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Around the World: Honeymoon
  • Kaitlyn Hawley

Around the World: Honeymoon

A 353-day adventure by Kaitlyn Read more
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  • Trip start
    July 31, 2024
  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Edinburgh to Newton

    July 31, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    We said goodbye to Freya yesterday and I really hope that she is doing ok all by herself on the journey. It was a late night packing, and patience is a bit thin, but our journey begins today.

    The flight from Edinburgh to Canada was pretty painless, although poor Allan gave up his first class seat to sit with me. I kept telling him to go back! He missed out on the better meal, but still got his free socks.
    When we were in Toronto we found a lounge, food was decent and we had an ass beer (Molson) with our dinner. The flight from Toronto to Atlanta was slightly delayed, so mom and dad waited to get Freya and then came to get us.

    We checked our bags in Edinburgh for free under Allan's name, but unfortunately when we got to Atlanta, they still continued on to Florida. The stress of trying to work out where to go to get the checked bags back, and then to get back to my gate checked bag on the opposite side! But we'd left security! Nightmare and panic. Luckily mom and dad drove to the international baggage claim and found the bag and we got a bus to meet them...still took forever...and that's all before the 3.5 hour drive back to Newton. Hannah tried to help and drove to Destin to get the bags, but she missed the desk closing by less than 10 minutes. It was still very nice (and surprising) of her to make the near 2 hour trip there and 2 hours back.

    We did all finally arrive back to mom and dad's, and Freya was smiling and being her normal self, so it seems that she travels ok.

    Allan’s deal of the day: 3x airport lounges (6x entries) in 24 hours, including 2x lounges (4x entries) in Edinburgh (Aspire Lounge and Plaza Premium Lounge, Edinburgh International Airport, and Plaza Premium Lounge, Toronto Lester B. Person International Airport) for £15 per month credit card.    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Newton, AL

    Aug 2–5, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    A collection of admin days. We had some more credit cards to sort as well as looking at things to order, updating the spreadsheet, and preparing for the USA portion of the trip.

    Allan’s deal of the day(s): M&S Purchase Plus credit card with 0% interest for 18 months.Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Newton, AL

    August 3, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Sarah, Joe, and Elly came over for dinner. They were late...

    We had Kahlua pork and ice cream. Elly, Allan, Freya, and Kai loved having pool playtime. It was nice to have some time to chill out a little bit.Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Road Trip to Ludlow, MA

    Aug 4–5, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    We decided to drive to Massachusetts instead of flying, which meant we could take Freya on the road trip.

    Day 1 was a 10+ hour drive north to Roanoke, VA. We learned some important things during this first long road trip: Allan likes to stop frequently (due to old football injuries), Kaitlyn does not like to stop frequently. Coffee is important (thank goodness for Dunkin’) and snacks are key to keeping grumpiness at bay. 2-hourly stops/switches commenced: Allan and Freya to stretch (their legs) and/or to go to the toilet; Kaitlyn to get coffee and/or snacks.

    The morning of day 2, Allan wanted to visit the largest man-made star, which was on top of a nearby mountain (he has a list of random “world’s biggest/smallest/first/only”, etc. sort of things).

    We met some older women at the summit, one of whom was allegedly "related to Braveheart", and had some really bad pictures taken in front of the star. Luckily, Allan is an expert at selfies so we could salvage some evidence of the experience.

    Roanoke to Ludlow was about another 10 hours. We arrived around 23:00, in time for bed. It was strange sleeping in my childhood single bed across from Allan, who was sleeping in Sarah’s childhood bed.

    Allan’s deal of the day(s): Sub-$3 per gallon (£0.60 per litre) gas (petrol).    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Ludlow, MA: Day 1

    August 6, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    A pretty chill start to the trip. Mom and Hannah were staying at vô's house too. Mom took us to Big Y for some groceries, where we of course ran into Inha. We also made an obligatory stop at Randall's Farm for cider donuts and Elsie's Creamery. I totally missed American-style ice cream. Allan and I got two scoops each, and Allan was pretty surprised at the size of the portions.

    Inha and Uncle Tommy came over after dinner to hang out. There was lots of laughter and sharing of old memories, and funny Scottish words. 'Jobby' is Inha's new favorite word though I’m not quite sure she understands the context.    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Ludlow, MA: Day 2

    August 7, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We postponed our visit to Vermont by a day so we could spend the day with Inha and Uncle Tommy. After sleeping in for a bit we went out with them to BJ's. Allan was loving all the cheap clothes!

