8.7.11 – Dailly, Culzean Castle, and Girvan, Scotland

I'm not sure if we were experiencing jet lag or just exhaustion from the flights, but we slept in on Sunday morning. Of course this threw us off my not-very-realist schedule, but it couldn't be helped. Once up, fed, and caffeinated, we headed to the lounge to check e-mail (there was only WiFi in the lounge and only limited hours) and planned to stay a bit close to home, visiting Culzean Castle and perhaps venturing to the nearby beach of Girvan.

With directions in hand we were off for our coastal drive north, but still in South Ayrshire, to visit Culzean. It is definitely worth the trip. It reminded me a bit of Biltmore with the lush trees and foliage as you drive in, as well as the hydrangeas. I couldn't believe it when I saw the palm trees, but it is southern Scotland. The audio tour filled us in on Dwight D. Eisenhower's stay here (he was given an apartment, lucky man). The rain did cause us to be unable to take in the grounds, but we were the last to exit the castle.

Girvan was our next stop, first to get some gelato that I spotted as we turned into the public parking lot. Mine had Scottish toffee and was quite good. Kent stuck to the healthier raspberries. Seeing that the drizzle had ended and the sun was peaking out, we headed to the beach. It was way too windy and cold to fully enjoy, but luckily the water had not made the sand muddy, and it did give us an opportunity to get a closer view of Aisla Craig, which we saw on the beginning of the coastal drive. Makes me think of Devil's Tower in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Once we were thoroughly windblown, we headed back to the main square and had dinner at an Indian restaurant. I loved the saffron rice and was equally pleased with the charming bathroom trashcan. The day finished with a great deal of helpful information from the owner of the Girvan Gift Shop/The Sweetie Shop. I of course exited with sweeties.

8.6.11 – Glasgow, Ayr, and Dailly, Scotland

My recent trip to Scotland caused me to remember an eighties film called Outland, starring Sean Connery. He played a federal marshal in space and at the end he and his family flew back to Earth from one of Jupiter's moons, and due to the length of time for the flight, they had to be put to sleep for the entire trip. This seems to me the best way to travel, especially after starting our trip on Friday afternoon with an hour and fifteen minute trip north to Dayton in order to save $200 on each ticket, then transferring to Detroit, then flying, perplexingly, nearly 500 miles past Glasgow to Amsterdam, and then finally on to Glasgow. At least it appears we got the extra miles as frequent flyer points.

I've always chosen centrally located hotels on my solo travels, not having to rent a car or deal with additional hassles of staying outside the city, so this was a challenge for me since we were staying at a resort in South Ayrshire, about 1 and 1/2 - 2 hours southwest of Glasgow. Neither Kent or I slept on any of the planes, especially with the usual crying babies, so we were in a state of stun as we arrived through customs in Glasgow at around 8:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. Coffee seemed to be the first necessary item. I had originally planned for us to take in Glasgow via the shuttle that left the airport and went to the city center and then pick up the car back at the airport later in the day, but after finding out it would cost us more to leave our bags at the airport than it would to park in downtown Glasgow (we must learn to pack lighter), and finally admitting to each other how tired we were, we went to the car rental agent and tried to get our car early, which still caused us to be stuck at the airport Starbuck's until 11:00, as the car wasn't ready. FYI -- free WiFi is not as readily available in Europe as I had thought, not even in a Starbucks.

On my previous trip to London I hadn't driven and mostly walked or took the subway, so was unfamiliar with the roundabout on the motorways. We have one minor roundabout in a Cincinnati park, but it is nothing compared to ones in Glasgow on the motorway. The lack of sleep and overwhelming highway driving (and I wasn't even driving) pretty much did me in that day. The fact that our cottage couldn't be made ready early and wasn't even ready at its appointed time made me long for the city center. I'm amazed as I look back that I was able to capture the beauty of the scenery flashing before our eyes, especially as mine kept wanting to close for good during the drive.

Finally, twenty minutes past the time it should have been ready we gained access to our cottage, which wasn't fully clean, but I was too tired to care. After a quick bath and a nap, I was conscious enough to go next door with Kent to the golf club that he had already checked out (it was the closest dining facility). The very good food made by Martin and his wife, Patricia, helped me become almost human again. The drizzling rain that had started as we waited for our cottage in the lounge had luckily stopped, and I was able to get a shot of the beguiling sky before us.

