Travel to Scotland Part 4

We couldn't leave the beautiful area where we had stayed for two days without one last look at Eilean Donan Castle. It is truly magnificent, and we chose wisely in staying within walking distance of it and the cute little town nearby.

Eilean Donan Castle

Our May 7th travels took us towards Glencoe National Reserve. Along the way we visited the Glenfinnan Viaduct, made famous as a Hogwarts Express route in the Harry Potter movies.  Built in the late 1890s, it is the longest concrete bridge in Scotland. It contains 21 arches and is 100' above the River Finnan. It was a crowded tourist destination, but worth visiting.

Glenfinnan Viaduct

We drove through the central highlands on our way to the village of Killin, where we would spend the night. The drive to this area of the central highlands was beautiful. 

the central highlands

Killin is located near the western head of Loch Tay and is quite charming. The River Dochart runs through Killin in a series of falls, which are stunning. It was quite by accident that we found lodging there, and it was a nice spot to explore and spend the night.

The next day we had breakfast in town and checked out the historic bridge, mill and waterfalls. There was also an old cemetery behind our cottage that was interesting to walk through.

village of Killin

We then started making our way back to Edinburgh as we had a 9:55 p.m. flight back to Dublin. We wanted to see the Drummond Castle Gardens, located near Crieff, but they did not open until 1:00. That gave us time to have lunch and then visit the Glenturret Distillery, which worked out well.

sights along the road

The Drummond Castle Gardens were definitely worth the wait! The keep itself was built in 1491 by John, 1st Lord Drummond. The Annexe was built in 1630, and this became the living quarters of the family. This portion is still occupied by Drummonds to this day.

You do not get to see much of the keep, but the gardens are open to tour. The formal gardens were first laid out in the 1630s by the second Earl, combining elements of French and Italian styles. The gardens cover about 12 acres, and it was a treat to see (and hear) the peacocks. This stop was a wonderful way to end our tour of Scotland, and was a highlight of the entire trip.

Drummond Castle Gardens

From Drummond we only had about an hour drive to Edinburgh, where we retuned our rental car and headed to the airport. We arrived in plenty of time to check into our flight, and had an uneventful, short trip back to Dublin. We spent the night at an airport hotel as we were flying home the next morning.

leaving Dublin

One nice thing about flying out of Dublin (besides the direct flight) is the fact that you clear US Customs there, which saves time on the other end. Once we arrived in Charlotte we only had to go and meet the party who was picking us up since we did carryon luggage only. It was the icing on the cake of another great adventure with long-time friends.

Travel to Scotland Part 1

flying into Edinburgh

On May 2nd we had an ugly 6:40 AM flight from the Shannon Airport to Edinburgh. While it was hard to get up that early, we landed at 7:55 AM so we had the whole day ahead of us. We took a cab to the area of Old Town Edinburgh where our two bedroom flat was located. Because it was too early to check in, we found a nearby shop that had lockers to store our suitcases.

Since we were out of bed before dawn, the first thing we did was grab breakfast down the street from where we dropped the bags. From there it was an easy walk to Edinburgh Castle. Standing on Castle Rock, there has been a a royal castle on this location since the reign of Malcolm III in the 11th century The castle continued to be a royal residence until 1633. We wandered the area for a bit, but could only get tickets to tour the castle the next day.

Edinburgh Castle

We explored the Royal Mile, the historic district of Old Town, with its cobblestone streets and medieval architecture. It was a beautiful day, and the streets were packed with locals and tourists alike. St. Giles Cathedral, one of three cathedrals in Edinburgh, is incredibly beautiful. Founded in 1124 it was built on the eastern edge of Edinburgh and predates Old Town. There was a lot to see and do in the area.

Royal Mile

St. Giles Cathedral

We had grabbed some provisions at a small grocery store near our flat so that we could eat breakfast in the next morning. We had early tickets to tour the castle. The day was overcast with a light rain, so that kept some of the crowds away. The castle grounds contain over 20 buildings on about 9 acres, so we spent a couple hours looking around.

