It’s time for another hike! This opportunity has been triggered by a wedding invite from friends we saw on our Grasmere rest day during our Coast-to-Coast adventure last summer (thank you Grace and Peter). After the wedding festivities, we will head south to the Cotswolds, but will hike it in a new way. So whyContinue reading “The Cotswold Way: Our Plan”
Author Archives: Peter Ireland
Reflections on an Adventurous Family Trip to Oahu
I hesitate to write a “reflections” post, as I hesitated to write a daily blog of our Hawaii trip. It was just a vacation, so it wasn’t that adventurous! However, “adventurous” is a mindset and I hope my reflections on what to do (and not) might help others make the most out of a HawaiiContinue reading “Reflections on an Adventurous Family Trip to Oahu”
Organizing A High School Theatre’s Wardrobe – Part 1
In helping our son’s high school theatre company, Janet and I identified the need and challenge of organizing the costumes. Before starting the organization project, I researched online and found nothing close to a solution for our challenge, so I am writing this to help others. (Note that I wrote a follow-up blog about ourContinue reading “Organizing A High School Theatre’s Wardrobe – Part 1”
Hawaii – Day 7
Our final morning! As with most other mornings, I woke up around dawn (5:50) and caught up on processing photos and blogging on the house’s back porch. It had a great view toward the sea, as well as birds scurrying around its garden. I will miss the view, the temperature, and the sound of wildlife.Continue reading “Hawaii – Day 7”
Hawaii – Day 6
First, we headed to Waialua Coffee where we drank fresh coffee, had a tour of their small coffee and chocolate making facilities, and found souvenirs with reasonable prices. Today’s plan had originally been a sunrise hike before spending the day on the Windward side of the island on a beach. The last couple of morningsContinue reading “Hawaii – Day 6”
Hawaii – Day 5
SCUBA day! Samuel and I had picked up some rental gear from a dive shop and we were ready to go. We’d brought our own basic gear including my Go Pro, it’s photos have taken me extra time to process this day’s blog. We wanted an early start to avoid the crowds and get aContinue reading “Hawaii – Day 5”
Hawaii – Day 4
It was time for a hike! We headed out at 7:30 for a 30-minute drive to the Hau’ula loop around the northern tip of the island. We waited out a short rain shower and headed off up the mountain. It was a 3 mile loop through a large variety of vegetation and some great views.Continue reading “Hawaii – Day 4”
Hawaii – Day 3
Today was slower than yesterday which we needed. The highlight was the evening with Toa Luau, and their ticket included entrance to visit their botanical gardens and waterfall. We started the day more slowly and after driving the 10 minutes from the house to Waimea valley, arrived a bit after it opened at 9, afterContinue reading “Hawaii – Day 3”
Hawaii – Day 2
This was a varied day as we explored the area from Pearl Harbor via Honolulu and Waikiki to Diamond Head. We had a reservation on the first boat for the USS Arizona memorial at 8am so it was an early start, leaving the house before 6:45 which meant we enjoyed quiet roads. Pearl Harbor isContinue reading “Hawaii – Day 2”
Hawaii – Day 1
What is better to do on one’s first day in Hawaii other than surfing? We’d booked lessons with a shop in Haleiwa, though I was first with some others as the group limit was four. We arrived early so wandered around the town a bit. It was very quiet before 10am and we enjoyed theContinue reading “Hawaii – Day 1”
Hawaii – Day 0
I hadn’t planned to blog this vacation, but a few people asked for updates, so why not. The plan is certainly to have an adventure, with Kylie and Jett joining the four of us. We have seven nights on Oahu, and lots of things planned, so we shall see how it pans out! We haveContinue reading “Hawaii – Day 0”
The Theatre Journey of a High School Graduate
Preparing to send one’s youngest child to college triggers an array of hopeful forward-looking expectations and pensive reflections. These converged when I wrote an introductory email about Samuel on the Class of 2027 Facebook page of the Colorado School of Mines where he will study Engineering. I proudly introduced Samuel, describing some of his hikingContinue reading “The Theatre Journey of a High School Graduate”
The Eagle Rock Loop in November 2022
The 27-mile Eagle Rock Loop (ERL) in the Ouachita National Forest in southwest Arkansas has been on my “list” for several years. At nearly 400 miles from Houston, it is our closest multi-day trail in hills. I was thrilled in early November when I suggested to Samuel that we do it over the Thanksgiving breakContinue reading “The Eagle Rock Loop in November 2022”
Reflections on the Coast to Coast
After any significant adventure, I like to gather and publish my thoughts a few days after it is finished. Such a reflective post can help others plan something similar while also helping with my pondering of “what next?” In this reflection, Dean and Tracy also make insightful contributions! What? Wainwright’s 1973 publication described the walkContinue reading “Reflections on the Coast to Coast”
Highlights of our 2022 Coast to Coast Crossing
It is difficult to get one’s head around an adventure as large as hiking England’s Coast to Coast over 18 days. To help the reader appreciate the whole trip in one post, here are the highlights using one photo per day. Still to come is a reflection post, but that needs more reflection time :).Continue reading “Highlights of our 2022 Coast to Coast Crossing”
Coast to Coast Day 19: Robin Hood’s Bay to Heathrow
Team Sloth has made it to Heathrow, which is where the blog’s storytelling should end. Just like there was a “Day 0” before we started, I add one at the end. If there is any drama tomorrow with the flight home, I don’t want to write about it! The day started with a 4:15am alarmContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 19: Robin Hood’s Bay to Heathrow”
Coast to Coast Day 18: Grosmont to Robin Hood’s Bay
This is what we set out for when we left St. Bees. With the finish this close, my family’s primary focus was finishing. With what looked like being the longest day with plenty of climbs, we decided to leave early at 6am. Of course, it was very light, but everything was very peaceful. The initialContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 18: Grosmont to Robin Hood’s Bay”
Coast to Coast Day 17: Blakey Ridge to Grosmont
The day started similarly to yesterday with some fine easy moorland walking, and we covered the first 9 miles in 3 hours. Once again, the moorland cotton was special. A wildlife high point was watching a group of six baby grouse run to follow their mother. We also saw a small snake, which might beContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 17: Blakey Ridge to Grosmont”
Coast to Coast Day 16+: Sunset Drone at the Lion Inn
I’d looked forward to capturing the sunset from the Lion Inn since before the trip started. I had done a recce flight with my DJI Mini 2 earlier which was part of the day’s post. This evening adventure deserves its own blog – not least because the day’s post was already published and I wantedContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 16+: Sunset Drone at the Lion Inn”
Coast to Coast Day 16: Clay Bank Top to Blakey Ridge
While this has been the easiest day of the trip at 8.7 miles at just over 3 hours, it was not short of views and the weather was perfect. We got our lift from the hotel back to the lay-by, and were soon climbing up the major hill of the day. Unfortunately, the path didContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 16: Clay Bank Top to Blakey Ridge”
The Adventures of the Cajunlimeys 