Edinburgh Scotland - September 2023

We had the wonderful opportunity to visit Scotland for the first time in Fall 2023.  We based ourselves in Edinburgh in a cozy AirBnB just off Princes Street.  

We spent several days visiting all of the Edinburgh sites - Edinburgh Castle, National Museum of Scotland, walked the Royal Mile, Dean Village, Victoria Street.  Many miles walked!  

We took the trolley down to Leith and visited the Royal Yacht Britannia.  This was one of the highlights of the trip for me!

We took a day trip to Glasgow in the rain and rode the Hop On/Hop Off bus all the way around town.  The Cathedral and Necropolis were stunning!

Another day trip was by train to St. Andrews.  Greg had to see the golf courses.  We also enjoyed walking around the ruins of St. Andrews Castle and along the sea.  Lunch here was a memorable pub visit.  

Our last day trip was an organized tour with Rabbie's - The West Highlands, Lochs and Castles Tour.  This all day tour was just perfect.  A small group tour to Loch Lomond, Doune Castle, and Luss village.

We fell in love with Scotland and can't wait to go back!

Flying Fish - Arlington, TX

 

We love eating at the Flying Fish in Arlington, TX.  The shrimp po-boy is my favorite.  We recently were there for lunch and the calamari starter was perfect.  The restaurant is inviting and a casual spot for families.  It's fun to browse all the photo's on the walls of fishermen and their catch.  

If you are in town for a Cowboys or Rangers game it's a quick drive to Downtown Arlington to try out the Flying Fish.  

Lake Murray State Park - March 2022

We love all of the Texas State Parks, but it's always fun to make the short drive up to Oklahoma to visit Lake Murray State Park near Ardmore, OK.  We took a quick day trip in early Spring 2022 to scope out the kayaking spots that are available.  We had a fun trek to the top of Tucker Tower.  There are several hiking trails that are great for anyone from the youngest to the most adventurous hiker.  

Of course there are several marinas with plenty of water sports.  Near the Lodge the small marina had jet skis, pontoon boats, pedal boats and even a cute mini golf course.  The day rentals were very reasonably priced.   With six campgrounds there is plenty of room to set up camp for a weekend.  

We are hoping to get back up there soon for a stay in one of the beautiful cabins in the park.  

Franklin, TN - September 2021

 I made a quick weekend trip to my hometown of Franklin, Tennessee for a girl's weekend to meet up with my childhood best friends.  It was the first time we had all been together since we graduated high school!  It's always fun to go back to the best small town in the world.  

San Diego - August 2021

We have loved visiting San Diego for years.  When Cullen and I were looking for a quick mother/son trip it was an easy decision to go to San Diego to catch some baseball and eat lots of great food. We went to three games over four days!

When looking for a hotel near Petco Park we lucked out and got a great deal at Omni San Diego.  When i told the front desk that we were celebrating Cullen's 18th birthday, they gave us a great room with a stunning view right into the ballpark!  You couldn't ask for a better place to stay when you are in San Diego.  Everyone i encountered at the front desk went out of their way to help me with a smile.  They even sent up some of the hotel's signature cheesecake as a birthday treat.  We ate breakfast at the hotel every morning and Cullen became quite addicted to their french toast.  The rooftop pool was a great place  to end each day with it's large pool and hot tub and sweeping view of the bay.

Any time we go to San Diego we try to get over to Coronado Island.  We took an Uber over the bridge to the Hotel Del Coronado.  After walking along the boardwalk and shopping along Orange Ave. we walked the length of the island back to the ferry dock for a ride back.  

Being an aspiring chef, Cullen loves to watch cooking videos on YouTube.  One of his favorites is Sam from Sam the Cooking Guy.  We went to Little Italy to get dinner at his restaurant, Not Not Tacos and Cullen was lucky enough to get to meet Sam who was there to do a cooking demo.  His tacos were great!

