We have arrived safely home from our 4,690 miles road trip, through eleven states in southeastern US. We saw a lot of beauty in nature, and beauty in the many friends and family we were able to visit. We are grateful all went well, and we had a great time!
There have been unusual weather patterns all across the country. It was warm here in Minnesota during February, with little snow fall. And it was cooler than normal in the southeast, where we were.
February 26, 2024 in Iowa.
In Iowa Monday night, February 26, it was 72* and we ate dinner outside on a restaurant patio.
February 28, 2024 in Minnesota.
But our welcome home present was a cold snap. As we drove closer to Northfield the next day, the temperature kept dropping. When we arrived home we unloaded our car in 25* temperatures. It also started snowing. Sigh. We woke up to 5*!
It is predicted to remain cold for one day and then the temperatures will start climbing back up again. What a roller coaster. I wonder what kind of weather March will bring?
While visiting with our friends near Clearwater, FL they thought we would like to visit the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, and they were right.
We enjoyed seeing the beautiful coastal birds, which included owls, egrets, herons, and several other birds we see back in Minnesota.
We walked alongside this beautiful great egret.
Up close and personal with a great egret.
Bald eagles get around.
Although most of the birds in the sanctuary have been injured somehow, it was great to see them recovering and walking or flying around…some up close and personal.
A juvenile brown pelican.
A black-crowned night heron.
Many of the birds were in enclosures by themselves, or in large pens with multiple birds. Some were walking the grounds and others were flying freely.
One example of an enclosure for multiple birds.
White pelicans.
Of course, the risk is one may get bombed with a plop of bird poop. One such plop landed on our friend’s cell phone.
Two sandhill cranes.
The sandhill cranes were in an enclosed pen, but I was able to zoom in for a picture. I’ve only seen them in flight, or in a field before, so it was special to see them so close.
Some of the birds may be perfectly healthy, but they know where to find an easy, free meal. Part of the sanctuary is open to the seashore, along the intercoastal waterway.
An juvenile ibis.
A double-crested cormorant.
I’m grateful for the people who run this small, but intimate bird sanctuary that is free and open to the public (donations accepted). It’s a way to help the birds, and to introduce the birds to anyone who stops by.
Dipping our toes into the gulf waters.
A serene photo of a sailboat on the beautiful water.
One of the attractions in Charleston, South Carolina is an old, oak tree named the Angel Oak Tree. I’m not sure how it got its name…maybe because of its huge canopy of overarching branches offering protection. It is a Southern live oak, which is different than your “ordinary oak” tree.
Photo of a promotional video from the breakfast room.
“The Southern live oak (Quercus virginiana), also known simply as the live oak, gets its name from the fact that, unlike other oaks, it doesn’t lose its leaves in the autumn. Live oaks are native to the Southeastern coast of the United States.”*
The massive trunk of the Angel Oak tree.
We like trees and decided to drive the extra miles out of town, to visit this majestic tree. It did not disappoint. Surprisingly, it is down a rutty, dirt road.
Warning signs were posted many places along the chainlink fence surrounding the tree.
We knew we had arrived when we saw a high, chainlink fence outlining the circumference of the tree, with signs saying this property is protected and patrolled. We noticed the surveillance cameras too. The area is free and open to the public during the day, but closed and gated at night.
Gary standing near the Angel Oak tree.
This is all good. We contrasted this to the Sycamore Gap tree next to Hadrian’s Wall where we hiked last fall, in England. That sycamore tree stood tall and majestic also, and was 200-300 years old, standing alone in the gap, for anyone to enjoy. A national treasure, for Great Britian. Unfortunately, two weeks after we sat under that beautiful Sycamore tree, vandals came and cut it down! Hopefully that will not happen to the Angel Oak Tree in South Carolina.
Large branches touching the ground.
Looking out from the trunk at this branch on the ground.
The Angel Oak tree is a national treasure. It is 300-400 years old…some estimate even older. They say the tree is 65 feet high with a trunk circumference of 25.5 feet, shading an area of 17,000 square feet. Of course, I couldn’t capture the whole tree in one photo…but I did take several photos.
The beautiful red cardinal singing for us.
The Angel Oak tree was worth the extra effort to find. A cardinal serenaded us from a different tree, but he added extra joy to our experience. A new baby tree has been sprouted from an acorn from the Angel Oak tree. It is three years old and grows in a pot next to the trunk, under the protecting branches of its mama.
This Baby Angel was planted in 2018 from an acorn fallen from the Angel Oak Tree.
Me and the big tree and the baby tree.
A magnificent stately tree.
Think of all this tree has lived through. Ah, the stories it could tell.
Our trip to Duluth to see the Bentleyville “Tour of Lights” also provided an opportunity to witness some beautiful and interesting scenes of the magnificent Lake Superior.
