Things to see/do before you leave

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

Does anyone else have a itinerary of places to go and things to see before you leave the UK? I have been trying to make a list of places that I'd always wanted to go as I know that once I'm in the US I'll probably only be visiting the UK twice a year at most and most of that time will be seeing family and friends. (Yes this thread is a blatant attempt to borrow other peoples good ideas!).

So these are my top ideas at present:

1) Do the Hadrian's Wall Walk

2) Go to one last big festival

3) Go to the Edinburgh Fringe

4) Complete the last half of the South West Coast Path (400 miles done so far!)

5) Visit the Lake District

[lost_at_sea 995]

Mine's mostly a list of places I need to eat at in London again (all my fave meals, basically).

I'm not intending to never come back though. Already have a return trip planned in November.

[Darnell 8,478]

a thing to do:

--purchase 12 bottles of your favorite sauce, and carefully pack them into yer luggage.

Why? It's exceptionally difficult to find once yer in the USA. Not impossible, but difficult.

12 bottles should help you 'bridge the gap' after arrival in the USA.

[lost_at_sea 995]

I think our responses are not what you're looking for.

If I HAD to make a list if I wasn't coming back, I guess I'd visit my home county again (Cornwall). I've also never been to Scotland (I know! But it's very far from Cornwall.), so anywhere. I hear the islands off Scotland are lovely and varied too (like Isla?).

Other ideas from things I have done and liked and think are very Britishy...

Stone henge.

Pretty old market cities like Winchester.

Isles of Scilly and the Isle of White.

Snowden valley.

I mean, I give not-London a hard time for being boring, but my husband and I had a lovely drive around Great Malvern last weekend for my friend's wedding. It was stunning.

Edited July 14, 2013 by lost_at_sea

[goldylox 0]

lol I am from scotland you should try a visit up the west coast towards Oban and Fort William ..... One of the most spectacular journeys ever ...... castles, lochs, mountains, highland cows and the odd man in a kilt with bagpipes lol ..... you will not regret the trip i promise ) Oh and if you can a trip to Iona the island where all the kings of scotland are buried a very spiritual place )) x x x x x AWWWWWWW i wanna go home looool

[katieflossom 54]

Yes I am doing that too!

I live in London, and as it's my last summer here, I am aiming to visit a place near every tube station in zone 1 and 2 before I leave! I also want to go into both St Pauls Cathedral and the Tower of London too, as I never have.

Outside of London - go back to Portmeiron (not been since I was a kid), set foot in Scotland, and go to the German Xmas markets.

That should keep me busy until the elusive NOA2 comes in!

[rjm_cmyk 75]

Well whatever you plan on doing get a move on. Time compresses the closer you get to the interview stage. Pre- NOA2 time crawls. Post NOA2 and suddenly heck - I have soooo much to do....

When you sit down and work out how many weekends you have left - well that focusses the mind. I'm trying to do stuff that I won't/can't do/have time to do when I visit the UK in the future

1. Visit for one last time the places I lived and hung out as a kid growing up oop north
2. Visit the National Railway Museum
3. See a bit more of my friends
4. See a lot more of my elderly mum
5. A quick weekend in Helsinki to see the place for the last time having visited it regularly through work for nearly 15 years

All this while getting the house on the market , extricating myself from my business and all my personal affairs in the UK, and planning then doing the move (including large dog) and selling various cars.

Oh and at some point planning a wedding in the US and a followup in the the UK next year.

[katieflossom 54]

Well whatever you plan on doing get a move on. Time compresses the closer you get to the interview stage. Pre- NOA2 time crawls. Post NOA2 and suddenly heck - I have soooo much to do....

When you sit down and work out how many weekends you have left - well that focusses the mind. I'm trying to do stuff that I won't/can't do/have time to do when I visit the UK in the future

1. Visit for one last time the places I lived and hung out as a kid growing up oop north
2. Visit the National Railway Museum
3. See a bit more of my friends
4. See a lot more of my elderly mum
5. A quick weekend in Helsinki to see the place for the last time having visited it regularly through work for nearly 15 years

All this while getting the house on the market , extricating myself from my business and all my personal affairs in the UK, and planning then doing the move (including large dog) and selling various cars.

