Travel

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5 things to do in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh is an old city with lots to see. We stayed for about 5 days and drove in from the Isle of Skye on the west side of Scotland. Tourism thrives here and the people of the city are extremely friendly.  Here are 5 things to do on your next visit to Edinburgh.

1. Calton Hill 

For those days that you would just like to go for a walk and relax while on vacation I highly suggest visiting Calton Hill. While it takes a bit of energy to get to the top of the hill, the views are magnificent. The hill overlooks the city and seems to be a common place for locals and tourists to enjoy themselves. We spent part an afternoon here and enjoyed some sunshine.

The view from Calton Hill

The view from Calton Hill

Overlooking the city

Overlooking the city

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St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall, England

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St. Michael’s Mount

I fell in love with this little island castle.  It was a rather unique experience to walk across the stone footpath to the island surrounded by Mount’s Bay.  In order to truly experience this fascinating castle you need to plan for a whole afternoon.  If you come during low tide you can walk across to the castle, if you come during high tide you have to take a boat across.  As the tide comes in the stone footpath disappears under the water.

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Three Picturesque Villages in Cornwall, England

Polperro, Cornwall

Polperro, Cornwall

Cornwall was our first destination on our trip to the UK. When planning this I had researched pictures of scenic oceanfront hiking, old fishing villages and beaches and knew this was somewhere that I wanted to visit. It took about 4 hours of driving to get to our hotel in St Austell from Gatwick airport in London and we were pretty exhausted upon arriving. Continue reading →

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The Small Town of Ambleside in Lake District, England

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The beautiful scenery of Ambleside in Lake District, England.  It is truly picturesque, rolling hills, calm waters, and friendly people.  Both Andrew and I love small towns/villages in the countryside of England.  It reminds me of fairy tales I read as a child.

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The Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour: Our Perspective

” It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities” Albus Dumbledore

Albus Dumbledore's Office

Albus Dumbledore’s Office

While in London we had the chance to visit the Warner Brothers Studio for Harry Potter. What an experience! If you are a fan of the Harry Potter movies this is a must. The studio was very detailed and had just about every prop that you can think of from all of the movies while also showing how they did some of the magic from the movies. Continue reading →

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A Sunset Visit to Neist Point – Isle of Skye

Neist Point

Neist Point

On this day the sun was shining bright and I knew this would be an amazing evening to visit Neist Point. I’ve seen pictures online and knew this was somewhere I wanted to stop given the opportunity. The roads are so skinny in Scotland, so much so that we had to pull over every time a car was coming in the opposite direction. We did lots of hiking and this was just a short walk to get to the lighthouse, about 45 minutes round trip. Neist point is located on the North Western portion of the Isle of Skye and takes about 45 minutes to get to from Portree which is one of the main towns on the island.

A Photographer Taking a Picture of the Sunset

A Photographer Taking a Picture of the Sunset

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Quaint Ontario Town: Niagara-on-the-Lake

 

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A stroll along the path in Niagara-on-the-Lake allows you to appreciate the beauty of Lake Ontario.  You can sit on this bench and see the historic Old Fort Niagara across the Niagara River in the United States.  You can also look out towards the Lake Ontario and see the sky meet the blue water.  It truly is serene.  For those of our readers that happen to live in Ontario, Niagara-on-the-Lake is a top weekend trip.  For those of our readers that are visiting Canada, Niagara-on-the-Lake is a must stop on your tour of Ontario.

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Hiking Ben Nevis Mountain in Fort William, Scotland

 

The back side of Ben Nevis

The back side of Ben Nevis

While in Fort William, we wanted to hike up Ben Nevis.  Ben Nevis is 4,409ft above sea level and is the highest mountain in the British Isles.  It is in the western area of the Scottish Highlands.  It takes about 2.5 hours to get to from Glasgow. The back side of Ben Nevis is pictured above.  At the bottom of this post we have included some tips for those of you planning to climb this mountain.

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A Canada Day Tradition: Backcountry Camping in Algonquin Park

A Moose in Algonquin Park

A Moose in Algonquin Park

Every Canada day weekend in July Charlene and I drive up north to spend some time camping in the woods. We have done it for 5 years now and it has become a tradition. Algonquin Park is without a doubt one of our favourite parks because of the wildlife and the quiet time we get while camping deep in the woods. Continue reading →

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Talisker Beach on the Isle of Skye

Isle of Skye is a true masterpiece of nature.  The landscape, the beautiful hikes and walks, the roaring waves.  You could easily spend a week on this isle.  One outing particularly stands out to me – Talisker Beach.  After about a 20 minute walk through a pathway and past a house, you will find this quiet beach with a breathtaking view.  Our goal was to be there for sunset, and it was a beautiful sunset.

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