and Bad About Hotels

Everyone has their own opinion on hotels especially when it comes to booking them and how much you are willing to spend per night. The general consensus among many less frequently traveled folks is that if you spend more, you will get a better hotel! Unfortunately this is far from the truth. From our experiences we have noticed that generally speaking, the more you spend per night, the more additional expenses are expected from you. E.g. Parking, Internet, Breakfast etc.

In the last few years, we have spent many nights in a variety of hotel chains, some leading brands and others local hotels that probably get less advertisement than they deserve. Let’s look at some of our favorite experiences and a few of those that we would prefer to forget but at least gives travelers an idea on where not to stay (again, please note that these are just our opinions!).

Embassy Suites Chain – GOOD

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Without doubt our favorite US hotel chain is the Embassy Suites. They are reasonably priced and have so many positive aspects that makes travelers want to return there. One of the key advantages of staying in an Embassy Suites location are the Manager’s Special that runs from 5:00PM – 7:00PM daily and offers free alcohol, soft drinks and hors d’ouevres. This is such a great attraction for travelers because many will check-in around 4:30PM, drop their bags inside their suite and then have a couple of drinks/snacks before heading back out for dinner.

The breakfast buffet is delectable with a variety of hot and cold options. The rooms are impeccable and offer plenty of space with a home like feel. We have stayed in several different locations including Little Rock, Nashville, Destin and St. Louis and all are of the highest caliber.

Sofitel Downtown Brisbane (Australia) – GOOD

Sofitel

Our trip to Australia in December 2012 saw us stay in central Brisbane in close proximity to Central Station at the Sofitel Downtown hotel. Whenever you walk in to check in you are greeted by everyone saying ‘Bonjour’ and you are immediately made to feel welcome in this French inspired hotel chain. The architecture and style throughout the lobby is particularly impressive.

I was impressed by the Veuve Clicquot champagne bottles stacked around the perimeter to show the inspiration behind the infrastructure throughout the hotel. The rooms are impressive and very well maintained. The walk-in shower is a great asset to any hotel room and the bed was one of the more comfortable that we have slept in. The hotel is in a perfect location for navigating around Brisbane’s CBD area. You are minutes from the bustling Queen Street and not far at all from the South Bank by the Brisbane River.

Novotel Brisbane Airport (Australia) – BAD

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Ok, so from the beautiful hotel that we stayed at in Brisbane’s central district at the Sofitel, to probably our worst night’s experience at the Novotel Brisbane Airport. With a 18 hour flight to look forward to back to the States at the end of our amazing trip, we made the decision to take our rental car back the night before we departed and stay at the hotel by the airport so that we would be ready to leave early in the morning. This turned out to be a big mistake but of course hindsight is a wonderful thing! We checked in around 7:00PM on Saturday evening and after informing the front desk we had to return our rental vehicle, we were told that a shuttle was taking travelers back and forward to the Novotel every 20-30 minutes. This was our first issue!

We returned our rental car and were informed to go outside the main terminal and wait for the shuttle to arrive, in bay C/D. After 30 minutes of waiting, Heather went inside the terminal and asked them for their opinion on where the Novotel shuttle was located – again we were told the same thing! Another 15 minutes passed and by now it was 8:15PM, two shuttles should have been passed by this time and we had seen no sign of any!

Eventually with other folks we were told that we had been misinformed and it was actually another bay that the shuttle was waiting. The shuttle was a black van with no markings to indicate it was taking people to the Novotel aside from a hand written sheet of paper in the windshield! Given that it was dark, let’s be honest how many people could actually see that?

To make matters worse with this hotel, the bed was unbelievably uncomfortable! I suffered on the flight back to Dallas the whole time with neck issues simply because the bed and lack of pillows were disgraceful. Our experience here was awful. I am sure there are others out there that saw the benefits of staying here but paying over $230 for a night, you expect a lot more than what we got for our money!

I could write about more hotel chains and individual hotels all night and everyone would probably have differing opinions.

What are your favorite hotel stays and why? 

Would you recommend people to stay in chain-branded hotels or local hotels?

