Dream Destinations Entry #6: UK Road Trip

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Imagine: a brief UK road trip, bookended by two mind-blowing shows.

You arrive in Manchester, and check into the decked-out Lowry Hotel. The following evening, you bundle up and head down to the LCCC to witness Radiohead performing live.
In the morning, you'll drive through the vibrant moors of the Southern Uplands to Glasgow, stopping at intervals to photograph the magnificent Scottish landscape. Arriving in Glasgow, you check into the spectacularly designed Hotel du Vin, and then strike out for a snakebite at the Chip's charming Wee Pub.

Over the next three days, you forgo the typical tourism; instead, you stop in and peruse the isles of Monorail (a record store inside a pub, located beneath a neglected rail-line). Introduce yourself to the locals and buy a round--they'll likely clue you in to some of Glasgow's hidden gems. Next, head southwest to explore Glasgow's urban decay, and then the ill-fitting architecture of the Templeton Carpet Factory. You'll rise early one morning to hike the Scottish Highlands. Undoubtedly, you will gorge yourself on the sharpest cheddars. And you'll definitely visit the University (while cursing yourself for not studying abroad).

On your last evening, you'll cram into Barrowland, and enjoy the distorted sound of My Bloody Valentine.

The following day will be spent begrudgingly checking luggage and boarding a flight back to the U.S., just in time to attend the ubiquitous July 4th BBQ. It's doubtful, however, that those fireworks will relieve the wanderlust inside you.