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Travels

Learning About Animals at The Cotswold Wildlife Park

One of the things I struggle with as the stay at home parent of a toddler is how to keep him entertained on a daily basis. I’m not one of those crafty, creative parents who always seem to have great ideas for little projects and games to play around the house. I’m one of those parents who wakes up most mornings and says to herself, “right, what am I going to do with this kid today?”

For me, the best answer to this question is to get us out of the house, to go see and do. It’s England so there will be plenty of days where it’s miserable and rainy and we end up inside playing trains all day. So, it’s important on the days that it’s not to get outside, despite the fact that the little man has recently decided he’s not that interested in wearing clothes.

Luckily, there are plenty of things nearby that we can do once we’ve gotten through the painful process of getting dressed. In addition to Blenheim Palace and the National Trust, I’ve also taken advantage of the annual pass at the Cotswold Wildlife Park. In just under 30 minutes we can be out for the day learning about animals, playing in the playground, and having a picnic on the lawn.

And, oh yeah, there is a train. A TRAIN!

On our visit there this week, the little man even had his first milkshake, a strawberry one which he refused to share with me. He is definitely my child.

There is a wide variety of animals to see and learn about at the park. We love to visit the penguins as they really get up close and personal. And, I’ve been amazed at how close you can get to the giraffes when they’re feeding in their big tall house. The little man always asks to see the snakes and the crocodile. When I asked him later in the day what his favorite animal was, he said the “dinosaur.” I think he meant the crocodile. At least I’m going to go with that given that the crocodile probably looks as much like a dinosaur as anything else to a two-year old.

The white Rhinos never disappoint. Something about the juxtaposition of these animals and a Cotswold manor house always strikes me. Yesterday, they were closer to the fence than I’ve ever seen them, hunkered down in the ditch for a little snuggle. And when I was there just a few weeks ago, I even caught them in a little sexy time.

With our annual pass, we just need to go 5 times in the year to make the pass worthwhile. We’ve already been 3 times and still have nine months and a whole week of English summertime to go. And, it’s open every single day except Christmas Day. Money and time well spent.

April 4, 2012

Travels

The Roald Dahl Museum: A Phizz-whizzing Time

Recently, I mentioned how the little man had become interested in Roald Dahl’s books. It took me by surprise that he’d actually sit through something with more words than pictures, but it’s really been a joy to read them. All of these books are new to me as well, having never read them as a child, so reading them to the little man has given me a new-found appreciation for Roald Dahl’s imagination.

And lucky for us, Roald Dahl spent most of his adult life just a hop skip and jump from here. In the town where he lived there is a museum, the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, and we went for a visit last week.

According to their website, the Museum’s vision is to:

To be an inspirational Museum that encourages children and adults to unlock their imaginations, engage with reading and have a go at creative writing.

In a world filled with television and video games, how great is that?

I think the little man will enjoy the place a bit more when he’s a little older, but there was still lots to do. Kids can dress up as some of their favorite characters, make little movies, do arts and crafts, make stories out of magnetic words, and hang out in the cockpit of a WWII plane like Dahl flew.

One of my favorite things at the Museum were the sets from the Fantastic Mr. Fox movie. Movie making always fascinates me but, the attention to detail in the models they created for this move, just amazing. The model of a pub even had, in TINY lettering, a sign above the door with the proprietor’s name, a detail you’d never even notice in split second of movie frame, but that some artist felt compelled to include.

You also get a peek into Dahl’s writing process and the things in his life that inspired him. You can see Dahl’s Writing Hut and the odd assortment of bugwhiffles and buzzwangles he surrounded himself with while writing. And what a prolific writer he was, the shelves in the museum shop are just chock full of his books.

Cafe Twit, where we stopped for a bite of lunch, was full of decadent delicious treats. The desserts were all crafted with a bit of whimsy, all very Wonka-ish. And did I mention the hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows? I can’t remember the last time I had that. It was like drinking up a little memory of childhood. Scrumdiddlyumptious!

Really, I don’t think I can sum it all up better than this:

Here’s to believing in magic.

March 20, 2012

Travels

Sunshine! A Day Out at Stowe

This weekend we had a little respite from the dreary winter weather and enjoyed a bit of sunshine. I took this as an opportuity to get out and take advantage of my new National Trust membership, visiting one of the spots I haven’t been to yet but that is just a mere 30 minutes from home. Mainly because their events page said I could find snowdrops, I chose to go to Stowe, the beautiful 18th century landscape gardens.

This turned out to be a great day out. A newly built visitor center meant there was good parking, good toilets, and a good café. All critical elements when travelling with a toddler. There was a “land train”, AKA tractor, that you could ride from the visitor center to the main park entrance. Hands down, this was the little man’s favorite part of the trip. I mean, taking in some fresh air and a walk around some lovely landscape is good. But riding behind a tractor? Man, you can’t beat that when you’re two.

The little man’s second favorite part of the day? Muddy puddles. To be in a region of the UK currently suffering from drought, we had no trouble finding muddy puddles to jump in. But I think muddy puddles are a kid magnet. That’s why we came prepared and wore our wellies.

We only made it a short way around the park, barely making a dent in the vast landscape there was to explore. I’ve become bold enough to take him out places without the pushchair and make him walk. And, little legs can only walk so far. Plus, as mentioned above, the little man couldn’t wait to get back on the tractor. “Go see tractor. Go see tractor.” OK, we’ll go see the tractor again.

As the weather continues to improve, I’ll definitely return to Stowe to do more exploring. This National Trust thing is paying dividends already.

UPDATE: I initially neglected to mention that the National Trust has a fantastic iPhone app available for FREE from the iTunes App Store. It has a searchable directory of all the National Trust sites and provides descriptions and details on each. But best of all, it gives you a customized list of current events at sites near you (using your GPS location details). Well worth installing as it’s full of ideas for great days out. And, did I mention it’s FREE?

February 27, 2012

Travels

Making the Rounds at Avebury

It’s hard to think of England without thinking of Stonehenge as one of its most famous landmarks. It’s probably the most recognizable ancient stone circle in the world. But the British Isles are full of stone circles. Apparently it was how the people of the Late Neolithic and Bronze Ages passed the time. Well, without television what else are you supposed to do but lug massive stones around?

Last weekend we visited the stone circle in Avebury for the first time. Avebury gets a lot less street cred than its big sister Stonehenge but I actually found it a nicer day out. It’s less restricted, more expansive, a more family friendly walkabout. And, it’s free. Stonehenge has maybe become a victim of its own success with fencing and a gift shop and everything you’d expect from a commercial tourist attraction.

Now granted, it’s the dead of winter, but Avebury was quaint and quiet, there was sun and rain. It’s physically a bigger circle than Stonehenge but it feels more intimate. Maybe because you can still get up close and personal with the stones.

Plus, smack in the middle there’s a nice little pub where you can stop for lunch, get dry, and have some hot chocolate that isn’t quite as hot as it should be. I’m sure this is exactly what people of the Bronze Age intended.