Happiness and Heather: Top Tips for Visiting London, England

To know where I was going, I used a Google map to plot all of the sites and museums You can read how I created one here. I know it made my life a lot easier instead of having to search every time we needed to move somewhere. Here are some of the sites I saw and tips for each of them.

Tower Bridge

Not to be confused with London Bridge. This is a drawbridge that is still in use today. They now have a tour of the top of it so you can watch the bridge come up and down all day!

Buckingham Palace

This is where the current Queen of England lives. Unfortunately, there were no sightings of William and Kate the day I went.

Big Ben

Did you know Big Ben is actually the name of the Bell? The name of the tower is called Elizabeth Tower. Before 2012, it was actually called the Clock Tower. So original, right?

Parliament

If you look in advance you can actually tour this building, but only on certain dates and times. I think that would be so cool to do. You can see the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

The London Eye

We went on Valentine's Day and my co-worker (who is a male) didn't want to ride it with me. Wonder why....

Tower of London

Home to the Crown Jewels used for the Coronation of the Kings and Queens of England. Stop in and listen to the free guides or the Yeomen Warders. They are part of the Bodyguard of the old castle. They are great guides who will tell you about various parts of the castle that you own't learn any other way.

National History Museum

Got kids? Then take them here! Its a great learning experience and they have an amazing dinosaur exhibit. As a child at heart, I would have liked learning about dinosaurs, earthquakes, rock formations, weather, etc. Maybe that is because I'm a geek too? Just remember to get there early. We showed up 30 minutes before opening and there was already a rather large line.

Other Places of Note:

Pubs! This a very key piece of British culture. Don't forget to stop in one and get a pint!
Platform 9 3/4. Harry Potter fans will go nuts.
Prime Minister's Workplace, also known as 10 Downing Street
Hyde Park. Famous during the time of Pride & Prejudice for open horse drawn carriages.
West End. London's version of Broadway! It is also home to a China district.
The Tube. You can't go to London without riding the world famous London Metro. Don't forget to Mind the Gap!

Places I didn't get to, but I still recommend:

Westminister Abbey. When Kate and William were married. Where Shakespeare is buried. Where Coronations are held. Need I say more?

National Gallery. Want to see some of Napoleon's conquest trophies? The National Gallery hold over 2,300 art pieces. And the best part? ITS FREE.
Victoria and Albert Museum. Another FREE museum. It is also the world's leading museum of art and design. I remember when I went they had an exhibition of the style changes of women's clothes and bridal dresses over the past couple of centuries. It was pretty interesting. I wish I could have had more time to view it all!