Visiting Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a wonder of the world, a UNESCO World Heritage site, an iconic symbol of Britain, and it's at the top of most people's bucket lists. And it should be. It might only look like a pile of rocks set up in a circle-ish shape, but the history and mystery that comes along with this place is INCREDIBLE.
Some people say The Flinstones built it as a dining table for the dinosaurs, and other people say aliens built it for reasons we don't know, but THEY ("they" being archaeologists, scientists, historians, etc.) say Stonehenge was used for "ceremonial and ritual purposes", which is their way of saying "we have no idea". Either way, it's AWE-some to see in person. I basically got there and ran around like a child unable to hold in my excitement. The feeling you get when you're there is difficult to explain: excitement, wonder, awe; but you also feel like you're connecting with people in the past.
Inside Stonehenge.
When you decide that it's your turn to check Stonehenge off your list, make sure to get access to a private viewing, where you'll be taken INSIDE the circle of stones after it has been closed to the general public, because if you don't, you'll have to look in wonder from about 50 yards away (lame).
It's not hard to find tour companies that take you to Stonehenge and its surrounding areas, but only a few of them offer private access tours. Stonehenge-Tours and Anderson Tours both offer this and the tour guide, Pat Shelley, who does most of the tours for these companies, is just fantastic. These private tours might cost a bit more, but it's totally worth it, trust me. How many opportunities will you have to go see Stonehenge? Do it right the first time.
Our Anderson Tours Stonehenge tour included same-day pick ups and drop offs in London, a tour of the small town of Avebury, West Kennet Long Barrow (a Neolithic tomb), and a private viewing of the famous Stonehenge. I'm sure if we went to see these giant rocks on our own, we would have had zero idea on the meaning and importance of everything we got to see.
If and when you go visit the world-famous circle of stones, be sure to get up close and personal with 'em.
Some engravings we found while wandering around inside the circle of stones. This shows you how close you can really get to them!
The horizontal stones that sit on top of the upright stones use a Mortise and Tenon system (where two holes are carved into the horizontal stones and two peg-like mounds are carved into the tops of the upright stones) to hold them in place.