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Pebble Beach, California 🇺🇸 ⛳️
Rented e-bikes this morning and biked 17-Mile Drive. Getting started, Ken says: “There might be some sketchy spots along the way with traffic, so be careful.” I really wish he wouldn’t use words like sketchy when he wants me to do adventure stuff. Turns out: e-bikes are great fun – and I am really good…
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Carmel, California 🇺🇸 🌊
Gigantic storm rolled through the central coast of California last night. Have always loved watching a storm roll in. And this beast was a doozy. Significant flooding, dangerous rip currents, and several road closures. I want NO part of owning a beach home. Took a walk on the beach this am bc I wanted to…
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San Francisco, California 🇺🇸 🌁
Neither of our bonus kids had ever been to CA before this trip. So, a day in SF felt necessary. SF has always been one of my favorite cities. Even w/ all of its current & very serious issues, I love it. Would I live there? Absolutely not. But it’s fun to visit. I know…
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Monterey, California 🇺🇸 🦦
We’re back in our old stompin’ grounds this week with our kids and our bonus kids (Anna’s boyfriend, Andrew, and Max’s college roommate, Cameron). Ken and I lived here in the mid 90s while Ken was getting his master’s degree. Have always loved this place. Anxious to show it to the crew. Infuriating experience at…
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Welshpool, Wales 🏴
First: Happy Birthday to the United States Marine Corps! Was going to go back to the field with the shooters for their last day, but I felt kinda tweed deficient, so decided today should be Powys Castle day. But first: Ken sent me a pic of the doggos waiting to work today. They’re still my…
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Shrewsbury, England 🏴
Non-shooters are touring today – with a different tour company. We’re in the medieval wool manufacturing town of Shrewsburyshire. It’s really Shrewsbury, I just like appending all British town names with shire. Our guide’s name is Nigel. Nigel knows all the things about Shrewsbury. He has published several books on Shrewsbury. Did not learn this…
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Ludlow, England 🏴
Shooters have the day off today. A tweed-free day. Here’s something I’ve never seen in the US: rhubarb yogurt. Was delicious. In Wales, they grow rhubarb underground in caves and pick it by candlelight. This makes the rhubarb sweeter. So if you are not growing your rhubarb this way, you are doing it wrong. Decided…
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Shropshire, England 🏴
Out in the field with the shooters today. The Brits are very serious about proper traditional attire for shooting. Lots of tweed and Peaky Blinders caps. Have stepped up my game this year – am not wearing jeans, so will not scare the pheasants. Learning point for me. Shooting and hunting are different in Britain.…
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Various Places in Wales, idek 🏴
Shooters are shooting today. Non-shooters are touring. Touring was …. interesting. Pretty sure we were held hostage in a van most of the day. Bc other than the inside of that van, I’m not entirely sure what we saw. To wit: we drove to a castle, did a u-turn in the parking lot, and left.…
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Church Stoke, Wales 🏴
Caravanned from London to Church Stoke, Wales this morning. Wales is a new country for me. Yes, Wales is a separate country. Stopped at a British rest stop. Super happy bc I found my favorite Euro soda – Fanta lemon. And a random candy bar I’d never heard of before. Was expecting a cookie inside.…
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London, England 🏴
My alarm clock this morning: bagpipes. Bagpipes have one volume – LOUD. Apparently, there is an all day bagpipe competition at our hotel today. That’s way too much bagpipes, so decided we should make ourselves gone all day. Grateful, though, that all the bagpipers are skilled, and this is not learn to play the bagpipes…
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London, England 🏴
I will always sacrifice sleep to avoid crowds. So, arranged for a crack of dawn tour at the Tower of London, guided by a Beefeater. A brilliant decision, because the crowds showed up in merciless droves by 10:30am, which is when we made our exit. Our Beefeater, David, was a riot. Why are they called…