We walked the sandy trail to the shores of Lake Superior on Park Point.
Sand and snow on the shore of Lake Superior.
A sandy beach on Park Point, Lake Superior.
We arrived on a bright and sunny day. Except for an small accumulation of snow -remnants of a recent snowfall- the shores of Lake Superior look like an ocean beach. There were no tropical temperatures though!
Lake Superior scene from our balcony.
Moonrise over Lake Superior.
As the sun set, the skies remained clear so we could see the full moon rise and shine (however, the clear skies kept the temperatures below freezing!)
Morning light: 6:39 am the next morning.
The next morning a cloud bank appeared over the lake.
Morning light: 7:10 am
The silhouette of a ship in the mystical misty fog rising from Lake Superior.
A freighter heading towards the canal in the early morning light.
I went out on the balcony, which faced north, to take a few photos. As I leaned over the balcony and turned to the east, I saw the stunning sunrise and images over the lake.
Sunrise: 7:24 am
Sunrise over Lake Superior.
I’m not even sure how I captured this zoomed photo, but I like it.
I do so enjoy this lake! It’s very entertaining.
Where sky and sea meet on Lake Superior. This photo was taken at 9:10 am, a few hours after the beautiful orange, sunrise.
During our time in Scotland we were on the lookout for the Highland Cattle, affectionately called Hairy Coos. After a few days we were excited to spot several of them in a field.
A Hairy Coo
They are unique creatures, with shaggy coats and long horns, and they originated in the Scottish Highlands. They are friendly and cute. One of them ate grass from my hand.
Such a friendly face!
Harry Coos are very popular on goods in the Scottish Highlands…from tins and magnets to coasters and towels and shopping bags…they are fun!
Of course we saw sheep…they seemed to be everywhere! Thousands of them…but I didn’t grow tired of seeing them…
They usually were in settings that were pastoral and calming.
Sheep sharing the path along Hadrian’s wall.
And I always like to see horses in a field…
Horses enjoying the sunshine…
And cattle…
Silhouettes of cattle in a field along Hadrian’s Wall.
We missed the peak season for the bright purple heather on the hillsides. I saw photos of heather in their prime season and it looked stunning…just like when we see the fall color peak in Minnesota.
Heather grows all over the hills and rocks.
But we did see a lot of heather past peak, and it was still pretty. The picturesque Scottish Highlands are a perfect backdrop for the muted colors of the heather.
More than the average colorful hydrangea’s in many places…blues and pinks and deep purples.
Deep purple and pink hydrangeas
Flower pots and window boxes are a bright spot when the weather is overcast and dreary, which they say is a lot of the time.
Colorful hanging flower baskets.
A flower box with a crown on top.
Rosebay willowherb was another wildflower that was in bloom.
Rosebay Willowherb in the forefront, along Loch Ness.
We also saw many rainbows during our time in Scotland. This full rainbow was taken on our last day, before we boarded our flight home.
Scotland bids us farewell with a beautiful rainbow.
There is a lot of history in Great Britain. Hadrian’s wall dates back to AD122! That’s old. But the oldest formations we saw, and touched, dated back to 200-400BC!
Dun Telve Broch
We drove over a very narrow mountain pass one morning to see brochs. The drive was harrowing, but it was scenic.
Scenic drive.
Our destination was two brochs. A broch is an Iron Age drystone hollow-walled structure found in Scotland. The origin of brochs is still subject to ongoing research. There seems to be questions as to if they were living quarters and/or were used primarily for defensive or offensive purposes.
400-200BC structures.
As we touched one of the stones, we thought about the stranger to us, who had touched that same stone over 2200 years ago.
We also marveled at the architecture of Scottish castles.
Edinburgh Castle.
Wide “streets’ and other buildings within Edinburgh Castle.
The first castle we toured was the Edinburgh Castle, which had a little city within its walls with living quarters, roads, a prison, and so much more, including a small chapel, St. Margaret’s, noted as the oldest building in Edinburgh (AD1130).
St. Margaret’s Chapel, is the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh. It is within the castle walls.
The second castle we saw was the Eilean Donan Castle, built in the 13th century. This castle has been fully restored and is used for special events. It is very visible, right off the road situated at the confluence of three sea lochs (lakes); Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh. We enjoyed photographing the iconic castle, but did not go inside.
In addition to many large castles throughout Scottland, there are many smaller castles too.
A photo of a postcard of the Barcaldine Castle (in the sunshine).
My favorite was The Barcaldine, or Black Castle, built between 1591 and 1609… set on the shores of Loch Creran. It belonged to the Campbell family until 2009 when David Whitehead bought it and turned it into a luxury B&B. We stayed in the castle for two enchanting nights.
