She Was A Day Tripper

You may not know this about me, but I'm a huge Beatles fan. It was the music I grew up listening to, and the music I still love today. I remember laying outside by the pool while "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" blasted over the speaker. I remember sitting in the airport by myself waiting for my flight to visit my grandparents and listening to the Help album. I remember pouring over the cover notes of the newly released anthology. When I got to college and found out that I could take "History of the Beatles" as one of my core credits, I couldn't sign up fast enough. And, when the going got tough during the long hours of labor, John, Paul, George and Ringo were there through it all. So why did it take me two years to finally make the two-hour trip down to Liverpool, where the Beatles got their start? I have no idea. But I'm glad I can finally check it off my list.

I really enjoyed Liverpool, but to be honest, I was a little disappointed with the Beatles aspect of the city. We visited the major highlights: the Cavern Club; Penny Lane; Strawberry Field; and the Beatles museum. I really enjoyed the museum, but the rest of the sights were pretty unimpressive. The museum was pricey, but very well done. I loved the interactivity of the exhibits and how detailed the designs were.

Zahara and I in the "Cavern Club"

Super fan

On the Beatles' first flight to America 

The Cavern Club, the legendary venue where the Beatles made a name for themselves, is alive and well. In addition to hosting tribute bands and up-and-comers, it also provides Beatles tours. We just popped in for a quick photo op.

Penny Lane and Strawberry Field were the most disappointing. Penny Lane has no resemblance to the song, other than it is still a roundabout. None of the shops listed in the song are still there, nor is there any signage or acknowledgement of its history. Strawberry Field doesn't even exist anymore. The only thing left standing is a yellow and red fence filled with graffiti. 

 

Liverpool as a city is pretty nice though. I enjoyed walking along Albert dock and the pier. I also loved the pedestrian-friendly city center. We found a great tea shop called Leaf that I would highly recommend. If I lived closer I could definitely see myself hanging out here more often. It reminded me a lot of an old hangout in Washington, DC called Tryst--big comfy couches, lots of tea choices and yummy cakes.

We stayed just one night, and I think that was the right amount of time. I didn't feel rushed to see anything but I didn't feel like I had too much time either. Of course with Zoey we weren't doing too many museums or historical sights, so I'm sure you could spend a lot more time there if you weren't with a two-month-old. 

So that's where we've been lately. What about you? Have you been anywhere fun recently?