Islands Mag-walking Across England Trip

LAYOUT OK

PAGE PROOF

READY TO DROP

LASER

EPSON

Prod/Traffic_______ EIC_______ Photo_______ Fact Check_______ Copy Ed_______ Lead Ed_______ ME_______ Art Dir_______

Walkers on the fabled Coast to Coast Walk pass Haweswater reservoir in the Cumbrian Mountains of England’s Lake District.

Walking

England TAKE AN EPIC HIKE THROUGH THE HEART OF A NATION S TO RY BY T E D AL AN S T E D MAN PH OTO S BY AN D R E A PIS T O L E S I

66

ISL0609_England.indd 66

Ju n e 2 0 0 9 ISL A N D S . c om

4/8/09 5:07:12 PM

LAYOUT OK

PAGE PROOF

READY TO DROP

Ju n e 2 0 0 9 ISL A N D S . c om

ISL0609_England.indd 67

LASER

EPSON

Prod/Traffic_______ EIC_______ Photo_______ Fact Check_______ Copy Ed_______ Lead Ed_______ ME_______ Art Dir_______

67

4/8/09 5:07:22 PM

LAYOUT OK

ISL0609_England.indd 68

PAGE PROOF

READY TO DROP

LASER

EPSON

Prod/Traffic_______ EIC_______ Photo_______ Fact Check_______ Copy Ed_______ Lead Ed_______ ME_______ Art Dir_______

4/8/09 4:44:53 PM

LAYOUT OK

PAGE PROOF

LASER

EPSON

Prod/Traffic_______ EIC_______ Photo_______ Fact Check_______ Copy Ed_______ Lead Ed_______ ME_______ Art Dir_______

ueer fish, the local fellow calls us. Which is odd because about 7,000 hopefuls like us set off from St. Bees Head every year. But even here in the Coast to Coast Bar the night before our departure, we can’t convince one Englishman that our English adventure makes sense. “Why?” he asks, meaning why would we put ourselves through this. It’s the prevailing question. Addled from trans-Atlantic jet lag, plus an English ale or two, I present my best case: “Our goal is to cross England, and we hope the experience enriches our souls.” I’m not sure he buys it. At dawn the next day, we follow Dandy Walk path through an emerald pasture where neighing horses scatter into a gauzy morning mist befitting of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. A ways on, the eastern edge of the Irish Sea laps at our feet. With my gal, Tami Van Meter, I’m setting out to traverse England on its premier walking route. Plotted in the early 1970s by guidebook author Alfred Wainwright, the Coast to Coast Walk, or C2C, undulates across the isle’s narrow midsection. The official tally from decades past pegs the distance at 190 miles, although a recent remeasure with modern gadgets supposedly fattens it a bit. We’ll do it in 19 days. Or so we’ve been told.

Q TED ALAN STEDMAN (2)

READY TO DROP

We make good on the C2C custom of wetting our boots in the froth and collecting a pebble that hopefully we’ll toss into the North Sea. The symbolism of this act — linking sea to sea one step at a time — smacks us. “I hope we can do this,” Tami says. I give a pep talk and avoid mentioning how roughly 15 percent of C2C walkers drop out from sprains, weather or worse. Still, this won’t be some hardened death march — no damp tents, fi nicky camp stoves or freeze-dried foods — but a proper British walk. We’ll enjoy fresh beds, warm meals and cold pints at each day’s end, staying at country B&Bs and small inns — all C2C traditions, patently English but accessible to anyone with fortitude and sensible shoes. We climb northward for several miles along the sheer red sandstone cliffs of St. Bees Head, which Wainwright called the most beautiful part of this coast. We follow the northeast arc of the headlands through wavy fields of tall grass and wildflowers, passing the bygone The C2C Walk St. Bees Lighthouse, hundreds of begins along the roaming sheep and gorgeous gardens. Irish Sea at St. Bees “You’re walkers, aren’t you?” asks a Head. Opposite: The keeper of Keld woman in a sunbonnet as she looks up Lodge in Swaledale at us from fussing over her flowers. welcomes a walker.

