Travel Log

Jun 18, 2024 ∞

Ireland 2024 Log - Day 18

Weather: Very nice, cool morning. Super humid in Minneapolis.

Mazie goes for a short run. Tammy a walk for last morning treats.
Breakfast at hotel.
Taxi pickup at 9:00 AM. John, our taxi driver shares many stories from his life. Highlights include patio project gone awry by Mick, his wife Pam, his cute grandson that lives with him, and much more.
Check-in and check bags. Compared to day 1: Tammy 23.9kg — 0.1 kg under limit (52.7 lbs ⬆️ 4.7 lbs), Jamie 19.9kg (43.9 lbs ⬆️ 1.9 lbs), Mazie 18.2kg (40.1 lbs ⬆️ 5.1 lbs), and Tyler 16.9kg (37.3 lbs ⬆️ 6.3 lbs). Total of 174 lbs luggage.
Stop at Butler’s Chocolates and get Caramel Squares that Tammy tried to get that morning but they didn’t have.
Cleared US Customs.
DL115 from DUB to MSP. ✈️
Land in MSP. Bumpy ride and landing.
Lyft home!

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Jun 17, 2024 ∞

Ireland 2024 Log - Day 17

Weather: Another beautiful day. No jackets needed. No rain. Periods of sunshine.

Our last full day in Ireland.

Tammy and Mazie go for their runs in Dublin. Jamie does blog posts.
Breakfast at hotel.
Walk to Tara Street Station and take Greystones Dart train to Dalkey.
Get off in Dalkey and walk to Dalkey Castle. Stop in The Gutter Bookshop on the way. Cappuccino at Thyme Out.
Dalkey Castle tour.
Explore stores in Dalkey: Hark, Papermint Store.
Shared lunch at Finnegans of Dalkey.
Walk to pier.
Have Ken the Ferryman take us to Dalkey Island.
Explore Dalkey Island.
Return back with Ken.
Afternoon treats at Thyme Out: Salted Caramel Bar, Carrot Cake.
Afternoon gelato for Jamie.
Explore downtown Dalkey.
Return to Hark for Mouni and Gutter Bookshop for “Duffy and Son”.
Take Howth Dart train from Dalkey back to Tara Street Station.
Walk back to Hard Rock Dublin to change for evening.
Went to Bunsen for delicious burgers after trying them on day 15.
Walked into Temple Bar for one song and then proceeded to O’Donoghues.
Listened to traditional music set at O’Donoghues.
Walked back to Temple Bar for one final set of music.
Walk back to Hard Rock Dublin for the night.

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Jun 16, 2024 ∞

Ireland 2024 Log - Day 16

Weather: Great weather. Maybe the best day we’ve had.

Father’s Day!

Breakfast at the hotel.
Figured out Dublin bus logistics.
Took C2 bus from Wellington Quay (stop 312) to South Circular Road.
Guided tour of Kilmainhham Gaol Museum.
Walked to Guinness Storehouse experience at St. James Gate.
Lunch at 1837 Bar & Braserie.
Took cab to Windmill Lane Studios for very cool tour.
Walked to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells.
Walked back toward hotel and explored Grafton Street and got some truffles at Butler’s Chocolates.
Got to hotel and cleaned up for dinner.
Special Father’s Day dinner at F. X. Buckley on Crow Street. Delicious steaks.
Return to Cloud Nine for Tyler to get a crêpe and Tammy and Mazie an ice cream.
Stop quickly at the hotel to change clothes.
Walk to Darkey Kelly’s for some traditional music.
Four piece band playing with a lot of issues with their microphones.
Return to the hotel. Everyone tired.

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Jun 15, 2024 ∞

Ireland 2024 Log - Day 15

Weather: Excellent day. Warmer day today.

Depart Tubbrid Castle at 8:44 AM.
Drive to Dublin.
Pastries at Bua Coffee trailer.
Took class at Experience Gaelic Games and learn Handball, Hurling, and Gaelic Football.
Scup Ice Cream.
Fill up rental car with gas.
Return rental car in great shape — no scratches and no damage.
Get taxi to Hard Rock Hotel Dublin. Luggage barely fits in the taxi.
Delicious pizza at Pi PIzza.
Experience EPIC: Irish Emigration Museum.
Walk back to Temple Bar district.
Tyler and Jamie get crêpes at Cloud Nine Temple Bar.
Jamie gets a pint of Guinness at Norseman Temple Bar.
Jamie, Tammy, and Tyler share a double cheeseburger from Bunsen and are floored at how good it is.
Tammy and Mazie go for a walk.

Auto-generated description: A smiling man holds a pint of Guinness while standing in front of a pub.

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Jul 21, 2023 ∞

Switzerland & Italy Log - Day 8

Weather: Cool morning in Sils Maria. Big thunderstorm in mid-morning by Vicosoprano. Cloudy most of the day on trail. Nice on arrival into Soglio with heavy rain in later afternoon. Cool evening.

