In August 2013 we decided to go on a road-trip with our 15-month-old. We had never taken him on holiday before and I was too scared to go on a plane with him, so a UK staycation was the best option. Tyler was a routine baby, like a clock. He always had a lunch-time nap between 12pm – 2pm. So we decided we would drive 2-hour journeys during his naps to get to the different places. Our route was London – Salisbury – Dawlish – St.Ives – Penzance – Bude – Yeovil – London.
Each day we would check-in to where we were staying, set up the travel cot and then go exploring. In the evenings, after dinner we gave Tyler a bath in his inflatable travel bath and he would sleep at 8pm. We’d watch telly and update facebook 😉 In the morning Tyler would get up at 7.30am. We’d go down for breakfast in our PJs at 8am, Tyler would always have Rice Crispies and milk (we brought his beaker with us). Then we’d go back to our room, Tyler would have his half-hour nap from 9.30 – 10am and that is when we would shower and get dressed. Then we’d check out and have an early lunch somewhere before setting off on our next 2 hour journey. It really was an adventure!
Last week I wrote about Bude. This week I’ll tell you what we did in Salisbury: 
1. NORTH GATE
After parking our car in a car park and checking in, we had a little explore of the High Street, aiming to find the famous Salisbury Cathedral. At the end of the High Street is the gate to the cathedral, called North Gate. It’s rather grand looking.
2. SALISBURY CATHEDRAL
We walked through the gate into this beautiful square that led onto Salisbury Cathedral. It is quite a breath-taking building, you really have to see it for yourself. It was quite busy with people all over the place and some groups sitting on the grass. Walking around the square we noticed lots of museums, although they were closed at the time (it was about 5pm). Still it was a really pictureque walk. This was the first time Tyler was walking around with his little doll’s pushchair (which he still does 2 years later!). It got a lot of ‘aws’ from the locals. 
3. SALISBURY GUILDHALL
While we were walking around, I noticed this building and thought it looked quite historical and important. It turns out that it dates back to medieval times and today it is a venue for weddings and conferences. 
4. THE CATHEDRAL HOTEL
We stayed at the Cathedral Hotel which is right in the centre of Salisbury, near all the shopping streets. It’s in an olde building, with the rooms on top of a pub. We were a bit confused at first, as check-in was in the pub! There is no parking in Salisbury, so the hotel recommended us to park in the long-stay car park which was a 5 minute walk away. The room was about £70 for the night and it was an alright size, we fitted our travel cot by the bed, and Tyler slept really well. It was a bit noisy at night, and there seemed to be quite a lot of nightlife and drunk people on the street below! 
In the morning, breakfast was served in the pub, and they had a highchair for Tyler. It’s really big downstairs so it was nice to have all that space, and we all had cereal.
5. SALISBURY MARKETPLACE
After we checked out, we had lunch in Costa at Salisbury Marketplace. Tyler had started to like their pasta. It was actually our 3 year wedding anniversary that year, and amazingly in Costa they played the song I walked into the registry office with (Orchestra version of The Killers – When we were young). It was a real coincidence, and, no, Ganesh hadn’t planned it! We walked around outside where they were digging up the road as part of ‘Regenerating Salisbury’, which Tyler found fascinating. 
6. Things we did not get time to do in Salisbury: Visit the museums and Stonehenge (although we took a picture of it from the outskirts on way back to London!) Next week’s Toddler Trips post will be about Dawlish in Devon.
Other Toddler Trips:
Bude – Dawlish – St Ives – Penzance
Sounds like a well planned and executed holiday 🙂 We haven’t been to Salisbury before so will definitely look into it 🙂 When my little monkey was about 15 months we drove from the UK down to the italian lakes stopping in Germany overnight.. completely relate the the plane thing! 🙂 #TheList
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Oh wow, now that is a proper roadtrip! It’s a good age 15 months, not quite at the ‘I’m bored’ stage! Xx
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Ha ha 😀 where do they learn that from? honestly have no idea! x
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The pictures are amazing! What a beautiful place 🙂 Tyler is adorable!
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Ahh thank you so much xx
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I don’t really live too far from Salisbury but it’s somewhere I haven’t been in years! Great photos, love the one of your boy looking at the construction…Elliot would be there looking too as he loves diggers! x #thelist
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Really, oh you should go! Lots of running around space around the cathedral 🙂 And yes what is it with boys and diggers!? xx
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We don’t live far but I don’t think we have ever been to Sailsbury. Thanks so much for linking up to #TheList x
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Ooh I do recommend it, lots of space to run around by the cathedral! Thanks for hosting xx
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Awww sounds like you had a great time and all the planning was worth it. Great photos too xxx thanks for sharing #sharewithme
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Oh yes, I’m so glad we did it with a baby – I always thought it wasn’t possible to do a roadtrip, but we did it – I was well proud of myself haha! xx
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It is an achievement. We went away when Judah was 3 weeks old (madness) don’t know what I was thinking. The hubby and I hi-fived when we got home 😉
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Wow 3 weeks! Now that’s an achievement – hi five! xx
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It was silly. It was because I didn’t think I’d go over haha
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Aw – this is such a lovely round p of a beautiful place. I remember going to Salisbury Cathedral with my Grandparents very many years ago. Fab pictures too. Thanks so much for linking up with #SundayStars Steph xxx
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Thank you 🙂 It really is a beautiful place, defo recommend another visit! xx
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Ah, lovely post! I live in Salisbury and can see the Cathedral Hotel from my daughter’s bedroom window. It’s so funny to see your photo of the market square; it’s long since finished now, and easy to forget how awful it looked beforehand! Lovely photos of the cathedral too!
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Ahh brilliant, a local! That is so cool you can see the Cathedral from your home! I’m glad the market square is finished now, that would be so bad if they were still digging up the road haha. I must come back to check it out 🙂 xx
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What a love time you all had. Great photos and memories made too. Thanks for linking up to Share With Me. #sharewithme
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Thank you, it’s a great place, definitely recommend a visit 🙂 xx
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Its amazing how you really thought about Tyler and his routines while planning this trip. Same reason why I think its a successful one. Lovely photos and everything looks unforgettable =) #MondayEscapes
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Oh yes it really helped make the holiday relaxing and adventurous at the same time by planning it around his sleeptimes! Definitely won’t ever forget our first family holiday 🙂 xx
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I was exactly the same when Monkey was very little – we opted for a staycation too, as I thought it would be easier… And it looks like you got your routine down to a tee! It’s fab you did a roadtrip though, means you get to explore so much more and Salisbury looks very pretty. I love the photo of the Cathedral. Thanks for sharing on #MondayEscapes x
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Staycations are great, you get the comforts of home as well as discovering somewhere new. It was really fun doing a roadtrip, we saw so many new places! xx
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