69

ISL0609_England.indd 69

4/8/09 4:44:57 PM

LAYOUT OK

PAGE PROOF

READY TO DROP

LASER

EPSON

Prod/Traffic_______ EIC_______ Photo_______ Fact Check_______ Copy Ed_______ Lead Ed_______ ME_______ Art Dir_______

“We … are,” I answer between breaths after a sweaty St. Bees. We’re both shocked to see Hiking through the uphill trudge. She studies us before breaking into a smile. the 12th-century Benedictine Priory fields of St. Bees Head or the slate “Oh, brilliant. And you’re Yanks, I see,” she deduces. “Well, Church in St. Bees — where we started mines near Butyou’ve picked a lovely day. I certainly hope you enjoy walking five hours earlier. The dearth of posted termere requires its reward, such England. June is a wonderful month for flowers and such.” trail signs has already humbled us. as a pint at the This chipper woman is Alyson Smith, we learn, and spot“New rule,” Tami says. “We both Lion Inn (opposite ting walkers — English parlance for long-distance hikers — read the map and agree on a path.” bottom). Walkers comes with her territory. The C2C runs smack-dab through The path along Scarny Brow toward (top right) reach Stonethwaite. her front yard, a pretty seaside parcel overlooking a craggy Ennerdale Bridge leads through a burbluff 300 very vertical feet above the Irish Sea. Birds wing row of ferns, 6-foot sunflowers and wild rhubarb. Just before through air sweetened with the licorice scent of wild fennel. the T junction there’s a nearly hidden signed path through Craning my neck above the blockade of hot-pink foxgloves a tree plantation bearing west toward Brackenwray Farm. and a circus of other botanicals made possible by Alyson’s We almost miss it too, which would be terrible because our green thumb, I see the Isle of Man on the misty western night’s stay at Brackenwray promises to be inspiring. horizon. And what’s this? Now she’s offering us tea. “You’re the Americans, right?” shouts Steve Sullivan to Birds, flowers and tidy gardens, pleasantries with strangers us after we emerge slightly scarred from a potent thicket who become friends, storybook landscapes here and afar — it’s 100 yards across his tilled field. “We’ve been expecting you. all so tit-tat British. Precisely the bloody point. And it resonates Come on in and wash up. We have tea waiting.” with my DNA. Half the blood in my veins I owe to this island, In England, skipping afternoon tea is a sin for which there and I’m intrigued by its places and faces. This impromptu is no redemption. As we relax in overstuffed armchairs, Steve meeting marks the fi rst of what I hope will be many purely tells his story. He’s a retired medic “with a nice pension.” He British encounters in the far north English countryside. and his wife, Valerie, have refurbished a centuries-old stone Walking on after tea, we reach Birkham’s Quarry and farmhouse and crafted a well-appointed B&B loft. Steve there turn eastward, glancing back to say goodbye to the sea. points with pride to exposed 400-year-old raft timbers A mile ahead, near the hamlet of Sandwith, we study the recycled from an old English ship, then takes us on a tour of distant profi le of the fi rst of three mountain ranges stand- his subsistence farm. Everything we see — ducks, chickens, ing between us and the North Sea. pigs — the couple will use themselves PLAN YOUR TRIP, p. 93 or sell at farmers markets. “We’re climbing those?” is Tami’s panicky reaction to the sight. “We’re not sentimentalists,” he says. “Yes, the Lake District,” I tell her. “We try to limit our needs and sustain No r th Se a “We’ll be there in two days.” When the ourselves in the most practical fashion. English talk of their mountains, the It’s a good living.” So it’s the 21st century in an industrialized country, and they Cumbrian Mountains get the most verbiage. All the territory in England live off the land next to a prized national above 3,000 feet in elevation lies in park. Some would call that brilliant. Robin Stonethwaite Shap Hood’s Under grim skies the following day, this extreme northwest county, and Keld Bay St. Bees Grasmere Steve and Val see us off on what will it’s home to Lake District National Head Richmond be our biggest climbing day, with a difPark, one of the lushest and wettest areas in the United Kingdom. I throw ficult scramble up Loft Beck and a total out a half-hopeful assurance that we’ll Irish Se a gain pushing 3,000 feet. Within an ENGLAND make quick work of those “hills” with hour we enter Lake District National our Colorado-conditioned legs. They Park and begin the slog past Ennerdale say confidence is as important as a good Water, a three-mile-long lake cradled PEOPLE’S PATH pair of boots on this path. in a steep-sided valley below toothy “One should always have a defiBirds zip around us on their feeding peaks. A light drizzle settles in, addnite objective in a walk, as in life,” sorties as we navigate leafy avian tunwrote guidebook author Alfred ing to the challenge of clambering over Wainwright. Crossing the English nels and peer into tree hollows cradling the airy 100-foot rocky outcropping countryside via public paths and nests of chirping chicks. It’s all wonnamed Robin Hood’s Chair. bridleways, his C2C makes the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales I’m resting alone above a steep derfully distracting, and we pay the and the North York Moors — price at Pow Beck when we — I — miss switchback when a NATO fighter jet some of England’s finest scenery a trail connection and we circle more screams past 75 yards in front of me as it — available to anyone with the than two errant miles back toward proper attitude and shoes. threads the valley, the roar reverberating SCOTLAND

