If you’ve been following the blog over the past few months, you’ll know we’re on a mission in 2026 to do more adventuring a bit closer to home. Don’t worry, we’re still making plans to hop the pond and spend some time in Europe. But we also know there’s so much to do and see around the US in general and the Midwest in particular, so let’s gooooooooooooooo!

The Dilemma

Thus far, our domestic travel agenda has taken us to Weston, Missouri, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, both of which we highly recommend. And all was going well with our goal of visiting one new place each month. And then it was suddenly the end of March, and we had no plans. Zero. Nadda. Zilch. What to do? At that point, planning a weekend away wasn’t really in the cards (no, not those cards, they’re still here…sitting on our bookcase…), and so instead we looked for something local, and that didn’t take much planning. Also, we were a bit strapped for time, because we had house things to do on Saturday and our regular agenda in Springfield and Nixa on Sunday. Sound familiar?

The Parameters

Fortunately, there’s loads of stuff to do in Springfield, even on Sundays, and even stuff that doesn’t take a ton of time. More specifically, we had about a 2- to 3-hour window late Sunday morning after the bells played in church and before Tasha had to be to another rehearsal. So, we had a day, a time window, and a general area figured out. That window of opportunity also happened to coincide with what classy folks refer to as ‘brunch.’ And there it was, our adventure for the day.

So, we started looking around for brunch places in Springfield, and it’s a short list. To be fair, Springfield’s Sunday brunch scene is becoming more robust, but many places really just serve the same breakfast options for a little longer, or the usual lunch menu a little earlier. Folks who know brunch will tell you this isn’t brunch. But we’re getting there, as more restaurants are coming up with new, more specific brunch menus.

Okay, so we started looking around, and most places were already booked (you know…last-minute planning and all). Fortunately, a familiar spot still had openings, so we booked a table at The Ozark Mill at Finley Farms. We’d been there a handful of times, but just for brunch, though we know the grounds of Finley Farms have lots of different things to explore. And now we have a local adventure.

Our Adventure

We ended up getting to the Mill about an hour before our reservation, hoping they’d be able to seat us early. No such luck. Bummer. As we headed back out the door to explore the small farm area right outside, the hostess asked if we wanted to do the tour. The tour? What tour? But also, of course we do. It turns out, the Ozark Mill is called the Ozark Mill because it’s…well, it’s in a mill. That mill has been around for more than a century, and there’s tons to learn about, so they’ve created a tour.

So, we headed to the counter to pay the $5 per-person fee, and then they pointed to a staircase leading to the lower floor. Thinking it over, one of the employees ended up taking us downstairs, showing us the way.

A Restaurant in a Restaurant

As soon as we got to the lower level, the manager pointed off to the left at what was a HUGE old molasses tank, on its side, with the ends cut off, making one of the coolest tunnels we’d ever seen. He asked if we wanted to go in. Um, of course we do, but why? What’s there? So in we go to find a restaurant and speakeasy. You guys! What?! Wild. Such a cool vibe in the restaurant (which was closed; they’re open for dinner and drinks), with rich wooden tables and leather upholstery, thick, heavy velvet curtains, and a feeling that takes you back to the days of the Wild West or something. So cool. We got a quick personal tour and saw the menu before heading back out of the molasses tank and onto the main tour. And what is this gem called? The Garrison – it’s giving me Peaky Blinders vibes. Who wants to go for dinner and drinks sometime?

A Historical Tale

The tour itself was highly interactive and told the story of the history of the mill and the importance it played in the area. There was, a while back, a competing mill that eventually ended up closing, so the Ozark Mill was the only one around, and it really was the center of life back then. The tour was really well done, with lots of videos (the kind that are motion-activated, so they start playing when you talk to each new area) and places to interact with some of the parts and equipment that used to run the mill.

We learned about some of the characters (employees, but so much more than that) who became legends, some of the struggles, and overall Ozark ingenuity that saved the mill over the years. For example, when the current owners took over the property, the foundation was crumbling, as it’s too close to the river and the river floods, as rivers do. That needed to be fixed, so they moved the building. Yep. Put it on rollers and rolled it over, replaced the foundation, then rolled it right back. We were today’s years old when we learned that a building that big could be moved like that. Neat.

The tour ended back in the general store, at the front of the restaurant. It took about 45 minutes to walk the whole thing, but we weren’t in a hurry, so it’s possible we could have sped it up if we needed to. Around that time, our table was ready, and so off we went to stuff ourselves at the brunch buffet before rolling out and onto our next thing for the day.

Adventures: Think Local

And there you have it. A new adventure, right in our backyard (okay, maybe not right in our backyard, but pretty close!) and even at a place we’ve been multiple times. Just goes to show there’s lots to do all over, but don’t overlook the places closest to you; you might be surprised by what you discover.

Get out there and have some (local) adventures and let us know what you discover!

Until next time, happy adventuring, friends.

The post Discovering Missouri: Finding the Forgotten Secrets in Your Backyard first appeared on The DeBode Way.

In case you’ve missed it, we’ve dubbed this the year of quick overnight trips close to us. It started with a deck of “Missouri Adventure” cards from my in-laws for Christmas and continues, but on a bit of a side quest, because we have family living near us for the first time EVER! Ever. Wild.

Two weekends ago, we took a 3-hour jaunt to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to meet up with one of Jason’s cousins. His cousin is in Tulsa for work for the next few months and is taking full advantage of all the cultural differences from NYC (we keep asking if she’s bought a truck, boots, and a cowboy hat yet). Her sister flew in for the weekend, so we obviously had to join them. Cousin meetup! Let’s just say there’s a slight generational gap between us, and they tried their best to get us to relive our younger days.

Our boutique days had previously taken us to Tulsa. In the past, we’d participated in massive shopping shows at the fairgrounds, but hadn’t spent much time in the inner workings of the city – work and all. But this time, in true-ish go-get ‘em attitude, we found ourselves in some unexpected places.

We dropped our stuff at the hotel upon our arrival – Residence Inn Midtown by Marriott, definitely recommend for the space/location. After a quick change of costume, we picked the gals up for dinner at 3 Tequilas in Brookside to get the party started. Let me just say, we had absolutely no idea what we were in for. The margaritas at this place were literally as big as your head! I’m not joking. The food was also great. I’d say there was a risk it was the margaritas talking, but I managed to get a “tiny” one, so I wasn’t hunting down the facilities all night. Ha!

Once properly fortified, they BEGGED, literally begged us to go dancing with them. Let me just say, neither one of us dances without much “encouragement.” Since we were in charge of transportation services, we agreed to go observe what the kids call dancing these days. Enter Whiskey 918 Dance Hall & Saloon in the Blue Dome District. A bona fide country dancing night club. Line dancing, two-stepping, the whole deal. We had a phenomenal time watching all the people who knew what they were doing, those who didn’t, and the brave cousins trying their best to keep up. Well done. Did I know ANY of the music they were playing? One song. One. And I grew up on country music. What in the world?? It was truly the best time, and I would recommend it for legit dancing AND some great people watching. It was very tempting to give it a shot…maybe next time, after I do extensive YouTube research. Why does every song have its OWN dance!?

We collapsed into bed in the wee hours with plans to meet again at a museum later in the morning. Somehow, that turned into coffee and tea before the museum. These DeBodes (not this one, gentle reader) have an unworldly ability to function on no sleep. We were off again before I had my eyes open. Much more to pack in on this short adventure!

Next on the agenda was a visit to the Philbrook Museum of Art. This turned out to be such a fun bit of culture from around the world, right in the middle of Tulsa. The main part of the museum was an Italian Renaissance-style mansion built and owned by the Phillips family of Phillips 66. Yep, that Phillips 66. I believe they lived there for 9 years during the oil boom in Oklahoma before they gave it to the city and moved on in 1938. The art museum opened in 1939 and added an enormous wing in 1990, turning it into a massive complex. The beautiful gardens were renovated in 2004, and I hear they do movies on the lawn periodically. How fun!

We were able to enjoy a short tour with a docent that mostly covered information about the house itself and not so much about the art. But no worries, I was still able to hang back and enjoy some of my favorite art pieces. The museum is full of paintings, sculptures, photography, native art, and decorative arts. It’s such an interesting mix of art from all over the world, right in little ole Tulsa.

By now, we were starving, so we headed downtown for lunch at Misfit Kitchen in the Arts District. Let me just say, they make a mean BLT (and now that’s all I can think about – yum). Great, fresh food, vegetarian friendly, another highly recommended restaurant on our short trip.

After lunch, we needed to head back home to get there in time for chores (no extra farm help on these short trips), but we had one more stop on the list of fascinating things to experience. We walked around the block to the Center of the Universe. Did you know the center of the Universe is in Tulsa, Oklahoma? Us either. Actually, it’s this unique architectural phenomenon that allows you to hear your own voice echoed back to you when standing exactly at the center of it. BUT, no one else can hear that echo. It’s crazy! Take one step away from the center, and the echo is gone. Wild. It’s not the ACTUAL center of the Universe – obviously – but it definitely was other worldly.

We had to leave the cousins after that and head back to our home duties, but somehow, I think there are plans for more DeBodes to gather at our house this summer for Chickolympics. We’re letting that one work itself out. City cousins are hilarious. Just tell me when I need to make beds for the basement slumber party. There was also mention of tent camping in the yard. You’ve been warned – maybe stand by for a hilarious tale in a few months, but also probably don’t hold your breath.

So there you have it, not quite 24 hours in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A whirlwind of experiences, all of which we recommend for a step outside of your daily routine and a quick little getaway from Springfield, MO.

