First impressions: Key West is Charleston/Savannah meets the Caribbean. I’ve only been here for a few hours, but I can already tell that Key West has a personality all its own. It was 24 degrees when I left home at 3:30 this morning and a balmy 81 degrees when I landed in Key West a few hours later. Flying over the Caribbean blue-green waters and deplaning right onto the tarmac was reminiscent of my visits to Turks and Caicos, while the historic homes with rocking chairs on the front porch remind me of the deep south.
I had wavered on spending a weekend in Philadelphia, but having not visited Philly since I was young, I figured there was enough to do to keep me occupied for three days. Of course, I planned the trip before the government shutdown closed the main attractions… c’est la vie.
The two highlights of the day: food and Hamilton. I got a good night’s sleep and started the day indulging in a “French toast flight” at Batter and Berries in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. I had been planning this breakfast for weeks, so it should come as no surprise that I didn’t even need to look at the menu. I ordered the “super flight”, which includes four of the regular French toast menu items (blueberry, strawberry, caramel, and lemon) along with this week’s special: Heath. I started by trying a couple of bites of each one and then decided to work my way up from my least favorite to my most favorite. I cleaned the plate.
First things first: it’s COLD in Chicago. Not just “Oh, there’s a little chill in the air” cold, but 18 degrees and blustery wind cold. At least that’s what it was when I was walking to my hotel a little after midnight. Oh, you want to know why I was out so late? Let me tell you the story! As I was getting to my gate at Logan last night, they were making an appeal for 5 volunteers to give up their seats on the 5:30 flight. In exchange for a guaranteed seat on the 8:15 flight. And a $700 travel voucher. Gosh, I’ll have to give this some thought. Just kidding! I immediately jumped into line and the rest is history. The flight was delayed but I eventually got to my hotel a little after midnight and…. wait a minute. I canceled that reservation and rebooked at a lower rate. What’s that? I canceled the wrong reservation and kept the more expensive rate?! Well that puts a little dent in the $700 I just earned. 😦
Despite having a flight home at 12:30 this afternoon, I managed to pack some more sightseeing into the few morning hours before I had to head to the airport. I was up with the birds at 4:30, hit the hotel gym at 6, breakfast at 7, and out the door by 7:20. A quick stop at Tim Horton’s (how could I resist?) and I was on my way to Eastern Passage. Famed for its Fisherman’s Cove, Eastern Passage is a small town located to the southeast of Halifax at the entrance to Halifax Harbour. There is a small channel between Eastern Passage and McNabs Island, and along this channel lies Fisherman’s Cove. When I was there this morning, there were several brightly colored fishing vessels in the narrow cove lined with lobster traps and fishing nets. Picture perfect! Adjacent to Fisherman’s Cove is McCormacks Beach and boardwalk. The long boardwalk traverses the marshes and along the rocky beach’s edge and was perfect for a brisk morning walk (it was only in the low 40s this morning!).
Irish music and dancing, a visit to the Halifax Public Gardens and Citadel, and some local Nova Scotia cider were the highlights of a rain-filled day in Halifax. I abandoned my morning plans to drive along the Eastern Shore and instead spent the whole day in the city. I started by walking around the Public Gardens, which surprisingly had a large number of flowers in bloom for this time of year. From there, I hiked up Citadel Hill in time to see the 11:00 changing of the guard at the Citadel before walking along the ramparts and through the fortress. By the time I left, the rain/drizzle had set in.
If you’ve never been to Nova Scotia, start making your plans now. Trust me on this one. This is my fourth visit to “Canada’s Ocean Playground”, and I love it just as much as I did the first time around. Sunny, cloud-dappled skies, crisp autumn temperatures, and huge ocean swells with crashing waves made for a perfect day along Nova Scotia’s southern shore.
I made the most of my last day in Scotland, doing lots of walking and enjoying some amazing music along the way. I didn’t really have a set plan for the day other than that I wanted to see the lower end of the Royal Mile this morning and hear the Barnsley Youth Choir this afternoon. I stopped at the Fringe box office and got a ticket for the concert as well as a ticket for another concert late morning. Then I walked the length of the Royal Mile down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse (the Queen’s official residence in Edinburgh). I had to walk quickly to make it back to the “Best of Broadway” concert by American Performing Arts International. The concert was excellent, with seven men and women singing tunes from lesser known and newer Broadway musicals. I didn’t know many of the songs, but the singers were great and the hour passed quickly.
I managed to pack a lot into the day today… and I still love Edinburgh, despite all the crowds! I started the morning at Mary King’s Close. This was one of the things I was most looking forward to in Edinburgh. Mary King’s Close is one of the tiny alleyways off the Royal Mile that has been preserved and turned into a museum of sorts. Sadly no photographs are allowed inside. The tour winds its way down through the close stopping at various points for some background on the locations, conditions, and families who lived in the closely packed tenement buildings (some could be as tall as 10 stories!). The tour lasted about an hour and was a neat way to see some of the original parts of the city. After the close, it was off to see the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.This particular performance was staged by an American high school acting group. It was my second time seeing the play and I laughed several times and had forgotten a few of the scenes, so it was a good choice.
Edinburgh… this is the Scotland I’ve been waiting for! I took the 8AM train from Glasgow (just 45 minutes), dropped off my luggage at the hotel, then set out to explore the Old Town. I just got here, and already I don’t want to leave. This is everything I’d been hoping for in Glasgow. A woman sitting at a table next to me the other night said that Glasgow has a more trendy/hip vibe, while Edinburgh is more posh. I’m not sure I’d use the word “posh”, but I know exactly what she meant. Pubs galore, cobblestone streets, and just a more traditional British feel. I had a ticket to the castle, so I made that my first stop. I took a quick 30 minute guided tour before exploring on my own. I got to see the Scottish crown jewels and heard the 1 o’clock gun which is fired daily to allow mariners in the nearby Firth of Forth to set their clocks. I should probably mention there are tons of people here. With multiple festivals on and the military tattoo (I’ll be going to that tomorrow), Edinburgh is certainly a busy place. The Fringe Festival alone has more than 50,000 shows on over the next 3 weeks.
Traveling with Laura 