This is from a couple of years back. A two hour car drive to the west side of Northern England. The Lake District. A place that sometimes feels just a little bit Alpine.

We stopped off at Castlerigg Stone Circle. One of the countries finest historic sites set amongst the countries highest mountains. It’s was erected in the Neolithic period. Sometime around 3000BC. Yes even before I was born. It’s one of those special places. Yes it’s popular picnic site now but it still has an atmosphere. It just feels different. Many years ago after a days climbing, I spent the night here. Just sat on the ground in the middle of the circle. I’m not sure why. Maybe waiting for a ghost or something. Didn’t see anything but when I walked away after sunrise, I had never felt so calm and relaxed. It’s that type of place. I could so imagine a great fantasy author coming here for inspiration.

What struck me about the second photo is the look on my two faithful companions. New visitors had just arrived at the site. The four legged one, I suspect was eagerly checking them out for food or toys. The young boy was definitely not so eager. Once the site started to fill up a little then it was most definitely time to go. Crowds and Aspergers are not great bedfellows. That’s why the time to visit places is such a delicate scheduling task. The choices tend to be

  • Go when the weather is bad,
  • Go just before they are closing,
  • Arrive super early. Try to get round before the masses start to arrive.

As a result visits tend to be fleeting. They also sometimes require really early starts. In this case we set off at 5am. That’s not ideal but needs must. One definite advantage. Nothing better as you drive away from a site and passing the traffic queues waiting to get in. Does that thought make me a bad person….

75 thoughts on “An old trip out”

  2. I do not like crowds either and try to avoid at all costs also.

    The only times I am willing to deal with crowds is for Disney and 4th of July ❤️

    But I wouldn’t go to Disney right now, not yet… and the 4th will probably be cancelled? … I wouldn’t do either one of those crowds at this very moment!

    And I do that same thing when I drive … when I go to work I go the opposite way than the traffic… same thing coming home lol … I look over and think thank god that is not me 😄✌️

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      1. Well some do not have the same fear. Some still go because the crowds be less because of those who do fear.

        I kind of like the restrictions they have making crowds less… but I am also still aware of a killer virus lol

        Some just aren’t fearful. Just depends on the views of that person I guess. How they see things. How safe they feel.

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  3. Beautiful site. I think I have been isolated too long because I start to feel anxious to go home when we’re somewhere with a lot of people or too much going on around me. I relized this when we took our vehicle in to the dealership. Music, people the t.v. blaring. When I told Andrew that everything was too much he said to me, would you like to go sit outside? Yes! So we did. That’s happened to me at the beach before too. I’m kind of impossible that way. I like to get out, but too much makes me appreciate home. So really I just need to get out enough that home is wonderful. 😀

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  5. I drove my husband crazy getting up at o’darkthirty to beat the masses. I’ve never liked crowds. It was especially annoying when our children’s activities put them in every parade the town had and the entire town turned out! UGH! A mother’s sacrifice. 😀 😀

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  6. If you’re bad, I’m bad with you.😉 A place like that… spiritual… needs solitude to fully appreciate anyway.
    One of my favorite pictures of me was on a family trip to the Redwoods when I was 12 or so. I’m sitting off by myself in the middle of a small clearing, just sitting.

    I’ve always hated crowds and noise. Except political rallies back in the day, an concerts any time.💌

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  13. Not bad at all – that is what I do too. Or we go places when it is raining and we know no one else is going to be there. It looks lovely as well. I can see why you slept there one night! That must have been quite an experience!

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  17. We’ve had the same mentality when visiting places. Crowds mean lines, and lines mean waiting, and waiting isn’t fun for any child at all. Your companion reminds me very much of Blondie, who will stay close when other people are around, whilst Bash will just introduce himself and ask impertinent questions of anyone. (“Who are you? Are you old? Why does your nose look like that?”) Biff will simply follow his own tracks, telling stories to himself, not a care in the world for who’s around him.

    In other words: kids make any day out odd. xxxxxxxxx Hope you and your companions are well today. I’m hoping to get the kids to the park before a week of storms is supposed to meander on through here…

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    1. I so hope you get to the park. It will do you good as well. Will you get more trips to the cabin soon. Storms don’t sound good at all. Yes he is definitely one who hides behind me or the nearest tree. That’s who they are. We learn to work round these things. Hope your smiling my friend xxxxxxx

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      4. Your tall as well aren’t you. So I guess you might have a few more years of being taller than me. Average height hasn’t got much chance against someone who was in the 97th percentile for height at 8. I will and I so hope you will. xxxxxxxxx

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      5. Ha! Quite true. Yeah, I’m already tall–one of those who shot up a good foot in elementary school. Blondie’s almost a head taller than anyone else her age. My sister-in-law joked she can just give Blondie her hand-me-downs, since Blondie’s the same height. Fine by me–way less clothes shopping! 🙂

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