    After we dropped the groceries off, we took Freya for a walk before heading out to some local breweries. We started at Fieldcrest. Allan and Inha had a mandarin ale and Uncle Tommy and I had a nice IPA.

    After our beers, we headed toward a restaurant that also had craft beer and good food. It was a lovely day and great for Allan to get to spend time with them and everyone to get to know each other better.

    Allan’s deal if the day: $12 for a 6-pack of 90-sheet Scotch lint rollers (the normal price seemed to be $5 for one).    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Williston, VT

    August 8, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    We made a small road trip up to Williston, VT, to visit Grammie. It was a pleasant journey and we had a nice time visiting. We ate lunch, played with Freya, and caught up on life in the last few years. We also brought the laptop to show her the wedding pictures, which she seemed to really enjoy. Of course, Allan had to go through every picture!

    For dinner, Uncle Kevin came over and cooked some steaks and squash on the grill. We also had some watermelon, salad, and corn. Everything was great. Uncle Kevin had to leave to go and cook dinner (again) at his house for some friends that were coming over.

    We had brownies with Grammie, and she told us about her recent painting projects as well as an ice cream shop nearby that sold maple creamies.

    However, it was beginning to get late so we said goodbye and headed back to Ludlow, but not before stopping to get a maple creamies, which is maple soft serve with maple sugar candy sprinkles. It was so sweet, but so good!

    The drive back was a bit rough...a storm had rolled through and the roads were a bit slick. There was also heavy fog to pair with the pouring rain and slick roads. Naturally, once Allan and I swapped driving, all the bad weather cleared up 🙄.

    The trip back still took longer than planned though, and we got back to Ludlow just after midnight.    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Salem, MA

    August 9, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    We made the quick hour and 45 minutes drive up to Salem. Allan had never been during his previous travels, so it was nice to do something touristy in and amongst family time.

    Our first stop was the Salem Witch Museum. I don't think it's changed since I was there a fairly long time ago 😂. We entered the first part of the museum with the strange (being polite) statues used to give a quick history of the witch hysteria, which led to the trials and deaths of convicted “witches”.

    We then skipped the queue to go to the second part of the museum, which explained the witch hysteria in different parts of the world and how scapegoats and witchcraft are woven throughout history. Allan realised everybody was doing/seeing the same thing, but we were meant to be in the second group… our purple (second group) stickers were now orange (first group). If anybody asked, Allan was colourblind. Allan was not impressed by the Scottish accent on one of the demonstrations 🙊.

    After the museum we went for a walk to some key locations, such as the Old Burying Point Cemetery and Salem Witch Trials Memorial for the victims. We also went to Proctor's Ledge which is where some of the convicted “witches” were hanged. Salem has tried to make the names of these people very known and visible throughout the town.

    We continued our walk through some more historical buildings such as The Customs House, located directly across from the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. At the maritime site, there's an old colonial ship. The goods would come into the harbor to be weighed. The customs and taxes would then be calculated and collected at the Customs House.

    Next door to the Customs House was the Derby House. This house belonged to the son of a wealthy man in Salem. The son became a wealthy merchant and he and his wife lived very comfortably in the house gifted to them by his father. However, once the Revolution began, his wife was not comfortable living directly on the harbor where the house could easily be damaged by canons or attacked by soldiers. So, the family moved into a larger house farther from the harbor info Salem. Unfortunately, this house no longer exists.

    Our final stop in Salem was The House of the Seven Gables and Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthplace that was moved to sit next to The House of the Seven Gables. We had a very excitable tour guide, even for American standards, who enthusiastically took us around the house. Allan found him rather amusing. He said he was the polar opposite to a Scottish tour guide.

    The house was built by a merchant and was expanded by further generations. However, despite the immense wealth in the family, one of the heirs had a gambling problem and lost the family fortune, no longer able to upkeep the house. Therefore, it passed to a new family. As generations went on, again, a daughter inherited the house. As she grew older, she had a close friend, Nathaniel Hawthorne. They would spend a lot of time together and it was her and her house that inspired Hawthorne's novel The House of the Seven Gables (despite the house no longer having seven gables when Hawthorne visited the house). His descriptions are based on the memories of his friend, the owner.

    The house was beautiful and sturdy, with large wooden beams and vibrant wallpaper. There were some additions added by the philanthropist who bought the house after there was nobody to inherit it. She added things to match the book that weren't in the house, so that tourists who came to visit would be able to better relate the house to the book.

