Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Day 2: Chessington
A big trip isn't just about ticking off the sights; it's about relaxing and having fun.
Drive the few miles to London's southwestern outskirts and check into the
Holiday Inn Chessington, a big, stylishly modern hotel with a safari lodge theme
at
Chessington World of Adventures
(p. 285), one of the country's top theme
parks; you get free entry if you stay. Head straight into the park, which has rides
for all ages, from tots to teenagers, and is the only park to have an impressive
collection of animals, too. It started as a zoo, and still has tigers and lions in big,
grassy, junglelike enclosures (which you can see from all sides), along with goril-
las, birds of prey, and the new Wanyama Reserve safari-like area with zebras,
gazelles, and giraffes roaming. The reserve is right near the hotel, so you can
look at the animals from the terrace of the African-themed Zafari Bar and Grill.
The large indoor pool has views of monkeys and birds. The family rooms are cool
(and that's our children's view) with a separate sleeping area and their own TV.
Day 3: Portsmouth
Chessington is not far from the A3, which will take you all the way to Ports-
mouth in 1
1
⁄
2
hours. Here the
Historic Dockyard
(p. 297) is a fantastic place
for youngsters. It's home to Admiral Nelson's flagship,
HMS
Victory,
which you
can walk around. They'll also love HMS
Warrior,
from 1860, the iron-hulled,
steam-powered warship, which also involves ladders, hatches, and other gym-
nastics. There are docks to run around on, harbor boat rides, and exhibitions.
Just across the road is the ferry to the Isle of Wight; it's a tiny ship that takes less
than half an hour, and has great views of both the island and Portsmouth. You
dock in Ryde and it's a 15-minute drive to
Seaview,
and the
Seaview hotel
(p. 310), a boutique family hotel, where the food (including inventive children's
menus) is excellent.
Day 4: The Isle of Wight
Drive to the island's south coast (about 20 min.), and the resort of
Sandown.
This is one of the best areas for finding fossils, which pour out of the chalk cliffs,
and the modern
Dinosaur Isle
Museum
(p. 307), on the coast road, has a
collection going back almost 2 centuries, plus lots of child-friendly fun. Join one
of the museum's fossil walks out onto the beach and under the cliffs—children
love the combination of fossil-hunting and splashing in rock pools. Then spend
the afternoon swimming and playing. Plan to leave around teatime, as your next
stop, the following day, is a bit of a journey to an exceptional place. Plan to stay
near
Oxford.
Days 5 & 6: Ironbridge
It's about 80 miles (2 hr.) by car from Oxford to
Ironbridge
(p. 486), site of the
world's first iron bridge. It was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution, at one
time a raging place of foundries and smoke. Now, however, it is a family delight,
which needs to be explored over 2 days. Start with the gorge itself, where chil-
dren love running across the bridge and throwing sticks into the River Severn
below; just up the hill is
Enginuity
(p. 487), a hands-on science and energy
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