Is this the UK’s answer to Route 66? Explore the treasures of the Yorkshire coast
THE fossil hunter picked a stone from the beach, cracked it with his hammer and as I opened the two halves to find a perfect spiral ammonite, said: "You're the first to see it in 200 million years."
It was one hidden treasure among countless others along the North Yorkshire coast, where we had come to sample some of the hundreds of things to see and do on the newly introduced Route YC.
As autumn turned to winter, we went to explore the six coastal routes created for a designed to help visitors and locals sustainably discover the area's roads less travelled all year round.
Our first night's stop was the lovely which offers 52 varieties of home-baked pies.
As you walk in, you see those available chalked up on a huge blackboard with the number of portions left. Being used to one, possibly two non-meat choices on the menu, my partner Gemma couldn't get over having eight vegetarian pies to choose from.
But that left me with 44.
Anguishing over my decision for what Gemma said was hours, I threw caution to the wind and picked the chilli-kicking Mustang.
A huge, delicious meal and good ales later, we headed to our spacious, luxuriously furnished room.
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The next day, after a hearty breakfast, the fairly stormy weather meant surf was up, so we headed to nearby at Cayton Bay.
I laughed in the face of the "gnarly" waves as the rain whipped sideways under leaden skies, for I was toasty in my winter wetsuit and had confidence in my instructor Tori.
"Summer's great for surfing here but winter's popular as you get bigger waves," she shouted into the howling gale.
I'd spent time under a surfboard in Cornwall so knew what I was doing, but she gave me a refresher lesson on the sand before hitting the sea.
With Tori's help I managed to catch a few waves. It also proved surfing's not a bad shout as a rainy day activity - it doesn't matter if you get wet.
After a hot shower we walked north on the Cleveland Way along a stunning landscape of cliffs plunging to the sea to the picturesque resort of Scarborough.
We stopped for a bite to eat at at the Scarborough Spa before riding one of the lovely Victorian trams from the beach to the town.
There we explored some of the arcades, new with amusements (I failed to grab a Baby Yoda) and old with quaint cafes and shops selling everything from antiques to toys and games.
After an enjoyable few hours exploring, we headed for a bite to eat at the a few miles north in the cobbled fishing village of Staithes.
The pub nestles at the end of the village at the edge of land and sea. Its lights welcomed us out of the cold night into the lovely, warm, cosy bar.
It seemed rude not to order the cod and lobster speciality.
Gemma was well-catered for and went for the “fake cod” halloumi.
After a superb meal, we set off south again to Robin Hood's Bay to check in to the which stands at the top of the pretty little resort, with spectacular views across the sweeping bay.
The beautiful wood-panelled hotel centres around a wide square staircase leading up to the fabulously opulent bedrooms.
Built in 1897 it's been lovingly and sympathetically restored by the present owners and, relaxing in the orangery with panoramic views, you can see why it's popular for weddings.
After a night of pure luxury we woke to glorious sunshine, so pulled on our boots and set off down to the beach to go fossil hunting with Will from .
Walking down narrow street past the old fishermen's cottages towards the sea you can feel the past, landing the day's catch, mending nets, smuggling rum.
"What are the chances we'll find a fossil?" I asked Will hopefully.
He explained patiently: “This whole coast was once the bottom of a tropical sea teeming with life – there are fossils everywhere.”
He assured me the coast it is not from any of the rubbish eras like Permian, which no one has ever heard of, but from the proper Jurassic Park era.
He told us the kind of rock to look out for, it's colour and shape, and off we set, finding possibles.
Will either shook his head, or cracked them open to find the shape of a creature frozen in time for 200million years. It's a brilliant pasttime for adults and kids alike. But be warned, it's utterly addictive.
After a morning's eager hunting, we had worked up a hunger, so set off for the fish and chip capital of Britain - Whitby.
Debate rages over which is the town's best chippy but a strong contender has to be .
We sat downstairs in the fabulous restaurant which used to be the town bath house.
Upstairs is the restaurant/cocktail bar, which was the old library where Bram Stoker collated his material to write Dracula – with stunning views across over to the famed 199 steps and the Abbey.
The meal proved Whitby's plaice at the top of the chippy table - wonderful large flakes of sustainably sourced cod with a delicious light and crispy batter, with chips to match.
Owner Stuart Fusco explained competition and love of the product keeps quality high. “You'd be hard-pressed to get bad fish and chips in Whitby,” he said.
Pleasantly stuffed to the gunnels we explored the narrow streets packed with independent shops, before dropping in to the Little Angel pub and microbrewery for a couple of convivial pints.
A short walk along the cinder track path towards Robin Hood's Way is , where we weary travellers stopped to rest for the night in a cosy glamping pod.
An even shorter walk from our well-equipped, homely pod took us in a couple of minutes to the Penny Hedge Inn for a welcome evening meal and nightcap.
After a good night's sleep we treated ourselves to a delicious breakfast of heritage ginger loaf, special-recipe lemon buns and tea from bakery.
The next morning, we hit the road that climbs up and out of Whitby on to the majestic North Yorkshire moors.
Crossing the stunning moorland, we dipped down slightly before climbing up to the tiny village of Goathland, known to millions as the setting for ITV's Heartbeat.
There are loads of great walks and bike rides on the Route YC website.
We decided to walk the 3.5-mile old rail line to Grosmont, through a lush valley taking in streams, ancient woodlands and the history of the 1836 originally horsedrawn railway.
It's a great walk for kids, dogs and suitable for sturdy buggies.
At Grosmont you meet up with the still-working heritage steam railway which for most of the year you can catch back to Goathland.
Afterwards we dropped back into Whitby to grab an afternoon tea of “fat rascal” - a must-try local delicacy like an enormous scone - at Sandgate cafe before a little more exploring and shopping.
That evening, to round off our whistle-stop tour, we stopped off at the lovely , a traditional country pub in the little village of Hawsker.
The chef sources local fresh produce for a seasonally changing menu that celebrates the best of British. There was a lot I wanted to try, finally putting Gemma out of her misery by opting for the steak pie – a hearty triumph.
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From pies to paleontology, the North Yorkshire coast has so much to discover, you just can't see and do it all in one go.
But the new sustainable-focused helps you map out an all-seasons itinerary to find those hidden treasures.
GO: YORKSHIRE COAST
STAYING THERE: Hunmanby, has doubles from £125 per night.
, Robin Hood's Bay, has doubles from £100 per night. , Whitby, has glamping pods from £45 per night.
MORE INFO: For information about the Yorkshire Coastal Route, see