Autumn is a great time to try something new – there is something so refreshing about the leaves changing colour, the crisp air, and the excitement as the season changes. While we would love to drop everything to travel the world, it’s just not possible for us in the short term. So, as we set out our remaining 2016 travel plans, we came up with an idea for a new travel challenge of sorts.
It has been my mission for the past year and a half to see more of the UK; there is so much on my doorstep that I don’t even know about and I want to discover it. Plus, between being dog owners and saving for our wedding, this seems like the perfect time to stay local while still being able to travel. So we’re going around the UK!
The Challenge: Around the UK in 80 Weekends
We are going to see as much of the UK as we can over the next 80 weekends. “Around the World in 80 Days”-themed challenges are so fun, hence the number of weekends. We love the idea of this challenge because it allows us to travel together, have little staycations, take Giorgio with us, etc. Our list of dog-friendly accommodation in the UK was a great starting point and we are now looking to build our list of the best AirBnbs, hotels, and inns around this little country of ours by actually experiencing them.
We cannot travel every weekend, and we also have international travel booked. However, we started out on a high note last weekend with a spontaneous Cotswolds weekend trip and are looking for more of that – taking advantage of our downtime and suddenly free weekends to think on our feet, get out of London, and enjoy the company of each other and Giorgio wherever we end up. From countryside hotels to farm restaurants, festivals and fairs to churches and museums – the UK has so many seasonal events, famous establishments, and brand spanking new spots – we are so excited to see it all!
The Deadline
Deadline isn’t the best word. We aren’t just doing something and ticking it off, but rather seeing how much we can do. The end date is just our time to take a step back, review what we accomplished, and make our next game plan. This challenge kicked off last weekend, the tenth of September. That makes our 80th, and last, weekend 17-18 March 2018.
So here’s to a year and a half of day trips and weekend trips, train journeys and road trips, romantic weekends and dog friendly stays. Our Great Britain Lonely Planet guide is asking for a bit of love; we can’t wait to explore this wonderful country!
Check out all of the posts from our 80 weekends going around the UK!
Have you ever completely a travel challenge?
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Oh that sounds like a fabulous idea! I like how it will focus you on actually doing it, so many times I have a great idea to go somewhere and then it never becomes reality!
I’ve been saying I want to see more of the UK since I studied abroad here in 2014 and always end up seeing Europe instead. So it was time for a direct focus on the UK! And we are so excited about it!
So fun!!! I agree, fall is the BEST time! Especially for road trips 🙂 I would love to do something like this if I was settled in one spot. I didn’t do a challenge, but last fall I took as many day and weekend trips as possible around my home state of New York!
I’m so excited to discover the UK in every season – we’re going to the Northeast in December and I’m crossing my fingers that there might be some type of snow!
What a great idea! Cannot wait to read more about your travels!
Thank you! The next trip we have planned is Isle of Wight in November, and then around the Northeast around Christmas. I’m loving planning trips around the UK! – Kelly
This is such a fabulous idea! You’ve inspired me to write a list of all the places I want to visit here in France 🙂
It’s crazy how hard it is to motivate yourself to travel within your own country. Ever since even thinking of this challenge, though, I’ve been looking into how we can utilize every free weekend!
Looking forward to you hitting Edinburgh so we can meet up!
Yes definitely! I’m sure we will be there more than once!
What a great idea! I’m sure you will find amazing places and will have some unforgettable experiences exploring your home country. Looking forward to reading your posts!
Even just researching we’ve realized there is so much that we had no idea about, right on our doorstep. We can’t wait to actually see it all!
My first time to your blog and I love your way of exploring the UK and London. I briefly lived in London for 6 months and for me it is the best city in the world. Looking forward to reading more of your weekends away!
Thank you so much – so happy to hear you like the blog. We are loving exploring the UK so much and cannot wait to see what the next year holds!