A visit to my homeland back in January 2021 to be with family and celebrate my mother’s life who we lost during times we couldn’t travel to be together.
Raglan Castle – one of hundreds in Wales but impressive. Wales has the most castles per area. Many were destroyed by territorial battles with the ancient foe the English, others fell to ruin. However there are castles to suit all interests from complete and majestic to ruin but mysterious.
Use Castle – small and privately owned but open for visits with wonderful views of the historic market town.
Use Castle, somewhat smaller but intriguing all the same, well worth a visit.
Raglan, somewhat larger and with more towers standing. Part of Cadw which looks after 44 Welsh castles.
Views from Raglan CastleVisitor came close to remind us loved ones are always near.Evening in UskLooking over Use from the castle.
Always have to visit the sea when I can and that is always when in Wales. Usually, including this visit to Rest Bay in Porthcawl. A wonderful beach just outside of town. Still very busy in January with surfing and people just walking.
Rest Bay, Porthcawl. A hive of activity even in January. Love this place.
A pictorial of a delightful trip to the Outer Banks. We camped in Cape Hatteras National Seashore area, much quieter than the more northerly parts which contain most of the hotels, houses, shops and restaurants. Also the Wright Brothers National Park which is well worth a visit to see where they actually flew and landed.
The dunes are exactly like the postcards, with occasional gaps to access the miles and miles of beach. Wild grasses help to keep the dunes stable, although they are also maintained by the parks. The dunes are not a natural phenomenon, having been created in the 1930s as part of Roosevelt’s New Deal to get people back to work after the depression. They help stabilize the movement of the Outer Banks which is not shifted as much by storms.
As I said, miles and miles of sandy beaches.
Also abundant bird life who don’t care too much about the humans as they forage on the shoreline or dive for fish.
One of my bucket list items was to see the wild horses of the banks. This involved and excursion to the northernmost section where there are no roads! You can drive on the beach with the correct type of vehicle (4-wheel drive) and if you deflate your tires. If not, you will be one of those who get stuck in the soft ruts and need a tow. If a friendly 4×4 can’t pull you out, its very expensive. Don’t try it in your rental! You can go on self-drive or beach buggy tours which provide you with a safer journey, less risk and interesting local guides.
The sunsets are amazing. Our campsite was on a narrow spit so we could go to the beach in the morning for sunrise, if you were awake in time (not me) and then just cross the road to view the sunset every evening. Truly magical.
A typical group vacation in the mountains of Georgia (USA), adults and dogs renting a cabin to cook, talk, sit around the camp fire, watch the football. Just chill and take it all in. All the classics.
Stunning views from the porch and our bedroom one the Blue Ridge mountains. Even made it worthwhile getting up to see the sunrise.
Morning mists in GeorgiaAlways visit the waterfalls whenever possible.More atmosphere from the valleys.Purple mountains for a time.More atmosphere from the valleys with the changing colors of the mountains.Up for sunrise. Almost tropical.Sun behind the mountains casting its light.
A week long visit to New Mexico. Great state to visit, even if it was a little colder than I would have liked for camping. So many surprises. Sadly the Pueblos were closed to protect the residents so no Indian Fried bread or crafts which just means a return visit is required in the future.Two days there and two days back. I wish the return journey wasn’t so long – its always so much more tedious when there’s only work to look forward to! Hope you enjoy the slideshow.
New Mexico was surprising and stunning – more than I expected. Breathtaking, historic, and pie!
I love being close to the ocean, I love being on the beach.
This is a bit different, a slideshow, from a short camping trip to the beach. Mostly getting to say hello to the birds, watching the sunrise and witnessing the edge of the hurricane causing a storm surge. Much needed breather from lockdown.
While trying to be socially responsible – and avoid unnecessary risks with someone who is immunocompromised this year, much of my experience of nature has been out of my home office window or in the backyard. There’s still much to be appreciated close to home.
Meet Wilbur the Woodchuck, spotted out and about in late fall, gathering supplies for the upcoming hibernation. No sign of a reappearance this spring yet but I am hopeful.
Keeping me amused while I work, a selection of birds.
Some BlueJays and a Cardinal taking pickings from the ground. Several woodpeckers too but they won’t stay still!
Can’t ignore the more common visitors – hoping to get pictures in the nest soon.
Such busy little creatures and keep the dogs amused.
Of course I’ve shared the deer before, I saw a red fox but had no camera. There are coyotes nearby but they seem more shy or cautious than those in Illinois. Lastly the Pelicans passing through on their spring travels.
The lake remains picturesque, although too cold to venture onto for a few weeks more. There are still beautiful sunsets to be experienced from the shore.
I did make one trip in the fall so Texas shorebirds next time.
Austin, Texas has long been on my list to visit. When we were moving from Chicagoland, Austin was on a shortlist of possible areas to move to. Ultimately we settled on Nashville before I got to visit Texas. My husband surprised me with a visit there for Valentine’s weekend this year. What a soppy old romantic! Who knew? It turns out it was also the weekend of the Austin Marathon which we didn’t realize at the time but it didn’t affect us too much due to luck and planning. I know with hindsight we should have rescheduled but there was not advice to limit travel due to the pandemic, which it hadn’t been declared yet.