70

ISL0609_England.indd 70

4/8/09 4:44:58 PM

LAYOUT OK

ISL0609_England.indd 71

PAGE PROOF

READY TO DROP

LASER

EPSON

Prod/Traffic_______ EIC_______ Photo_______ Fact Check_______ Copy Ed_______ Lead Ed_______ ME_______ Art Dir_______

4/8/09 4:44:59 PM

LAYOUT OK

PAGE PROOF

READY TO DROP

LASER

EPSON

Prod/Traffic_______ EIC_______ Photo_______ Fact Check_______ Copy Ed_______ Lead Ed_______ ME_______ Art Dir_______

Va l e s , t o n g u e s , f e l l s , l e a s a n d o t h e r f e a t u r e s wi th English names lace the gre en slop es

l i k e a n e m b r o i d e r e d qu uilt.

72

ISL0609_England.indd 72

Ju n e 2 0 0 9 ISL A N D S . c om

4/9/09 12:52:02 PM

LAYOUT OK

PAGE PROOF

READY TO DROP

Ju n e 2 0 0 9 ISL A N D S . c om

ISL0609_England.indd 73

LASER

EPSON

Prod/Traffic_______ EIC_______ Photo_______ Fact Check_______ Copy Ed_______ Lead Ed_______ ME_______ Art Dir_______

73

4/9/09 12:52:04 PM

LAYOUT OK

PAGE PROOF

READY TO DROP

LASER

EPSON

Prod/Traffic_______ EIC_______ Photo_______ Fact Check_______ Copy Ed_______ Lead Ed_______ ME_______ Art Dir_______

my insides. Military practices over populated European areas are normal, but I’m guessing this pilot is acting out his inner cowboy. My heart takes a second to restart. If I’m freaked by tons of metal rocketing past my face at 600 mph and weary from a 15-mile day, I’m soothed into submission that evening as we plod into the Edenesque Borrowdale valley — dry-stone walls amid luxuriant grassy pastures, flocks of sheep and enchanting whitewashed stone cottages topped with mossy slate roofs. Smoke curls from chimneys, and a stone bridge arches over a brook that actually babbles. I see no cars, just corralled horses. We trade worldly stories with Dutch and British couples — fellow C2C walkers — in the Langstrath Hotel’s cozy pub, warmed by a glimmering fi replace. Our eyelids slacken. “Had a long day from Ennerda le, have you?” asks Sara Hodgson, the hotel’s spunky, attentive co-owner. “Well, luvs, you have a nice upstairs room with a big bed just 20 steps from here, so relax and enjoy yourselves.” Tami and I eventually melt into fi reside chairs, content as purring cats. Vales, tongues, fells, leas and other features with English names lace the green slopes like an embroidered quilt as we climb and descend Lining Crag on our way to Grasmere. The great English poet and Grasmere resident William Wordsworth christened this valley “the fairest place on earth.” Entering a glorious sylvan setting with gingerbread houses, we can see that this peaceful village on the banks of the River Rothay hasn’t lost any of its charm. Tour-bus loads of adoring travelers make the pilgrimage here. But despite the influx, Grasmere remains the archetypal English village, a genteel artist’s enclave where everything is

