Guest Author - Karyn Johnson

The North Yorkshire seaside town of Whitby is not just a place for a relaxing beach holiday. Sure, you have your fish and chip shops, candy and ice cream shops, arcades, and cheesy tourist attractions, but how many seaside resorts do you know that are overshadowed by the majestic ruins of a grand abbey? How many seaside towns can boast being the inspiration for one of the greatest gothic horror novels of all time? And besides serving as an inspiration for Bram Stoker, Whitby was once the home of Captain James Cook. Heard of Caedmon, the earliest known English poet? His home was at Whitby Abbey. Whitby is clearly a town steeped in history, and provides a good mix of leisure and learning to suit every tourist.

I recently had a vacation in Whitby, and found it to be a quaint town that satisfied both my urges for the beach and for exploration. The first day, my friends and I hit the area around the beach. We ate fresh cod and chips. We bought ice cream and candy at one of the local confection shops. We spread out a blanket on the beach, and either read or built sandcastles, feeling the sand squishing between our toes as we enjoyed the fresh, salty sea air. We poked around the local shops in search of local jet jewelry (and I even found some jet on the beach). It was the epitome of relaxation, even if it was a bit on the chilly side. I noticed that Whitby definitely exploits its history with Dracula and Captain Cook. There is a Bram Stoker's Dracula museum, which looks like fun if you're a fan of kitsch. And Captain Cook has permeated every aspect of Whitby life, but if you want to feel like him, you can take the Captain Cook boat tour on a replica of his ship, the Bark Endeavour. Ahoy!

The second day of my Whitby adventure, we headed to Whitby Abbey, an English Heritage site. The first abbey was founded on this site by St. Hild in the 7th century. Two hundred years later, it was destroyed during a Viking invasion. Rebuilt in the 11th century, the abbey was again reconstructed in the 13th century to provide more space for the many pilgrims who came to visit. It is this structure that sits above Whitby today. Whitby Abbey, like all other monasteries in England, was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538. However, it still serves a useful purpose today, as a navigation marker for ships coming into Whitby's harbor. Visitors to the abbey can go to the adjacent visitor center to see items that were unearthed during archaeological digs around the site.

Whitby is also a great vacation destination, because the quaint fishing village of Robin Hood's Bay is nearby, providing sweet little shops and another beach. York is an hour away. And the North York Moors National Park, with all of its attractions, is also very close. I had a great time in Whitby. It satisfied the history and architecture lover in me, in addition to giving me some relaxing time on the beach.