    After our visit we jumped in the car and headed to Boston!

    Allan’s deal if the day: $3 all-day parking in central Salem (compared to $40 game-night parking in central Boston a few hours later).    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Boston, MA

    August 9, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    We drove from Salem to Boston, arriving a tad later than planned. We ended up just paying the obscene $40 for parking to be near to the Prudential Center (View Boston) and Fenway Park for the baseball game. Allan likes to justify such expenses as “necessary conveniences”: parking there meant we could visit View Boston and also (hopefully) get to Fenway Park for first pitch.

    We went up to View Boston at the top of the Prudential Center to get the magnificent 360° views of Boston. We then popped to The Stratus for cocktails. We got a baseball themed one with peach and bourbon and a prickly pear margarita. We definitely preferred the baseball one, but the margarita was also nice.

    We hurried from the Prudential Center to Fenway Park. The Red Sox were playing the Astros, and we got decent enough seats in the grandstand. We ordered mandatory hot dogs and Sam Adams (sadly no cracker jack!), but not before I got carded. The grandstand turned out to be really good because there was a TV to help Allan keep track of the game, but also it rained and the grandstands were covered by seats above keeping us dry.

    The Red Sox started off pretty strong, but unfortunately they fell apart in the second half of the game (classic) and lost. Disappointing, but I was still glad to see a game at Fenway Park and share that with Allan.

    As the game went on, Allan insisted on improving our seats. We managed to get all the way to directly behind the home plate before security asked to see our tickets. We retreated a few rows to watch the last few pitches. ⚾

    Allan’s deal of the day: Sip & Sights Experience at the View Boston, meaning the cocktails worked out at $10 each (less than a small beer at Fenway).    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Road Trip Day 1: Ludlow to Front Royal

    August 11, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    The morning started slowly. We had some breakfast and said our goodbyes to vô and Inha.

    We went from Ludlow to Front Royal today. However, we first stopped at Iron Duke's in Ludlow for a beer and an early lunch. The beer was great and spicy BLT was too.

    The drive went smoothly and Freya was a total champ. We stopped at the beginning of Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park. Tomorrow we make that drive and continue onwards to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

    Allan’s deal if the day: a variety of baked goods from Ludlow Central Bakery.    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Road Trip Day 2: Skyline Drive to Blue R

    August 12, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We started our day driving peacefully through Shenandoah National Park on Skyline Drive. We bought our National Park Annual Pass at the entrance. Hopefully we’ll make good use of this over the next year. It will be even get us into the national parks in Hawaii if we manage to make it there next year.

    Allan was loving all the overlooks to get a view of the valleys and mountains. Freya seemed like she enjoyed jumping in and out the car with Allan. The drive was about 100 miles.

    We stopped for a short hike up a mountain, then bought some lunch shortly afterwards before beginning the Blue Ridge Parkway.

    However, neither of us really looked into the parkway, and were a bit shocked to learn it was over 400 miles long... The Skyline Drive took us over half a day (with all Allan’s stops). This didn't bode well for our 3-day road trip plan.

    We ended up trying to make it to the halfway point that night. After a frantic dash to a Domino’s just off the parkway, we made our intended sunset destination to eat our pizza atop a rock at the viewpoint. It was pretty peaceful after the (my) disappointment of the trip taking longer than expected.

    The downside to driving the parkway in the dark: the deer come out. We had to drive pretty slowly and my neck was in agony by the end driving like a grandma, eyes peeled for any deer. Allan blamed Hannah’s grubby windscreens for shouting “deer” for shadows! So, I ended up trying to avoid actual deers and imaginary deers.

    We pulled off the parkway in Fancy Gap into the sketchiest motel yet. Allan had accidentally booked a smoking room (yes, these still exist). I parked the car and began to sort Freya while Allan sorted the room.

    As soon as he opened the door and smelled the stale smoke, he walked back out and demanded another room. However, the receptionist didn’t seem like he could be bothered. He fiddled around with some keys then led Allan to the hat appeared to be, the non-smoking side of the motel.

    The door didn’t seem to open on the first (non-smoking) room, so he led us to the next. Pro: the room didn’t smell like ass. Con: only one lightbulb (of four) and half the sockets were working. Allan took the floor lamp from the far corner and laid it on its side as close as he could get to the bathroom. Combined with our phone flashlights, we could just about see the bathtub to have a shower.