Edinburgh Castle tour

Following lunch we did the underground walking tour, which had been highly recommended to us. The below-street level experience allows you to explore a series of vaults constructed in the 1780s. They initially served as workspaces and storage, but the damp environment was not conducive to those activities. The vaults by the 1820s became densely populated slums, and were eventually sealed off. They are now a tourist attraction reportedly haunted by ghosts. We thought the tour was overrated, but perhaps it was just our guide.

Old Town sights

This was our last day in Edinburgh, so we had a nice dinner before packing our things once again. 

Peru & Ecuador - Part 9

Friday, December 5th was our last full day at Kuyana Lodge. The options for excursions that morning included a hike through the jungle, which the guide said would be much longer and harder than any we had done so far, or a hike through a cave. In light of the described difficulty, my family opted to do the cave trip.

I have no fascination with caves in general, but once he said that the water would be chest-high in places, my decision was made. Chest-high water on most people equates to being over my head. I also did not relish the thought of slogging through water in knee-high boots, which would immediately be filled at that depth. While I brought water shoes for the Galapagos portion of the trip, the sand had rubbed the tops of my toes raw on the last expedition we did there. All that combined made it easy for me to say that I would remain at the resort. 

As no other guests had arrived at the lodge yet, I again had the place to myself. We had been told that more people were coming that night, and it was obvious from the staff activity that more guests were expected. I took the time to rearrange all my belongings in the suitcase and backpack for the next morning's departure before strolling around the resort snapping photos. Then I parked myself at the pool until my husband and daughter returned. They both agreed that I had made the correct choice in staying behind as the cave hike was dark, cold, and strenuous.

around the resort

The rest of my family returned in time for lunch. We then spent time at the pool. An afternoon rain shower came in, so I entertained myself by taking pictures of the rain drops on the pool water surface.

rain on the pool

For our last dinner there was a marked difference in the dining area. Now that other guests had arrived, there were different place mats, the napkins were folded all fancy, and there were candles on the tables, along with a large leaf with the guest's name on it. Those things actually made us feel pretty insignificant since we didn't have them for the other meals while we were there. Ramona was also brought out of her living quarters for the meal. From other reviews that I have read, I think this is a frequent occurrence while guests are there. She was not previously brought out to dine with us, only to join us on the one hike.

last dinner

Following dinner we returned to our cabin. We had to pack for the next morning's departure and get through one last tepid shower. In the morning we enjoyed one final delicious meal before the prearranged car arrived to pick us up for the three and a half hour drive back to Quito.

last breakfast

sunset out the hotel room window

We elected to stay at a hotel near the airport as we had a fairly early flight out the next morning. Luckily the restaurant for the included breakfast opened at 5:30 so we were able to eat before heading out on the airport shuttle. Everything went smoothly at the airport, and we left on time to Miami, where we would catch the plane for the last leg of our journey. Our daughter was on the same flight to Miami, so it was nice to have some final time with her on the plane and in the American Airlines lounge in Miami.

We all made it home safe and sound. It was an amazing adventure, and one that we will be talking about for years to come. Super big bonus was that none of us got sick, either on the trip or after we got home. That is always a concern with travel, especially in cold and flu season. Now - where to next?

Peru & Ecuador - Part 5

Saturday was Day 3 of our ship experience, which took us back to Santa Cruz Island, this time for a short bus ride to the Charles Darwin Research Station. Here we visited the giant tortoise Breeding Centre, located within a large prickly-pear cactus forest. This area is the headquarters of scientific investigations, conservation, and the National Park administration.

We also visited a local family farm where they explained their process of growing coffee and cocoa beans, and use the residue to make moonshine and other spirits. After that the bus took us the Manzanillo Ranch, where we had a delicious lunch buffet before donning knee-high boots to walk among the giant tortoises who reside there. 

