We are spending the weekend in the Peak District staying at the same place we visited for our twentieth wedding anniversary in May only this time with the kiddos. We are staying in between Matlock and Bakewell in the Derbyshire Peak District. With my familial links to the area (my maternal grandparents lived in the Peak District and Rich and I married in their village), it is somewhere in which I have so many memories. It is so beautiful with dramatic hills and a couple of mountains, moody heaths, charming stone villages, and wonderful landscapes.
We actually decided to leave Harper with her grandparents; although the location is ideal for dogs with lots of lovely woodland walks, we knew we wanted to spend the day at Chatsworth House (dogs can visit but we would have not all been able to go to the farm and someone would have had to wait outside when we toured the house). We also wanted to visit the Heights of Abraham which also had restrictions on where dogs could go which again would have made the day less enjoyable.
We are staying in the same Darwin Forest Luxury Lodge park which is just as good as we remembered. The lodge itself is so comfortable, well-presented, and spacious. Our hot tub is covered so we will be in it regardless of the late October weather and the facilities on site mean the kids (and us grown-ups) can enjoy swimming, mini golf, soft play (Austin only for this one) and delicious food in the restaurant.
We expect to stay closer to home this break which means we will not be getting to see as much of the National Park but even the drive from the hotel at Grindleford to Chatsworth this morning gave us more than enough of a fix of stunning scenery.
Notes From My Day 