Travel Tips & Adventures

Scotland: Fall 2009

As promised from yesterday, we’re continuing our journey down to Edinburgh.

Day 12

Aviemore to Edinburgh

Distance: 126.0 miles
Time: 2 hr 48 min

We are going to make a few stops and hopefully we’ll have time for all of them.

1st Stop

Blair Atholl

The village of Blair Atholl is approximately a 90-minute drive north from Edinburgh or Glasgow just off of the A9, 35 miles north of Perth.

Blair Castle

The seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl is touted as Scotland’s most visited historic house and is also the home of the Atholl Highlanders, Europe’s only remaining private army. (I think I’ll see if I can rent them out for a few jobs that I have pending around the house.) (more…)

Scotland: Fall 2009

A Sale Is A Sale, Unless It Isn’t …

We had a real scare around here last week. We got an e-mail from Qantas Airlines touting incredible fares to Australia from L.A.!!! And guess what? They were during the same time we planned to go to Scotland! There was even a free stopover thrown in.

Of course there was!

As Australia and New Zealand are our number 2/3 destinations after Scotland, we decided to take a look. I even got out the Australia/New Zealand travel brochures I had been storing, some for over five years! (more…)

While growing up, I had my share of deli food. I love it!  Once in a while, I need my fix of the savory, scrumptious tastes, usually served in copious quantities.

I’m a good cook, but I really love to try the deli food of other great cooks. Plus, some deli food takes a really long time to make well.

I’ve eaten at Carnegie Deli in New York City. I’ve eaten deli food in many cities. Some is better than others: some is so-so; some is incredible; some is so bad you don’t want to take the leftovers home.

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We were invited by the Decker sisters to visit their alpaca ranch, Tranquil Spirits. A cria, a baby alpaca, had recently been born and they were expecting more. Lady Godiva, or “Lady G,” as the Decker sisters called their first cria, was born early, weighing only 13 pounds, 1 ounce. For a human, that would be extraordinary, but Lady G was in jeopardy since she was only about half of a normal birth weight.

Lady G

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By Guest Author Joan Koczor

As you pull into Austin, MN, you begin to see billboards along the highway advertising the Spam Museum. The billboards say things like “The SPAM® Museum– Even we don’t really understand,” and “The SPAM® Museum– Yes, we do answer the ingredients question.

SPAM® Museum's retro 40s and 50s look

 This sense of humor carries over into the actual museum, the shrine to the canned meat that is produced and packaged right there in Austin, Minnesota, otherwise known as Spam Town, USA.

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In our effort to bring real travel experiences to you, we highlight a unique business with a good eco-ethic:

If you are in the Phoenix, Arizona area, a fun diversion and a good place to grab a meal is at the Queen Creek Olive Mill. For locavores – those who want their foods grown near where they are eating them – the Queen Creek Olive Mill fits the bill. (more…)

Scotland: Fall 2009

DAY 11
AVIEMORE

Okay, we’re staying put for the day … sort of …

We’re looking at a train ride, a little clan homecoming, and lots of scenery.

As I mentioned in a previous installment, my reasoning for staying in Aviemore (yes, it’s really on a map) for several days was due to its centralized location in the highlands. It is also the middle of recreation country.

The Cairngorm mountains and Cairngorm National Park host a plethora of sporting activities: fishing, canoeing, mountain biking, rock-climbing, hiking, golf, horse riding … even skiing in the winter (if there is enough snow). (more…)

Since Williams was hosting the Disney Christmas Carol train recently, I had the pleasure of seeing this quirky and historic northern Arizona town.

 
Billed as the “Gateway to the Grand Canyon,” Williams is about 55 miles from the major attraction. They are small, but their marketing is powerful. (more…)

Christmas has come early this year. Until early November, The Walt Disney Company, partnered with Amtrak, has mounted a family-friendly exhibit on a train decked out as “The Christmas Carol.”

Christmas Carol train

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Sometimes you can travel to a place and they never prepare you for the realities of what you might experience. That was the case when we landed in Kauai. We were never alerted to the overpopulation of chickens.

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