Santa Cruz Island

On Day 4 we made our way to Floreana Island. It is the most isolated and least visited island in the Galapagos. We began our morning with panga rides to get a closer look at the island, followed by snorkeling. The water was a balmy 68 degrees - ha! The waters were a little rough and pushing us towards the rocky shore, so I did not stay in the water for an extended period. There was a lot of wildlife on the rocks, so I enjoyed having the time to take photographs.

Floreana Island in the morning

After lunch we took the pangas to a wet landing on an olive-green sand beach (rich in olivine crystals). From there we hiked to a brackish-water lagoon, where unfortunately not too much wildlife was in evidence. That changed when we got to the bright white coral sand beach. It was beautiful as we were the first boat in our group to arrive, so the beach was free of any footprints except for those from a bird. We saw several sea turtles, rays in the water, pelicans and other shore birds. On the way back to the pangas we only spotted one flamingo far off in the distance. But a blue-footed booby was close to the shore at the end, so that was cool.

Floreana Island in the afternoon

The next morning it was time for us to leave the Santa Cruz II. We said goodbye to the others who were staying on for a few more days, then took a panga to the dock. From there we boarded a bus back to Baltra Island and the Seymour Galapagos Island for our flight to Quito. This ended our tour with HX Expeditions, but one final adventure awaited us.

Peru & Ecuador - Part 3

Seymour Galapagos Airport

On Thursday (Thanksgiving Day!) we had a 4:30 a.m. wakeup call as our luggage needed to be outside the room by 5:00. We had time for breakfast before boarding our bus to the airport at 6:00. Our flight ended up leaving a little late, then had to stop at Guayaquil Airport for about 45 minutes before heading on to the Seymour Galapagos Ecological Airport on Baltra Island.

Our journey to the Western Route of the Galapagos Islands took place upon the Santa Cruz II, a ship owned and operated by our tour group, HX Expeditions. The dock was located a short drive from the airport, and we had to travel by panga (we would know these as zodiacs) from the dock to the ship. It was always required that we wear a life vest when on one of the pangas, and these were different from the life vests in our cabin which were to be used only in case of an emergency.

boarding the Santa Cruz II

Once on board we were able to check out our cabin, and then went to lunch in the ships's only dining room. The Santa Cruz holds 90 passengers, but we had only 83. This included a group of 12 young ladies from a local university. After lunch we had to participate in the mandatory emergency drill.

our stateroom

The afternoon brought us our first hike, which took place on Santa Cruz Island. We were divided in groups of around 12, and our group was the Sea Lions. The pangas brought us from the ship to the island, where we had a dry landing. We saw the interesting landscape of Dragon Hill, located on the north shore of the island. After that we walked inland on a trail that gave us a beautiful view of the bay and the western islands of the archipelago. Out first true glimpse of a Galapagos island felt like a National Geographic moment. The terrain and wildlife were everything we thought and hoped they would be.

Santa Cruz Island

Before dinner we were offered a briefing of the next day's activities, and this was the case each evening on the ship. That night the dinner buffet included turkey for those on board who were missing their Thanksgiving meal back home.

Celebrating Seventy

Charlotte skyline

We have often traveled with our friends, Kathy and Paul. Kathy and I went to high school together, and later college at Iowa State University. Our birthdays are three days apart, with hers falling on Halloween. Jim and Paul were fraternity brothers at Iowa State, so we have all known each other a long time.

Paul and Jim put their heads together to plan a surprise for Kathy and me as we were both turning 70. They booked us into the Orchid Bay Resort in Belize. None of us had been to that country before, which is surprising since Paul was a captain for a major airline and has been around the world.

coming into Belize

Our ungodly early flight on October 30th necessitated a 4:30 a.m. Uber pickup, which was ugly. We had a few delays out of Charlotte due to maintenance issues and the government shutdown which has resulted in a shortage of control tower workers. From Charlotte we flew to Atlanta so that we could be on the same plane with our friends for the journey to Belize.