    During the night Allan was awoken by the sound of our new neighbours arriving in an old pick-up truck, their subsequent domestic, a bang, a smash… then silence. Like I said, the sketchiest motel yet.

    Allan’s deal of the day: National Parks Annual Pass for $80 - a bargain when the cost of one park can be as much as $35 per vehicle and still the same price as 2014 and 2016.    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Road Trip Day 3: Blue Ridge Parkway

    August 13, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We left our sketchy motel in Fancy Gap behind and got straight back onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. We stopped at the Blue Ridge Music Centre to eat our gas station breakfast sandwiches and then continued down the road. Allan also bought a souvenir coin. He has a collection of small souvenir coins from around the world. His logic: affordable and easy to transport.

    Allan stopped at almost every overlook (he really loves the views). We stopped for lunch and hiked up to some waterfalls.
    There were a few different viewpoints for the waterfalls, which Freya loved. We got some good photos of Freya peering over the edge, but we had to be careful! Freya loves splashing around in water. We had our crisp rolls while at one of the viewpoints before heading back down the small hill to the car and continuing the journey.

    Allan insisted on driving, mainly so he could get out at every viewpoint. His first compromise was only to stop at viewpoints where you could view from the parking lot (rather than having to walk beyond the parking lot before you got the view). His second compromise was what he called “drive-bys”, where he would pull into a viewpoint, open the window and I would take a photo.

    That evening, we eventually made it near to the end and went to a high viewpoint to watch the sun go down. It was a pretty colorful sunset. Unfortunately, we still had about a few dozen miles to go, and now it was getting dark (you know what that means 🦌).

    Finally, our Blue Ridge Parkway drive was complete! We hit mile marker 469, got our obligatory photo next to it (after driving past, doing a dodgy u-turn and heading back on ourselves), then headed into Cherokee for some dinner and celebratory beers.

    We stopped at Angry Elk Brewing. They brew their own beers, but also combine the beers to make different combination. They also stocked a locally made strawberry cider. We each went for a taster flight of four 1/3 pints. The snakebite, IPA and jalapeno sour were very tasty. I also liked the chocolate strawberry, which was their stout combined with the strawberry cider.

    After our stop in Cherokee, it was one final hour on the highway before we stopped for the night in Franklin, NC. One more day of driving 🙃.

    Allan’s deal if the day: a combo of combos at Arby’s - a lot of food for ~$10, served by the nicest server you will ever meet.    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Road Trip Day 4: Franklin to Newton

    August 14, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 35 °C

    The last day of driving was pretty uneventful. Our main goal was to make it home in time for dinner and we did it! I was so glad to have a break from all the driving we had done over the last week 🙈

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Newton, AL: Baby Shower and Party

    Aug 14–20, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 35 °C

    The next week or so was a combination of trip preparation, relaxing, baking, and family time.

    On August 16 people began arriving for the weekend of festivities. Inha and Uncle Tommy and Yvette and Randy all arrived on Friday and we all had a drink and some time to catch up.

    Dad opened his Springbank 15-year old whisky (one of our wedding presents for him). It was very smooth, but surprisingly smokey. Allan said he remembered his dealer (a friend and avid whisky fan/collector from work) saying the “Springer 15” was a smokey.

    Inha also tried gin for the first time. I can't believe she'd never tried it! And Freya and Kai had to take turns saying hello to everyone - those dogs are just so similar! Freya definitely recognized Inha and Uncle Tommy from our time in Ludlow and was happy to see them.

    My practice run on my lemon raspberry macarons was also going down a treat.

    On Saturday (August 17) all the girls loaded up in the car and headed out to Fort Moore for Sarah's baby shower. My macarons seemed to be all intact and ready to make the 2-hour trip. We had a pretty easy drive there, albeit a bit of a boring one with nothing to look at.

    When we got there we met some of Sarah's friends and enjoyed some of the food. I was so relieved when everyone liked the macarons because it had been so long since I'd made them! We played a couple of quiz games and I was actually pretty impressed by how much I knew about Joe. I did terrible at the first game which was about the pregnancy, but the quizzes on mom (Sarah) and dad (Joe), I aced them 🤓.

    After the quizzes, everyone suddenly just disappeared! Mom thought we were going to have to leave the party early to head to church, but we ended up helping clean up and then headed out to church.

    After church we made the drive back to Newton. Then it was time to cook some huli huli chicken! Man, that stuff is so good! We also had edamame, which I hadn't had in forever. I forgot how tasty it is! For dessert, I’d made strawberry blondies.