The food at Petco Park deserves it's own post!  Since we went to three games, we had plenty of opportunities to sample all they had to offer.  From nachos to bao buns - an epic acai bowl and even a vast wine offering.  

 We wrapped up our trip with a trip to our favorite, the San Diego Zoo.  Since the last time we had visited the pandas have left, but it's still a great way to spend a day.  

We had a great trip!

Las Vegas Girl's Trip - February 2021

Madison and I met in Las Vegas in late February for a Girl\"s Trip to celebrate her 25th Birthday.  We both had early morning flights and had arrived and were on our way to our hotel before noon.  We had a hilarious Uber driver who regaled us with Vegas stories. 

We stayed at Planet Hollywood Hotel.  It was a great location, centrally located, and a great atmosphere.  The hotel did a great job with social distancing, enforcing mask requirements and diligent cleaning.  As soon as we got checked in we headed out to find some lunch.  We ended up getting pizza at New York New York.  

We had so much fun just walking up and down the strip.  We did spend a little time at the slot machines.  We went on the High Roller with great views of Vegas and into the surrounding hills.

We snagged a lunchtime reservation at Gordan Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen.  The prix fixe menu was just divine. Beef Wellington that melted in your mouth and I'm still trying to figure out how to replicate the Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Since we love macaroons we had to make a stop at the Paris  to pick up a few to take back to the room.  

Continuing our Gordan Ramsay theme -- we got takeout from his Fish and Chips Restaurant one evening.  So good!  

Evening at the Venetian.  

When Madison was a little girl she loved Hello Kitty so when we heard there was a Hello Kitty Cafe food truck near the New York New York, we had to stop.  They had not only cute shirts, cups and mementos but the Hello Kitty cupcakes and coffee drinks were a nice treat.  

Soon our four days were up and we took one last walk down the strip to see the Fountains at Bellagio.  A super early flight to LAX then we parted ways and each flew home.  

Another girl's trip in the books and we can't wait for next year.  Wonder where we will go?

Arizona - July 2020

In July we took a road trip to visit our daughter in Arizona.  Because of COVID, she had not been able to get home and we hadn't been able to see her since early in 2020.  With the state mandates on social distancing, masks, and hand sanitizing we really planned carefully for our drive from Texas to Arizona.  We had a quick access box in the back of our car with masks, hand sanitizer, disinfectant spray, gloves, etc. for when we made quick stops for gas and restrooms.  We really limited the stops we made.  That's a long drive across West Texas and New Mexico.  

Our first stop was in Tucson where our daughter lives.  The dry, less humid heat was a welcome change from sticky Texas!  Though I had been to visit in February, this was the first time for Greg and Cullen to see where she has moved to finish college.  The University of Arizona is a beautiful campus.  

We were able to enjoy some hiking at Saguaro National Park.  The rock formations and large cacti were so much fun to see throughout the park.  

Maddie showed us all her favorite places to eat--- we really enjoyed a favorite brunch spot, Oink.  

After a few days in Tucson we packed Maddie up with us and we all went to Phoenix for the rest of the week.  We stayed at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort by Hilton.  The resort has multiple pools, golf course and spa (which was closed due to COVID).  We spent a lot of time at the main pool area which has great poolside food and drink service.  

The boys enjoyed the golf course and driving range attached to the resort.

We also were able to explore around the Phoenix area.  We particularly liked Scottsdale and the surrounding area.  We had a great time at TopGolf in Scottsdale.  Cullen managed to see a few Spring Training facilities.  The Cubs team store was open to celebrate the MLB season finally getting started. 

 

Greg wanted to see Cave Creek -- the home of his favorite magazine, True West.  We had a nice breakfast at this converted gas station, Big Earl's Greasy Eats.  That was so much fun!

We celebrated a great week together at a wonderful Mexican restaurant for our last dinner.  The next morning we parted ways and Maddie left to go back to Tucson and we headed back to Texas.  

We had a great week together and we can't wait to go back to Arizona.