The entrance to the Barcaldine Castle. Down steps to the office (and dungeon), or up the spiral steps to the great room and guest rooms.
The woodwork in the great room was gorgeous. I looked up the definition of great room and found; “The concept of a great room hearkens back to the romanticized ideal of great halls and great chambers in medieval castles and mansions, which contained one large central room where everything happened.”
Part of the great room in the Barcaldine Castle.
And this was true of the Barcaldine Castle’s great room. We ate our breakfasts there in the mornings, and sat by the enormous wood-burning fireplace in the evenings.
The huge wood-burning fireplace in the Barcaldine Castle.
The walls were thick, and it had hidden passageways through secret doors in some wall panels. There was a dungeon, and ghost stories too.
The turret on the left was part of our room…
The turrets in our rooms were special. I loved stepping down two steps into the round space, sitting at the writing desk, peeking out the small windows, and writing in my journal.
I’m sitting in the turret off our room on the top floor in the castle.
We took a couple of ferries to get to the small Isle of Iona (three miles long, one mile wide) and saw an old Abbey. St. Columba came over from Ireland, in the AD500’s, to bring Christianity to Scotland and built a Celtic church and established a monastic community.
One of several ancient Celtic crosses on the Isle of Iona.
The original St. Columba buildings are no longer standing but there is an active, beautiful abbey today that was rebuilt in the 1800’s.
Cardhu Country House
Also worth mentioning is the Cardhu Country House. It was built in 1868. A lovely country B&B where we stayed near Aberlour. It was charming and well-appointed, and another great experience with Scottish hospitality.
After completing our planned hike along Hadrian’s Wall, we left northern England and took a train to Scotland to start our driving adventure there…driving on the wrong…I mean opposite…side of the road. Gary and Dave took turns driving.
A picture of the very narrow roads…
The guys said it is much easier to drive in the countryside than in the city, although the very narrow roads in the country could be nerve-wracking. The busy streets and round-abouts in the cities were challenging.
Edinburgh Castle.
We spent the first day in one of two major cities in Scotland: Edinburgh. We toured Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Botanical Gardens, Water of Leith walkway, and ate dinner in The Old Bell Inn, a pub in Edinburgh.
St. Margaret’s Chapel. This holy place is the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh. Built in about AD1130, it is within the castle walls.
Beautiful flowers at The Old Bell Inn.
The remainder of our days we toured and explored the Scottish Highlands. They are stunning.
Loch Ness.
We drove through Cairngorm’s National Park, and alongside Loch Ness, looking for Nessie –we’re pretty sure we spotted her.
We saw Nessie…(upper right)
We stopped to walk along the North Sea, and went to the Culloden Battlefield. We hiked a “hill climb” up the Devil’s Staircase on the West Highland Way trail system in the stunning Glencoe Valley.
At the top of the Devil’s Staircase hill climb.
Glencoe Valley in the highlands.
Scottish Highlands
We toured the Isles of Skye, Mull and Iona, saw very old brochs, castles and abbey’s (a different post coming), and rode over the Glenfinnan Viaduct on a steam train.
The Jacobite Steam Train, aka Hogwart’s Express.
In Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, the second movie in the Harry Potter movie series, there is a famous scene that involves the Jacobite steam engine train, aka Hogwart’s Express, going over the picturesque viaduct at Glenfinnan.
Gary took this photo of our train going over the Glenfinnan Viaduct….the scene in a Harry Potter movie.
The Glenfinnan Viaduct is a twenty-one-arched concrete bridge built in the 1890’s. (A viaduct, by definition, is a type of long bridge, usually supported by a series of arches.)
Ready to ride the Hogwart’s Express.
Sue and I enjoyed riding on the Jacobite steam train, while the guys drove to the small town of Mallaig, a northwestern coastal town on the North Sea, and met us there. On their way to Mallaig, they parked the car and walked through a field, along with many others, to take a photo of our train passing over the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct. It was a memorable ride.
Kilt Rock.
We spent our last night in the other major city in Scotland; Glasgow where we would fly out the next morning.
The Citizen, a restaurant in Glasgow.
In Glasgow, we saw a bit of the city, in the rain, on our walk to our “last evening celebration dinner” in a lovely restaurant called “The Citizen” where we revisited all aspects of our time together. And it was time to say good-bye.
(I’m still saddened by the news about the vandalism that felled Sycamore Gap’s 300-year-old iconic tree…but it’s time to take up the old British adage, “keep calm and carry on“.)
After traveling 24 hours on two planes, a bus, and a train, we finally reached our destination to Carlisle, England. The last leg of this long day was walking several blocks, pulling our suitcases, to the place where we had reservations for our first night in England.
The train station in Glasgow, Scotland. (We flew into Glasgow, Scotland and took a train to England for our hiking expedition.)
