Hello from Kendal which is on the edge of the Lake District. The good news is that there are are lots of places where you can enjoy good views of the Lakes without even leaving the car. The main passes (eg. Hardknott mentioned above) are an ideal opportunity to take in a wide expanse of scenery. There are also roads running alongside most of the Lakes where you can enjoy good views - the east side of Coniston where the relatively quiet road is in an elevated position from Coniston Water - offers some scenic opportunities but possibly not that many good places to pull over. (There's a car park at Brantwood, mind.) It might be worth getting hold of a copy of Stirling Moss: Great Drives in the Lakes and Dales as that offers around 15 different recommended routes to explore. If you didn't want to drive, there are plenty of tours that run and that will take you to a number of key sights (eg. Mountain Goat Tours and Lakes Supertours). If your mother is reasonably mobile but not up to climbing fells, then Tarn Hows isn't a bad bet for getting lovely views without too much strenuous walking. It might be a bit much though as it's probably a couple of miles right the way round, with some inclines. It is relatively wheelchair friendly the whole way round if that's any help to know. Things to do... it really depends on what you both like but perhaps going to the cafes, looking at shops and visiting one or two attractions might be in order? You can visit Dove Cottage (Wordsworth's home) at Grasmere, Townend (one of Beatrix Potter's places) at Troutbeck... to be honest... there's LOADS to see and do. As for places to stay, first thing to do would probably be to decide what kind of accommodation you would like. There's literally hundreds - more likely thousands - of places to chooose from, when you consider all the B&Bs, hotels and self-catering properties. We have a holiday let ourselves here in Kendal which has been finished to a good spec, has a lovely riverside balcony view, and two bedrooms if you would like to take a look (click here for details and, if you like, feel free to message me with any questions via that site, regardless of where you choose to stay - I would be happy to help with any specific questions).