The resort was a two hour drive north of the Belize City airport, so we definitely wanted to share transportation for that ride. Upon checking in we were offered a welcoming beverage before being shown to our separate, thatched-roof casitas. They were lovely and included a good-sized screened lanai, which we took advantage of in the mornings and evenings. 

welcome to Orchid Bay

The next day we hung out at the resort. Because we had the all-inclusive package, we could have anything we wanted to eat and drink. We did some hiking on the resort grounds, played some games and also took out the kayaks to paddle around looking for birds. On Saturday we took a boat ride, which included a visit to some Mayan ruins, a trip down the New River, some snacks and then a stop to watch the sun set over the bay. It was lovely. Following dinner that night the staff provided both Kathy and me with our own cakes while they sang Happy Birthday to us.

birthday celebration

Sunday was our last full day at the resort. We decided to do a snorkeling expedition. Following a breakfast sandwich we made our way to the boat dock to meet the captain and his crew. It was only the four of us as passengers, so that was nice. They first took us to Bacalar Chico National Park & Marine Reserve, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the only place in the Western Hemisphere that a reef touches land.

Bacalar Chico

Next we made our way to the Belize Barrier Reef. Part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, it is the largest barrier reef in the Northern Hemisphere and the second largest in the world. As we have also been to the Great Barrier Reef off Australia, we have now snorkeled at the world's two largest reefs. The first stop that we made was not very pretty nor were there very many fish. The second stop was super shallow and when the captain said you had to walk backwards over rocks to get to the deeper water, I decided to wait in the boat. That ended up to be a good call as they quickly spotted sharks and hustled the others back to the boat. The third stop was much better in that the coral looked healthier and there were a lot of fish. I will say that I have never snorkeled where there were not a ton of other boats around. We were the only ones there. And also normally the guides will feed the fish to draw them in, but that was not the case here. The fish were just there without added enticement.

snorkeling

One of the most interesting things to happen is that the assistants on the boat captured some conchs. They brought them on board and showed us how the conch hides within its shell. You have to tap the shell in a certain spot to loosen the conch so you can pull it out. They placed the shells back in the water as they become a home for other sea creatures. They then cleaned up the conch and served it in a dish called ceviche. You really can't have any seafood that is fresher than that!

conch

Following our breakfast Monday we make the two hour trek back to the airport. I have to say, it was a lot easier to leave the country than to enter it. When we arrived there were three other lines/checkpoints to go through once you got through Customs. Ridiculous... 

Our flight to Atlanta left a little late, but we had sufficient layover time in Atlanta to weather that. Plus our flight leaving Atlanta was late anyway, so no big deal. Going through Customs in Charlotte was a piece of (birthday) cake since we have Global Entry. It is worth every penny if you do international travel.

goodbye Belize

Sandals Royal Barbados

Barbados

Last week we escaped the cold temperatures with a trip to the all-inclusive Sandals Royal Barbados. This was the second time we have stayed at a Sandals, but our first time visiting Barbados. We had a direct flight from Charlotte to Christ Church, Barbados, and were blessed that no one occupied the seat between us. Entering the country was quite easy, and we had a short 15 minute drive on the Sandals bus to our resort.

The Barbados property actually contains two Sandals resorts side by side, giving us access to 21 dining options and multiple bars and swimming pools. We stayed on the Royal side, which is newer, and had an end room on the top floor (5th) of building 7. This afforded us a partial ocean view, which was great to enjoy from the large balcony. Our location also enabled us to listen to the live music each evening from the privacy of our balcony if we so desired.

Some of the online reviews of the resort were fairly negative, but I tried to keep an open mind going into the trip. I'm glad I did, because one thing I have learned is that people like to complain. We found the staff to be almost overwhelmingly helpful and friendly, most of the food was very good, the drinks were tasty and for the most part not watered down, and housekeeping took great care of our room.