Breakfast at Hotel Edelweiss
Tammy gets trail lunch at Volg
Bus to Vicosoprano
Begin hike to Soglio
Hunkered down to avoid thunderstorm
Resumed hike with long ascent
Beautiful trail across several waterfalls
Slippery rocks: Tyler falls twice, Jamie slips many times and falls once
Amazing Roman Road on trail
Arrive in Soglio
Explore village
Shop at Soglio Products for various lotions
Cappuccino and snack at Palazzo Salis while waiting out another downpour
Return to hotel for rain gear
Tyler and Dad watch end of Tour de France stage. Tyler writes another blog post. Mazie and Mom shop in village.
All Go out for photo walk in Soglio.
Final group dinner.

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Jul 20, 2023 ∞

Switzerland & Italy Log - Day 7

Weather: Very cool in the morning warming up through the day. Very pleasant all around.

Breakfast at hotel
Walk from hotel for hike
Hike begins with a gentle ascent above the treeline
Walk through amazing village of Grevasalvas
Break at rocky overlook before descending
Descend and take path around lake
Lunch on the trail
Return to Sils Maria
Tammy and Mazie do some shopping, buy cool local bowls
Coffee and snacks at Grond Cafe
Mazie and Tyler explore
Tammy and Jamie relax
Dinner at hotel with delicious Apple Strudel for dessert!

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Jul 18, 2023 ∞

Switzerland & Italy Log - Day 5

Weather: Cooler day. Very windy on the mountains today. Raced to chair lift before storm and lightning arrived.

Depart Guarda and take bus to train station
Take train to Funicular.
Guide Dave gets a lot of static from the conductor about having the wrong tickets.
German lady that moved to Switzerland sits across from Tammy and I and starts a lengthy conversation with Tammy.
Arrive at funicular and take it 1,000 feet up to start hike.
Huge climb up to Segantini Hütte.
Delicious lunch. I had Barley Soup.
Hike traverse from hut through rock field and take upper trail.
Mad rush down to chair lift before storm shows up and possibly shuts lift down.
Get on lift and have a slow, cold, stormy, raining, anxiety producing lift ride.
Rainy walk to hotel.
Attempt to get cash and fail.
Shop.
Dinner at restaurant.
Downtime in room.

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Jul 17, 2023 ∞

Switzerland & Italy Log - Day 4

Weather: Hot and sunny in the morning. Day cooled off a bit and was nicer in the mountains. Evening cool.

Jamie realizes that he has lost his wallet and that sort of sucks a bunch.
Breakfast.
Jamie asks front desk person to see if they can help with locating wallet. They have some ideas.
Dave, one of our guides, attempts to find Jamie’s lost wallet by going back to the train station at Ardez. Sadly no luck.
We take off for todays hike up to Piz Buin.
Everyone else hikes down on the service road, Jamie takes a mountain scooter and has a blast.
Jamie gets back early and decides wallet search is over. It is lost, time to move on.
Tammy and Mazie explore the town and Tammy has an amazing find! 🤩
Cold therapy for our tired feet.
Nice dinner at Meisser Hotel.
Cool evening back in the room, getting ready for an earlier morning tomorrow.

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Jul 16, 2023 ∞

Switzerland & Italy Log - Day 3

Weather: Warm and sunny. Cooler in mountains but still hot and sunny at prime of day. Evening clouds and breeze with much cooler temps.

Breakfast at Hotel Guardaval
Depart at 9a for day of hiking
Hike Scuol to Guarda. We ended hike at Ardez and took train and bus to Hotel Messier in Guarda
Relax with Coca Cola on terrace of Hotel Messier
Delicious dinner at Hotel Messier

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Jul 15, 2023 ∞

Switzerland & Italy Log - Day 2

Weather: Hot and Sunny.

Breakfast at Motel One
Took Tram with luggage to Zurich HB
Stored luggage at station (23-06, 23-09)
S24 train to Kilchberg
Visit Lindt Home of Chocolate
S8 train back to Zurich HB
Quickly retrieve luggage from storage, only 15 min stop
Boarded IC909 to Landquart
Transfer traina to Scuol
Tammy published her first blog post in over 11 years! 🤩
Taxi to Hotel Guardaval in Scuol
Walk around Scuol a bit
Meet fellow hikers and guides Dave and Erik for dinner
Delicious four course dinner at hotel

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Jul 14, 2023 ∞

Switzerland & Italy Log - Day 1

Weather: Warm & Sunny

DL162 land In Amsterdam (10:26a)
Sit on tarmac for 55 minutes waiting for gate to be available
Clear passport control
DL9568 to Zurich
Landed in Zurich (2:06p)
Checked in at Motel One Zurich
Tuk Tuk Fondue Tour
Walk around old city
Sleep early, everyonr tired

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Jul 13, 2023 ∞

Switzerland & Italy Log - Day 0

Weather: Very nice warm day.

Lyft to MSP. Super nice driver.
Cheeseburgers at Shake Shack. 🍔🍔🍔 Mazie got a quesadilla somewhere else.
DL162 to Amsterdam departing at 7:50pm.
Change to Central European Time, ahead 7 hours.

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Oct 24, 2022 ∞