The United Kingdom!

I can't believe 2 weeks have already come and gone! After traveling through 4 countries and taking 1,492 pictures (no joke), I'm back in the states, wishing I could return to the green countryside and cool weather. The UK was amazing! Although the majority spoke English, I definitely felt like I was in Europe where the architecture was stunning, the towns were charming, and the scenery was breathtaking. Laura and I traveled with an LDS group called Fun For Less Tours. We were nicknamed "the girls" because we were pretty much the youngest ones there, but that made it even more fun. After traveling around to all the main sights, I would have to say that my favorite places were Wales, especially Tintern Abbey, and the English Countryside, especially the Lake District. It was really exciting to see the places where famous writers were from or were inspired, such as Wordsworth's poem, "Tintern Abbey" and Shakespeare's birthplace/burial grounds in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Because it would take me hours and hours to write about everything I did and saw, I'll post some pictures instead so you can see how beautiful and amazing the UK is!

A day in London included Westminster Abbey...

Big Ben,

The Parliament Building and the double-decker buses...(ignore the headphones in many of my pictures. I'm connected to a receiver in order to hear the tour guide),

London (Tower) Bridge,


Tower of London,

and the numerous underground signs (as well as the British Library and the British Museum, which I'm not posting pictures of but were still neat to see)!

I loved the doors all over the UK-the doorknobs are in the center, reminding me of The Hobbit.

It took awhile to get used to everyone driving on the opposite side of the road, especially the tiny, narrow roads throughout the city!

Laura and I laughed when we saw this sign...a little reminder wherever we go. =)

Here's me at Runnymede on day 2, where the Magna Carta was signed.

Laura and I at Windsor Castle, where the queen lives. We also got to see Queen Mary's unbelievable dollhouse and the changing of the guards.

Oxford! I loved this place, especially the architecture and Christ's Church, where they filmed Harry Potter! You'll probably recognize the stairs...it really felt as if I had stepped into Hogwarts, especially after seeing the Great Hall and the corridors.

Me giving Stonehenge a lift. =)



The stunning ruins of Tintern Abbey. I enjoyed the British rain. =)

Laura and my first ice cream cone in England! We're standing in the same spot where Brigham Young preached on his mission in Ledbury.

Benbow Farm, where Wilford Woodruff baptized 600 people...pretty cool.

This is York Minster, the largest cathedral in England. The stain glass windows were breathtaking.

The Shambles in York!

Clifford's Tower

The green English countryside!

Warwick Castle (pronounced without the second w)

Me at Shakespeare's grave!

This was one of my favorite pictures taken in Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare lovers will know why =)

Me and Laura on top of a tower at Conwy Castle, Wales, known for the King Arthur legends. The height pushed me to my limits.

Us in Liverpool, home of the Beatles and Albert Docks, where our ancestors sailed to America from.

Me and the infamous telephone booth

Are you tired of pictures yet? Sorry...there's more! =)

The beautiful Lake District, home of William Wordsworth and vacation spot for Beatrix Potter. We got to take a boat across the lake.

Alnwick Castle, where Harry Potter scenes were also filmed in the first movie.
Of course, it's also the place where I...
...became a princess and was rescued by a knight,

was stabbed by the evil villain,

and was beheaded. It was a busy day.

Here's the first bagpiper I saw in Scotland!

The most gorgeous reflection I have ever seen at Loch Lomond.

Edinburgh Castle. Our hotel was located right on the Royal Mile, the road that starts at the castle and ends at Hollyrood Palace, where the queen stays when she's in Scotland.

Edinburgh is also famous for The Elephant House- the cafe where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter! Laura and I had lunch there.


This is the beautiful Irish coast! The water was atleast 4 different shades of green and blue, and the cliffs were so green! Behind me is a rope bridge we crossed...it wasn't as bad as I thought, but still pretty high.

Giant's Causeway: one of the seven wonders of the world.

I couldn't resist a picture!

The ruins of Dunluce castle, which is literally falling into the sea.



Trinity College in Dublin, where we got to see the Book of Kells and the most amazing library I had ever been in (sorry-I wasn't allowed to take pictures of the actual thing, so I found this picture of the library online)

One of the pub clocks. We ate at a few pubs while we were there (no alcohol) and discovered that not only are the pubs cheaper, but their food is amazing!

We stayed in a palace while at Dublin as well, and went to Riverdance on our last night.


As you can see, the UK is GORGEOUS and there's so many things to do and see! This isn't even 1/4 of the things I was able to see and take pictures of. I want to go back and explore a few places a little longer, such as London, the Lake District, and Bath. Everyone should escape to Britain sometime in their life. It was an amazing experience.

UK Countdown!

It still doesn't seem real to me, but I only have 3 days until I leave for England! As this is my first international flight, I'm a little nervous, but excited all at the same time. It's hard to believe that after years and years of dreaming about going to Europe, I'm finally getting there. And not just visiting one country, but 4 (England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland)! For those of you who don't know, I'm going with my best friend, Laura, and a tour group called Fun for Less Tours (http://www.funforlesstours.com/britishIsles070409.html). It's 15 days long and hits all the main tourist attractions in the UK, which will be awesome.

I think the castles and old architecture will be my favorite part, since I've always been fascinated with the Middle Ages. I'm also excited to see where famous authors and literature came from, including C.S. Lewis, Oscar Wilde, Shakespeare, etc. Oh--and the Harry Potter sites will be amazing as well! It's fun to think that I'll actually be going to the places that first inspired the writers I've studied about in my English class. Not to mention, this trip will also give my story-oriented brain dozens of new ideas for future novels!

I'll post dozens of new pictures on my blog when I return. But for now, only 3 more days of waiting to go!