Stonehenge & Salisbury in England, UK
While we were staying in the West Sussex, England, I convinced Scott to drive us to Stonehenge. It's a little over a two hour drive, and he wasn't too keen on visiting this ancient place as it really is just a formation of rocks; but this is something that has been considered a wonder of the world and I think it's worth the drive if we have the opportunity to do it.
The difference between a two hour drive in Southern California versus a two hour drive in England are the roads. We can usually hop on the freeway and take it all the way out to Palm Springs, in England, we had to take a handful of narrow country roads and highways to reach our destination.
Nevertheless, we made it to Stonehenge without any complications. In the past, visitors used to be able to park very close to the rock structure and walk up to it, but due to the efforts by the English Trust to improve and conserve the area, there is now a parking lot and guests are shuttled closer to a pathway that leads to Stonehenge.
We paid £17.50 each for adult entry; this gives you access to the shuttle that takes you to Stonehenge (about a 5 minute drive) as well as the exhibition. We even purchased a souvenir book for £4.99 so we could get a guideline and historical context on Stonehenge.
Ultimately, you are looking at what remains of a temple that dates back 5,000 years ago during the Neolithic or New Stone Age. This temple started as a simple construction of a few small upright stones, built as a place for ceremony, burial and celebration. Around 2500 BC, larger stones were brought to the current Stonehenge temple; huge sarsen stones from north Wiltshire and smaller bluestones from west Wales; marking over 800 years of construction into the Bronze Age. Because of the architectural feat for the time of its creation and the mystery surrounding Stonehenge, there have been many interpretations of how it was created. Some say magic, some say aliens. Today, although it may just seem like temple ruins, the landscape surrounding the temple rocks as well as other placed stones in the landscape tell a story of the people that once inhabited the land. Some would say the visit and Stonehenge itself can be underwhelming, but I'm glad that I visited; it's a peek into a prehistoric time that is kept alive through experiences like this.
After our visit to Stonehenge, Scott and I headed to the town of Salisbury for a fish and chips lunch. I loved exploring the town as it is a medieval cathedral city. We unfortunately didn't get to visit the Cathedral, but had fun walking in and around the historic buildings and houses. Check out the video below!
STONEHENGE
Near Amesbury, Wiltshire SP4 7DE
Open Daily 9:30am To 7pm
