My most memorable family history research was done in 1996 when I took 2 weeks' holiday and stayed in the Swan Hotel in Bedford and spent most days in Bedfordshire Archives. No laptop, no mobile phone, just an A4 notebook, a box of pencils and a magnifying glass. Absolutely fabulous and those 2 weeks of notes kept me occupied for years. From that visit I got my Chapman family back to 1519. I was fortunate in finding one branch of the family who stayed in the same parish for 250 years.
It may be easier now on the internet but there is absolutely nothing like being in an archives -- and if you can smell and feel the paper -- WOW!!
It may just be my perception but the archivists in Bedfordshire then seemed more helpful and knowledgeable than some of them appear to be in other archives now
Happy hunting,
Malcolm Webb
Lincoln UK