Showing posts with label Mountains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mountains. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Howdy Scotland!!!!

Scotland. Of all the places to vacation, why would anyone choose SCOTLAND?! I mean really, what's there... nothing but big mountains, so many lakes, old buildings, and people who talk without filters.

Wait, I forgot to use adjectives. big BEAUTIFUL mountains, so many AMAZING lakes...

I also forgot some nouns... Castles, Islands, Forests, Modern Cities, Great Performing Arts, and my favorite: People who love the earth, and are not afraid to use strong "adjectives" to say so.

I am Texan. My husband has Texas roots so far back they seem to have grown through the earth and surfaced in Scotland. He HATES traveling, but he found himself drawn to Scotland after watching several shows and films made there. We love the Monty Python series, and Outlander of course.

He once asked me "Is it really that beautiful there?" "Let's go find out!" We have made our first of many trips there, falling in love with the place immediately.

Texas and Scotland are a lot alike. Both fiercely independent states of a larger country that "absorbed" them, both fighting for that lost independence. Both have cultures that respect nature, where ranching and farming are essential to the economic growth, & grand landscapes that take the traveler from mountain to coast stopping in amazing modern cities on the way.

We stayed in a small village pub with rooms to rent, a large all-inclusive hotel, and an inner city apartment. We loved them all, but our son loved the small pub house best. He said it was like staying at the Prancing Pony in Lord of the Rings! I loved my Highlander Coffee!

Our stay took us from Loch Ard to Edinburgh. We rented a car and loved the freedom of the drive! We visited three castles, explored the forests, shopped in the city, and relaxed in pubs. One of my favorite things is where old meets new.

My husband found his football number!
 
And blue doors. They have blue doors. I knew I'd love this place!


SO, where to next? The Highlands? The east coast full of castles, or the west coast and all those beautiful islands? So much to choose from!!! My husband actually suggested we get a summer home there! 

Monday, January 7, 2013

SNOW! SNOW! SNOW!

Well, this Texas lady & her Texas boy had a quick run to Washington in early December. My twin sister (the one in red & white) took us to play in the snow, & we lucked out by arriving to the national forest just minutes after they opened the road for the season. Why does that matter? We were the first to the top (ok, after the employees) and we played and played in perfect snow. It was overcast, a storm blew in, & visibility was low for most of it, but it surely was a winter wonderland! It brought back a few memories of walking to pre-school when we still lived in Wyoming, and assured me that I am glad we moved south. I love visiting, but I wouldn't want to live in it! My son, on the other hand, never wanted to play in the Texas cold, but now that he's been in REAL snow, he can't get enough of cold weather at home! I think we made a mountain man out of him!