Our second day of touring saw just four of us (grandparents and great-grandparents decided to take a rest day) going to the mystic and ancient Stonehenge and City of Bath. Again, we had pre-booked this tour through Viator before we left home (see RCI Activities). This is one of the most popular tours around and is consistently sold out. I’d definitely recommend booking this one in advance.

It took about an hour and a half to get to Stonehenge, but the time passed quickly, as our guide, Alan (another Blue Badge guide), was an excellent source of information. He pointed out various sights along the way, such as Windsor Castle, and patiently answered many, many questions about the horse chestnut trees and bright yellow fields of canola.

When we arrived at Stonehenge, it was misty and slightly on the cool side… perfect weather! Audio guides are free with the cost of admission, and I’d recommend that everyone in your party gets one to get the most out of your visit. There are markers along the path where you can stop and listen to commentary about that section of the circle. You can no longer get into the circle of stones, but you can walk around the marked path very comfortably. Although not everyone is fascinated by Stonehenge and its varied history dating back 5,000 years, it is awesome to look at the sheer magnitude of each stone and marvel at how it could have been constructed so many years ago.

Afterwards, we went to the City of Bath -- famous for its Bath stone that fronts every building in the city -- where we took a quick tour of the various streets, including the famous Pulteney Bridge that crosses the River Avon. Since the sides of the bridge are lined by shops, you wouldn’t ever know that you’re crossing a bridge, until you take a closer look! There’s also the Georgian Crescent, which lays claim to the most perfectly circular street in the world and the Jane Austen museum.

The most interesting part of Bath has got to be the Roman baths, a World Heritage archeological site that was discovered in the late 1800s. This massive complex included several pools and the temple of Sulis Minerva, built by the Romans some 2,000 years ago. The pools are usually 5 feet deep and heated by natural hot mineral springs. Here, again, audio guides are free, and the kids found them incredibly informative. A wooden scale model helped them to see the sheer magnitude of the whole place!

There are so many things to see and do in Bath, not the least of which is the incredible array of shops, the Bath Abbey, and the Georgian Pump Room -- where you could try a glass of spa water. Unfortunately, we just didn’t have time to see everything. Bath is definitely worthy of a second visit. Another exhausting but incredibly fun day!!!

I personally loved Stonehenge. Many people have views that seem to sway one of two ways. Either they love it, or they think it is just a bunch of rocks. In the quietness, I can see the spiritual side. I think that if you have the opportunity to go, you should. If you are a history buff or nature lover, this should be one site to add to your to-do list.

They give each person a wand to carry on their walk around the monuments. The wand picks up signals as you progress and broadcasts information about the history of Stonehenge. By the time you have circled the monuments, you have heard a great deal of information. There are different theories about the origin and purpose of Stonehenge, but no one can say with certainty what the truth is. Not all of the original stones are still present. Some were taken away and put to other uses over time. Stonehenge is managed by English Heritage and is surrounded by 1,500 acres of land owned by the National Trust. For 5,000 years, people have been drawn to Stonehenge, where they marvel over this amazing feat of engineering. Even after you witness it with your own eyes, it will still seem impossible that people of a simple farming culture accomplished something so incredible. We spent about an hour and a half there, including a visit to the gift shop on-site.

We took the bus back to Salisbury, boarded the train to London's Waterloo station, switched trains to Canterbury West station, and sat down to dinner at Nando's Restaurant before 8pm. We spent five times as much time getting to and from Stonehenge as we spent at Stonehenge, but it was worth every minute. It was a day we'll always remember.

For more information, go to:

www.english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge/