Traveling is one of my passions and sadly, the pandemic has limited that in 2020 to England. This actually wasn’t so bad as there are many places in the United Kingdom I haven’t been yet. Starting in October, I am going to be sharing a few of my favourite trips from the last few years, along with ideas on how to stay active when visiting these places. Most of the activities I have tried myself, so I can give you a fair review, but others will be things I have heard of or wanted to try but didn’t get a chance to. Of course, if you can suggest anything in the local area, please leave a comment to let others know.
To kick off these #traveltuesday posts, I will start with our most recent trip to Oxfordshire for our tenth anniversary. James was away with friends on a walking trip when he spotted Mollie’s Motel and Diner in Buckland. Why is this so cool? First, it is spelled like my name. Second, it is an American-style diner and I am American (in case you didn’t know). Third, there are many waterways nearby where we could stand up paddleboard (SUP). Finally, we wouldn’t have Maple with us so we were bound to get a good night’s sleep.
After dropping Maple off at the kennel, James drove us in the hired car to the motel. It was about two hours from Chingford in Friday afternoon traffic. It was the first time we stayed in a hotel since the pandemic began. We wore our masks when entering and the clerk had one on too. The lobby is referred to as the General Store and there was a selection of American candies, other foods, drinks, and complimentary filtered coffee. There was some Mollie’s merchandise available too but nothing I couldn’t leave without sadly (please stock t-shirts and magnets!). The hotel clerk let us know that due to Covid-19, our room would not be tidied every day but that was fine by us. The room was basic with a huge bed, large rain shower (no tub) and small table with chairs. All very modern and clean. I think the rate was £66/night so a very good bargain for a weekend away (yes, we paid for it). The location is off of a busy motorway, so not great if you wanted to head out for a run without having to drive anywhere. I did pack my trainers, but didn’t make it out from the hotel on foot.
After we dropped off our luggage, we headed over to Mollie’s Diner. They were only taking bookings, and the hotel kindly shifted our reservation 30 minutes later as we were running late due to traffic. The menu had several American classics, like milkshakes, burgers, and all day breakfast. I knew we would be eating out a lot that weekend so had a chicken Caesar salad, milkshake, and sweet potato fries. James had a burger and apple crumble. We were back Sunday morning before we headed home for waffles, French toast, and avocado on toast.
Saturday morning we got up early and drove to Lechlade-On-Thames for paddle boarding. I brought my inflatable board from Two Bare Feet (gifted last summer) and James hired a board from Cotswold Canoe Hire (who also have canoes and swan boats). There was a small car park and a nearby area for me to launch my board. While I have enjoyed many SUP sessions in the London Royal Docks, this summer, I have been able to explore more English waterways, such as in Flatford Mill and Saltford (near Bristol/Bath). James and I went an hour upstream, enjoying the views of greenery around us. We headed back to the hire venue but found going the same direction as the current was much quicker so then went a little bit passed our starting point. On the way back, James also bumped into my board as I tried to fix my ponytail, knocking me into the water (apparently after a slow motion wobble). He says he didn’t mean it, but didn’t apologize until much later.
After paddle boarding, we enjoyed a picnic on the bank with an artisan cheese and wine basket from Prestige Hampers.* It included a bottle of red wine and a bottle of white; three packs of oatcakes; three different chesses; a jar of ploughman’s pickle. I packed our tin mugs although we didn’t end up opening the bottles of wine because James had to drive and it was only midday. We did enjoy the food that came in the hamper (along with grapes, pork pies, and Tolberone that we had picked up in the morning) to make it a filling meal. Even though I was soaking wet, it was nice to sit by the water’s edge and enjoy the views. The white wine was enjoyed on Sunday night when we got home and the red we have saved for an upcoming lamb stew. There are lots of areas to row, paddle, and even wild swim in Oxfordshire, as we saw driving to and from the hotel. Most had wide open green fields that are perfect for picnicking too. I did think about packing the hamper on the board but knew it wouldn’t be waterproof. Plus, if it landed in the water when I fell in, it probably would have ruined the rest of the day (I tend to get hangry if I am not fed at regular intervals).
After a quick shower back at the hotel, we drove to Uffington White Horse, part of the National Trust, for a walk along the hill top. This park is also part of the Race To the Stones route if you are in to running long distances. It was super windy but very interesting to walk amongst ruins from the Bronze Age. Sadly, we discovered from neither the castle ruins nor Dragon Hill could you get a good look at the horse. Perhaps there is a hot air balloon ride or helicopter tour that would provide more impressive view (check Groupon people!) although also be a bit more expensive that paying to park. If you enjoy walking and hikes, Oxfordshire includes portions of the Cotswolds, Chiltern Hills, and North Wessex Downs (all areas of outstanding natural beauty).
While we didn’t get a chance to try this, Oxford University is famous for its rowing team (especially when competing against Cambridge) and punting. There are many places to hired boats for punting in Oxford itself along the River Cherwell. As a last resort, Bicester Village is also found in Oxfordshire and offers luxurious outlet shopping close to London.
Where is your favourite place to explore in Oxfordshire? Where should we go on our anniversary next year?
Thanks to Prestige Hampers for the complimentary feast. All opinions are honest and my own.
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