Next month, I think we’ll be back to our Missouri Adventures, but who knows, life is funny.

See you out there!

The post An Unexpectedly Unique Weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma first appeared on The DeBode Way.

In our last post, we mentioned a neat gift we got for Christmas from Jason’s parents: the Missouri card deck from the Adventure Bucket List. Not wanting to let 2026 get away from us (at least not yet), right after the New Year started, we put together a plan to visit one new place each month until we run out of cards. Great plan, right? The next thing we knew, we were staring at the last weekend in January and…you guessed it…hadn’t gone anywhere.

Picking Our First Adventure

So, to the couch we went (everyone makes their serious plans from the couch, right?) to figure out our first Missouri adventure. Fortunately, the cards themselves make this pretty easy. At the bottom of each card is a series of icons, letting you know when to go, the activity level, cost, and a few other things. So, our first order of business was to narrow the cards down to the ones applicable to the Winter: 3 cards. Great. One of the cards was for November/December, which we assumed would be more Christmas-themed, and since we were already past Christmas, we took this card out. That narrowed our options to two. Tasha closed her eyes and randomly picked a card, and the next thing we knew, we were planning a quick weekend getaway to Weston, Missouri. The idea was to leave after Jason left work on Friday, drive to Weston (about 3 hours away), stay the night, and come home after our activity the next day.

Home for the Night

First order of business: find a place to stay. We’re fans of the Hilton family of hotel brands (always remember: the more you stay with a single hotel brand, the faster you accrue points and gain status), so we headed to their website and found a grand total of zero properties in Weston. Bummer. Fortunately, there were plenty of options in Leavenworth, Kansas, about a 15-minute drive from Weston. Hotel booked!

We should also say that a quick search on your favorite hotel booking website will bring up a ton of really neat-looking B&Bs and smaller hotels, many of which are in or very close to Weston. Some of those weren’t open during the winter, and because our planning was last-minute, not available, so we opted for a more familiar hotel chain instead.

Weston: Day 1

Before drawing the card, we’d never heard of Weston, Missouri, much less what there is to do there (well, Jason hadn’t anyway, due to his illness in Scotland and not participating in activities where his cousin was talking it up, and then Tasha’s cousin mentioned it too, so she investigated). But gosh, the more we looked, the more interesting the town seemed! We decided to make the most of our adventure and so kept ourselves pretty busy, but we’ll highlight our favorite stops.

We arrived in Weston around 5 pm, so our first stop was at the Pirtle Winery. This small winery is currently housed in what was a Lutheran Evangelical Church built by German immigrants in 1867. When you arrive, there’s an imposing staircase taking you from street level up to the front door. Walking into the large, open space, we were greeted by the friendly barkeep who did our wine tasting. And we tasted so many wines! From reds and whites to meads and fruit wines and even bourbon, we tasted nearly everything on the menu. We even tasted Norton-based wines. If you haven’t had Norton wine before, let’s just say it’s an acquired taste, and one we typically don’t reach for. However, after much encouragement from our wine guide, we tried a few and had to admit they were pretty…ok. Better than we remembered, anyway.

Having thoroughly explored their menu and bought our favorites to take home, we headed back out and, yes, down the same steep staircase we’d come up (seriously, why are these stairs so steep?!). But before taking off, we asked our barkeep, a Weston native, for dinner recommendations, and we are so glad we did!

Dinner that night was at Avalon Cafe. From the outside, the cafe looks slightly out of place, as if it belongs in the Deep South near a plantation somewhere. Walking up to the large front porch from the street, you’re greeted with window views of the white tablecloth-clad tables inside and tons of candlelight vibes. Walking in, you’re immediately greeted by a friendly hostess who takes you to your table. The menu looked good, but it’s always good practice to ask for recommendations, and they did not disappoint. Tasha had a mahi-mahi, and Jason had the steak (with coffee butter sauce – what!?); both were specials of the day and came with mountains of vegetables – yum! Our only regret of the night? Not getting dessert. Sigh. We were both so full from dinner, dessert was the last thing on our minds, even though they all looked amazing. Oh well, it’s a reason to go back, right?

After dinner, we did a quick drive around Weston, but as it was now dark, we couldn’t see much. So we headed off to our hotel, about 15 minutes away, to call it an early night to be fully prepared for our main adventure the next day.

Weston, Day 2

Before heading off to our main adventure, we stopped in for breakfast at The Depot in Leavenworth, a place we can’t recommend enough. Hearty breakfasts, super friendly staff, reasonable prices, and oh my gosh, the cinnamon rolls! They’re nearly as big as your head, and everything you want in a cinnamon roll: light, warm, oozing with cinnamon, and topped with cream cheese frosting that melts just the right amount. That alone is reason enough to visit the area (available Saturday and Sunday ONLY).

Fully satisfied with our breakfast, we rolled out of The Depot and back into the car, heading off for our adventure. But one more quick stop first. We poked our heads into Weston Coffee Roastery to grab a coffee to fortify Jason for this adventure. We love a local roaster!

So, what was the main event? The thing that brought us to Weston in the first place? Snow tubing! Truthfully, this isn’t something we’d have picked for ourselves, but looking back, we’re so glad we did, as it was some of the best fun we’ve had in a long, long time. The weather was about as perfect as you can ask for: cold (about 20 degrees, eventually) and sunny, albeit with a slight breeze, though that calmed down throughout the day.

Our tickets were good from 11 am – 1 pm, and we made the most of it! The slope had about 6 different tube runs, though two were closed for minor repairs. From 11 am – noon, the course was pretty packed, but around noon, most of the crowd disappeared, leaving only a few of us to enjoy the runs. And gosh, it was like being a kid again. Racing down the different runs, running over to the large conveyor belt that took us back to the top (whoever developed these is a genius), and speeding down again – so fast! Rinse and repeat…and repeat…and repeat. Our 40ish-year-old bodies might not have appreciated the abuse the next day, but it was totally worth it for the fun we had. We slept like absolute rocks that night.

Our time on the course ended at 1 pm on the nose, and after handing in our tubes, we headed for the car and home. We’re intentionally not sharing the name of the slope we visited, as this is one of the reasons to get the card deck! But, suffice it to say, we had a great time and are already looking forward to our next visit to Weston; we’re told they have lots of wineries and distilleries that are lots of fun to visit during the Spring and Summer. Noted.

Do you know what the funniest part of this whole adventure is? Snow tubing was one of the first dates we went on, way back sometime in 2006-2007 (we’re terrible about remembering actual dates)! I guess you just never know when those little glimmers are going to pop up in your life. You’ve heard it here first, folks: the couple that goes snow tubing together, stays together!

Adventure Local

And there you have it, friends: our first Missouri exploration is in the books, and we’re really looking forward to the next one. We’ve been saying for years that we need to do more exploring closer to home, and we finally have an easy way to do it. This just goes to show that, as much as we love spending time in Europe, there are plenty of adventures and (not so) hidden gems much closer to home, too.

Happy travels, friends!

The post Discovering Missouri: An Amazing Journey to Weston first appeared on The DeBode Way.

Why We Travel

As you know from following our blog, we’re big fans of traveling. For the most part, other than the handful of trips to Iowa we take, most of our traveling is international, and we love it. The thrill of exploring a new place, new people, new food, new transportation systems…all of it. We’ve said it before and will say it again: in an increasingly disconnected world, traveling is one of the major ways we meet new people, learn and experience new things, and generally get a chance to connect and grow. It’s fantastic, and we highly recommend it.

International Travel Headaches

Still, international travel isn’t without its hurdles. Trans-Atlantic (or…gasp…even Trans-Pacific?!) flights aren’t for the faint of heart. It’s true that long-haul planes (the Boeing 777, 787, or the Airbus A380, for example, though there are lots of others) have made considerable strides in fuel efficiency, noise levels, and the like. However, while they’ve also made strides in steerage class (alternatively known as economy) seats, it remains a stretch to call them comfortable. They’re also getting more expensive each time we fly, and free upgrades to premium cabins are increasingly rare (though you can read about one of our upgrade tricks here).

Of course, then there’s always the decision about whether to check your luggage or only travel with carry-on bags, as we do. Additionally, depending on the state of global economics and the US dollar’s performance against other currencies, food, souvenirs, car rentals, and tours may also become more expensive. These aren’t reasons that’ll keep us from traveling, but they do have the nasty habit of limiting how much we can travel, as do our jobs. Lame.

Travel Closer to Home!

So, what’s a person to do who wants to travel but has limited means to go abroad? This may seem obvious, but it’s something we frequently overlook: there are lots of neat things to do here. Trouble is, there are so many things to do that it can quickly get overwhelming trying to decide what to do. Fortunately, a recent Christmas present from Jason’s parents has helped make this easier.

Have you discovered the Adventure Bucket List yet? We had seen this occasionally on social media, but knew nothing about it otherwise. It turns out, the good folks at Research International Outfitters have done much of the heavy lifting for us. We’ve only just started exploring ours, but the company has a Bucket List for 48 of the 50 states (nothing for Alaska or Hawaii, at least as of now). Jason’s parents got us the Bucket List for Missouri, and our Bucket List has 50 different adventures.

Each is a scratch-off card, which adds to the adventure/surprise feel of this. To help with your selection, the bottom of each card has hints: indoor/outdoor, Spring/Summer/Winter/Fall, price, time of day, duration, active/relaxed, and meals. The general area or town is also listed at the top of each card, so you’ll know where you’re heading, just not what you’ll be doing.

