day trips

Five memorable day trips to beautiful places

/ mikeosbornphoto / 2 Comments

A day trip is all about leaving your cares behind and enjoying some fresh air, visiting somewhere new in good company or by yourself. Here are five of my favourites – beautiful locations, photographically inspiring and memorable. Please tell me about your best days out in the comments section.

SHUGBOROUGH

Location: Staffordshire, UK

An ancestral seat set in rolling countryside with a connection to the Royal family. With extensive grounds, beautiful gardens, wondrous follies and a stately home to wander around, this is the stuff days out are made of. And I visited on a landmark birthday! TAP/CLICK IMAGE TO SEE MORE

The drawing

You will enjoy lavish interiors at Shugborough

ESSAOUIRA

Location: Morocco

An unmissable day trip of you are lucky enough to visit Morocco when coronavirus restrictions allow. This colourful, vibrant city is situated next to the wild Atlantic Ocean and in easy reach of the tourist town of Agadir from where I made my visit. It would be easy to stay here longer. TAP/CLICK IMAGE TO SEE MORE

Three elderly Moroccan men meet on a bench in Essaouira

People-watching are among Essaouira’s joys

STOCKPORT

Location: Greater Manchester, UK

This town is close to my Manchester home, but easily turned into a full day out. It’s architecturally beguiling and has an old centre which deserves a lot of exploration on foot. With added indoor attractions like the air raid shelters and hat museums, you’ve got a satisfying trip on your hands. TAP/CLICK IMAGE TO SEE MORE

A view of Stockport's old market place

Stockport gives you a dose of Victorian grandeur

FYLDE COAST

Location: Lancashire, UK

This has been a favourite day trip of mine since moving to north-west England in 2016. I like taking the train to the seaside town of St Anne’s and walking south, passing the pier, Lytham’s famous windmill and the wide open coast. Very good for the soul. TAP/CLICK IMAGE TO SEE MORE

Remains of the old pier at St Anne's, Lancashire

The Irish Sea is wide open along this coastline

JOKULSARLON

Location: Iceland

This is an unmissable trip if you visit the otherworldly island of Iceland. It’s a glacial lake which you will probably get close to on a boat trip – and even taste some of the pure, ancient ice. The black beach nearby is strewn with glacial, diamond-like chunks. It’s one sight among many to see in Iceland. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE ICELANDIC LANDSCAPES

Glacial ice on Jokulsarlon in Iceland

This is not just any old lake

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Five northern seaside gems

/ mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

Holidays abroad for Britons may be making a tentative comeback as the coronavirus lockdown eases, but many people will opt to stay close to home. 

After a busy period of travel, a day trip now seems like an ambitious aim to me. However, the coast is in striking distance from my home city of Manchester by public transport and car. Here’s a look at five of the best places you can visit.

CROSBY BEACH

A beautiful stretch of sand within sight of the city of Liverpool, made special by sculptures of male figures dotted along the shoreline, which come and go with the ebb and flow of the tide. TAP/CLICK IMAGE TO FIND OUT MORE

View of Crosby Beach and Another Place sculpture

WEST KIRBY

A wonderful spot on the edge of the Wirral Peninsula, with north Wales across the water, sweeping sands offering low tide hikes and a marine lake to wander round. It feels like the end of the world. TAP/CLICK IMAGE TO FIND OUT MORE

Jetty on marine lake at West Kirby on the Wirral

THE FYLDE COAST

A famous long stretch of the Lancashire coast, encompassing miles of sands and including the genteel seaside town of Lytham St Anne’s and its totemic windmill. An excellent day out in all seasons. TAP/CLICK IMAGE TO FIND OUT MORE

Sail of Lytham St Anne's windmill at dusk

SOUTHPORT

A much-loved resort on the Mersey coastline north of Liverpool. The pier, which turns naked and exposed when the tide goes out, is a highlight. Long walks across the sands are a treat any time of the year. TAP/CLICK IMAGE TO FIND OUT MORE

Tide out at Southport beach, Merseyside

NEW BRIGHTON

Back to the Wirral and what was once Liverpool’s seaside playground. One side of the town sits at the point where the Mersey River meets the sea. Plenty of coastal walks and fish and chip lunches to be had here. TAP/CLICK IMAGE TO FIND OUT MORE

Red cranes on the Mersey estuary at New Brighton

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