Today we leave Manchester to head south to the southwestern part of England. Unlike the rest of our trip, where we spend our time visiting small towns, pastoral landscapes, and castles and museums, the past two days were spent in the two cities that arguably represent England’s rise as a major industrial power. The industrial revolution changed Manchester in the early 1800s from a minor township into the pre-eminent industrial metropolis of the the world. The city began expanding “at an astonishing rate” as part of a process of unplanned urban development brought on by a boom in textile manufacturing. This also led to England being by far the largest…

On Saturday, we left the Lake District and drove South to Liverpool, where we toured Anfield, Liverpool Football Club’s stadium. We put this on the itinerary because Jack is a huge Liverpool Football Club fan. Having watched Liverpool play at Anfield so often on TV, it was a treat to tour the stadium. After our visit to Liverpool, we drove the short distance east to Manchester. Carter is a huge Manchester United Football Club fan. But that is not the reason we visited Manchester. A One Day International (ODI) cricket match was being played at Old Trafford (the third oldest cricket field in England) on Sunday between India and England.…

Today was Carter Franklin’s 30th Birthday. So, we started our 3rd day in the Lake District with Davis and I visiting a local Whiskey and Gin shop for some tastings at 10 a.m. in the morning! While there, we purchased an impromptu birthday gift for Carter. We also purchased various libations. We then drove from Keswick to the village of Ambleside, where he had a wonderful birthday lunch and boarded a cruise that would take us all the way to the other end of Lake Windermere and back. Lake Windermere is the largest lake in England with a maximum depth of 230 feet. In addition to having the largest lakes…

When we planned this great adventure to Great Britain, we decided that if we were going to GB to watch golf, we were also going to play golf. So, we made a tee time at Keswick Golf Club for 10:00 a.m. on our second day in the Lake District. Because the course is located in arguably the most beautiful part of England, the natural beauty of the course made the day especially memorable. It had been almost 10 years since the four of us had played golf together. Although our handicaps vary widely, the scenery and the fellowship made the round so much fun. Afterwards, we enjoyed beer and comfort…

Monday – Day 2. The Open, formerly known as The British Open, has been played 149 times since 1860. And it has been played a record 29 times at St. Andrews in Scotland, home of this year’s 150th Open. When Carter threw out the idea that our next Father/Sons trip should be in Great Britain, I was able to complete one of my “bucket list” activities by securing 4 tickets to the Monday and Tuesday practice rounds of The Open, arguably the biggest golf tournament in the world. So, here we are, where the modern game of golf originated. There were several highlights of the Monday practice round. The first…