Oh, the Possibilities!

We’re excited to get started with this! Despite having lived in Missouri for almost a dozen years, we’ve done very little exploring here, which is why it’s at the top of our list of 2026 resolutions. We’re also close enough to Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, and Iowa that we might add a few more Bucket Lists to our collection.

As of now, our goal is to do at least one adventure each month. So, a single Bucket List box – which has 50 adventures – could easily last us a few years. Each Bucket List sells for $64.99, which, if the List lasts us 4+ years, is about $16.25 per year. Not too bad, and WAY less expensive than planning our trips to Europe (which are still happening, just to clarify).

Is this something you’ve seen or, even better, used? If so, let us know your thoughts.

Whatever your 2026 resolutions, and however much progress you make at achieving them, we wish you luck. Our best wishes for a happy, healthy, prosperous, and adventurous 2026!

The post A New Year, a New Type of Adventuring first appeared on The DeBode Way.

This time in London, we spent loads of time walking and just seeing where our feet would take us. At the last minute, we decided to visit Westminster Abbey in Westminster (fun to search for famous tombs and effigies), Saint Paul’s Cathedral on Ludgate Hill (what an absolutely stunning building!), and walked across the Millennium Bridge to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on the South Bank on Thursday. On Friday, we took on the Victoria and Albert Museum and Harrods before our show. We stayed at the Lost Property Saint Paul’s Curio by Hilton (on points!) and had a lovely time being within walking distance of so many things to do. We even walked to our show on Friday night. We were also able to meet up with Jason’s cousin on the DeBode side for dinner at The Ned one night before she moved back to the US. Lots of things checked off our list this time!

By Saturday morning, we were ready to get out of the city. It’s a good thing we had a 6 am train out of Euston Station to do just that – time to head to Scotland! On our way North, we had to take the Avanti West service up the west coast of England due to maintenance on the east coast lines. This meant the journey took 6.5 hours rather than our usual 4.5 hours, but it was a good opportunity to catch up on some sleep.

Once we reached Waverley Station in Edinburgh, we hit the ground running. We checked in at the Hilton Carlton (which is finishing up a stunning renovation) and met up with the rest of the group that was there that day. Once we had a plan, they headed off to a comedy whisky tasting and we headed off to find some local friends (it’s so cool to have ‘local’ friends around the world). We spent the evening with our friends and their kids at the Christmas Market – what a busy place! It reminded me of the Iowa State Fair with the mounds of people, rides, foods, and things for purchase. We had a great time checking out all the stalls and watching the kids do some of the rides. Afterwards, we headed to The Dome on George Street for drinks and a gander at the Christmas decorations – they were phenomenal. 

Later we found ourselves at the Inn on the Mile for dinner (always a top choice for us) and then we met up with the rest of our group at Whistle Binkies next door for live music and a pint. That was a great time! It’s always great to rub elbows with locals and learn about each other.

On Sunday we all did our own things all day. The Palace of Holyrood, shopping, ghost tours, etc. Jason scored TWO great coats while we were shopping – he’ll be very stylish this winter. I may have found one for myself as well. We all met up for dinner at Howies (always a favorite) and then went to the rooftop lounge at the W Hotel for drinks before bed. What a great view of the Christmas Market and all of Edinburgh!

Monday morning, we had a train to catch to Stirling, so we walked the group down to the train station with our luggage and headed there for one quick night. After checking into King Street Aparthotel (which was amazing), we had the BEST tour of a castle we’ve ever encountered. Our tour guide, Joanie, was phenomenal and knew darn near everything about Stirling Castle. It’s always such a bonus when someone can make some dry history exciting – that’s the entire reason I studied history in college, I had great teachers. We all agreed that, if only we’d had history teachers more like Joanie, we’d probably like history more now. After we poked our heads into all the grand spaces preserved and original, and inquired about the price to rent the great hall for a wedding (haha), we had a bit of a surprise on our way out of the castle. Cousin Ashley’s boyfriend got down on one knee in front of the castle, and she said yes! How absolutely magical! I guess there was a reason he was asking about the price to rent the great hall (starts at £10,000 by the way)!

After a very exciting lunch at No. 2 Baker Street, we split up for a bit before dinner. Some went for naps, but J & I went with the excited couple to Church of the Holy Rude only to find it closed for the season. Bummer. So instead, we wandered the surrounding graveyard and got some fun photos of it and the castle beyond. I love a good cemetery wander – I’m so weird. We decided to tour the Old Town Jail and learned quite a lot about the penal system in Scotland and its advances throughout the years. Let’s just say I wouldn’t have wanted to be in trouble before the prison reform came through!

A quick dram with most of the group at Nicky-Tams followed by dinner at Maharaja Indian Restaurant rounded out our evening – we were so tired. But the rest of the group went back to Nicky-Tams for the live folk music and had a great time. We crashed in our King Street Aparthotel (which was fantastic) to prepare for the next day. We were catching another train in the morning for Inverness.

If you’ve never taken the train through Scotland from Glasgow or Edinburgh to Inverness, I highly suggest you do. The views are stunning as you go through the Cairngorms National Park. So many snowcapped munros (mountains), streams, sheep, and quaint villages keep you staring out the window the entire time. I often find myself saying I’m just getting off at the next station and staying. Scotland is just so dreamy.

We arrived in Inverness early in the afternoon and got moved into our apartments at Mansley Highland Apartments – right on the River Ness. We had fantastic views of Inverness up and down the river. After we threw a few things into the washing machine quickly, we headed to a late lunch with the group at Johnny Foxes. We had just a couple of hours to spare before dinner, so we wandered through some shops, and I got lost in Leakey’s Bookshop for a few hours while Jason went to get some cough drops and ibuprofen. Uh oh.

Dinner was at Hou Hou Mei across the river and it was excellent, even if Jason didn’t touch his dinner [Jason says: not because it wasn’t good…keep reading for the details]. I knew then we were in trouble. As we were trying to leave, he started shaking uncontrollably with cold and I had to drag him back to the apartment and put him to bed [Jason says: except remember we stopped halfway AT THE RIVER to take a family picture. Never miss a good photo opp!], where he remained for the next 2 days. Usually when he’s sick, he can rally, but this knocked him out flat, as it did for me 3 weeks prior. Nasty thing. The group went in search of live music and found some fantastic musicians. I was glad they sent me some videos. How fun!

While Jason was catching some serious zzs on Wednesday, I went to catch a train to Huntly with the rest of the group for a daytrip. This was the day the entire trip was built for! Jason’s Huntley family (his mom’s family) hails from the area of Scotland in Aberdeenshire called Huntly. There is a very cute village also called Huntly where there is a castle ruin that is always great fun to visit.

Do we know if they have any connection to those who once resided in the castle? Mmmm…not 100% sure [Jason says: pfft, lies! It’s ours.]. Lots of people have spent more time researching the connection than I have (I have piles of Huntley research books from them), but we at least know they’re from the area and I know when they came to the United States, they were coopers (barrel makers) in Lyme, Connecticut. The Huntley last name most likely came from the area where they lived since it wasn’t common to have a last name in those times. I have more research to do. Surely all this DNA work can help me out in a big way one of these days.

We had lunch in Huntly at The Bank Cafe and it was great! There aren’t a ton of options in that small town, but that one is definitely at the top. After lunch, we walked to Huntly Castle for a self-guided tour and poked around the castle grounds for over an hour. Once we were thoroughly chilled, we headed back into the village to warm up with a pint at the Crown Bar. But first, I stopped at Orb’s Book Shop to find a book to help me with that further Huntley research –  The History of Strathbogie, The Story of the Lords of Strathbogie, Their Castle and the Town of Huntly Which Grew Up in its Shadow by Patrick W. Scott (who may be an ancestor of mine – wild!). I’ve been waiting to grab the new edition for 2 years. Nerd.

Six of us headed back to Inverness and the other two stayed behind to meet a cousin from Aberdeen for dinner. Jason was no better when I got back (worse, actually), so I headed to dinner with the group to River House Restaurant – the best food we had on the entire trip! It was a tiny restaurant, but they had the freshest seafood, the best staff, and we got a table right next to the kitchen so it was fun to watch them prepare everything…including the half pound of butter that went into each steak and shrimp dish! Wowsa.

The next morning we had to move to a hotel due to a scheduling snafoo. I packed everything up and hauled it and Jason a couple of blocks down the road to the River Ness Radisson Hotel. I tucked him in bed and set off to locate a cake for an engagement party and some buns to feed Jason with medication. Tour and wife duties.

Once I had those things found and dropped off back at the hotel I decided I was going on a long walk.  Everyone else was off on adventures to Ullapool and Culloden Battlefield and had a fabulous time. So jealous. So instead, I set off down the river towards the Ness Islands for a bit of nature in the city. It was very windy, but so nice to walk amongst the trees for awhile. I was back just in time for everyone else to start reappearing and get ready for dinner.

By now it was Thursday and Thanksgiving Day! We had Thanksgiving dinner in an old church called The Mustard Seed. It was such a fun building, complete with a wood burning fire, a vaulted ceiling-height bar and Christmas trees. Very festive. We surprised the newly engaged couple with a Victorian Sponge cake with a firecracker candle on top – so fun! I pulled the sick husband card after dinner and went to check on him while the rest of the group went looking for live music again for their last night in Inverness.

