UK: Blackpool

Leaving Wales for northern England, I knew I had a long drive ahead of me.  I decided last-minute that I wanted to break up the drive by stopping somewhere along the way for some sight-seeing.  Leave it to me to choose a place that isn't really along the way, unless you count adding an extra 40 miles to your drive as being "along the way."  It seemed like a good idea, though in reality it was a big waste of time.  But hey, this classy vacation of mine needed a touch of tackiness added to it.

Blackpool is like no place else on earth because it is like so many places on earth mixed together.  At times, I could have guessed I was really in Santa Cruz, Paris, Atlantic City, a State Fair, Santa Monica, Eastern Europe, Chuck E Cheese, or Washington DC.  (You'll see why soon.)

Driving to Blackpool itself wasn't difficult or too congested.  Once in town though, it was a whole different story.  There were tons of cars, all trying to find a place to park.  While there were large parking lots, finding the entrances to them was problematic due to roundabouts and one-way roads.  (Side note: If you ever go here, make sure to bring lots of coins for the parking fee machines.)

From first glances, I was certain I was going to hate this place.  There was nothing pretty about the town, at all.  The townhouses that skirted the center of town were dingy, and the most dilapidated looking of any I saw on my entire trip.  Everything else in town seemed to be over-the-top and super touristy.  But that's what this place is.  A tourist town for Brits.

View from the parking lot.  (My thoughts: Why did I come here?)

 

 I started to perk up once I reached the promenade.  Mixed in with the tackiness were some Victorian-looking buildings from when the town became a popular destination for summer holidays in the 1800s.  The most prominent of these buildings is Blackpool Tower, which was inspired by the Eiffel Tower.  (As if you didn't already figure that out by the picture.)

Blackpool War Memorial.

 I strongly agree with the sentiment, but this is definitely not the verbiage we'd use in the US.

Blackpool Tower from below.  There are a bunch of entertainment facilities at the bottom.

Nope, certainly not in Paris since there's a Union Jack waving.

I also loved seeing the piers jetting out into the Irish Sea.  The town has three piers: North, Central, and South.  (Very creative names, don't you think?)

North Pier, which is near the War Memorial.  The least entertaining of all the piers, but the oldest and longest.

 

Central Pier, with a large Ferris Wheel.

South Pier in the distance, with a roller coaster.  (Yes, there are actually a few people swimming too.)

 

On Central Pier looking down to South Pier.

 

Looking up to North Pier.

The beach itself was really weird since there are cement walkways along the shore and sand-colored steps leading all the way down into the water.  I'm not sure if I happened to be there at high tide, and more sand is visible at other times.  Either way, I could not imagine spending a hot summer day sitting on stairs, even if there was a sea view.

Let's take a walk on the beach!

Cement as far as the eye can see.

Soaking up that English sunshine!

There are arcades, amusement parks, tacky museums, shows, Bingo, and other entertainment venues all over.  I didn't have time to waste to check out much though...fortunately.

The Dodgem cars are rugby players.  Love it!

OK, there's always time for a shooting gallery.  Especially one with pirates.

Why do I have to shoot these guys?  They look pretty dead to me already.



One thing you definitely won't find in Blackpool is something healthy to eat.  For some reason, I wasn't in the mood for trying fish & chips yet.  After perusing all of the fried food options, I am embarrassed to say that I ended up at Burger King.  (If you remember from my last post, my dinner the night prior was at McDonald's.)  I figured I might as well see what a British Burger King was like since there wasn't anything much better to choose from.

Overall, the menu was similar.

Excited they had a veggie burger.  Not as excited once I realized it was another "falafel" burger.

Getting out of town was a bigger ordeal than trying to find the entrance to the parking lot.  Cars were everywhere, and there seemed to be no sense to where the GPS was guiding.  After several wrong turns and circles through town (accompanied by a plethora of profanity), I was finally back on the main road.

So, that was my (one and only) visit to Blackpool.  Glad I was able to see this place for myself.  Not much else to say though.  It is what it is, love it or hate it.

Next up: The Lake District