If you are longing to go to Britain like I am, but can’t (or aren’t ready) to travel abroad yet, here are 15 places in the U.S. that might tide you over until we can all travel again safely:
- Unsurprisingly, New England tops the list, with all of its beautiful, historical cities originally settled by the British. For example, walking the cobbled streets of Boston’s historic section could easily make you think of England.
- Elfreth’s Alley in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Philly—at least its “Olde City”—has a strong Georgian influence and many beautiful homes.
- The historic seaport of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
- An old seaside resort like The Seaside Inn in Kennebunkport Maine (run by the same family for nine generations) or Cape May, New Jersey—America’s first seashore resort since 1761.
- Alexandria, Virginia: Home of Gadsby’s Tavern Restaurant (ca. 1785), The Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, Carlyle House, and nearby Mount Vernon.
- Colonial Williamsburg will transport you to the Georgian period with taverns, craftsmen, shops, and reenactors in period dress.
- Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA are two of the best-preserved historic towns in the South. The first settlers were British-born, many of them highly-educated and refined ladies and gentlemen. While you’re there, you can also take a side trip to the Charleston Tea Garden where they actually grow and harvest tea.
- The Cheshire Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri is designed to feel like a British inn with a traditional pub. The Robert Louis Stevenson room looks amazing!
- Pendarvis is a reconstructed Cornish mining camp in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, where they hold a Cornish Festival each September.
- Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where you can see the relocated London Bridge, dismantled in London and rebuilt in the U.S.
- The Great Christmas Dickens Fair in San Francisco, California.
- Grass Valley, CA has been named the most Cornish town in America and features mining and pasties from Cornwall, England. They also hold a Cornish Christmas street fair.
- Carmel-by-Sea, California has streets that look remarkably European, along with many quaint shops and restaurants.
- Live near Seattle? The oldest independently-owned tea room in America is there. Another favorite place is The Crumpet Shop, near Pike Place Market. Both provide a sweet place to stop and savor a delicious Brit-fix.
- Have kids? Harry Potter world in Universal may not be historic but it is decidedly British. Or, if you are on the West Coast, the Enchanted Forest in Salem has a European Village sure to please young and old alike.
BONUS outside the U.S.: Victoria, just across the U.S. border on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. There you can enjoy high tea at the Empress Hotel, tea shops, pubs, double decker buses, horse-drawn carriage rides, traditional red telephone boxes and more. No wonder the Jane Austen Society of North America is having their 2022 conference in Victoria!
What have I missed? Please comment with any places you would add.
(Note: Members of the wonderful Inspirational Regency Readers group on FB contributed to this list.)
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JULIE KLASSEN loves all things Jane—Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. She worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. Three of her novels have won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. Julie and her husband have two sons and live in St. Paul, Minnesota.
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Such a fun post, Julie. I’ve added places to my wish-to-visit list. I haven’t had the chance to travel much on the east coast, but I have been to two places on your list. I remember driving through Lake Havasu City as a child and seeing the London Bridge. I remember thinking it was not very impressive, but that was through the eyes of a child who couldn’t appreciate the historical significance. I’ve also been to Victoria, BC with my daughter a couple years ago. It was fabulous! In fact, I’m still ordering tea from a shop I found there. Their 1894 original blend (named for the year of their establishment) is my favorite. It’s fun to imagine that I’m drinking the same tea my characters could have sampled.
I loved reading this! It makes me want to pack my bags and head out on a Brit-fix Road Trip to all the places I still need to visit ❤️🎉🇬🇧.
I once got to see the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, I’ve enjoyed multiple trips to beloved Carmel-by-the-Sea, I loved Savannah and Charleston, those Seattle spots are some of my favorites, and Victoria, B.C. holds many dear memories for me. Thank you 💛.
Thank you, Laura. And thank you so much for sharing about the tea and crumpet shops in Seattle!
That tea sounds fabulous, Karen. Going to Google now… 🙂
It’s from Murchies. They have a ton of blends!
This is such a fun post! I now want to visit ALL of these places. 🙂
Thanks, Becky. Me, too!
I lived in St. Louis for twenty years. For 10 years I worked at the Schnucks two blocks away from the Cheshire Inn! I did not know that it contained anything close to English themed rooms!! I even had an operation at the Hospital next door!
I visited Williamsburg when a newlywed in 1970. I love history!