Friday morning we packed up and headed back to the train station for our journey back South to Edinburgh. Our trip back was a little more eventful than it otherwise would have been as we’d all coordinated before to bring Adidas track suits. Each couple chose a different color, and of course we were the only ones on the train in track suits [Jason says: they were all jealous!]. The ScotRail staff member found it as entertaining as we did, and seemed to make repeated stops to our car. Our photo opp at the station in Stirling brought equal confusion and laughter from the other travelers. We’ll call this a win, and one heck of a good fashion statement! We stayed at the Norton House Hotel & Spa just a few minutes from the airport. This gave everyone a chance to relax before their trips home or on to Ireland. I booked myself a massage and facial, which I never do on trips. It was nice to have a moment to try to clear my mind. Some others had massages, spent time in the pool, or went back into Edinburgh city center to find some more adventures.

We met in the hotel Brasserie for our final dinner (Jason included this time!), group photos, and lots of hugs and goodbyes. In the morning we parted ways for Glasgow, Dublin, and London. It turns out there is a whopper of a snowstorm blowing across the northern United States, so it could be a interested trip home for most of us. I’m just hoping we make it state-side. I can figure it out easier from there.

So here we are, on a train to back to London to catch our plane home tomorrow morning. The plan for tonight is to repack more intelligently so we can check a bag or two and hopefully call it an early night. Jason has been a trooper with moving around the past couple of days, but he still feels pretty poorly and has a wicked cough. I’m hoping that the snowstorm doesn’t hold us up too much and we can sleep in our bed Sunday night (spoiler: we didn’t make it until late Monday night).

There you have it, a wee glance inside what a group trip to Scotland with us looks like (ok, maybe a long one). We like to have a good mix of group activities we schedule to do together, and also leave you lots of time to explore on your own to make sure you see all the things you want to on your trip. I also hope many of the activities, hotels, and restaurants I mentioned could be options to add to your own trip – either with us or on your own.

We don’t currently have any further group trips scheduled for sign-up, but we are taking inquiries about private trips (gather your people), and I will be working on setting up preplanned itineraries this winter that you can book yourself. We want to help you find the courage and support to get out there!

The post The Huntleys Take on Scotland – A Look into a Group Trip first appeared on The DeBode Way.

Panic

As I stepped backward into thin air, my only thought was “Scotlaaaaaand!” Sigh. As someone very independent and used to doing most things myself, suddenly needing disabled travel advice was a whole new ballgame.

Don’t Panic, Research

Today, I’m looking on the bright side: I now know how to get around the UK with a busted leg. Fortunately, a previous student trip left us with a severely sprained ankle in the group on day one, so we knew where many of the lifts are located in Edinburgh and Oban, how to avoid some of the stairs and cobbles, and where to get ice. Disabled travel is not for the faint of heart, but it can be done and is 100% worth the trouble.

Once the orthopedist told me I could fly (or rather didn’t say I couldn’t fly, a major sigh of relief), I immediately went into research mode to figure out how to get around. At home, I had painful crutches (they were too tall) and a knee scooter borrowed from a friend. Neither were great options for the cobbles and stairs I knew I would encounter, so I went hunting.

Equip Yourself

After an extensive search of medical supply stores in Springfield came up short in the disabled travel category (it’s like they want you to stay home or something), I headed to Amazon as time was running out. There I encountered the iWalk and a set of folding crutches made for travel – brilliant! I ordered both, but later decided the iWalk was probably not the safest option for all the cobbles of Edinburgh (it has since become my farm chores tool, along with a good walking stick – Jason calls me Gandolf). So the iWalk stayed home.

Initially, I planned only to take my crutches, but didn’t feel good about that choice given the potential for slick cobbles and sore armpits. Then I stumbled upon someone asking about a mobility scooter for disabled travelers in a Facebook Group for Scotland Travel. What!? Genius! A quick search gave me a list of power scooters for rent in Edinburgh – who knew? The company I went with delivered and picked up the scooter from the hotel. Such an amazing service! In the end, we brought my knee scooter too, knowing the power scooter would be quite large, and many places in Scotland are small and involve at least a step or two to enter buildings. Surely I could get around on a knee scooter much easier?

So there I was, armed with my folding crutches, knee scooter, and the promise of a power scooter meeting me in Edinburgh. I also tried to find a power scooter in Oban but had no luck. This solidified my decision to bring the knee scooter, and I’m SO glad I did. Off we went! You can’t keep this girl down!

Getting to Europe: Planes

I was immediately discouraged at the Springfield Airport. I hadn’t considered they would make me remove my boot to go through security – ouch. However, they were very kind and pulled me aside to sit down and go through a personal screening with a female agent. That took maybe 20 minutes and with our TSA Precheck, we didn’t have to remove anything from our bags. Jason gathered my bags (the first of many, many times) while I got my royal pat down and then we were off to wait on our (delayed) flight to Chicago.

I requested assistance getting on and off the plane through our airline’s app but never saw anyone to help. Since I had my scooter, I didn’t push the issue because it’s such a small airport. Instead, I assumed I could easily roll to the gate and down the ramp to the door, and then awkwardly crutch my way onto the plane while they stowed my scooter below. I just needed a little extra time to do it. In theory, this shouldn’t be a problem if they let us board first, and let us get settled.

They did let us board first, but we were quickly followed by everyone else, because of the flight delay and hurry to get going. Plus they made me leave my scooter at the top of the ramp, so I had to use my crutches down the incline. As I hadn’t practiced with the crutches yet, this was terrifying and less-than-graceful. To get to my seat, I tossed my crutches ahead of me and used the ramp rails and seat arms to swing across the bridge and down the narrow aisles. I collapsed into my seat while the flight attendant watched. Nice. I was unimpressed and immediately nervous about the rest of the trip.

No one met us in Chicago with the wheelchair either – what the heck? Luckily my scooter appeared outside the plane’s door, so I folded my crutches, hung them on the handlebars, and took off up the ramp…and across the entirety of O’Hare, all on my scooter. This was a long, painful journey, but we made it to our gate as our flight to London started boarding. It took a little convincing, but since it was a larger plane, the flight attendants let me keep my scooter so I could get to the bathroom on our 8-hour flight. They stored it in a closet near the galley for me, so I only had to push my call button or send Jason to grab it when I needed to get up.

In London, I was met by a buggy! So apparently my online assistance request did work, just not in the States for some reason. The porter loaded my crutches, bags, AND scooter and whisked me to Border Control; I handed over my passport and sailed right through. Meanwhile, Jason walked the entire length of Heathrow because he’d been sitting for 8 hours and wanted to walk (they offered him a ride too). Unfortunately, my chariot ride ended at baggage claim, so once reassembled, we continued to the train into London.

Getting Around Europe: Trains

I hadn’t thought much about getting on and off the trains. It turns out, I should have requested assistance for that as well – mind the gap and all! We got lucky with the Underground, as all the stations we used had a lift or a ramp down to the trains. From there it was easy to roll onto the train. Once we made it to King’s Cross and had to get on the overland train there was much tsk-tsking from the station staff as I tossed my scooter up the step into the train, grabbed the handrails, and hopped one-legged up to the train. Was it safe? No. Did they like it? Also no, as they take Health & Safety very seriously in the UK. But I made it, so bonus points, right?

When we arrived at York station, I tossed my scooter off the train and hopped back down the same way. More tsk-tsking (also, some gentle applause and “Well done, you!” from others waiting to board that train). Once at our hotel, which was mercifully across the street, I requested assistance for the rest of our journey on the LNER train app. It worked! They had the ramp ready for me the next day and even moved our reserved seats into the disabled area so I had a place to store my scooter and put my leg up. It was glorious – and easy. As we arrived at Waverley Station in Edinburgh, they put the ramp down and I rolled off the train – easy peasy.

We arrived in Edinburgh a day ahead of our group so we could make the last few arrangements. Even though it was nearby, because of all the roadwork and sidewalk closures, we took a taxi to our hotel. The man at the taxi stand was so delightful; having never seen a knee scooter (nor had much of the UK as it turned out), he asked all manner of questions.

Getting Around Europe: Automobiles?

Lo and behold! My power scooter awaited us at the hotel! Amazing! I could have had it delivered to the station, but you had to arrange a specific time, pay an extra fee, and you never know if the trains will be on time (they usually are). Instead, they delivered it to the hotel, which seemed a better option. We didn’t immediately take it out since we had errands to run in tiny shops.

The next day, I used the power scooter to fetch folks from the train station and take them to breakfast while Jason met folks at the airport. I also took it on several “walks” throughout our stay and anywhere I knew we would have the space to accommodate it. Overall, it was bulky and a bit of a burden, so I learned to use my knee scooter on the cobbles for most of our expeditions. The key is to lean back, not forward on the knee scooter, so you don’t fly over the handlebars. I’m still glad I had the power scooter for some of our longer outings and recommend our rental company (listed below).

While in Edinburgh, we ventured to the countryside one day for professional photos, where I quickly learned my scooter does not do rocks or grass. I had to use it like a walker to get down the path to our shooting location where I spent two hours teetering on one leg or crutches in the tall grass on the side of a mountain. It must have been a sight; we have some funny photos of me trying to get around. But! I did it and the rest of the pictures are fabulous. We’re thankful our photographer was such a good sport.

By the time we boarded the train for Oban, I was a pro. I didn’t bother booking assistance with ScotRail because I had figured out how to get on and off myself. Our hotel in Oban was again right across from the train station (whoever planned this was brilliant – pats on the back!), so we didn’t have far to go with our group and bags. By now Jason’s arms were threatening to come off from trying to manhandle our bags all over Scotland. I felt bad about it, so I booked him an appointment with my massage wizard back home. He had to wait a few more days, but she fixed him up nicely.