There are tons of blogs and guides on what to do in Austin. A lot seemed to be geared to younger people or instagram spots. Maybe it was just what I came across. While I did want to experience the night life and entertainment, it wasn’t the top of my list, nor was finding the best spot for instagram photos. It was also too early in the year to see the Congress bridge bats.
We were staying in a great spot for it too, The Embassy Suites on South Congress. midway between the shops of South Congress and the bars of Sixth St and Rainey Street.
Our first day there, Valentine’s Day, we took a drive to Hill Country with the intention of ending up at The Family Business Beer Company http://familybusinessbeerco.com the brewery owned by Supernatural actor, Jensen Ackles and his family. I am a fan of the show and had heard good things about the beer and was curious, my husband was more skeptical but willing to try it. Austin is renowned for its quality craft beer scene, you could spend your whole visit on this alone but one would have to be enough this time.
We first drove to Hamilton Pool in Dripping Springs. This is a nature preserve with a stunning swimming hole. There was no swimming that day but it was a lovely hike down to the pool over some rough ground and down a couple of hundred feet. The pool was just beautiful, I can’t imagine how lovely it would be to go there on a hot summer day to cool off. I believe reservations are required and numbers are limited which not only keeps the numbers under control but serves to protect the preserve. The waterfall wasn’t very strong that day but is often in fuller flow in the summer we were told.
I would definitely love to swim there. I understand there are other great swimming holes in and around Austin. Probably much needed in the summer months.
Driving further into the country, we stopped at a bar which could only be described as a hole in the wall or a biker bar but seems to be very popular. The Devils Backbone Tavern – Just one long bar, cash only, one meal on offer, a strong smell of the fire crackling in the old hearth, dollars pinned all over the ceiling and old stone walls. The kind of genuine place its truly exciting to find. I tried a Firemans beer there, I was told it was a local beer. It was fine. The place was the thing.
Then it was rounding up the day at The Family Business Beer company. The best choice in a new brewery is a flight (we felt). The bar staff were more than helpful and patient. Between us we picked a selection that meant we tried most of what was on offer that day. I must say I really enjoyed my choices, my husband was stunned at how much he liked the beers. We took the free tour of the brewery room then chose full servings of the favorites from our flights – he went for the Dunkel, I chose the Golden Age although I would have been happy with a few. There was also live music which was really fun, entertaining, talented musicians and singer. There’s a terrace and gorgeous oak grove to sit in. I’ll be back to enjoy sitting outside on a warm evening with a cold pint. A great place. For my hubby’s review check it out on Yelp – ‘Bruce H.’ We could have stayed much longer but had no designated driver.
We rounded out the evening back in Austin at Bangers on Rainey Street. A fun lively place with (of course) a wide array of sausages and a huge selection of beer, maybe too large. The evening was colder so we chose to wait for a table inside, there is a huge patio though. The meal was good, service quick but unhurried, the atmosphere lively. We strolled Rainey St, had a couple of drinks in the cute houses-turned-bars including one which had decorated the tables with hearts and candles for Valentines day. Most of the seating was laid out for couples, the lighting and music was subtle and moody. A nice romantic way to end the day.
On Saturday, we strolled up Congress Avenue to the Capitol building. Most of the street was closed off in preparation for the Marathon so not much was happening. I think we were struggling to ‘get’ Austin at this stage and decided to find a food truck – a must do in Austin, get some lunch then head back out to explore other parts of Hill Country. We had passed a gathering of trucks the previous day on our way out of town so headed there. It was packed. There was a great selection of different foods of various nationalities. It also had a permanent covered eating area and proper toilets! I had Chicken in a cone, from The Mighty Cone, sort of a spicy chicken (in a cone). Very tasty and fun. Then it was more Hill Country exploration.
We drove to Wimberley and visited Cypress Creek – another swimming hole. It is usually much bluer but it was an overcast February day. We found that a small downtown area of Dripping Springs has been rejuvenated with restored buildings containing the type of cute shops, arts stores bars and restaurants you would expect. A great find for a weekend away. We found ourselves drawn back to The Family Business brewery! We had enjoyed the beer and atmosphere so much we felt like winding up our day there and eating from whatever food truck was visiting.
Our final day, I intended to watch the Marathon as it ran by our hotel but just felt incredibly lazy so watched a little from my bedroom window, spoke to a runner in the elevator and congratulated him on his run. Does that count? Before leaving, we took a stroll up the famous South Congress. I love boots so we had to check out the boot stores. Came very close to getting some new boots for my husband but couldn’t decide between them all. I think I was finally beginning to get a feeling for Austin just as it was time to leave. Once we all get back to normal or whatever our new normal is, I will go back. I think this was the Austin I was looking for but hadn’t found. I felt relaxed and was enjoying the eclectic styling of the street. There was a lot of new construction happening, I hope it doesn’t lose its vibe. There was just time for an ice cream from Amy’s before it was time to head back to the airport.
A fun city to visit and we didn’t even get to try Franklin’s barbecue or any other barbecue, we didn’t drink on 6th Street or visit the Warehouse district. If it was warmer, I would have kayaked or taken a boat trip and I would definitely like to see the bats at twilight. Many reasons to return. But I also need to visit other places. Any suggestions? Let me know.
