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Where Do The Smart Families Go When They Visit The UK?

Little old England. It’s a place that many of us want to visit at some point if we haven’t been already. But where should we go once we reach the island’s shores? After all, there are so many places to see and things to do crammed into such as tiny space. Here’s where the smart families go when they visit the UK.

Yorkshire

Why do so many visitors flock to Yorkshire each year? Well, there really is no place like in on Earth. Yorkshire is an area renowned for its strong identity and culture. This is a place where you’ll find some of the best restaurants and attractions in the country. In fact, there are more Michelin-starred restaurants per head here than in any other part of the country.

The great thing about Yorkshire is that it is full of wide open spaces and even a couple of wildernesses. North Yorkshire is far from the hustle and bustle of life in the South East. If you visit, make sure you go to the North York Moors. Here you’ll experience what it truly means to traverse an English wilderness. The Moors themselves are all but deserted. To the south, you’ll find little market towns, like Pickering and Malton. And you can stop off her for a classic pub lunch or fish and chips. The perfect finish to a family adventure.

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If you prefer, you can swap the bleak beauty of the Moors, for the lush, sweeping valleys of the Dales. The Dales are about fifty miles to the West of the Moors. Yet this is a landscape with an utterly different feel and character. It’s also the home of Wensleydale cheese. There’s a good lad, Gromit!

Blackpool

Blackpool has been drawing in the crowds for well over a hundred years now. And the coastal seaside town is still going strong as the UK’s most famous family resort. Blackpool tourism is fuelled by a combination of the beach, the attractions, and the rides. The seafront is littered with arcades and amusements for all the family. Many Brits make a habit of going to Blackpool every year because there is nothing quite like it. It’s a must-visit on any whistlestop tour of the UK.

But Blackpool isn’t just about getting an adrenaline fix or a tan. It is also a town that knows how to put on a show. Every year thousands of people flock to see shows on everything from magic to hypnotism. There is something for everybody in your family.

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Lake District 

The Lake District is the UK’s finest exhibition of natural beauty. Here you’ll find the country’s biggest lakes and tallest mountains. But you’ll also find a charm and at atmosphere which is verging on the magical. The Lake District, a couple of hours drive north of Blackpool, covers an area about twice the size of London. Packed into this small space are thousands of hotels and pubs, waiting to meet the needs of tourists.

This is the type of place that you go if you’re a family that loves adventure. Here you’ll find some of the best walking in the whole of Britain. You can walk around any one of a dozen lakes, including Windermere and Derwentwater. Or you can climb a mountain trail, what the Brits call footpaths, for stunning views. The best views can be had from the top of Catbells near Derwentwater and the Old Man near Coniston.

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The Lake District was a place that inspired the famous eighteenth-century poet, William Wordsworth. The grandeur of the lakes inspired Wordsworth to put its majesty into words. Now there’s a museum in the small town of Cockermouth, dedicated to his legacy.

Suffolk

If you want a UK beach holiday, Suffolk is the place to go. It’s far enough from London to avoid the crowds. And it hosts some of the UK’s finest seaside towns. There are no doubt, places in the world with better weather. But if you want to go to beaches with real history and charm, you can’t beat Suffolk. Frinton is a popular destination on the Suffolk coast. At this old Quaker town, you’ll find a sandy beach with a long promenade. There is a fish and chip shop, of course. And plenty of space to park. Go further up the coast, and you’ll end up at Southwold. This has a stony beach. But it’s an area famous for its amber jewelry.

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Finally, you can visit the Broads. Here’s a place where the family can get up close with nature. It’s one of the UK’s richest areas of wildlife. Here you can get up close with hundreds of rare species.

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London Festivals with the Family: To Go Or Not To Go?

The summer season is nearly here and with summer comes the opportunity to enjoy festivals. While they’re certainly not everybody’s cup of tea, they can be incredibly exciting, with live music and activities to keep everyone busy throughout the days.

Whether you’re a festival veteran or a complete fledgling, having a family can sometimes affect your ability to enjoy festivals in all their glory, with many people choosing to give up on the idea altogether. It goes without saying that the festival experience changes somewhat when children come along – the idea of being wild, young and free doesn’t necessarily exist anymore, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy them.

 If you’re wondering whether to head to a festival in the capital this summer, you can click here for budget accommodation deals in London so that you and your kids have somewhere comfortable to lay your head.

While some people will be ruling out the concept of a festival with their brood, others may be weighing up the options. What are the pros and cons of taking kids to these summer traditions?

 Pros
 • The learning experience for your kids is immeasurable
 • Fun-filled for the young ones, in an environment they wouldn’t ordinarily see
 • A chance to appreciate culture, hone their creativity and appreciate child-friendly activities
 • A great opportunity to spend some quality time with the children this summer

 Cons
 • Inevitable responsibility – you won’t be able to be crazy like you may have done a decade ago!
 • They may mean you miss music you were hoping to see because they clash with the activities your children would like to participate in
 • Early nights to coincide with sleepy ones

Luckily nowadays, it’s not all about taking children to adult-orientated festivals and hoping that they enjoy it. There’s a whole host of child-friendly festivals all over the country which provide a schedule of entertainment that cater for the youngsters too.

Family-friendly festivals offer a great chance for everyone to enjoy some quality time together this summer and a reason to spend a little time away from the creature comforts together. While many may choose to throw themselves into the deep end and camp for the duration of the festival, if you’re a complete festival newbie, it would be more advisable to click here for budget accommodation in London so that you have a fresh pillow to retire too once the festivities are over.

The LolliBop Festival (August 17th – 19th, Regent’s Park) is the ultimate festival for kids. Radiating good vibes, while catering on the most part, towards little ones, it returns for its third year in 2013 and includes the Gruffalo Live, Waybuloo, Mister Maker and Little Angel Theatre. There’s plenty of activities throughout the weekend to keep them busy and provides a superb day out that’s based around them. Take the plunge this summer and start a family tradition of heading to an annual festival. You’ll wonder why it’s taken you this long to realise just how fun-filled and enjoyable they are with the brood in tow.
Shelly, Mom Files
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