IX

CHESTER TO "THE HIELANDS"


Chester stands a return visit well, and so does the spacious and
hospitable Grosvenor Hotel. It was nearly dark when we reached the city
and the hotel was crowded, the season now being at its height. We had
neglected to wire for reservation, but our former stop at the hotel was
not forgotten and this stood us in good stead in securing
accommodations. So comfortably were we established that we did not take
the car out of the garage the next day but spent our time in leisurely
re-visiting some of the places that had pleased us most.

The next day we were early away for the north. I think that no other
stretch of road of equal length was more positively unattractive than
that we followed from Chester to Penrith. Even the road-book, whose
"objects of interest" were in some cases doubtful, to say the least,
could name only the battlefield of 1648 near Preston and one or two
minor "objects" in a distance of one hundred miles. I recalled the
comment of the Touring Secretary of the Motor Union as he rapidly drew
his pencil through this road as shown on the map: "Bad road, rough
pavement, houses for thirty miles at a stretch right on each side of
the street, crowds of children everywhere--but you cannot get away from
it very well." All of which we verified by personal experience.

At starting it seemed easy to reach Carlisle for the night, but progress