Jason had work to do while in Oban and our friends were out of town, so I spent time exploring on my own. I took my scooter down the walkway of the bay to take photos and enjoy the view. Then I went shopping for most of the day and visited with the locals. That was fun and they were very kind. Fortunately, many of the shops in Oban are at ground level or just one tiny step up, so I had no problem getting around on my own. I stumbled upon the Jetty Gallery, full of works by local artists, and found a gorgeous etching that I decided should come home with me. Thankfully, Jason agreed and we returned to get it about 5 minutes before they closed on our last day in Oban. Whew!

We also rented a car while in Oban. This allowed us to scout for upcoming trips and visit friends in the country. We originally planned to take the car to the Isle of Mull for some hiking, but because of my broken leg, we decided to hold off for now.

After Oban, we took the train back to Edinburgh and spent our final night at a countryside estate hotel (which was amazing!). The staff met me as I stepped out of the taxi, putting a ramp down to get inside the hotel. While they did have a lift, it didn’t access all the rooms, so I used my crutches quite a bit to get up and down stairs. Also, our hotel had a bathtub! It was glorious to sit on the side of the tub to shower with the handheld instead of standing precariously on one foot in the shower. Incidentally, showering was the biggest frustration the entire time in the UK: the bathrooms are SO small I could barely get in with my scooter or crutches, and there was always a step up into the shower. If I had known I would need an accessible bathroom when I was booking rooms, it would have been much easier, as they are available in some hotels.

More Trains

We decided to take the train back to London, thinking it would be easier than flying. Unfortunately, the train journey turned into quite the event, as there was a fire on the tracks just outside London, so they made us get off the train in York. Another couple from our group was on the train ahead of us and they were given the options to wait it out, walk back to York Station, or get an Uber to London. They chose the latter.

Since we were at York Station, we were given two route options: take the train to Sheffield or Manchester. We opted for Manchester hoping it would be less crowded. We had to wait for the second train, as the first was packed. Once in Manchester, we ran (scooted furiously!) to catch the next train to Euston Station in London. Naturally, this was all during rush hour on a Wednesday afternoon. Madness! Finally, we made it to London, though 7 hours later than planned, and after the show we planned to see at the Vaudeville Theatre. Feeling rather bummed, we headed for Euston Underground Station to call it a day and head for the airport hotel. Except, it turns out Euston has no lifts, so we had to take a taxi to our hotel instead – that was a frightening expense! In hindsight, we could have taken a taxi to Paddington Station and caught the train to the airport, but you live and learn and sometimes don’t make the best decisions when you’re tired. It almost makes one wonder if the flight would have been easier.

The Way Home

The flight out of London the next morning was as easy as the one to London. They let me keep my scooter in a closet onboard again. As soon as we landed in Houston I was immediately reminded that the US is not very kind to anyone with a mobility issue. There was no wheelchair, again, after I requested it and double-checked that I had, so I scooted across the airport to Customs and Border Control. After that, you have to go through security again. In London, security was much the same as it was in Springfield: they pulled me aside, removed my boot, I got a pat down, and they swabbed my scooter while asking me to tell my best version of how I broke my leg. Very easy and cordial. In Houston, they literally screamed at me when I asked where to go with my scooter because it obviously would set off a metal detector. I stood, stunned, at the side of the line waiting for some direction since Jason had already gone through and was frantically trying to repack our bags. About 10 minutes later someone pulled me aside, took my boot and scooter to be swabbed, and told me to walk through the metal detector. Excuse me? I have a broken leg, I will not be walking anywhere! So there I stood, on one leg, for at least another 10 minutes while they swabbed my scooter, eventually brought it back to me, and finally pulled me to the side for a pat down. I was flabbergasted, frustrated, and fighting tears; I’ve never been treated so poorly.

The flight from Houston to Springfield was just as stellar as the one leaving Springfield two weeks earlier. Sigh. We had to board our plane outside, so I had to leave my scooter behind, again, and crutch my way up the ramp and onto the tiny plane, tossing my crutches ahead of me as I swung down the aisle on the armrests. But, as a bonus, we saw the northern lights above Springfield as we landed that night. I was exhausted, happy to be home, and even happier to sleep in my bed. It was a wonderful trip and I learned so much, but holy moly was I tired from all that extra work!

Lessons Learned

Overall, the UK is relatively accommodating to folks with mobility issues. It may take a little planning on your end, but it’s entirely possible to navigate the disabled travel options and folks are super helpful. As a plus, we’re confident we can accommodate someone with mobility challenges on our trips! There’s nothing like a crash course or on-the-ground training to boost your confidence, right? Right. Sometimes it can be a hidden bonus to be an anxiety-ridden overthinker searching for all the available options on a tight deadline. Skills!

I hope my story gives you the confidence to travel even if you have trouble getting around. There are so many assistance options and SO much world to see! Obviously, do what your doctor says and always opt for travel insurance in case you have further issues while on your journey.

*fist bump* You’ve got this. See you out there!

Resources

• Scooter Rental in Edinburgh
• TFL Journey Planner for London Public Transit
• LNER Passenger Assist Request for the London North East Railway
• ScotRail Accessible Travel Request for the train in Scotland
• Euan’s Guide for excellent reviews on accessibility in venues across the UK
• List of public toilets in Edinburgh with accessibility toilets.

Notes

• Lifts (elevators). Many old buildings in the UK cannot be retrofitted with lifts. Be sure to research ahead of time so you know what is available and reach out to ask questions as needed. Sometimes stairs are the only option.
• Accessible Toilets. Places serving food must have accessible toilets or point you somewhere that does. If you don’t see them, ask. Public toilets can also be found in bus stations, train stations, shopping centers, and department stores. You can apply for and purchase a radar key for accessible toilets if you have mobility or bowel/bladder conditions.
• Email Hotels. Stay in contact with your hotel about any help you may need. Many have disabled rooms, access to lifts, and additional assistance if you need it. Private rentals and Air B&Bs do not have this requirement, so contact your host to ask questions before booking.

Helpful Travel Accessories

• Folding Crutches
• Crutch Pads
• iWalk
• Knee Scooter
• Sleeping Boot
• Water Resistant Walking Boot Covers
• Waterproof Shower Boot
• Reusable Waterproof Bags for Ice

The post Suddenly Figuring out Disabled Travel for Beginners first appeared on The DeBode Way.

In April, I wrote a blog about traveling for genealogy research and visiting the places from whence your ancestors came. Well, that’s what we were getting up to. We added one extra city for work-related research, but the rest of the time was focused on our family heritage. We both had a great time doing a deep dive across northern Europe.

So, what did we do? I’m glad you asked.

After one of many spring deluges in Missouri, we left my garden to fend for itself and jumped on a plane to Europe. We landed in Spain, but were only there for about 3 hours before we flew from there to Prague (it was less expensive to get round-trip flights in/out of Madrid and then separate flights from there than to do multi-city flights…trust us). As is our norm, we were only traveling with carry-ons and backpacks. This was important on this leg of the trip because it let us avoid leaving the secured part of the airport, re-checking bags, going back through security, and everything that goes along with it. Instead, we just followed the signs for connecting flights after border control and waited patiently for our next flight. Easy peasy.

Europe Destination 1: Prague, Czech Republic

To Prague in Czechia (Czech Republic)! Why? Well, Jason has wanted to go to Prague for ages and was bummed when his last student trip there was canceled. So, we took a few days to check it out and see if it was a place to bring students for future trips. Do we speak ANY Czech? Nope. Did we understand the currency? Also nope (fun fact: they use the Czech Crown). Can we find Prague on a map? Obviously…do you know me? Geography was one of my favorite classes! So off we went.

After grabbing an Uber at the airport (Prague has a special kiosk for Airport Uber), we headed for our hotel, the NH Collection Prague Carlo IV Hotel near the train station in central old Prague. We chose this location both in case we decided to use the train to venture out of the city and because it was away from the main crowd. It turned out to be a wonderfully quiet area next to a big park. The building is a former bank and is absolutely beautiful. Breakfast was in the stunning restaurant each morning and the spread was enormous, fitting all sorts of regional tastes and diets! There was even a guitarist setting the mood each morning. It was all so nice.

We collapsed into bed the first night after nearly 36 hours of travel through Europe. The following day, we strapped on our walking shoes after breakfast and got busy. We walked into the Historic Centre of Prague (a UNESCO site) to see the Astronomical Clock on the south wall of the Town Hall – it was built in 1410 and has survived many wars, being the oldest astronomical clock still in operation. Legend has it that if the clock is to fall into disrepair the city will suffer. I’d keep it ticking too!

Prague Castle was also on our list on the first day. We came into the castle via the Old Castle Stairs, a brutal climb on a hot, sticky day, but the view! Wowsa! The St. Vitus Cathedral, located inside the Castle walls is a sight to behold! It is a triple-sainted cathedral containing remains of St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas (yes that one), and St. Adalbert. There are lots of buildings, museums, shops, and cafes to visit and could easily take you half a day depending upon your interests. However, be warned: many of the displays are only in Czech, which makes it challenging for those who don’t speak the language. *raises hand* Thank you Google Translate.

The following day we walked across the Charles Bridge (a 6th-century-old medieval bridge) and visited the other side of the Vltava River, including the Infant Jesus of Prague inside the Church of Our Lady Victorious, which is under extensive renovation. It’s a beautiful, simple Baroque church, home to a statue of the child Jesus. After a poke around the shops, we grabbed dinner and headed back to the hotel to call it a trip. We were leaving early the next morning for another flight across Europe and were worn out.

