This is the first in what will be a long series of posts about Scotland’s North Coast 500 — an epic and memorable road trip (though I’d better write about it before I forget about it!) This post consists of an introduction and some tips and resources for trip planning. Future posts will comprise stops along the route and some other places in Scotland.
When you’re stuck at home one way to possibly assuage your travel lust is to go on some virtual tours.
Plenty are available on your laptop or desktop and, if you’re lucky enough to be staying home with a VR headset, you can heighten the escapism with plenty of 360 degree videos and adventures.
Here are some of my favorites.
If you’re like me, sometimes when you travel you’re tempted to spend part of your trip behind the lens of a camera or snapping photos on your phone to share later. But putting down the gadgets and picking up a pencil can help us to slow down and have a more “mindful” journey. Here are six hand-drawn books I’ve recently enjoyed about travel or places that just might inspire me to put down the camera (only for a bit) and pick up a pencil.
Do you like to visit cemeteries? This post is a work-in-progress photo album of cemeteries I’ve visited.
Are you a believer? It’s OK if you’re not. Ghost tours are fun, especially in October when the days are growing shorter and the leaves are falling. And good ones are also a bit of an (entertaining) history lesson. Here are three Haunted Tours in and (relatively) near Seattle to take this Autumn: Seattle, Port Gamble, and Port Townsend
Are the Paris Catacombs worth visiting? It depends on what you like. If you’re not somebody who enjoys visiting cemeteries when you travel, it might not be the place for you. But there aren’t too many other places quite like it and it has an interesting history.
Here’s a bit of the history of the Paris Catacombs, a few interesting facts and some tips for before you go and how to get there.
Here’s more about the catacombs, with some tips for visiting.
Why would a skeptic love ghost tours? There are a few good reasons why the unbeliever or undecided would enjoy taking a ghost tour. The post includes a poll you can answer about your experience with ghost tours.
If celebrity burials are your thing, the number of Seattle’s famous dead denizens does come close to rivaling many larger, and older, cities. But we do have a few here, and they’re worth visiting if you like cemeteries. Here’s more about where to find the graves of Bruce and Brandon Lee, Jimi Hendrix, and Chief Sealth (Seattle), along with a listing of a few others with a more local claim to fame.
The Kirkmichael Trust Cemetery in the Scottish highlands has done some serious restoration work, bringing old medieval tombstones into a restored church building for preservation and display. The stones outside, as well as the small mausoleum, are also worth a visit if you like old cemeteries — its just a bit off the main itinerary for your North Coast 500 road trip.
Tokyo, of course, is known for its Anime, Manga, pop culture — but what about Kyoto? When I toted my Anime-loving daughter along to Kyoto, I was worried that she would simply hang out at the AirBNB which, largely, she did. But we did find some loosely “Otaku” things to do in Kyoto (my daughter’s objection to the term duly noted).
Visiting the whimsical Ghibli Museum is a must-do in Tokyo if you’re a fan of the animation of Hayao Miyazaki. But getting tickets can be a bit challenging and confusing for foreign visitors. Here’s what you need to know about the museum, including getting tickets and getting there.
Read more about this beautiful and unique Venice bookstore that has its books in gondolas and other boats due to Venice’s rising water level.
People often seem surprised to hear that I want to travel solo sometimes. Here’s why.