    The next day, Sunday (August 18), was our Just Married party. Mom and dad had been up early prepping. The brisket and ribs were in the smoker, and dad had gone out to pick up the cupcakes while mom got breakfast ready. We had mochi waffles, fresh berries, and a hash casserole. Everything was so tasty. Then it was time to prepare some appetizers, before people arrived, as well as some things for dinner.

    My mom and dad have gotten very good at throwing parties and everything, from the appetizers to the dinner and margarita cupcakes for dessert, was incredible.

    Everyone was swimming, chatting, drinking beer together, playing corn hole. It was a nice atmosphere to catch up and celebrate. Allan also surprised everyone by wearing his kilt for dinner.

    Because it was a Sunday, after dessert everyone left to get kids ready for school the next day or prepare for long drives back to FL. It was a really nice day to end a nice weekend celebrating different things.

    On Monday (August 19), we got ready to take Freya up to Nick. Unfortunately, the skin had rubbed off of her paws, most likely a combination of the hot paths and dry grass. We couldn't really get her out for a good run with the ball like we wanted to, which might have been a good thing, but we still had lots of cuddles. Overall, the time at home this past week was busy, but in all the best ways.    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Road trip: Newton to South Bend

    August 20, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Time to head up to South Bend and get Freya all settled in with Nick. It definitely hasn't hit me yet that I'll be leaving her behind soon.

    We made a few stops for food and the bathroom and along the way Allan gathered ideas for places to stop on the way back down. After the extended road trip from Ludlow, via the Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway, this was very much a no-nonsense drive. After a long 14 hours and some annoying traffic in a random little place before Louisville, we made it to Nick's shortly after midnight. Time for 😴.

    Allan’s deal of the day: McDonald’s $5 meal deals, including burger, fries and a drink. As much as you might hate it, McDonald’s seem to have to cheapest fast food.    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    South Bend, IN

    Aug 21–24, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    We spent these few days organizing some things for Freya and for the trip.

    We made trips to the pet stores and grocery store and we visited Nick’s office/lab/base at Notre Dame.

    I forgot how big Notre Dame is! It was nice to walk around and show it to Allan and for Nick to have the opportunity to show us his office and talk about what he's doing for his research. We will definitely have to come back to campus and get some pictures.

    Allan, Freya and I also went to a couple craft beer places (South Bend Brew Werks and Hop Station Craft Beer) so that Freya could see some of the town. Strictly (beer drinking) research...for Freya... On a serious note, we did want to try to find some places that were dog-friendly to make Nick’s life easier when heading out with Freya.

    Allan’s deal of the day(s): Costco gas (petrol) - using Nick’s Costco card we were able to filled up for $0.30+ per gallon cheaper than the next cheapest place (confirmed by Gas Buddy app).    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Chicago, IL: Day 1

    August 24, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    We headed over to Chicago to visit Matt and Brandon and give Nick some time to start settling in with Freya. It was about 2 hours, so compared to the 14 hours it took to get to South Bend, total piece of cake.

    We started the day with brunch at a fancy Mediterranean place followed by some interesting ice cream. Allan was not impressed with the prices... I promised to do better with remembering to keep to budget. Ice cream is just so exciting!

    Matt and Brandon headed out to meet friends for a birthday party, and Allan and I went on an architecture cruise. This was very cool! The ☀️ was shining and while it was hot, it was a great day to be on an open top boat cruise. The buildings in Chicago are all pretty unique and it was very informative and interesting to hear about the designs of buildings, as well as wider implications into the layout and architecture of Chicago.

    We stopped for dinner at Giordano's. Unfortunately, their famous deep dish (allegedly) took almost an hour to cook, then ended up being cold in the middle. We knew we’re cutting it a bit tight for time, so Allan asked how long the pizza would take. The waitress said 35-40 minutes. When it got to the 50-minute mark and everybody around us has their pizzas, including those who ordered after us, we knew they’d missed our order.

    Allan was not a happy chappy. When he eventually managed to get the waitress’ attention, she didn’t seem interested. Allan remained an unhappy chappy and requested to speak to the manager. The he manager was “a bit of a cunt” (Allan’s words). When the manager tried to get sarcastic with Allan, Allan got more sarcastic with the manager. The manager was never going to win. The amusing part was that we were so hungry by the time the manager appeared that we’d eaten half the pizza and had to spread out the remaining (cold parts) to make it seem like we hadn't eaten so much. Not a great experience, but a free (almost) dinner.

