So the aim of the week was camping, you may remember that I
have tried camping before with little success but, mum loves a trier and I said
I would give it another go. It wasn’t until mum started packing the rucksack (I
was doing my usual of unpacking all my toys) that I suspected that camping
might be off and I was right. The UK was a flood and our campsite was under
water so instead it was a week with the grandparents we had to look forward to.
I arrived to a very warm welcome as always, there’s always finest HAM on the
menu from nana, and a Labrador doesn’t forget something like that. So as I
slept under the dinner table the people started plotting what ever could they
do with their week’s holiday….
DAY1
Run of the mill kind of day went for a local walk to the
shops and back had a quick run around in a field. The people went out and I
stayed home alone, (doesn’t bother me, get some down time , people always talk too
much and if they are not talking, the TV box in the corner talks for them) so
much to say I was very well behaved.
DAY2...... Hamsterley Forest
Wow this was a great day out, a giant forest in County
Durham, with walks a plenty. We had fantastic weather not a drop of rain in
sight. We were there from about 10am till about 2pm and we walked, there is a
river to paddle in and we stopped and had a picnic (more HAM supplied by nana)
There was a tea room for the people to get a hot drink, I just prefer water
which was supplied from a bottle in a bowl. I don’t question where such things
come from; just glad it was there when I was thirsty. The bowl however was
somewhat misleading it defiantly had a picture of Ice cream on it, but I
checked it thoroughly and it only contained water.
So Hamsterley Forest as a day out I would rate 3 out of 4 paws, it has excellent facilities including onsite parking (very reasonably priced £3). It has a tea room, gift shop and toilets. There are Picnic areas and a play area for children in which dogs are not allowed. In contrast there are open areas where I can play with the tennis ball or Frisby. For the most part they have tried every effort to keep mountain bikers and walkers separate, so if you want a stroll with kids or dogs or both then you don’t have to worry about bikes speeding past. So why only 4 stars, well at times the walk came up to the road which I would have preferred it to be sign posted that the road was coming so my owner can safely put me on my lead. At times the road was concealed until the very last minute especially if you’re a dog like we that likes to run on ahead a bit. Second reason only 4 out of 5 was that the routes were not always sign posted that clearly, so if you want to follow a specific walk you still need a map of the walk. We just turned up and wandered and to be fair there was always a path to be found that was off road.
DAY3
Day 3 was meant o be torrential rain so nothing was planned
for this day, nana and mum went shopping in the morning and came back with a
new toy. At home you may have seen from earlier pictures I have a deflated
football to play in the river with. I have never found a better dog toy for the
water than this. It’s big, it’s tough , it floats above the water line unlike
some more expensive dog toys that float with the top just showing above the
surface which makes it hard for me to see. It's brightly coloured so I can see it,
it’s cheap and with the right amount of air taken out, it’s incredibly easy for
me to get hold of. So mum having left my ball at home, Nana bought me a new one
to play in the river with and being an amazingly bright and sunny day (most
unexpected) we had a great walk down to the local river and a long play with
the new ball which I absolutely love.
DAY4 .... Keswick
Day 4 was a long road trip almost two hours it took to get
to Keswick. Wow what a fantastic place. It has walks galore from gentle strolls
through the park like we did, or you can go out into the Lake District National
park and climb mountains if you wish. Right at the edge of Keswick is Derwent Water
a large Lake (I say large because by international standards it’s a puddle) but
in the UK it’s a big lake. The water is calm, shallow and perfect for boats and
water sports including fetch, which I played all day. In total we spent 5 hours
there and I loved every minute, my paws were aching from all the running around
when I got home. I don’t remember the journey home because I slept all the way.
There are numerous tea rooms around Keswick where you can have food. We did the
same as at Hamsterley we picnicked (with Nanas best ham) but went to the tea room for cakes and hot
drinks. The town its self is incredibly dog friendly, unlike everywhere else
in the UK you can take your dog into the shops with you, so no waiting outside
the door for me. There are also some good shops there for buying dog stuff and
they sell books etc on the best walks for dogs around Keswick. The scenery is awesome
and the town caters for all types of staying over night from dog friendly Bed and Breakfasts
to hotels to camping and caravanning.
I would defiantly visit both Hamsterley and Keswick again , but I would give Keswick a 4 out of 4 paws except at Lambing season when Dogs have to be kept on leads, be aware though that parking in Keswick is pretty expensive, although if your willing to walk about 20-30 mins to reach the town there are little spots you can park for free.
So I have one more day here before I go home so I will post todays adventure in my next blog.
