Travelholic's Expressions

A typical British country house hotel is a combination of luxury and comfort. There are thousands of country house hotels in Britain, and they are located in some of the most scenic parts of the country. The traditional hotel in an old country house was a place you could visit to relax and to escape busy city life for a day or two. Today country houses offer more services and facilities than before.

 
What to Expect from a Country House Hotel

Once simply a place to relax, today’s country house hotel is used as a base for many activities. Many visitors are interested in active weekend breaks that may include walking, cycling or other outdoor sports, arts and culture, or visiting local festivals and events. Spa holidays are so popular that country house hotels have incorporated health and pampering, too.
 
Hotels such as the Ashdown Park Hotel in Sussex, located in the Ashdown Forest, offer a range of services such as an award-winning restaurant, a spa, and extensive leisure and business facilities. Spa hotels are popular today, and some hotels offer complete spa weekend packages. Even those hotels that do not have a fully equipped spa usually have a swimming pool, a gym, a tennis court and other sports and fitness facilities.
 
Activities During Your Stay

Most visitors like to enjoy some activities on their holidays, even if it is going for a walk. Many country house hotels are located in areas of natural beauty, such as national parks, where you can enjoy walking, cycling, running, horse riding or even fishing. Some hotels have their own golf courses or are located near good golf courses.
 
When staying in a typical country house hotel you can expect rooms and suites that are decorated to a high standard, and that are luxurious but comfortable. They might be in a traditional historical manor house, but they come with all modern necessities from wireless internet to DVD players. Country house hotels also offer high quality dining. A popular activity in any hotel is the traditional English afternoon tea, with sandwiches, scones and pastries.
 
Most weekend visitors to the country like to get away from the city, but prefer not having to spend too many hours travelling to the countryside. The most popular country hotels are those that are easy to drive to and that are located within a couple of hours’ drive from a big city, such as London. Good train connections are also helpful. Many country house hotels can be found near a forest or even a beach, but close enough to the nearest town for good transport connections and for activities and attractions.
 

Since Spring weather is now here to stay, there’s no other people you can find that’s most delighted than me and my family. Yes, now that the weather is already outdoor-friendly, we have put down our bicycles from their hangers inside the garage and we don’t park our minivan inside anymore because it is already filled with our trail apparatus. When we just decide to walk, we live very close to a few miles of the Green Circle Trail here in the city so we have the access.

Entering the trail!

And you know what’s the most fun and most beautiful part of our afternoon outdoor adventure? The beauty of Spring.

I don’t even know what this tree is called but all I know is that it’s blooming beauty is undeniably pleasant to the eyes!

There are a lot of pine trees at the trail, and I tried capturing it in its fullness of beauty. I am not sure this won’t give justice to its beauty but I tried.

And yes, hiking season is all upon us now and I can’t help but always be grateful with lots of wishes and countless prayers and hope that this warm and friendly weather will remain for us.

Spring is already is here in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. How about in yours, everyone?

It’s been almost a year since we took our summer vacation to Las Vegas in 2012. That was a wonderful escapade for us because we were still three ‘travelholics’. I was 6 months pregnant that time. Now, our upcoming summer vacation will be another grand adventure because it will be our first summer being four. Our second daughter is one year old and a New York trip is what we will be embarking come summer. As early as last month, I have been checking for cheap flights that we could take advantage of. Saving on our itinerary will be great; it will make the trip even more worthwhile.

Glimpse of our Summer ’12 vacation

Summertime is the perfect season to be enjoying a holiday, isn’t it? With how hectic and stressful life has been the entire year, we all deserve a break. This upcoming summer trip that we will be embarking is our most awaited trip. We will be visiting Niagara Falls and NYC and we are already very excited for it. Most people are already on a holiday after school was over but since the husband is teaching summer classes, ours will not come until July. Which is not a problem at all; July is our perfect summer season anyway!

So, where are you headed this summer? Whether you’re driving or flying, discounted or cheap itineraries are always a bonus!