7.17.11 – The Wescott House (Springfield, Ohio)

I took advantage of a recent Groupon offering and went to Frank Lloyd Wright's Wescott House in Springfield, Ohio. I remember being in high school and seeing a photograph of Fallingwater and being mesmerized. As a graduate student in art history I fell more in love with his buildings after visiting Oak Park and Chicago, Illinois during a class field trip. In my early thirties I was able to tour a home he built in Clifton, here in Cincinnati, that was up for auction, and even though I was more gainfully employed at the time, there was no way I could have bought the house. Still, I fantasized quite a lot about living there. Of course the real problem is I have too much stuff and clutter to live in a Frank Lloyd Wright house. I keep trying to de-clutter, but I know in my heart I will never be that free of possessions, but one always needs a goal.

As for the Wescott House, it is certainly worth the trip. I kept being drawn back to the enormous flower pots in the front of the home (that also appear in smaller versions on the side). It had fallen on hard times and had even been used apartments at one time (I missed my chance!), but it has been meticulously brought back to its original state, and is now a museum. They don't allow photography inside, so I can't show you the bookcases I'd give just about anything to have.

The added bonus of going to Springfield is that there is a Krispy Kreme donut shop very near. I think some of my fondness memories of growing up in Florida, and of my father, are going with him to Krispy Kreme on Sundays to get donuts. That probably explains my weight that goes up and down, but Krispy Kreme is also worth the stop every now and then.

7.16.11 – Ault Park (Cincinnati, Ohio)

The heat is becoming more and more oppressive making me want to hibernate in the air conditioning and watch movie after movie. Last weekend wasn't quite as bad as it is now, so we ventured briefly to Ault Park. We tried to stop at the Hyde Park Coffee Emporium first for a treat, but they now close at 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays, so we went on to the park.

I was there years ago for an event, but didn't get a chance to really see it. It is quite lovely and reminds me of the gardens connected to castles in europe I visited -- it's like stepping into another world, or at least until you start hearing a CD of Sinatra singing "My Way." Yes, it is a popular wedding destination, but being a public park, we were still able to skirt around the festivities. We even encountered a therapy bird (the signs say no dogs allowed in the park, but there's no mention of birds), who appeared to also want to take it easy on an early Saturday evening, not wanting to perform his tricks.

6.25.11 – Paddlefest (Cincinnati, Ohio)

The fests just keep coming. Last weekend was Paddlefest. I can't swim and prefer my exercise in climate-controlled places, so it was not really for me, but Kent partook, so I performed good girlfriend duties and got up in time to catch his arrival (thankfully the currents were slow that day).

The sky was beautifully blue and the weather was good, so a good day to be by the water.

6.12.11 – Italianfest (Newport, Kentucky)

Another weekend, another festival (and there's more this weekend!). It seems people in this area can't drink and party without having a sanctioned festival where they're overcharged for food and drink. We attended Italianfest at Newport on the Levee last weekend. Luckily it was not as packed as Taste of Cincinnati (I wisely chose not to film that event. To say it was too packed would be an understatement). There were far less people and vendors at this event. Going upstairs to the Starbucks in Barnes & Noble provided cheaper beverages and a better vantage point to the activities. Still, the fried raspberry cheesecake was worth the trip.

5.29.11 – Krohn Conservatory (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Big Bone Lick State Park (Union, Kentucky)

Over the Memorial Day weekend Kent and I took in a few local attractions. First we visited the butterfly show at the Krohn Conservatory. After getting over my automatic freak-out response to creatures flying at me, I was able to appreciate their beauty and then drove myself crazy trying to capture them on video. The owl butterfly looks quite beautiful when its wings are open, but it was way too quick to see well when it was flying.

After stopping at a friend's house to pick up a bicycle (yes, I'm going to attempt to learn at this late age), we attempted a trip to Big Bone Lick State Park, but due to intense heat and what appears to be dehydration, I spent more time in the air conditioned gift shop/museum. I did drag myself over to the replicas of the mammoths, and was able to fully understand how they could die there.