Becoming a morning person

Five years ago I traveled around Iceland with my dad. We were there for about 10 days and for the majority of the trip we were camping. We quickly got into a nice routine, wake up early (5am), see the sights until 11am (stopping briefly for a bowl of cereal at 8am). By doing this we had the run of the island, even though the sun barely set at that time of the year, the tourists didn't come out until after their morning breakfast and tea (10am). By that time we were getting ready to stop for lunch, a nap and then drive to our next location. In the early afternoon we would pitch our tents, check out the area, head to a pub for a meal then be in bed by 830p to start it all again the next day. It was an easy rhythm and it kept us ahead of the crowds. 

I have quickly realized, that's the right approach in England as well. So I went from being a night owl to becoming a morning person. And I reaped the rewards with early morning visits to Mam Tor, Lyme Estate and Castlerigg Stone Circle. (It also helps to have a National Trust membership to guide me to the great places to visit.)

Mam Tor

I hiked Mam Tor ("mother hill") early on a Tuesday allowing me to be back at my car comfortably working on my computer by 9am, watching as the crowds started to pile in around me for this popular hike in the Peak District. I saw five people on my 3-mile hike.

Views from the top of Mam Tor

Lyme Estate

Later in the week, my early morning adventures continued as I was able to see Lyme Park (the house they used for the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice) and I was treated to incredible panoramic views of the Manchester area.

Lyme Estate and the view of Manchester

Castlerigg Stone Circle

Just outside of Keswick (a northern town in Cumbria), there is a stone circle that was one of the first archaeological sites in Britain to be protected by the National Trust. I was there with just a couple other people to see the site and take in the surrounding landscape.

Castlerigg Stone Stone Circle, one of the earliest stone circles to be found in Britain