hopelessly civilized. We stroll the Storyteller’s Gardens, then the forested Poet’s Walk where we fi nd the Latin inscription describing how Wordsworth’s sister, Dorothy, would sit at this spot while her brother paced nearby and composed verses. And we visit Wordsworth’s quaint and venerated Dove Cottage, where he likely penned his trademark poem “The Daffodils,” which even I’ve read: “I wandered lonely as a cloud … .” Of course, it’s not all peaches and cream on the C2C. The recurring rhythm borders on torture — consecutive early starts; walking and walking rain or shine to make your evening’s reservations; the inevitable blisters; and, I must admit, sheep poop. We constantly have to adjust our clothing to the whims of wind, sun and rain. Then in our case, there’s getting lost on occasion. But just when the prospect of another mile seems dreadful, the C2C redeems itself. It’s day nine, and we’re in a brief “Where are we?” quandary after taking an alternate path out of the Lake District from Bampton. Except for the bleating sheep, which are starting to look appetizing, it feels lonely here. The maze of worn paths leading out like spokes on a wheel is an infuriating reminder of the antiquity of the land. People of purpose — Roman soldiers and medieval serfs, tally-ho aristocrats and postal deliverymen — defi ned these paths over centuries. Walkers like us are not nearly as emboldened. “Isn’t that Shap Abbey?” Tami asks, The C2C links historic English looking through our binoculars. “It’s on landmarks like our route.” The imposing stone tower the tower of Shap becomes a beacon we easily aim for. Abbey, which is visible for miles. When we arrive, we’re the only ones at Along the way, you this remote, eroded edifice frozen in the meet the locals.

74

ISL0609_England.indd 74

4/8/09 4:45:05 PM

LAYOUT OK

ISL0609_England.indd 75

PAGE PROOF

READY TO DROP

LASER

EPSON

Prod/Traffic_______ EIC_______ Photo_______ Fact Check_______ Copy Ed_______ Lead Ed_______ ME_______ Art Dir_______

4/8/09 4:45:11 PM

LAYOUT OK

PAGE PROOF

READY TO DROP

LASER

EPSON

Prod/Traffic_______ EIC_______ Photo_______ Fact Check_______ Copy Ed_______ Lead Ed_______ ME_______ Art Dir_______

We m a y n e v e r s e e t h e m a g a i n , y e t t h e y b e c o m e f r i e n d s f o r l i f e . “I’l l r a t h e r m i s s y o u r c o m p a n y ,” F r a n k s a y s t h e n e x t m o r n i n g .

I t ’s a l l w e c a n d o t o k e e p d r y e y e s .

76

ISL0609_England.indd 76

Ju n e 2 0 0 9 ISL A N D S . c om

4/8/09 4:45:14 PM

LAYOUT OK

PAGE PROOF

LASER

EPSON

Prod/Traffic_______ EIC_______ Photo_______ Fact Check_______ Copy Ed_______ Lead Ed_______ ME_______ Art Dir_______

Middle Ages. For centuries, locals plundered the abbey’s carved stonework. But the looming tower stands mostly intact, casting as heavy a shadow as it did hundreds of years ago when it was built. Nearing the midway point now, half of me wants to run, and the other half wants to linger. Tami and I are developing an emotional bond to England that we didn’t anticipate. The countryside is fascinating, the history enthralling. But it’s the people we’ve met whom we’ll remember the rest of our lives. Fatigue notwithstanding, I’m already starting to regret the journey’s end. Two days and 20 miles farther on along the C2C, with big weather moving in off the North Atlantic, we get a pre-dawn start from Kirkby Stephen, a market town that was fi rst settled by the Romans along the perfectly named River Eden. It’s a “red-letter day.” We’re leaving Cumbria and entering Yorkshire Dales National Park — and crossing the Pennines, England ’s mountainous backbone. Within the fi rst miles, the wind is howling with 60 mph gusts, sleet pelts us and we can see barely 20 yards, peering through our cinched all-weather hoods. In the English All downhill, the last leg of the C2C runs down to Robin Hood’s Bay. Opposite: Wildflowers bloom in Yorkshire Dales National Park.

