Journeys with Johnny

What a way to finish up our two week tour of Great Britain. The streets of London were swarming with people and we would walk over 20 miles on those streets during our final two days in Great Britain. I wish i could share all of the experiences and all of the wonderful photos I took in London. Hopefully, the highlights and photos I do share will convey how we felt about our time in London. London has arguably been the epicenter of Western development for the past 500 years. The Romans tried their best to control all of the British Isles, and failed. That is why we have Hadrian’s…

This morning we attempted to leave our cottage in Bradford on Avon early because we knew we had a full day ahead of us – Stonehenge, Salisbury and it’s Cathedral, dropping our car off at Heathrow, and finding transportation into London, an hour’s drive from the airport. I say attempted because 40 minutes into our drive to Stonehenge, I realized I had left my cell phone at the cottage back in Bradford on Avon. I share this little mishap because as everyone who has ever traveled in close quarters with family members knows, irritability usually ensues. And as my wife and close friends know, my three sons can sometimes tease…

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…