Our major holiday this year was to the UK, from September 1 to October 4. Our trip included several days in Akron Ohio to visit my family, then to Edinburgh for a week to see Alastair’s father. After that we took the train to Bristol, where we attended the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 quarter-final match played between Canada and Australia at Ashton Gate Stadium…great fun! From there, we traveled south to the coast near Plymouth, staying in multiple locations over the next couple of weeks until we reached our final destination at Bristol, where Alastair’s cousin Gordon and family live. His aunt Margaret lives nearby in Lewes. We then flew from Gatwick to Iceland, staying several days there. Our final stopover was in Minneapolis, just long enough to enjoy seeing all the fantastic murals and the beautiful Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center. Lots of hiking and walking, and I got in a couple of swims. Overall, good weather and wonderful experiences!
Akron, Ohio – Sept 1-4
Our first stop was Ohio, to visit my brother John, my nephew Stephen, and my niece Christina and her husband Stephen. We flew into Cleveland, my brother picked up us and drove to his home in Akron, where we stayed. The weather was beautiful – we enjoyed visiting some local breweries and walking on local paths. So great to catch up with the family – all are doing very well!
Edinburgh, Scotland – Sept 5-10
Alastair was raised in Edinburgh, in the same house that his father Hamish, looking great at 91 years old, still independently lives in. While Hamish has considered moving into assisted living, he’s not quite ready yet. However, the main goals of our stay were for Alastair to help with his father’s future planning, legal, financial and care. All successfully accomplished thanks to Alastair, and the help and advice we received from Hamish’s friends Jane, Mary and Kevin! In addition to spending time with Hamish and friends, we enjoyed some great meals, hikes, and the fabulous Airbnb in Ratho that we stayed in 2 years ago.
Upton Cheney / Bristol, England – Sept 11-13
From Edinburgh, we took the train to Bristol, rented a car, and the drove to our Airbnb in Upton Cheney. Very nice place in the country with a log fire and full kitchen. We did some hikes around the area, visited the beautiful Cabot Tower and the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, enjoyed great vegan food and local craft beer. One of the highlights of our stay was going to the Women’s World Cup Rugby Quarter Final at Ashton Gate Stadium, where Canada demolished Australia!
Buckfastleigh, England – Sept 14-17
On Sunday the 14th, we drove from Upton Cheyney to Buckfastleigh via Wells and the Cheddar Gorge. Unfortunately it rained most of the way, so no stops or photo ops. We picked up some food in Exeter and had dinner in the Aibnb, which was beautifully done – very private, quiet and comfortable with a wood burning fireplace in the living room.
Monday the weather was mixed but mostly sunny so we walked around the lake in Stover Country Park, then had lunch in Totnes and visited the castle there.
The next day we did a morning hike in Plymbridge Woods National Trust and then spent the afternoon in Plymouth, ending with a drink at the Plymouth Gin Distillery.
Chalmington, England – Sept 18-21
On the 18th, we left Buckfastleigh and had a long day on our drive to Chalmington, with stops at the Donkey Sanctuary, hikes at Monmouth Beach (famous for its ammonite graveyard) and West Bay cliffs on SW Coastal Trail, and then a beer at Pursuit of Hoppiness and a yummy dinner at Dorshi in Bridport. We checked into our Airbnb around 8pm.
Friday, we enjoyed a morning hike at Maiden Castle in Dorset, one of the largest and most complex Iron Age hillforts in Europe. In the afternoon we visited Sculpture by the Lakes, then hiked to White Nothe, a chalk headland on the English Channel coast. By late afternoon, we were ready for a beer and pizza!
We spent the next day around Dorchester, visiting the Dorset Museum and Art Gallery, and then short stops at the Roman Town House, the only example of a fully exposed Roman Town House in the country, and the Cerne Giant, an ancient naked figure sculpted into the chalk hillside above Cerne Abbas. On the way back to our Airbnb, we stopped at Dorset Star Cider for a tasting (great place, cool vibe!).
Sunday the 21th, we spent the day around Weymouth – checking out beaches, having a walk around Lodmoor Nature Reserve and a great lunch at Nautico Lounge. We spent the afternoon at Nothe Fort, a historic coastal defense constructed during the 19th century and is one of the best-preserved forts of its kind in the country. Our next stop was Isle of Portland lighthouse. Built in 1906, the lighthouse acts as a waymark for ships navigating the English Channel. We also passed by the Osmington White Hourse, a hill figure depicting King George III cut into the limestone of Osmington Hill. We returned to our Airbnb by sunset.