TED ALAN STEDMAN

READY TO DROP

tradition, I keep a stiff upper lip, but I know a situation like this can quickly deteriorate from unpleasant to perilous. The weather worsens, and by now we’re bowing into the raging winds and stinging sleet. We can barely see the mucky earth in front of our feet. We scramble around boulders, struggle through bogs and try to discern the correct path from intersecting sheep trails. We climb blindly until the eerie stacked piles of slate known as the Nine Standards Rigg materialize out of the mist. Historians speculate they were built about 400 years ago to resemble towering soldiers that would scare off the invading Scots. It’s a good story. But for the next half-hour, the imposing cairns serve as bodyguards, shielding us from an icy gale fierce enough to stop walkers dead in their tracks. Amid the worst of the fusillade, we hunker down behind one of the stone barriers. Even with gloves on, my hands are starting to get numb. I’m not worried about surviving. We have emergency gear and food. Still, being on one of the highest precipices in England during a raging storm makes us question our C2C outISLANDS.COM/england come. Tami gives me an exasperated look FOLLOW THE ROUTE that seems to say, “Look what you’ve WATCH TED’S VIDEO gotten us into now.” (continued on p. 92) FIND PLACES TO STAY

77

ISL0609_England.indd 77

4/8/09 4:45:18 PM

LAYOUT OK

PAGE PROOF

READY TO DROP

LASER

EPSON

Prod/Traffic_______ EIC_______ Photo_______ Fact Check_______ Copy Ed_______ Lead Ed_______ ME_______ Art Dir_______

U N I T E D S TAT E S

VirginIslands ST. CROIX

I

ST. JOHN

I

England (from p. 77) Walkers on the fabled Coast to Coast Walk pass Haweswater reservoir in the Cumbrian Mountains of England’s Lake District.

ST. THOMAS

Walking

S T. C R O I X

England TAKE AN EPIC HIKE THROUGH THE HEART OF A NATION S TO RY BY T E D AL AN S T E D M AN PH OTO S BY AN D R E A PIS T O L E S I

66

DIVI CARINA BAY BEACH RESORT & CASINO Located on a quiet stretch of beach in St. Croix, the Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort combines privacy and relaxation with modern style and amenities. Spacious beachfront guestrooms and deluxe hillside suites offer private balconies with stunning views. Resort features full service spa, casino and PADI 5-Star scuba diving.

877-773-9700 / Fax: 340-773-6802 www.divicarina.com

S T. T H O M A S

SECRET HARBOUR BEACH RESORT It’s no secret why guests return to enjoy our true island hospitality. Our all-suite oceanfront resort is set among the palms of our crescent shaped beach. Studio, one and two bedroom suites are fully equipped and feature private patios or balconies. On site tennis, dive/watersports, fitness center and seaside restaurant. Discover the difference!

800-524-2250 / 340-775-6550 www.secretharbourvi.com

S T. T H O M A S

SAPPHIRE BEACH RESORT One of St. Thomas’s premier resorts with a half-mile of exquisite beach, pool, dining, complimentary snorkeling, kayaks and tennis. 171 luxurious, spacious suites with spectacular views, private balconies, kitchens, living areas. Air-conditioning, cable TV, ceiling fan and phones. Free two-day car rental with minimum stay.