The Market Town of Skipton in Yorkshire

Chris Boothman
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The Market Town of Skipton in Yorkshire

What better place to enjoy a cold, crisp winter’s day than enjoying the local offerings available at Skipton market along with a variety of wonderful, quaint shops and a historic castle located in the heart of the town.

We decided to spend some time in this town with hope of experiencing the local festivities, our only disappointment was finding out that we missed the infamous market that was supposed to have been scheduled but instead only offered a small scattering of stalls.

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The market is the pinnacle of Skipton and given that it only runs a couple of days each week, it is imperative that you do sufficient research prior to heading to Yorkshire because there is a vast difference between a market day and one where you just have the local shops to wander!

Our day in Skipton began with the drive to this town which in itself is a great experience given that you are driving though many of the local hamlets and villages once you head off the M65 and through Colne to the smaller winding roads. There are so many wonderfully named towns that you visit such as Earby and others that are just lacking in activity but delightfully shaped in architecture and heritage.

Skipton Castle

Once you approach the town of Skipton, you venture along the local railway lines which allows locals and tourists the option to visit nearby Bolton Abbey via a winding train journey that takes in the beautiful countryside.

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There really is one major car park in Skipton and this is located behind the local town hall and near Marks and Spencer’s. Parking here isn’t particularly cheap, expect to pay in the region of 3-5 pounds if you are wanting to experience the town for the full day. This is also a great spot to park if you want to experience Skipton Castle.

Although we didn’t take a tour of this castle, we did read some literature which provided a great insight even if you don’t walk on the grounds of the historic feature. Over 900 years old, Skipton Castle is one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England and is well worth a visit at any season of the year. Despite the price of parking, there really is plenty of things to do in this town to spend a full day, though our experience here was cut short given our desire to explore further parts of Yorkshire.

Skipton Market

As mentioned earlier, the pinnacle of Skipton is the wonderfully acclaimed market, where locals offer their products for tourists who travel from locations afar to be a part of this experience. I have been fortunate enough to visit Skipton Market on several occasions growing up so can attest to the fact that this is one of the better ones around in England.

Market Days are usually scheduled from 9am – 5pm on the following days (exceptions being the Christmas markets which are generally held on the first two Sundays in December):

  • Monday
  • Wednesday
  • Friday
  • Saturday

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Clothing, confectionary and ‘bits and bobs’ are popular items that seem to sell great on a market even though they may seem trivial. Our sole purchase was some delicious local yogurt covered bananas which were reasonably priced for a decent sized bag. The market runs all the way down one side of the street and then on the other side of the road, market stalls are dotted running parallel to the local shops.

Local Shops

Craven Court which is beautifully designed especially at this time of the year when there is a gorgeous, decorated Christmas tree in the heart of the shopping area and plenty of other decorations lining the shops and upstairs.

The local shops are certainly not to be ignored and there is a gorgeous indoor area that is worth wandering down especially if you want to get out of the chilly weather for a few minutes.

Skipton offers plenty in terms of cuisine options. The famous Stanforth Butchers provide world-renowned pork pies that have won many awards over the years for their delectable taste. There are a myriad of flavours available and all are reasonably priced meaning that anyone visiting the region must sample one of these!

Local bakeries offer shoppers the option to take in a quick snack or you could always venture into a local pub for some excellent pub grub whilst sipping down a local ale if that tickles your taste buds! Our choice of the local Fish and Chips from Bizzies directly in front of the town’s Marks & Spencer’s establishment was certainly a good option in our opinion.

Positives

  • There is plenty of things to do in Skipton but it is well advised to visit here on a market day.
  • Plan to visit here for a full day or at least half a day because you can spend several hours taking in the local market, shops and then sample the historic town hall or Skipton Castle.
  • There is ample parking to the rear of Skipton Town Hall and directly behind the local M&S food store.

Negatives

  • Parking is expensive especially if you are only planning on staying for a hour or so. It works out cheaper to stay longer in terms of the price per hour.
  • Beware that on the market days and especially Christmas market days, the town centre is heaving with tourists and locals.
  • Be prepared for the hustle and bustle. This can be a benefit though because you are able to experience the wonderful atmosphere.
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