Hotel:

• NH Collection Prague Carlo IV Hotel

Restaurants:

• Restaurant Meat Beer – burgers and drinks
• Restaurant Tiskárna Národní – traditional Czech

To-Do:

• Prague Castle
• Walk Old Town Prague
• Charles Bridge
• Prague Astronomical Clock
• Church of Our Lady Victorious
• Go Czech Crystal Shopping

Off to Holland!

We flew back across Europe into Schiphol Airport, immediately hopped on the intercity train to Rotterdam, and walked across the street from the train station in Rotterdam to grab a car from Hertz. We loved that the train station is connected to the airport in Amsterdam – no extra taxis or hunting down metro stations. We collected our car and buzzed over to Naaldwijk in the Hook of Holland. Where? Ah yes, our new favorite city in Holland. Jason’s de Boode family is from this area of Holland and we had a marvelous three days exploring and getting to know the locals. It’s a quick 20 minutes from central Rotterdam and 10 km southwest of The Hague.

We stayed at the Hotel Restaurant Inn Naaldwijk in the central square of town. The square was completely revitalized recently and it is the cutest. Streets fan out from the center in all directions with great shopping, restaurants, churches, and anything else you may need (like a sweater for Jason because there was a cold snap). We arrived on a market day, so the entire square was covered in booths selling everything from cheeses, breads, and produce to clothing and crafts. We spent many hours just wandering around town and doing a little shopping in the market and shops. The whole town is very walkable, so getting your steps in won’t be an issue.

The second day was a bit of an adventure. We jumped in the car and headed to the tiny village of ‘t Woudt to visit the Protestant Kerk (church) there as it’s rumored Jason’s great, great aunt is buried in the little cemetery. We gave it a good look around but couldn’t find her headstone. I’ll have to do some more research on that family lore. Trust me, Jason is used to this. If you hang around a family historian long enough you find yourself headstone hunting in cemeteries everywhere! Why should Europe be any different? The church itself was so peaceful and mesmerizing; we could have stayed there all day enjoying it, except we were on another mission. Jason’s cousin owns a bakery in the next town over, so we set out to find it.

We drove to down to Maasdijk and located both the bakery shop and the larger main bakery – Bakery van den Berg. We didn’t pop into the big bakery after visiting the shop to meet his cousin though. Jason was feeling a bit apprehensive about that (also we weren’t sure he was there). Perhaps next time, because we’ll be back! I’ll have to drop him an email so he’s expecting us. We headed back to Naaldwijk and as we were walking back to the hotel, happened to glance up and realize there was another Bakery van den Berg right next to us on the square! What are the chances?? We decided to go in to get more treats and settled down on the square to enjoy them.

That evening was our last in Naaldwijk (also our 15th Anniversary). We ended up sitting and chatting with the hotel’s owner after dinner and learned a lot about the hotel industry in the area. The owners are expanding into another building across the square because the demand is so high. Fabulous! The demand will be even higher now that we’ve told you about it. *wink* If you’re looking for a quiet getaway with absolutely lovely people, we highly recommend Naaldwijk.

Naaldwijk & Rotterdam, Netherlands

Hotel:

• Hotel Restaurant Inn Naaldwijk
• Hilton Rotterdam

Restaurants:

• Hotel Restaurant Inn Naaldwijk
• Brasserie Mirell – Naaldwijk
• Bakkery van den Berg Naaldwijk
• Restaurant & Cocktailbar JAQ – Rotterdam
• Stadscafe Weena – Rotterdam

To-Do:

• Shopping around the town square
• Architecture walks
• Admire Churches
• Visit t’Woudt – Protestant Church & nearby De Hooiberg restaurant
• Indulge in treats from bakeries
• Rent a car and wander
• Have a drink and chat with the locals
• Hunt down your relatives and chicken out meeting them

Amsterdam, the Waterways of Europe

We stayed one night in Rotterdam before hopping on the intercity train again and heading into Amsterdam to round out our time in Holland. We hadn’t planned anything ahead of time, so I missed my opportunity to visit the Anne Frank House (it books out 6 weeks in advance). Darnit – totally my fault. Instead, we took a two-day canal cruise with City Sightseeing to get around the city and visited the Maritime Museum and the House of Gassan (where they brought us a Gassan 121 cut, flawless, colorless, 10-carat diamond worth €50k – holy moly) along the way. As we usually do in a city, we did lots of walking, some shopping, and plenty of eating. Amsterdam was very crowded and not our favorite, but it was nice to experience it once.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Hotel:

• Hotel NH City Centre Amsterdam

Restaurants:

• Oaxaca Amsterdam – Mexican
• Hans Egstorf – Oldest Bakery in Amsterdam
• Le Pain Quotidien – French Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch

To-Do:

• Anne Frank Museum
• Canal Cruise with City Sightseeing
• House of Gassan
• Maritime Museum
• Wander and take in the sights
• Eat as many stroopwafels and croissants as possible

Off to Visit the Germans

After two days in Amsterdam, we caught a 6 AM train to Hamburg, Germany. I highly recommend Amsterdam at 5 AM – it’s so peaceful and empty. We walked the 20 minutes to the train station and had the streets completely to ourselves.

Like most of our train travel in Europe, our first-class train journey was pretty uneventful, at least until we got to Hamburg, which was the definition of chaos and madness! The Euro Cup Football (Soccer) Tournament was going on in Germany, and it seemed like everyone was in the Hamburg train station that day trying to get somewhere to watch a match. That meant nearly all the signs around the station were directing people to different soccer fields, which was great if that’s where you were heading. If not, it wasn’t as helpful. Us? We were trying to get to the Hamburg Airport (Flughafen Hamburg) to pick up our next rental car. The station was so packed you could hardly move, plus my German isn’t THAT great, so I got overwhelmed quickly. Mercifully, after some Googling and sheer luck, we found the S-Bahn to the airport (there seriously were no signs or people to ask). It turns out, the line we needed was on the far left of the station. There was also some confusion about which train car we were supposed to be in; make sure you get in the car that specifically says airport if that’s where you’re headed. Finally, we found ourselves at the airport, which was far less crowded. Deep breath.

We collected our car from a rather jolly Hertz employee and were off to Schleswig, Germany in the state of Schleswig-Holstein way up north, nearly to Denmark. Actually, Schleswig-Holstein has been part of Denmark throughout much of its history. Today its ethnicity is mostly Danish despite being a part of Germany. It was annexed by Prussia (part of the German Empire) in 1864 and remained part of Prussia following the Seven Weeks War in 1866. And yet, through two additional world wars, Germany has still managed to hang onto it 160 years later.

So why Schleswig, Germany? I come from a small town in Iowa called Schleswig, and many of its original settlers were from this area of Germany and named their little frontier town the same. Some of my ancestors were from other villages near there, as well as near Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hanover, and a tiny chunk of land that is now part of Russia. I’m so German I couldn’t figure out where to go, so we picked Schleswig because my tiny town in Iowa is celebrating its 125^th birthday this year and it just seemed fitting. But imagine my surprise when we encountered a very Danish feel, rather than the very Bavarian German feel that I grew up with at home. Fascinating.

We stayed outside of town at the Romantik Hotel Waldschlosschen, dropping the average age by decades. It was a lovely hotel, with excellent food, grounds, and spa, but it was definitely on the tour bus circuit, so we were surrounded by retirees. These are my people – they’re quiet, go to bed early, and check out early, so it’s nice and quiet. We were often the only ones at breakfast around 9 am since everyone else had already left! Our room was amazing and huge – it was a great fit for us.

We wandered into Schleswig proper the following day and walked around for hours. We had planned to stop in at the visitors center to see what they could tell me about the relationship with its sister city in Iowa (I know we’ve had visitors from Germany before), but they were closed for the day! Noooo! So, we figured it out ourselves.

We visited the enormous 900-year-old St. Petri Dom – Schleswig Cathedral (Evangelical Lutheran) where King Frederick I of Denmark was entombed. It was stunning and so different from any other cathedral I’ve visited – the stone was so elaborately painted and all the different colors of stone and reminded me of the Moorish palaces we’ve seen in Spain. We wandered toward the Schlei (a narrow inlet of the Baltic Sea, where the town gets its name) and discovered the tiny fishing village of Holm – it was absolutely adorable. We took a walk along the Schlei before deciding to visit Gottorf Castle, a massive museum in a former palace.

We spent hours (seriously, there were 5 floors of exhibits!) at Gottorf Castle wandering the exhibits from ancient archeology to modern displays of art and every artifact from the area in between. It was quite the collection, all housed in stunning rooms with fabulous ceilings (I love an overdone ceiling). Upon not being able to find any books about Schleswig in English in the museum shop, we decided to venture back into town one more time to look for a bookshop. We found the bookshop, but again, no books in English (except to teach you English), so I ended up with one in German. Totally fine, it will just take me ages to read it. Ha!

The following day we were headed back to Hamburg to catch our final flight to Madrid, but first, we thought we would stop off at Wikinger Museum Haithabu – a Viking museum and recreated Viking trading village on the banks of the Schlei. I am SO glad we stopped, it was so informative, even though we had to read all the exhibits from a book of English translation.