Oh and at some point planning a wedding in the US and a followup in the the UK next year.

Sounds like you've got nowhere near enough to keep you occupied...

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

lol I am from scotland you should try a visit up the west coast towards Oban and Fort William ..... One of the most spectacular journeys ever ...... castles, lochs, mountains, highland cows and the odd man in a kilt with bagpipes lol ..... you will not regret the trip i promise ) Oh and if you can a trip to Iona the island where all the kings of scotland are buried a very spiritual place )) x x x x x AWWWWWWW i wanna go home looool

I must confess that I've never been to Scotland, the furthest North I've been is Liverpool! It's not that I don't travel (have been to 26 countries!) Its just I've never got round to doing it. I think I will wait until Flybe have a sale and fly up from Exeter to Aberdeen or Glasgow and rent a car. I'd love to see the castles, mountains and lochs and all the prehistoric remains on the Orkneys.

Yes I am doing that too!

I live in London, and as it's my last summer here, I am aiming to visit a place near every tube station in zone 1 and 2 before I leave! I also want to go into both St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London too, as I never have.

Outside of London - go back to Portmeiron (not been since I was a kid), set foot in Scotland, and go to the German Xmas markets.

That should keep me busy until the elusive NOA2 comes in!

Damn German Christmas markets there's another to add to the list! Am planning to hit London one last time before I go, I've never been to the Tower either despite spending a lot of time in London. One last trip to the British Museum is in order too.

I think our responses are not what you're looking for.

If I HAD to make a list if I wasn't coming back, I guess I'd visit my home county again (Cornwall). I've also never been to Scotland (I know! But it's very far from Cornwall.), so anywhere. I hear the islands off Scotland are lovely and varied too (like Isla?).

Other ideas from things I have done and liked and think are very Britishy...

Stone henge.

Pretty old market cities like Winchester.

Isles of Scilly and the Isle of White.

Snowden valley.

I mean, I give not-London a hard time for being boring, but my husband and I had a lovely drive around Great Malvern last weekend for my friend's wedding. It was stunning.

Isles of Scilly there's another one to add to my list! Also Lundy Island to see the puffins :-)

[Pooky 3,725]

I did my things to see before I moved a while back. But when I go back, there's a few things to add to the list:

1. Spend a day watching the RAF practicing flying low and fast in the Machynlleth Loop

2. Tour the relatives, from the Lake District to the South Coast and everywhere between

3. Visit the Tower of London

4. See the Edinburgh Festival.

5. Ride the Isle of Man TT circuit

I think it might take more than one trip back, though, especially given the meagre vacation allowance my current job affords.

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

I did my things to see before I moved a while back. But when I go back, there's a few things to add to the list:

1. Spend a day watching the RAF practicing flying low and fast in the Machynlleth Loop

2. Tour the relatives, from the Lake District to the South Coast and everywhere between

3. Visit the Tower of London

4. See the Edinburgh Festival.

5. Ride the Isle of Man TT circuit

I think it might take more than one trip back, though, especially given the meagre vacation allowance my current job affords.

I can't think of many US jobs I've heard of that have a decent vacation allowance. If anyone knows of any let me know!

[Darnell 8,478]

Most high school teachers have an excellent vacation program.

[Pooky 3,725]

I can't think of many US jobs I've heard of that have a decent vacation allowance. If anyone knows of any let me know!

I was recently offered a position with 20 days of paid vacation as a starting point.

The base salary sucked harder than a Dyson.

[david'sgirl 134]

lol I am from scotland you should try a visit up the west coast towards Oban and Fort William ..... One of the most spectacular journeys ever ...... castles, lochs, mountains, highland cows and the odd man in a kilt with bagpipes lol ..... you will not regret the trip i promise ) Oh and if you can a trip to Iona the island where all the kings of scotland are buried a very spiritual place )) x x x x x AWWWWWWW i wanna go home looool

I agree and also add in the Isle of Skye which is the prettiest place I've ever seen and Plockton because you have got to see the palm trees in Scotland!

[katieflossom 54]

I can't think of many US jobs I've heard of that have a decent vacation allowance. If anyone knows of any let me know!

My friend works for a museum in SF, and she gets a holiday allowance plus the museum is closed on public holidays. Get about the same amount of days as I get in the UK!