800-874-7897 [email protected] www.antillesresorts.com


     𰀔𰀔

Ju n e 2 0 0 9


     𰀔 𰀔

Miles later, the worst weather and the knee-deep bogs behind us, we rendezvous with a group of Brits, also hurrying off the 2,200-foot-high moors. “Ghastly weather,” exclaims an older gentleman with a walking staff, “not fit for a living thing.” I tell him we’ve been a little anxious. “As you should be,” he warns. “It’s been a sticky end for more than a few walkers on the moors.” As we walk the day’s 13th mile, the cozy radiance of Keld Lodge, a renovated hunter’s guesthouse, draws us in. We remove our disgusting boots, and one of the lodge’s owners, Tony Leete, greets us like heroes with a couple of cream-topped pints of Guinness. “You crossed the Pennines today! Good going in that horrible weather,” says Tony. Over dinner that night, we learn he’d previously done some kind of police duty. “Details of which are strictly off-limits,” he says. But now he’s poured his soul into Keld, turning the lodge into a homey, tavern-style inn with a sign — “We welcome all” — overlooking the lush landscape of Swaledale. A day later, we exit the Yorkshire Dales and meander into beautiful Richmond, an old French name meaning “strong hill.” It’s the largest settlement on the C2C, built around an ııth-century castle. Eateries and shops line the huge cobblestone square. We stay at nearby Frenchgate Guest House, a magnificent old hilltop home with massive picture windows that take in the whole town. “Did you know there are 57 R ichmonds in the world, all named after Richmond in Yorkshire?” poses John Barnes, a fellow guest in his late 70s. We sip sherry in the great room looking

92

ISL0609_England.indd 92

Ju n e 2 0 0 9

out at the castle and talk like old friends. He recounts his life, his love of England and wistful memories of his late wife. “I feel privileged having spent most of my days here. I cannot imagine a life anywhere else beyond England,” he says. Richmond’s castle, its Sunday market and glorious medieval streets are the salve we need before hoisting our packs two days later to cross the Vale of Mowbray. Wainwright took the uneventful segment to task: “Those who believe the earth is flat will be mightily encouraged on this section,” he wrote. But his bane is our boon. This 14-mile day is the ultimate pastoral stroll — without hills or bogs, thank you. We walk past the Catterick Bridge, Shetland ponies lazing in fields near Bolton-on-Swale and down country roads flanked by massive hedges bursting with birdsong. Best of all, Frank and Doreen Philips, a lovely, gentle couple, greet us with tea and gingersnaps at Old School House B&B in the tiny rural hamlet of Danby Wiske. Doreen, 59, actually went to grammar school in this exact building. “It closed years ago,” she says. “We couldn’t let it fall into disrepair now, could we?” They feed us a king’s feast topped by desserts and good wine. We talk into the night, and I hear a new set of life stories nurtured in the English countryside. We may never see them again, yet they become friends for life. “I’ll rather miss your company,” Frank says the next morning. “It will be quite lonely here without you.” When Tami and I leave, it’s all we can do to keep dry eyes. The next 40 miles and four days crossing the North York Moors, our last national park, aren’t easy, climbing 1,200-foot plateaus separated by narrow valleys. Walker’s fatigue begins to set in. Early-morning starts seem a little harder. We eat ibuprofen like candy. I don’t yet loath the sheep, but their odorous effect on my boots is starting to make me nauseous. Still, the end is now literally within sight. From the forested hills above Littlebeck , we can make out the indigo North Sea.

Ju n e 2 0 0 9 ISL A N D S . c om

4/8/09 4:53:03 PM

LAYOUT OK

PAGE PROOF

READY TO DROP

LASER

EPSON

And by the time we reach the headlands leading to Robin Hood’s Bay, we’re almost prancing. Golden fields of wheat ripen in the sun above a whitecapped sea that fades into distant fog banks rolling toward Denmark. We reach the old-world fishing village, and soon we’re walking the fi nal yards down cobblestone streets to the water’s edge — the official end of the Coast to Coast Walk. It’s Sunday and families are picnicking. Kids build sand castles and catch little fish in tide pools. I feel a rush of accomplishment and a bitter sense of fi nality. We wet our boots. I remember the stone I picked up three weeks before and toss it into the water. As Tami and I hug, a beach-goer comes up to us. “Did you walk from St. Bees?” he asks, seeing our backpacks and fi lthy boots. We nod. “You’ve walked across a nation — our nation,” he declares. “You’ve seen more of the country than most Brits. Congratulations.” ^

