Nope – haven’t been to GC or T&C, though T&C is on the list.
Hiking Hadrian’s Wall is right up there. We did it with a company that made the arrangements (small hotels and bed and breakfasts) and arranged for our luggage to be transported so we only needed day packs. Lunch was provided by our B and Bs at a modest extra cost. The scenery was gorgeous, there were fascinating museums (we took an extra day in the middle where two of the best are located). You see everything from bustling city (Newcastle), to fields of sheep, to the wide tidal river and marshlands of the Solway Firth. The light at the end of the day was magical. And the sense of accomplishment was very satisfying. We liked it so much we’ve booked three more similar hikes and have enjoyed them all. (One in Andalusia, one on the Jurassic Coast in England and another in the Lake District also England.)
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We did two circuits of Scotland when my kids were young thanks to some conference that took place in Glasgow. On one we did Lochness, Loch Lomand, Skye and Mull. Skye is just magical. I’m still kicking myself that we only went around the Devil’s Tabletop instead of also taking the trail onto it. Our guidebook seemed to think that piece of trail was somewhat harder than what we’d done up to that point. Our second trip involved getting ourself out to Orkney which was gorgeous too.
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That sounds amazing. I know someone else on CC did it recently too.
When did you go?
Thanks
We went in October 6-15, 2023. It’s late enough that the midges are no longer an issue, however there were days when we could see that the longer days of summer would help slow walkers like us. (We take a lot of pictures!) I liked the weather, but we wore a wicking layer, a fleece and a raincoat most days. It only rained about 15 minutes, but it’s quite windy and exposed a lot of the time.
Here’s a hilarious picture of cows guarding a piece of the wall, well except the two in the back who have something else on their minds!
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Our trip to France in April 2024. We did a circuit - Burgundy, Dordogne, Bordeaux, Loire Valley, Normandy, and Paris. Just about a month.
You can spend a lot or not a lot. We mix Airbnb and hotels, nothing terribly extravagant, other than Paris. Breakfast from a bakery, most of the lodging had nespresso machines, sometimes lunch out, sometimes picnicking, dinner out or snacks with a bottle of wine.
I went with my sisters to visit Christmas markets in Germany + Salzburg last December. Two weeks, hotel lodging, nothing fancy - usually 3*. We’d never done anything like that before and we had a blast.
Our first trip after Covid was Maui in Fall 2023. The best time. It was just after the fire in Lahaina, so it took some rearranging, but sun and more sun and sandy beaches.
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I just got back from Fiji last month, I loved everything about it, except the long flight.
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The best vacation I ever had was a tall ship, sailing from Athens to Venice over 11 incredible nights. This was not a large ship. 135 passengers and 60ish crew.
I loved it so much that I booked another through the Caribbean next Feb.
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Scotland. We started in Edinburgh for a few days (my favorite city in Europe), rented a car and drove up the eastern coast, through the highlands, to the west coast, to Skye and then back through the mountains to Glasgow. We stayed in castle hotels known for their food as well as their accommodations, hiked every day, visited ruins and castles, waterfalls, gardens, etc…. I cried leaving Skye. It is magical.
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2nd Hilton Head - good for Thanksgiving as well, shorts, tank tops and reading on the beach ALL DAY!
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Surprisingly, Poland was one of our favorite trips. And the exchange rate is favorable, so it’s not very expensive. Who knew that Poland has mountains, ocean beaches, and forests? Along with modern buildings and infrastructure. And while I expected the history to be amazing, it was truly an experience I will never forget.
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One very nice low key trip was Washington State. Managed to go on a very sunny and nice week. Mt Rainer, Olympic National park including a concern in the Ho Rain Forest, ocean kayaking and Seattle. We also stayed in a beautiful home on the water with amazing sunsets.
Tetons, Yellowstone, Cody Wyoming (including a rodeo), a dinosaur dig spot, and Rocky Mountain National was a great family trip. We also rented an RV and staying in the Grand Canyon and Zion on another trip.
And France - Normandy, Brittany coast and a week in Paris.
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These are all right up my alley. Please share the Andalusia info as we are headed there next year.
One of my favs was a France/Switzerland/Italy trip. 5 or 6 days in each country. Paris with a day trip to Normandy, the Bernese-Overland, and Cinque-Terre/Florence. Nice mix of city/country/coast.
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Oh my gosh we LOVED Andalusia, but we went a long time ago. Don’t miss Cadiz - it often seems to be off the main track (it had a lot of tourists when we were there but they were mostly Spanish). Seville is one of my favorite cities anywhere.
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I posted up thread about places in the US and Canada.
A few favorite places in Europe:
South of France. I am hoping to go back and spend more time there. We stayed in Nice and travelled by train to Cannes, Menton, Monaco and just loved it all. Gorgeous, plenty to do, good food.
Sweden. Okay, I was really only in Stockholm( and it was late December/ early January) but loved it. S and I did winter kayaking which was a great experience ( you can do in summer, too). Lots to do and see, friendly people.
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The only cruise we’ve ever done was a Baltic one, visiting all the Scandinavian capitals as well as a few other places including St Petersburg (probably not an option now?) Stockholm was one of our favorite stops. We visited in summer though so a very different experience!
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Ooh, tell us all about the Finger Lakes, what you liked best. I am headed to Ithaca to help my D move in in a few weeks but want to turn it into a mini-vacation.
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Yes, to Vancouver! I was there in April in the 1990s….there were already flowers to be seen growing on balconies and bulbs in the gardens whereas Calgary, where I was living at the time, was still barely waking up from its freeze. The parks, the ocean, the greenness of everything, the views of snow–capped peaks, the liveliness of the urban neighborhoods. I remember thinking at the time that this must be the most beautiful city in North America.
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Y’all probably got tired of me talking about our Kalalau trail hike in Kauai, but it was one of our most memorable vacations! We spent the rest of the week lounging on the beach in Poipu. 
The second best island vacation was when I ran the Kauai marathon. Only 4 hours of misery on the hills in the scorching sun. 
We spent the rest of the week lounging on the beach in Poipu.
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