The Kids' Favorite Sites

I asked them what sites they liked the best during the London part of our trip. Here were their answers.

Caroline: Buckingham Palace. Now, unfortunately I have almost no photographic evidence of this trip. The Royals and security are very strict. However, you may wish to visit the page advertising the State Room's multi-room display of dresses from Her Royal Highness to understand why Caroline liked it so much.

Okay, so I found the dress she's wearing in this photo quite captivating. 

I say rooms, for there were several.

Oh, and there was one room of hats.

Sam survived it.

Sam: The Tower Bridge. This was a relatively low-priced attraction. For a modest sum, we got admission up into the decks near the top of the bridge, where there was a glass-bottomed floor. We happened to be up there when a ship was passing through, which was pretty fun to watch. The decks weren't nearly as high as The Eye or The Shard, but it had a somewhat goofy yet authentic feel to it. Money well spent.

Sam and Caroline before climbing. 

Looking down at the street level. Sam's feet and mine are nearly the same size. 

Looking west up the Thames from the Tower Bridge. 

The Tower Bridge raising for a crossing. We viewed it from Monument, admission to which was a small sum from Tower Bridge. 

My three co-travelers after coming down from the Tower Bridge. 

Neither of them mentioned Eye of London as their favorite. Crowded. Filled with pushy other travelers. Expensive. Great view. But I am moving closer to imposing a lifetime ban on places that have the cheesy take-your-photo-on-the-way-up-to-the-event scheme. It's a tip off to being in the land of unreasonably priced experiences.

Bad sun glare on The Eye. 

See what I mean, bad glare. 

Views of my favorite church, St. Paul's Cathedral, are largely impeded in London. From The Eye it's a little bit more visible. 

Looking down on my second-favorite attraction in London: Palace of Westminster (Parliament).

More later.