Was service sometimes slow? Yes, but you are on island time so just accept it. Our one try at room service was dismal. The food took over two hours to get to us (we were told 40 minutes), my sandwich was nearly inedible due to being soggy and they forgot to include a spoon for my soup. But that was just one meal, so no big deal. The food at the specialty restaurants exceeded our expectations, and we particularly enjoyed our experience at the Japanese restaurant.

Kimonos

We took advantage of the snorkeling trip offered by Sandals. Unfortunately the boat was not located at the resort, and it took way longer to get to the boat and back than the actual time we spent snorkeling. That is one area I might mark them down a little. At other resorts we have typically been taken to a couple different areas to snorkel. In this case they took us to one, and it was fairly crowded with other excursion boats. Nevertheless, it was cool to see the sunken ship, the fish, and especially the sea turtle!

snorkeling

We hired a private driver to give us a tour of the island. Barbados is only 166 square miles, but the road system and traffic make it impossible to get anywhere fast. So in our four hours we traveled from our location in the south up the west coast to the north coast and back. We saw a little bit of Christ Church, then visited St. Nicholas Abbey and its rum distillery. The tour of the house and the rum operations was very interesting.

St. Nicholas Abbey

Overall we had a wonderful time in Barbados. We met some nice people from Great Britain, Canada and the United States, enjoyed the resort grounds with its wildlife, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and made some great memories.

Sandals sunset

You Can Go Home Again - But You Might Not Want to

Last month we went back to St. Louis to visit friends and family. We also made sure to hit some of our favorite food and tourist attractions. For the first part of the trip, Jim and I were together for the food and attractions. Our first stop after picking up the rental car was Imo's Pizza, and we hit the one near our old house since it was too early to check in to our hotel. After eating, we stopped by Jim's old business, SWT Design, to say hello to some folks. Then we drove by the house that had been our home for 32 years. It was so nice to see that the new owners are taking good care of the 1902 beauty.

Imo's & Favazza's

That night we had dinner with Jim's former business partner and his wife at Favazza's, which is our favorite Italian restaurant in St. Louis. The next day we visited the Missouri Botanical Garden, Merb's Candies, Dad's  Cookie Company, and Ted Drewe's. We were saddened to hear that Ted had died the previous month. He was quite an institution in the area! We had dinner with another couple that night.

MoBot, Merb's, Dad's, & Drewe's

The rest of our time together passed quickly, with stops at the Missouri History Museum to see the World's Fair exhibit, looking at new SWT projects in the area, and finding a nice spot for a sunset. It was also great to see my sisters family for just the second time since she passed in 2020. We, of course, managed to get in a little pickleball as well.

Missouri History Museum, Creve Coeur Lake, MO Pickleball Club

Jim then met up with his motorcycle riding buddy, and they took off south for a few days ride. I drove out to my friend Diane's to stay with her for a bit. She has a new house out in the O'Fallon area, and it was fun to see her place. We spent time eating, walking, going to parks, and checking out the Rawlings baseball museum in Westport.

fun adventures

The fun times were somewhat marred by Hurricane Helene, which somehow managed to swing up and around to North Carolina. With all the rain, Duke Energy had to release water from the Lake Norman dam, which then flooded our lake and subsequently the lake below us. Our community was without power for about 30 hours, so of course food spoilage was a big concern. Our area was very lucky compared to what went on in the mountain region of North Carolina, however. It will take years to recover there.

My flight to come home was on September 28th, while Jim was scheduled to come back on October 2nd. But something happened to my rental car on the 28th that messed up all those plans. And it is why I may not want to go home again. I'll write about that in my next post.

High School Memories

Charlotte to Des Moines

My high school class recently had it's 50th reunion, and we flew to Des Moines for the festivities. I can remember when my mother-in-law told me she was going to her 50th and I thought, "Man, you are old!" And somehow here I am...