We were delighted to come upon our charming B&B, situated on a corner with vibrant and overflowing window boxes, and a welcoming front door. We could finally relax.
We were happy to finally arrive at Warwick Lodge B&B.
The innkeeper, Caron, showed us to our lovely rooms, decorated with antiques and all the luxuries to make our overnight stay comfortable. As I looked around the room I innocently, but seriously, asked her to tell me about the old confessional in our room. She looked at me quizzically and then burst out laughing – a genuine laugh! It was not a confessional, but a large armoire (a wardrobe…our thoughts turned to Narnia). And then we all had a good belly laugh. Unfortunately (and I can’t believe it), I did not take a picture of this armoire that looked very much like a confessional!
Beautiful, overflowing, vibrant flower pots and baskets at the Warwick Lodge B&B, Carlisle England.
I doubt she’ll forget us, and I’ll bet she will giggle every time she shows her future guests this room with the confessional!
A passing hiker (from Minnesota!) took a photo of the four of us on Hadrian’s Path.
Then there was Les…a colorful character…the innkeeper at the Old Repeater Station. He may forget us, but we will not forget him.
The Old Repeater Station B&B. A repeater station was involved with telecommunications of some sort.
It was late afternoon on our third day of hiking when we turned off the trail for the last mile of our day’s journey to an inn standing alone in the English countryside. When we arrived, we walked through the front door and called out hello. We were met with a hardy greeting by Les, the innkeeper, who was sipping scotch with a friend – and he continued sipping scotch into the evening.
Through the gate to the front door of the inn.
Les was gregarious, playful, humorous, and a bit tipsy. We affectionately called him…the drunken innkeeper. He made our stay interesting and did provide everything we needed. We knew we were going to be settled in this inn for the remainder of the evening, since there was nowhere else to go! We had pre-ordered dinner and Les dutifully cooked our dinners in his kitchen, by himself, and my salmon was delicious. There was another couple from England staying at the inn with us, and we all enjoyed each other’s company that evening.
Les was up early the next morning to make us our breakfasts that we had ordered the night before. After we checked out, he showed us a shortcut back to the Hadrian’s Wall path and bid us farewell. We enjoyed our stay at the Old Repeater Station.
These two innkeepers…Caron and Les… kept coming up in our conversations for the rest of our time in Scotland. What fun!
The Sycamore Gap tree along Hadrin’s Wall… September 8, 2023.
This 300-year-old majestic and gorgeous tree that I wrote about yesterday, was cut down by vandals overnight. Unbelievable. Who would do that? It is so incredibly sad.
I didn’t know much about Hadrian’s Wall when we chose to hike it. I loved the idea of hiking from inn to inn, and I’ve enjoyed seeing pictures of England’s countryside, so why not there? We hiked a thirty-four mile section of the Hadrian‘s Wall Path, which is an eighty-four mile coast-to-coast trail in northern England.
It was interesting to learn about this path that follows the course of an ancient Roman fortification wall. The construction of the Roman wall began in AD122 under the orders of Roman Emperor Hadrian. It was considered both a defensive barrier and a marker of the northern reaches of the Roman empire.
The original wall was 20 feet high and 10 feet wide. At each one-mile interval they had stone structures called milecastles which housed 32 soldiers.
Evenly spaced between the milecastles were two stone observation posts called turrets. Additionally, the Romans had built numerous forts in proximity to the wall.
Back in its day, there was a garrison of around 20,000 soldiers from across the empire at Hadrian’s Wall. After three centuries the Romans left, and many stones were pilfered to be used to build stone fences, and stone houses, by the local people.
John Clayton, in the 19th century, spent 50 years excavating Chesters Roman Fort and many other Hadrian’s Wall sites and is credited for saving Hadrian’s Wall. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is a museum along the way, next to Chesters Roman Fort, with amazing artifacts that John Clayton excavated and collected. It was fascinating.
Today, the stone wall is intact in several places, up to 20 feet high, but then only a remnant stone, or nothing visible, in other places. Foundations and remnants of forts, milecastles and civil settlements were enroute with spectacular English country landscapes as the backdrop.
We hiked mostly in open countryside, although there were trees in the periphery… in the farm pastures and beyond.
One lone sycamore tree at the bottom of a gap along the Wall is very picturesque, and been seen in several movies apparently – one being Robin Hood. If you hike along the Wall path, it takes you down the gap to the tree, and then you walk back up the other side. The tree is stately and magnificent (and 300 years old!) The area is known as “Sycamore Gap”.
There was a small portion of the trail that goes through a wooded area…a fairy forest we called it.
And there was a copse of trees with protruding roots that provided a perfect place for us to sit and eat lunch one day.
Beauty surrounded us on our hike, and we were grateful for the opportunity to walk this Walk through this amazing setting.