    The Willis Tower Skydeck was pretty busy. There's a new museum-style pathway through the bottom floor to get you to the elevator. Due to the delay with our food, we had to rush the museum a bit to get up to the top for sunset… only to find that the west side has the Ledge (the big windows). The queue for the Ledge was huge, so we could only watch the sun go down from afar. However, when we got to the Ledge, the colours in the sky were beautiful. The 90-second time limit for the Ledge not so much!

    We got the metro back to Matt and Brandon's before heading out again to the Green Mile, a former haunt of Al Capone. It was a one-in-one-out policy when we arrived, but we all agreed we wanted o go in, so we waited outside for a short while. The jazz music was good and it had a pretty cool, but serious-jazz, vibe. 🎶 We managed to get better seats as the night went on. Allan likes to be able to see jazz musicians since they’re often so animated compared to others and so he can see the chemistry between them.

    Allan’s deal of the day: free dinner at Giordano's.    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Chicago, IL: Day 2

    August 25, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    After some donuts and coffee for breakfast, we jumped in the car and headed for the Bahá'í Temple. This is the only Bahá'í temple in North America! The Bahá'í believe that all religions follow the same God/higher being (among other things).

    Throughout the building there was symbolism for all the different world religions and inside was very light with the big dome. By using a combination of quartz and concrete, the building is sturdy and very white. The gardens also had a lot of symbolism and were very beautiful.

    After the temple we went to the OG Lou Malnati's for deep dish pizza. This was definitely a tale of redemption because the pizza was amazing! We had a thin crust pizza as well, but Allan and I definitely preferred the deep dish.

    Down the street, Brandon mentioned there was a Rita's, and I totally couldn't pass that up! We got gelatis, and Allan even had Swedish fish, leaning into the American flavors. It was just as good as I remember!

    We went back to Matt and Brandon's, and left shortly after to get the metro back into the center of Chicago to go to the Starbucks Roastery. Brandon decided to stay back, but planned to meet us later. Apparently he’s not a fan of the metro.

    The Roastery was massive. It was spread over four floors and each floor was dedicated to something different. There was a floor for roasting, pastries, coffee drinks, and cocktails. We started at the top and worked our way down. The three of us shared an espresso martini flight: chocolate orange espresso martini, mole espresso martini, and cherry lemon. Each time we tasted them our preferences changed! I think the mole one was my favorite.

    After the cocktails, we went down a level to the coffee drinks. Matt had a whisky barrel coffee milkshake - it was nice! Allan and I shared a coffee flight. Apparently I'm pretty good at picking out flavors in coffee. All those years drinking good coffee served me well (maybe blessing and a curse).

    Brandon drove and picked us up from the Roastery so that we could go and meet Prongs (DnD friend) in Chinatown for dinner. It was nice to meet them from all those years ago doing DnD. Sometimes I miss it; it was very cathartic and fun.

    We went to a noodle place and had dry ramen. It was pretty good. We had a small walk around Chinatown before heading back to the apartment and playing with Trudy. We turned in shortly after getting back as it was a school night and Matt and Brandon had work (mostly Brandon).    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    South Bend, IN

    Aug 26–29, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    The next few days were spent chilling out with Freya in and amongst looking at stuff for our trip.

    Allan and I also went back to the Notre Dame campus on our own to take some pictures and attend the back to school mass in the basketball stadium. It was strange seeing the makeshift altar and crucifix hanging from the center scoreboard.

    It was a beautiful day to walk around the campus though and we got some good pictures. Allan insisted on staying for the free food from the food trucks. I wasn’t so keen because it felt it was dishonest. However, Allan is still technically a student and the event did seem to have a community feel to it with aldults being there with younger kids, people being there with pets, etc. Norte Dame does pride itself on being part of/involving the local community. I reluctantly queued for one food truck while Allan got us some cupcakes from another. Some of the queues were huge and didn’t seem to be moving, so we picked the line for the tacos, which seemed to be moving quickest. Admittedly, the tacos were tasty.

    We also went to a dogs on campus event at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art at the edge of campus). It wasn't very busy, but was a cute little event with some stalls, an agility course and a make-your-own-bandana station. Freya looked very fetching in her new bandana, the artist must have been pretty good to whip up the design so quick 😉. Of course, everybody loved Freya. Even more so when they discovered she was Scottish 😎

    We had watched Rudy a few days prior, so we felt that a trip to Corby's was mandatory. Allan forgot his ID, but the guys on the door were nice and let him in anyway. Allan explained that in Scotland, you don’t need to carry your ID on your person, and that if you’re stopped by the police you have 7 days to report to the local police station with your ID. He also mentioned he was 35.

