Detour across the Atlantic . . .
© Diane Goldberg under the original topic name
While not exactly tops on the Budget Travel Hot List for cheap thrills, the UK remains one of my favorite places on the planet. On this week's journey to virtual Virginia, I was thrilled to find more than a bit of Britain on the Eastern Seaboard of the Atlantic.
In fact, for folks on this side of the pond, Virginia might be as close in England as you can get without being in England. This makes it a budget destination for US citizens.
I was seduced by http://www.virginia.org from the first byte. The Virginia tourism office brings you the mother of all USA state travel sites. Easy search, complete information, and endless links - all of the variables I've been seeking as I mouse through the states.
The site lists restaurants from Afghani through Thai. Lodging data is comprehensive - directions and prices included. The Virginia tourism page is set up so that you can plan your own trip or get the details of numerous package tours and day trips.
Lost among the links, I wandered over to Agecroft Hall at http://xroads.virginia.edu/~VAM/AGECROFT.... Built over five hundred years ago in Lancashire this pre-Elizabeth stately home was cut up and carted across the Atlantic in 1926. Among the available sights at Agecroft, you can walk through a Knot garden and a garden that employs plants catalogue by the intrepid English horticulturist Trandescant. And, you can also stroll through a pond garden modeled after the gardens at Hampton Court. Check http://www.plus44.com/royal/hampton/hamp... for information about Hampton Court - My absolute favorite stately home.
Or, check here http://gardenphotos.com/imageweek/19.html for a gorgeous shot of the gardens at Hampton Court.
Now, if Agecroft comes close to rivaling Henry the VIII's palace by the Thames, Virginia is the bargain of choice for American Anglophiles.
Next week we'll continue our virtual tour of the USA. In a few weeks, I'll reveal the secrets of how a budget traveler goes royal.
Thanks for stopping by . . .
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