The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-16
NOT A GREAT UNDERTAKING.
Touring England Is Easy to Ameri-
cans Who Are Used to Immensely.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
AS hat is. no doubt, the only considera-
ton which has kept many. who read this
land 1t may be said at once that the ex-
pense of a vacation thus spent, and last
ing at least five weeks, need not be more
than $40 or Sl15. For that amount "A man
with a bicycle can see more OF the bright
little garden Of an isle than most of the
full-pursed travellers do. If two men go
together. share each others rooms on sea
and on shore, they will be enabled to make
their money hold them extra luxuries of
travel or cut down the cost to even a
smaller figure.
OF course, by a cycle tour one means a
cycle tour as il is understood In this coun-
try-,a wheeling excursion to see the sights
of landscapes. not to enjoy the big hotels
or to go to theaters. or to spend money on
city frivolities. Once you get your steamer
passage paid, over and back. the other eX-
penses are less than they are for touring
this country. And you get more out of
the trip. for you see a strange land. with
customs mostly foreign TO yours. and mu-
seums, galleries, cathedrals and towns that
are among the wondrous ones of the
world.
Suppose you get an extra three weeks off
this summer in addition to your annual
fortnight. You can get a round-trip ticket
on the GLASGOW steamers for $40. first class.
You can get the same accommodations on
the comfortable cattle steamers which ply
between New York and Southampton for
the same money. You can get second-clasS
passage on almost any line for $50 or $50
round trip.
1t depends upon how experienced and
swift a wheelman you are. of course,
whether you cover n great deal of ground.
You. will nave eighteen days or so for the
tour. between the arrival in England and
the time of re-embarking for home. If you
take passage to Southampton begin at your
landing place, run through Winchester.
Aldershot and across Surrey to London.
Thence you will like to journey to the
famous castle of Windsor, a twenty-five
mile run over good roads. All the roads
are good in England. Elton and its college
Is only half a mile away across the river,
and seven miles further up this Thames
valley is Ascot. place of fine racing. 1t is
a pleasant ride to old Wallingford, where
a delicious slice of roast and stout glass
of ale may be had at a pretty tavern.
Crossing the Thames at Shillingford bridge
you enter OxfSrdshire and. pushing ahead
that glorious old city of fine architecture
oxford.
No man can help being. captivated by
the ride. Through Warwickshire you pass
on for fifty miles to Shakspeare's birth
place, Stratford-on-Avon. where you will
feel quite at home, since that Is where the
strong Shakspearean English we use, and
that the British have called slang. orig
mated.
and head for windermere. for AmbIeside
and then Solway Firth bridge. Proceed
then to Glasgow. where you may take a
steamer home for $40 first class and $50
second. Perhaps the trip up to this point
has used up your time. Ii depends on how
many miles your cyclorneter registered
ooch lay. OHt COuiu sperm Il WnOlf sum-
mer-several summers-a lifetime of fair
days. in fact. making this trip through
England.
The sport of wheeling has revived many
OF the old-fashioned coaching inns. and
they are as cheap as they are quaint and
delightful. Cycling is as popular with the
English as with us, and a man on a wheel.
If the observes the rules of the road and
respects the customs of the country he is
in, will get more than can be told out of
$40 or Sis spent on a five weeks vacation
on the Atlantic and the soil of our fore
fathers.