    We had a couple of Guinnesses and then headed back home. It was getting late and we needed to get up and head to Michigan the next day.

    Allan’s deal of the day(s): free food from the food trucks at Norte Dame.    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Gross Pointe Park, MI

    Aug 29–30, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    To continue to let Nick and Freya settle in, and make the best use of our time, Allan and I headed over to Michigan to see Kris. Last time I saw him was our Icelandic adventure in 2018!

    Our first afternoon was just catching up while Allan got caught up on some emails. It was nice just to chat with an old friend over some beers. Allan came out to meet us for some dinner. Kris took us to a great place with some of the best spam fried rice I think I've ever had! I could've eaten that stuff by the bucket.

    We continued our little bar crawl through Grosse Pointe Park and before we knew it, it was closing time and we were all far more intoxicated than intended, but it was a good night (and Allan and I even did karaoke 🙈). Allan and Kris also decided to wrestle on the way home. Probably not a great idea since Allan’s fractured rib still probably hadn’t fully healed. Now, Allan and his brother, Ross, have a reputation for WWE-style wrestling back home. However, Kris’ definition of wrestling is very much all-American grappling. Allan was initially taken aback by Kris’ seriousness, but I think Kris ended up being surprised by how strong Allan is for a wee guy!

    We all woke up the next morning feeling a bit rough. Initially, Allan was definitely worst for wear. We rolled into town in search of food that we wouldn't chuck back up. Once I had some OJ and food in me I felt great! Kris was beginning to struggle at the point, which wasn’t surprising given he went for a Bloody Mary. I think the boys had some more recovery time.

    We went over to the Ford Museum, which was so much bigger than I expected. The grounds were like small town; it even has its own airstrip! It was wicked cool and I'm so glad Kris took us there. We started the museum by seeing former presidential Lincolns and carried on through many different modes of transportation like trains, old cars, race cars, planes... honestly, everything. They also had some history exhibits about women's suffrage, civil rights, and the civil war (to name a few). We definitely could have continued there for another couple hours, but we weren't 100% recovered.

    We made our way back to Kris's for some chill time and tacos for dinner 🌮. They were also very tasty. He has some great food around him! Tomorrow we head to the Big House for Allan's first American football game!    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Ann Arbor, MI

    August 31, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We all had a chill morning before heading out to Ann Arbor for the opening game for Michigan. Kris and I had a couple beers while Allan had some more emails to deal with.

    Just after lunchtime we left. It took about 2 hours to get there, and then it was time for the tailgate to begin! Walking along from where we parked, there were tons of tailgates everywhere and when we finally reached our tailgate, the location was superb. We were right across the street from the stadium!

    Kris' friends welcomed us with open arms and everyone we talked to seemed pretty chill and cool. Also, we somehow managed to have the tailgate with the Scottish flag. They even played Flower or Scotland at one point, which Allan led and everybody joint in 😂.

    Once it was game time, we made our way over to the Big House. The stadium looks much smaller on the outside than it is on the inside, mainly due to it being sunk into the ground, if that makes sense. Unfortunately, we had to turn back to drop my bag off. Apparently there are stricter rules this season on bags due to a recent shooting. A more positive new rule is that you can now buy alcohol inside the stadium.

    We had great seats, about 15 rows from the sideline, and they were even better once the students shifted out of our seats. I could see Allan and Kris both getting annoyed at the students. Kris seemed like he wanted to fight them and probably would have had there not been some kids around. Allan wanted to take the easy option and get a steward to do the hard work, which other people seemed to be doing.

    Michigan played well, but the game seemed a bit slow to start and Fresno was, unexpected, keeping pace with Michigan.

    Allan said he struggled to comprehend that this crowd was for a student game. The he Big House is the third largest stadium in the world, with a capacity of over 100,000. It really is a sight to behold on game day/night.

    We left at the start of the 4th quarter to avoid the massive human and car congestion that would occur at the end. Maybe we were bad luck, because as soon as we left Michigan about doubled their score, getting touchdowns left, right, and center! At least they won so I'm sure there would've been a fun atmosphere around Ann Arbor that night.

