Today we left in the 9’oclock hour (9:58, not counting when I went back in to get the charger)… We went to the Quiraing and mostly avoided a down pour.
After the Quiraing we went to the Fairy Glen, which is notorious because they filmed the Teletubbies here. The Fairy Glen was pretty cool, but after this morning the pictures bar is set so high.
After dinner we walked around Portree and it’s a beautiful little town.
The day only got better from there. Next was Dunvegan castle.
The gardens at Dunvegan castle were amazing, but I am limiting my pics or this would get ridiculous. Next on the bucket list was the Old man of Storr.
Uhm, I’m so late today, but it was an amazing day and I was too tired to post yesterday. We started off the morning with a run through Inverness before we picked up our rental car. We got to ride a double decker to the airport
After picking up the rental car, we drove past loch Ness. We did get a great shot of the monster, but I’m not going to share it because it will ruin the mystery for you. George drove us to the ilse of sky. We stopped at Eilean Doran, a beautiful castle where 3 lochs meet, then we went straight to the fairy pools.
We started heading home and the day just got more and more beautiful. T we stopped at Sligachan old Bridge and took a short walk up the John Muir trail.
Mostly a travel day, but we did get a great first rainy ride in. The train ride was about 3 hours through the Scottish Highlands. We arrived a we bit early, but grabbed a pint got some lunch and went for a beautiful ride.
After check in we got outfitted for a ride and took one. Look at this beautiful scenery (in the rain no less).
Today we set out towards Estrella regional park. It didn’t disappoint. The wildflowers were amazing, and the dessert landscape is beautiful this time of year. These two old ladies kept jumping into my pictures.
After a great dessert hike we headed to the baseball game. The ball park is quite scenic and we found a shady spot to watch the guardians. It would have been more fun if Alaska had gone in or if the guardians had won, but… It was it was a great way to spend my Sunday afternoon.
Yeah then we took Alaska to watch the sunset. Mission accomplished.
It was a rocky start to a weekend trip. Our 8pm Thursday night on frontier was delayed until it was cancelled after 11pm. After standing in line with angry passengers (with little hope of rebooking), we gave up and decided to go home. We back tracked the airport, shuttle, car and then drove back to Jenna’s for a brief sleep with little hope of returning…until we decided our sunk cost was lost and we might as well try to get an experience.
We got the 430 pm flight on Delta. We were hopeful about a 2 pm possibility until two platinum skymiles members bumped us. Then, our plane had mechanical problems and more mechanical problems and some weather. After a deplane experience, I began to think we shouldn’t go and was on hold with Delta about a refund when they let us reboard.
Woke up today and got busy making memories on Phoenix.
I’m going to share some pictures to prove it.
Sisters with too much sun and wind.
We left papago and went to South mountain park and preserve and hiked the pima canyon trailhead.
Then we picked up Alaska and went to a folk music festival and had dinner before going to a sunset. We didn’t see cocaine bear… Maybe next time Fiona?
Hiked to the top of flat top mountain before heading home. We had not eaten bfast, but just started hiking and never stopped. It was a beautiful trail with big squeaky poplar trees.
I’m so luck to spend father’s day with my bff on the parkway. I needed that. Til next time.
This section of the blue ridge parkway is quite beautiful. You either have rolling hills in Virginia or you ride the ridgeline with mountains and valleys on either side. There is a road closure around Roanoke for 30 minutes, but we wanted to run into town anyway so it wasn’t a big deal.
We asked the ranger for a recommendation at peaks of otter and wow, was this a fabulous hike. Sharp top mountain (which we promptly started calling shart stop mountain). We added on buzzard Rock which was well worth the extra 600 feet.
Stone work at shart stop.
Our first weekend as empty nesters, so we headed up on the parkway for a long weekend. First night we stopped at Crabtree falls, (formerly known as Crabtree Meadows). The only other time we attempted to stay there, a lightning storm scared us of. Last night we had smooth weather and took a nice morning hike to the falls.
We also stopped by the blue ridge music center. They have daily music 12 to 4 every day but we missed the Friday open music jam. I always forget it’s up there.
Heading out, we encountered a downed tree across the road. After taking this picture, I went to help. 10 of us tried to move this locust with no luck and I wish I had that picture. A biker left and circled back with his truck and chainsaw and cut it out of the road before our detour put us right back where we started.
The Asheville Austins are on the way to Alaska! This time we are taking the kids and meeting the Austin grandmother. We are very excited but anxious to get there.
Ringo has to stay behind this time.
Sadira is on her way back from Costa Rica to meet us. Hot to cold! Here’s a picture of her and Cora with a volcano in Costa Rica.
I’ve spent the last week at home preparing for our exchange student (Helena) from Spain 🇪🇸. She arrives in the states on the same day we arrive back from Alaska. I just have to show off the cleaned closet. No other closets in the house have ever been cleaned like this in our 20 years of living there.
Next stop anchorage!
5:30 we loaded the plane in Chicago to Anchorage. 7 pm. Having to switch planes in due to technical difficulties. I guess we’re lucky they found it before we took off. Anchorage will have to wait.
It’s about the Journey….
spending all my money in all the best ways
Roll On
Roll On
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