The flight to Des Moines was blissfully uneventful. It wasn't until we got to the Budget Rental Car counter that we encountered a snafu. I had requested a small SUV, which usually means a Rav 4 or the like. The lady told me that she had a Jeep Wrangler for me. I informed her that no, she did not because I requested a "small" SUV. She said my options were the Jeep, a minivan (are you kidding me???) or a pickup truck (seriously? I'm 5'3" on a good day.) 

I chose the Jeep, but as it ended up it was a Jeep Wrangler Sahara - one they hadn't even bothered to wash for us. It is definitely a vehicle better suited for off-roading than driving around town or on the interstate. It has a terrible ride, uncomfortable seats, and is noisy as heck on the road. While it was supposed to be a hybrid, the gas mileage we got was 19 miles to the gallon. The best I can say is thank goodness it had a grab handle so I could hoist myself up into the driver's seat. And it was cooler to show up at the reunion in that as opposed to a minivan!

We decided to stay at the reunion hotel in West Des Moines, as did our good friends Kathy and Paul. The four of us had dinner the first night with some other Des Moines friends. The next morning we were joined at breakfast by my friend Mary Ann. She and her family lived right across the street from me in Des Moines, and I often baby-sat their three kids. It was great to catch up with her.

We were excited to see that Smash Park - an indoor/outdoor pickleball and games facility - was located right across the parking lot from us. We checked it out, and even got some games in Friday afternoon before getting ready for the informal event at Felix and Oscar's Restaurant that night.

Smash Park

Felix and Oscar's was packed, which meant a good turnout from our class and their guests. But it was very difficult to hear and talk to people. I did get to spend a little time with my speech teacher, Bill Springer. We found a quieter back room at the restaurant, and shared a table with a few of my classmates and their spouses.

Saturday morning we did a tour of my high school and wow, what a lot of changes! My class had 439 students that graduated in the spring of 1974. Another 30 or so had graduated early. The school had 1,200 students in grades 10-12. Today the school only has 900 students in grades 9-12. We had perhaps 3 Black students in the whole school when I was there, and that was the extent of our diversity. Today over 40 languages are spoken at Hoover, so English as Second Language classes are a huge deal. It was fun to walk the hallways again to relive memories and see all the improvements. 

Hoover High School

After the tour we went directly to Merle Hay Mall as the class had organized some play at Dink's Pickleball. Dink's is actually located in an old Kohl's store, and what a great reuse of empty retail space. Sixteen of us came out to play pickleball, and we had a lot of fun!

Dink's Pickleball

Jim and I broke off after pickleball while he sought out some billiards with Paul, and I drove to my old neighborhood. It's always interesting to go back to the house where I lived for 17 years. It stills looks really good, as does the whole area. We met back at the hotel to get ready for the evening program, dinner and music. That night it was much easier to have conversations with classmates. We had a great time, and I'm very glad that we went. We have already lost so many from our class, so it really points out how we never know if or when we will see each other again.

50th reunion

The next morning we went to another friend's house for breakfast. Steve and Michele lived down the street from us in Webster Groves for awhile before they moved away. Coincidentally, they also graduated from Iowa State University, and we have remained friends for nearly 40 years. They are one of those couples where even when you don't see them or talk to them for years, you can pick right back up where you left off. 

From there we headed up to Charles City to see Jim's sister and her family. We stopped first at the High Trestle Bridge, which I had read about but never seen. It is part of the Iowa trails system. It was very cool, and definitely worth the detour.

High Trestle Bridge

We had not been to Charles City since Jim's mom died. It was hard to go knowing that neither Lorraine or Jerry would be there to greet us as they both died within months of each other in 2020. But it was good to see family and friends in the area and catch up with all of them. A couple of cousins even drove down from Minnesota to see us, which was fantastic. We also drove around town to see all the beautiful murals that have been installed since we were last there.

Charles City Murals

The visits to Des Moines and Charles City prove that you can go home again. It just might look a little different from the last time you were there.