Prod/Traffic_______ EIC_______ Photo_______ Fact Check_______ Copy Ed_______ Lead Ed_______ ME_______ Art Dir_______

PLAN YOUR TRIP:

England

FLY into the Manchester Airport (MAN), the closest international gateway to St. Bees Head at the start of the C2C. British Airways has direct flights from New York, Los Angeles and other major U.S. hubs. britishairways.com STAY at Frenchgate Guest House in Richmond, a charming town in the heart of the North Yorkshire countryside. Sitting on a hilltop overlook, the Victorian Frenchgate lies within short walking distance along ancient cobbled streets from the historic marketplace, Richmond Castle and nearby Easby Abbey. Rates from $95. 66frenchgate.co.uk EAT at La Piazza Pizzeria, a slice of Old Italy perched above Richmond’s marketplace. Run by an Italian family, this busy, friendly eatery serves pizzas, pasta, meat and seafood dishes, a welcome variation from the standard English fare C2C walkers subsist on. Try the Milano baked seafood dish combining salmon, sea bass, prawns and mussels. Complement your meal with wine or Italian Peroni beer. VISIT the Richmond Castle, whose first stones were laid in 1071 by the Norman French. Stroll the grounds, climb the towers and learn what daily life was like inside one of England’s oldest castles. Open daily. richmond.org.uk

ABACO

HIRE Coast to Coast Packhorse for accommodation packages and door-todoor baggage transfers. This outfi tter also provides basic services and support for independent travelers handling their own accommodations. Standard 15-night B&B packages start at about $1,200 per person, including airport transfers. c2cpackhorse.co.uk PACK comfortable, quick-dry, non-cotton hiking clothes. A waterproof jacket and rugged Gore-Tex-lined walking boots are essential. Also carry water bottles, a compass, a multitool, sunblock and a well-stocked first-aid kit. STUDY your route. The best C2C maps are the waterproof, two-map set (west and east) from Harvey. www.harveymaps.co.uk The up-to-date guidebook Coast to Coast Path by Henry Stedman (no relation) details the route. trailblazer-guides.com LEARN MORE about the route at islands .com/england and visitbritain.com — TAS

LONG ISLAND Treasure Cay Resort

Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort & Villas

Known for its powdery 3 ½ mile beach and un-crowded laid-back atmosphere. Treasure Cay Resort Hotel and Marina is the ideal base for island hopping, fishing, boat rentals, scuba diving, snorkeling and a variety of water-sports.

Untouched…undiscovered…barefoot elegance in paradise. Enjoy luxurious accommodation, scrumptious cuisine and feel your stress slip away as mile after mile of silky sand beach stretches before you and majestic sunsets and calm waters embrace you.

800-327-1584 www.TreasureCay.com

GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND

800-663-7090 www.capesantamaria.com

NASSAU Pelican Bay at Lucaya

Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort

Stay 3 nights in one of our Waterside State Rooms for $209 p/n and get the 4th night FREE! Located on the water, furnished in rich mahogany décor, in-room espresso, steps to beach and minutes to the best shopping on Grand Bahama.

On the Caribbean’s finest white-sand beach, Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort offers a complete vacation experience, with Bahamian hospitality, thoughtful amenities, varied dining and abundant activities. “Sunsational Savings” 4th night FREE - Up to $200 in resort credits – breakfast for two.

866-654-1526 www.PelicanBayHotel.com

ISL0609_England.indd 93

RELAX after a long day of walking with a traditionalTheakston ale at the very English Lion Inn pub on Blakey Ridge in North York Moors National Park. A very English rainstorm outside only redoubles the sense of cozy calm by the grand, crackling fireplace. And a helping of Old Peculiar Casserole will fuel another pleasant all-day stroll tomorrow. lionblakey.co.uk

877-782-0149 www.sheraton.com/nassauoffers

4/8/09 4:53:12 PM