Haithabu was a very important Viking trading post and has become a UNESCO World Heritage site because of the amount of important artifacts uncovered in the area. I can’t properly put into words how amazing this place is. You HAVE to see it! After we wandered through the museum for hours, we walked the 15 minutes to the recreated trading village. We’ve been through a lot of recreated and preserved villages in our time from Living History Farms in Iowa to the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village on the Isle of Lewis & Harris in Scotland, but this one felt different. You could feel the busy past in this ancient place, but it was also such a calm and peaceful location on the banks of the Schlei with moorlands in every direction (except for the take-off and landing exercises the modern military jets were doing nearby – we were beginning to wonder if we’d missed some world news). This was the best thing of the whole trip for me.

Schleswig & Hamburg, Germany

Hotel:

• Romantik Hotel Waldschlosschen
• Courtyard Hamburg Airport

Restaurants:

• Restaurant Olearius – Schleswig
• Restaurant Horizon – Hamburg

To-Do:

• St. Petri Dom – Schleswig Cathedral
• Friedhof de Holmer Beliebung – Historic Holm Fishing Village
• Buchhandlung Liesegang – Bookstore
• Gottorf Castle – Museum
• Viking Museum Haithabu
• Take a walk along the Schlei

Ending at the Beginning

We reluctantly headed back to Hamburg for our final night at the airport hotel. To wrap up this adventure in Europe, we had an early morning flight to Madrid. After hanging out for three days, I left Jason for the next 5 weeks to teach his classes. Meanwhile, I returned to Missouri to see what that garden was up to and keep up after our yard; it still hadn’t quit raining. Did I mention we had left 3-week-old baby chicks with our farm help? They were no longer babies!!

This trip was different for us. It was very busy, and we probably tried to cram in too many places (did I mention we traded a nasty cold the entire trip?). But on the flip side, we’ll definitely be back to the Hook of Holland and I’d really like to return to northern Germany and Denmark someday. We highly recommend diving into your ancestry, you never know what you may find! It is such a wild feeling to stand where your ancestors stood (admittedly I’ve done this most of my life in Iowa) and try to understand what they must have gone through to force them to leave the only place they’d known, take a chance, and strike out for something completely unknown.

Travel, folks. It’s an eye-opener and I’m forever grateful for it.

The post Amazing Adventures in the Homelands of Europe: Czechia, Holland, and Germany. first appeared on The DeBode Way.

After breakfast the next morning, we were off again for one of the longer drives of the trip. We were on a mission from Skye to Speyside – a 3.5 hour drive according to Google Maps. But first, Doug and I took a wander down to the beach in front of the hotel. It was so peaceful and beautiful. Next time we need to spend more time here. It felt very rushed. More hiking, less driving.

They finally got us into the car, back over the bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh, and through the mountains to take a peep at Loch Ness. Nessy didn’t feel like making an appearance as we drove nearly the entire length of the loch to pass through Inverness. We stopped briefly for a break and coffee at Drumnadrochit before we got to Inverness. Then it was full speed ahead to make it to Huntly for our 1:30 PM tour of Huntly Castle – the supposed stomping grounds of the Huntley Clan of the Quad Cities, Illinois.

I’ve never been able to prove that Jason’s ancestors had anything to do with the castle in Huntly (by the same token, we also can’t prove they didn’t). I’ve been in contact with those much deeper in the research than I have been able to do and have mounds of books written by them, but they can’t prove anything either. The records that far back are too spotty. So…it’s a good story. I do however know that the first Huntleys in America were coopers (barrel makers) in Connecticut, so…it’s entirely possible they came from the Huntly region and maybe hauled some barrels into the castle. It is one of the heaviest whisky-producing regions in Scotland after all. (Jason says: that’s all fine and well, but our family name is still on a castle, so…) (Tasha says: only because it’s in the village of Huntly, which is probably the last name your family adopted when they came to America because they didn’t have one, so…)

After a good look around the castle and various Gordon Tartan (the ruling family of the Huntly area – Huntly Tartan) paraphernalia purchased in the gift shop, we headed for our next hotel – Dowans Hotel in Arberlour, Scotland. This turned out to be my favorite on the entire trip. The rooms AND bathrooms were huge, we had a gorgeous tub in a turret (a turret!), the bed was so comfy, the food was amazing, the owners and staff were so personable, and…it SNOWED! It was magic.

Oh gosh, I forgot the best part (for Jason, I was enjoying the snow). They had an ENTIRE room full of whisky. No joke; there were something like 400+ bottles in their collection. When I couldn’t find Jason, I knew he would be here, up on the ladder, admiring the selection, talking with the staff, and trying to pick something to try – an impossible feat. We had the best time. I need to figure out how to put this hotel back in a future itinerary.

Jason had to work that first evening, so I enjoyed the tub in the turret before we headed back down to the bar to wait for dinner. They had us order ahead and then brought us into the restaurant when our food was ready to come out. Nice. Like I said, dinner here was amazing. We all, except Jason, had a turkey dinner the first night. It was so good that Doug and Sandy had it the second night as well. After that long day of driving it was time to hit the sheets before our final day of sight-seeing.

After a huge breakfast, we wandered down the road to Speyside Cooperage to learn about making barrels. I thought this would be fun because it is a huge (HUGE) part of how whisky is created AND remember I said the Huntley ancestors were coopers? Just your friendly little tour guide connecting the dots. This turned out to be a really informative tour. Who’d have thought that making barrels was so interesting? Since the coopers are actively working, very hard, and are paid by the barrel, the visitors to the cooperage observe from a gallery above while your guide tells you what they are doing. I believe she said they have 21 coopers currently in their operation with a handful of apprentices in training and they were all hustling. They make very few new barrels and instead focus on refurbishing barrels for their next life. It was fascinating, super hard work.

Much to our surprise and delight, the tour ended with a tasting of the Cooperage’s whisky. No, they don’t distill their own whisky on top of cranking out barrels, but they purchase from one of the zillions of local distilleries and remove the label, so we don’t know what we had! Sneaky. They do this so as not to show any favoritism among their customers, and it changes all the time. The staff doesn’t even know which whisky they are servings so as not to have favorites.

After the cooperage, we decided to take a little trip to Elgin, about 20 minutes away, towards the north coast. The hotel owner told us the local cashmere maker – Johnston’s of Elgin – was having their annual tent sale. So we set out to find a deal on cashmere, and oh did we find it! I think we came home we 3 cardigans, 3 scarves, 2 pairs of gloves, and a sweater for a tiny fraction of their original price. What a great find! Somehow we managed to shove that all in our already full suitcases. I really need to pack less so we have room for such treasures! We got tea and cakes at the store’s café before we headed back to the hotel.

We took up residency for hours in the Still Room (the one full of whisky) at the hotel once we got back. Just chatting and tasting. I had a whisky – Glenfiddich‘s Orchard Experiment – it tasted like a green Jolly Rancher. The most bizarre thing! It was aged in a Somerset Pomona Spirit Cask, which is right up my alley. I love how distillers are experimenting with cask finishes these days! They’re coming up with some really unique things in Scotland.

We had dinner a little early that night as we had to pack up again. We decided to crack open the orange wine we got from the Wee Wine Shop in Oban, so we all shared that before turning in for the night. Have you ever had an orange wine? To clarify, we don’t mean wine made from oranges, it’s still grapes. It’s so unique. It tastes not quite red, and not quite white, but also not blush. Try it sometime and let me know what you think. Ours was from Georgia (the country).

Our last day was our longest driving day. On the map, it looked like it should take us about 3 hours to get to the Dalhamoy Country Club near Edinburgh Airport. It ended up taking us about 5.5 hours, but we did stop a couple of times. Once at a super sketchy truck stop that was like turning back the time to somewhere in my childhood – a smoke filled room that smelled like woodsmoke and bacon with cooks working a griddle behind the counter. Twice trying to get gas (petrol) when the first stop wouldn’t take a foreign credit card, or cash (bizarre). And finally at Scone Palace to visit the café and gift shop. Also, I like to visit the resident peacocks. We were stopped in traffic for almost an hour, so we missed the tour window, but were able to hunt down a wooly coo ornament and various other things. Also, more coffee.

Jason and Doug dropped Sandy and I off at the Dalmahoy to check in and pick a place for dinner while they returned the car to the airport – one less thing to worry about in the morning. We ended up having to wait for our rooms because they were running behind, but they took our bags and treated us to complimentary drinks while we waited. Not mad about that at all. We chose the Pentland restaurant for dinner. It was quite good, but it took forever to eat, it seemed because they were short-staffed. I think we were there for over 3 hours and I was majorly head-bobbing by the time the desserts came out. I passed on dessert and headed for the room. I needed sleep, but do you think I could sleep then? Not on that super-hard mattress! Brutal. We won’t be back to that one. The hospitality was top notch, but it was very tired and in need of renovation.

We caught our cab the next morning at 6 and headed for the airport. We were plenty early, so we got breakfast at Wetherspoon’s before going our separate ways and getting on the planes back home. We were flying home through Toronto (where you do US Customs – interesting) and Chicago. Thankfully we had long layovers because all our flights were delayed and we sat on the tarmac in Chicago for over 30 minutes before they let us off the plane. Jason was upgraded to 1^st class on our last flight into Springfield, but I had an entire row, all the way across the plane, to myself. So who really won that one? Our amazing neighbor picked us up and we collapsed in bed (after showers because airplanes are gross) for the best night of sleep in nearly two weeks after 22 hours of flights.

And the best part…no one got sick on this trip – I can say that now weeks later. Woohoo!!

So ends another whirlwind adventure through Scotland. Who is ready to go with us next time? We’re hoping to have itineraries available soon and group trips available possibly later next year!

You can read about our time in Edinburgh here, Oban here, and Skye here.