Meonstoke, England – Sept 22-24
We left Chalmington on Monday morning and drove to Meonstoke via Old Hairy Rocks and Bournemouth. We hiked the Old Hairy Rocks coastal trail, with its breathtaking views of the Jurassic coast and unique rock formations. Then took a brief ferry ride across the bay to Bournemouth, where we walked through the beautiful gardens and enjoyed lunch at Mad Cucumber. We arrived at our charming Airbnb, known as the “Piggery” by early evening.
On Tuesday, we hiked from our Airbnb to Old Winchester Hill. On the summit of the hill is an Iron Age hill fort, probably built in the Early or early–Middle Iron Age (600–300 BCE). One of my favorite things about hiking in southern England this time of year is the abundance of blackberries, which I love eating along the way! The afternoon we spent chilling, then took a short drive to The Flower Pots Inn for a beer.
We went to Winchester the following day, had a coffee at South Downs Social (a great hangout for cyclists), walked around the town and on a path along the River Itchen, and then hiked St. Catherine’s Hill Nature Reserve. At the summit are the earthworks of an Iron Age fort, buried ruins of the Norman chapel that gives the site its name, and a copse of beech trees. Also great wildlife viewings! In the afternoon, we had food and drink at Overdraft Beer and Tacos (vegan tacos as good or better than any we’ve had in Tucson).
Fulking / Brighton, England – Sept 25-27
We left Meonstoke Thursday morning and drove about an hour to Arundel, where we spent most of the day. We had a vegan English breakfast at Jonny’s, then I swam at the outdoor Arundel Lido (with a view of Arundel Castle) while Alastair did some sightseeing. We then toured Arundel Castle and gardens for a couple of hours, one of the most stunning castles either of us has ever seen! The Castle has been the family seat of the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors for over 850 years, and is still occupied by Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk, and his family. It sits on a hill overlooking the River Arun – the views from the Castle are magnificent! Before leaving town, we stopped at Fauna Brewery for a tasty beverage.
The next morning we hiked from our Airbnb through the town of Fulking and up to Devil’s Dyke, the site of an Iron Age hillfort, with beautiful views of the South Downs and the English Channel.
In the evening, we had a fabulous dinner in Brighton at the home of Alastair’s cousin Gordon, his wife Nicki, and daughters Indigo and Atlanta (who prepared our delicious meal!). After dinner, Nicki and Indigo headed off for Indigo’s evening swim practice, while Gordon, Atlanta and Alastair enjoyed a game of Ticket To Ride.
On Saturday, we picked up Alastair’s aunt Margaret at her home in Lewes, and went our for a coffee nearby. We joined Gordon and family for lunch and sightseeing in Brighton, and then a hike nearby with Gordon and Nicki. Margaret, Gordon, his wife and daughters are all incredibly active and entrepreneurial – so inspiring!
Reykjavik, Iceland – Sept 28 – Oct 2
The highlight of our stay in Iceland was our day trip on the Golden Circle, a 150-mile sightseeing route in that features three main attractions: Þingvellir National Park, the Gullfoss waterfall, and the Geysir geothermal area. We didn’t do the entire circle, but we saw many stunning attractions, and despite some occasional rain, the weather was good at all of our stops!
The Reykjafoss Waterfall at Hveragerði Public Park
Urridafoss River and Falls
Brúarhlöð Canyon
Gullfoss Waterfall Lookout
The Great Geysir
The Langistígur, or The Walk of Death, in Þingvellir National Park
Minneapolis, Michigan – Oct 3-4
From Iceland we flew to Minneapolis for a two day layover, neither of us had ever been there. We were pleasantly surprised! The city is very walkable, clean and safe, and we were particularly impressed by all the stunning murals. There are great paths along the Mississippi River, the Sculpture Garden is wonderful, and of course, we found a great brewery!
We flew back to Tucson on Saturday, October 4. Amazing trip, but frequent traveling to different locations left us a bit tired. On the positive side, all the places we visited in England gives us a better idea of where we might want to look for a place to live part-time. More about that later! 🙂