    Once we got back to the house, we settled in and watched a couple episodes of Rings of Power that none of us could remember after our pub crawl before calling it a day (and what an exciting day it was!). 🏈

    Allan’s deal of the day: free parking (and not getting a ticket) when parking lots next to us were charging $40.    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Holly, MI and Grosse Pointe Park, MI

    Sep 1–2, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    We took a drive out to Holly from Kris' house for the Renaissance Fair. It was absolutely huge! The people watching was very good and some people had some brilliant costumes. The only downside to all the people, really long lines for food and drinks. We managed to get some gyros after the turkey leg line seemed to stop moving. We walked around and saw a couple of small acts and shows. We watched the jousting, and Kris finally managed to get a beer! It was just far too busy to spend a lot of time there though, so we left mid afternoon. Allan wasn’t impressed with the fair.

    When we got back to Grosse Pointe Park, we ordered some Detroit style pizzas and watched a couple more episodes of Rings of Power before turning in for the night. Who knew people watching was so exhausting!    Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    South Bend, IN

    Sep 2–3, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    When we got back from Michigan, we had less than 24 hours left with our best girl. I soaked up every bit of cuddles I could get. We also went outside and played with her new ball and I'm so glad she loves it. I know Nick will take good care of her, but I am going to miss Freya so much! The last day with her passed far too quickly 😭Read more

  • Kaitlyn HawleyAround the World: HoneymoonTraveler

    Road Trip Day 1: South Bend to Nashville

    September 3, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    We were running late in the morning, which meant saying goodbye to Freya was a bit rushed. It's probably for the best because if we had more time I would have been a blubbering mess and made it too big a deal and hard for Freya to adjust. I still drove away incredibly sad, and so did Allan. We're going to miss her.

    The trip was pretty smooth and we hit minimal amounts of traffic. However, because we left later than planned, it meant that we were running late to get to the Maker's Mark distillery. I sent them a message about halfway through the 5-hour drive (which always ends up being more with Allan’s stops) and asked to change to 3pm. Fortunately, it was just fine 😄.

    When we pulled off the highway, we didn't expect to be driving on such small roads for as long as we did, and with limited to no cell phone service, we hoped that the road signs would eventually lead us there. We finally arrived just in time with about 5 minutes to spare.

    Our tour guide, Logan, was excellent. You could tell how passionate he was about Maker's. He explained that he was a local lad who’d worked his way up from a waiter in the restaurant, and, with his promotions and being over 21, he was now able to lead tours.

    Part of the distillery was closed for cleaning and maintenance, but we still learned a lot about the bourbon. We got to see some limited edition barrels and Logan took us around the grounds. We also learned that the distillery has a lot of farm land and they are very sustainable and self-sufficient. For example, any honey that goes into their products, is made from bees onsite.

    We tasted a few different bourbons at the end of the tour and they were all so good. Along with the original we also had the 46, and a couple of special ones like the burnt marshmallow and cask strength. The marshmallow was nice and subtle with a sweet and toasty taste that was made by changing some of the wood in the barrel. Different wood can produce different flavors. Allan asked what makes a Barbour a bourbon, comparing it to Scotch. We learned about the ABC of bourbon.

    At the end of the tour we finished at the gift shop (of course). You can buy bottles to dip yourself, which was really cool. Allan and I bought a small bottle of original and I dipped it. We don't plan on opening, but keeping it as a memento to remember the wedding. When we mentioned we were recently married, Logan found us a couple of Maker’s Mark Ambassador badges and gave us a special certificate, which was a nice touch.

    After Maker's, we stopped briefly at a couple of Abraham Lincoln sites. We stopped at where he lived as a child and saw replicas of the log cabins he would have lived in. We also stopped at the national park where his birthplace is with the cabin. It was inside a big monument, so we couldn't really see it, even with Allan climbing the side to see through a small window.

    We only stopped again for dinner. We finally made it to a Cracker Barrel. We ordered some classics: cornbread, chicken ‘n’ dumplings, meatloaf, fried chicken, and baked apples. I ordered the shepherds pie with hash brown topping. It was very good! While we waited for the food fo come I taught Allan how to play the triangle peg game. He was starting to get the hang of it before food came!

    After dinner, it was a short drive to finish the day of the road trip. It was a really nice day, but I'm looking forward to beer and country music in Nashville.

    Allan’s deal of the day: bottle-dipping experience at Maker’s Mark Distillery for the price of the alcohol - it felt like this was something it could have easily charge twice the price for.    Read more

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