The post A Return to Scotland – Part 4, Speyside first appeared on The DeBode Way.

After breakfast and loading the car, we hit the road, and headed for the Glencoe Visitor Centre in, you guessed it: Glencoe. We love to stop by here because it’s not only a great way to break up a driving trip, but it’s also a really interesting museum, they have a great video, a huge shop and café, and a recent re-creation of a turf house along the trails surrounding the buildings. The scenery is gorgeous. It has free entry and only £4 to park your car. If you don’t have time to drive through Glencoe (which we highly recommend you do), this is a great stop with sweeping views of the entrance to the glen where you can learn some history of the local area. It has a brutal history in a stunning setting.

Back in the car and finally headed for the Isle of Skye. Originally, we had considered taking the ferry from Mallaig to Skye, but it would have been dark by the time we made the ferry, so it wouldn’t have been very exciting. So instead, we drove up around and over the Skye Bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh. Stunning scenery everywhere you look. On the way to the bridge we passed by Eilean Donan Castle, one of the most photographed castles in Scotland. I got a quick photo as the sun was setting. It was gorgeous and still, the water like glass.

Our destination for today was Duisdale House Hotel just a few miles into Skye from the bridge (which Christine told us the day before had won tons of awards, I had no idea). This also was a new hotel and we were blown away when we finally pulled in, after dark. The house and entire lawn was lit up like the Griswold House. Holy smokes! We were not expecting that level of American Christmas in Scotland. It brought out our funny side and someone (ahem…Doug) suggested the lighted stag on the lawn should be ridden at some point. Somehow we managed to refrain.

Duisdale House was gorgeous and I felt like we were waited on hand and foot. It had the most comfortable bed of the entire trip (and we managed to find some good ones), plus the room was just plain huge. We took advantage and decided to use the huge, heated towel rail and tons of space to get some laundry done. We only packed for 5 days, so at some point we were going to have to wash a few things. This was the perfect opportunity. As small as the bathroom was at the Perle, this one was big! We had a view of the bay from our windows at the front of the house (and all the Christmas lights!), AND prosecco on ice waiting for us when we opened the door. What a glorious ending to a long day of driving. We drank our bubbly, did the laundry, and made it down for dinner at 7 PM.

Dinner was again, phenomenal. We had two dinner courses included in our stay, and they did not disappoint. They were smaller portions, but filling. I was never hungry on this trip and we really only ate twice a day. Scottish food is just so, so, so good. We got a nightcap by the roaring fire in the bar and gazed across the lawn to the water. What a great location. Unfortunately, we didn’t take advantage of the swim spa they had just installed the previous month. We’ll have to do that another time.

After breakfast the next morning, we set out on a mission. We had to drive to the other side of the island for a distillery tour at Talisker Distillery. This is the only tour we did on the entire trip (really, once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all as there are only 3 legally allowed ingredients in Scotch whisky. This makes the tours fairly similar, though the tastings…that’s a different story), and it was a great one! We nearly had the guide entirely to ourselves – the joys of the off-season. As usual, it culminates in a tasting and Jason had to take his to-go (they anticipate this and have the cutest little bottles to take with you), because Scotland has a zero-tolerance law. No drinking and driving. If you’re planning a distillery hopping tour, have a designated driver. One of these days I’ll get brave enough to drive so Jason can have the full distillery experience.

After the tour, we just took a drive up the northeast coast of the island. This means you pass through some of the tallest mountains on the island plummeting into the sea at Cuillin Hills. I’m blown away by this every time we see it. We stopped quickly at the cliffs at Lealt Falls and The Old Man of Storr in the Trotternish Ridge to put the drone up as the sun was starting to set. Then we had to hustle back to the hotel because we had a tasting tea at 4. Turns out, it was a gin-tasting tea, which I didn’t realize, so the guys enjoyed gin-tasting while the gals had tea. I’m not a huge fan of gin. It’s so…soapy. This is unfortunate because gin is a burgeoning industry in Scotland. Afraid I’m just sticking to whisky.

We headed to our rooms to start the packing process again while we waited for dinner. I, however, apparently face-planted on the bed and took a nap while Jason got some work done. Apparently playing tour guide is exhausting. I’m pretty sure I ordered the same thing for dinner the second night, not because there was a lack of options, but because it was that good! Mmmm venison. We missed out on the swim spa again because it closed at 9:30 (tough to have dinner and a swim), so we definitely need to plan better the next time.

Next week were headed to Speyside! Stay tuned!

You can read about our time in Edinburgh, Scotland here, and our time in Oban, Scotland here.

The post A Return to Scotland – Part 3, Skye first appeared on The DeBode Way.

We cabbed back to the Edinburgh airport the next morning after grabbing coffee takeaway style. We had rented a car with Sixt (after our great experiences with them in France and Washington), but when we got there, the car they had planned to give us had tire damage from the last user, and they didn’t have any others. Luckily, all the car companies are right next to each other and the gal from Sixt had run around to the others to see if they had anything available. Had we rented in the city center, this wouldn’t have been an option, so we were very thankful we rented (hired) from the airport this time. She got us a less expensive rate, with a similar car, and had their full coverage included. Talk about service that goes above and beyond! Refunded from Sixt, we ended up with a Volvo XC-60 from EuropCar. It was a great car, AND about half the price. Score! After some serious Tetris to get all our bags in the back, we were off into the heart of Scotland on our Highland adventure!

First up, a stop only about 30 minutes down the road at Doune Castle (Monty Python’s French soldiers scene & Outlander’s Castle Leoch scenes). We got there just as it was opening for the day and it was a frosty, still morning. Everything was glittering from the frost that hadn’t finished melting yet – stunning. This is a quick tour, but I’m always impressed with the size of the rooms in this smaller castle. And the kitchen hearth – it’s enormous! I like to stand there and imagine how many things they could cook in it at once. Such a cool place. If you come, make sure to bring your phone and earbuds so you can listen to the likes of John Cleese or Sam Heughan narrating your tour. I found a book here (one of my two souvenirs) called “How to Read Castles” to go along with my “How to Read Cathedrals” book that I got in France this summer. Now if only I had a moment to delve into both.

Back on the road for a crispy white drive through the Trossachs National Park on our way to Oban to really kick off our Scottish adventure. We stopped about an hour and a half down the road at one of our friend’s hotels – Brander Lodge. It was just David and their daughter Seona there for the day cleaning rooms, so we popped by for some tea, a couple of drams of something they’d been saving for us, and a chat. Seona kept us very entertained with all sorts of stories, reenactments, and a vocabulary that no three-year-old I know has! She’s growing up so fast.

Back in the car again – only 30 minutes to go to get to Oban. Winter Festival in Oban had been going on for well over a week already by the time we arrived. It was wrapping up that weekend and our friend Christine was working a stall at one of the markets selling sweets. After much run-around trying to park the car, we surprised Christine and their daughter Eilidh at the market, Jason stocked up on Eilidh’s baked goodies, and we made plans to catch up with everyone for dinner the following night. It was time for us to check in to our hotel in Oban (The Perle Oban) and get settled so we could explore the shops.

The Perle Oban is a new hotel for us. We don’t typically stay IN Oban, but thought with the Winter Festival going on, it would be a fun time to do so to eliminate some driving. Plus, we’re always scouting new hotels for future trips. This one is a winner! Excellent tea, breakfast, snacks, and bar. Plus the beds were super comfortable and we had great views of the bay. The staff are top-notch as well; really good folks. My only complaint was the super tiny bathroom that you could barely turn around in. I kept banging my elbows on the walls. Ow.

Off to the shops! We were on a mission to find Sandy a warmer coat (Scotland was a bit chillier than we were expecting this time), a wool blanket for us (souvenir #2), and some fun odds and ends. We were patiently waiting for 7 PM when the Oban Pipe band was to lead a parade into the square with Santa and his real reindeer behind for the lighting of the Christmas lights. We watched from our hotel windows as it was quite chilly and didn’t want to be in the way of all the locals enjoying their Christmas tradition. It was great. Such a small-town feel, with excitement over the little things. I miss that from my childhood. Now I want to come back next year.

We had dinner just a few steps away from our hotel at The Waterfront Fish House Restaurant, one of Christine’s recommendations. It was phenomenal! To that point, it was the best meal we had on the trip (we had SO many good meals). Again, they did really well with our dietary needs and I was able to dive into a bowl of mussels, which is usually a challenge because of the creamy sauce they always seem to be swimming in. Delish! I think we all collapsed that night super tired and full.

We had a later start the following morning, but still early enough to catch breakfast before we wandered off again. More shops, tea, acquired orange wine from the Wee Wine Shop, and…the Haggis & Whisky Festival at the Oban Distillery! After watching the Oban High School pipe band (yes, a band of high schoolers playing the bag pipes) lead in the previous year’s winning haggis, we popped our heads in to taste this year’s contenders and sample the whisky. Our picks didn’t win (I swear there was one with sour kraut in it and I loved it! – way more Germany than Scotland), but it was fun to try all the different recipes. I also tried a new whisky that had been aged in a Rum cask – it had fire. Woosa.

We met David and Christine’s crew (they had acquired more children – haha) for an earlier dinner that night at Cuan Mor. Great food as always. I feel like we usually end up there on most of our trips to Oban. I think almost all of us had some form of a burger and chips (fries). Yum! Back to the hotel for us to pack up and try to get some sleep. We were really off into the highlands in the morning!

More of our adventure through Scotland next week!

You can read about our time in Edinburgh here.

The post A Return to Scotland – Part 2, Oban first appeared on The DeBode Way.