• London - September 15 - 18 and September 27 - 29
• Wales - September 18 - 20
• York - September 21 - 23
• Scotland - September 23 - 27

How did I pick these four places to go on my trip you ask? I am so glad you inquired. This is actually the second trip I have planned from start to stop, Yellowstone being the first. I get a map, a travel book, and a pen. As I read the travel book, I come across places that sound like they'd be interesting to visit. If I find such a place, I then mark the map at the approximate place of the attraction. When I have finished reading, I then look at the map. I usually go to the places where there are the most marks (or someplace centrally located to the marks and just travel out from there). Of course, if I really want to see something, like York, then I just decide to go there, no matter how many marks may be on the map.

I actually wasn't going to go the Wales at all. I was flirting with the idea of going over to Cornwall, which is south of Wales, but still in England. But a friend of mind convinced me that I should go there. I am sure she was expecting me to go to Cardiff, which is in the south (most tourists do). I chose the north, however, because I had read about King Edward's castles and decided I just had to see them. (Since then, I have read about many castles in southern Wales and have decided that I will go there on my next trip to the UK.)

I spent about three months doing research and planning, and about one month actually making reservations and arrangements. I actually had it all done by the end of March, 1998, except for the plane and rail tickets and the Heritage Pass (if you go, I highly recommend you get one of these). I then had to wait for about six months before the actual trip. I don't know about you, but I am a planner and extremely (perhaps overly) organized. I can plan just about anything, pretty much down to the smallest detail. I don't like surprises and/or not knowing. I even, for this trip, knew when and from where the buses and trains would leave.

I collected all of this information (and a lot more) in this huge red binder, which was sub-divided and indexed by where I planned to visit, how I planned to visit, arrangements for the four-legged furry creatures, currency exchange, etc. I even (get this) had this spreadsheet that listed addresses, costs, sight-seeing plans, you name it. Talk about anal!

But, it works for me. And I had a good time. I actually went by myself, not on a tour or anything. I hear my Aunt Marion is a bit peeved at me because I didn't tell her about it - she apparently wanted to come. Sorry about that, Aunt Marion.

I stayed at Bread and Breakfast's, which is much cheaper than a hotel and gives you a free meal besides. I got to see everything I planned except for one castle - Beaumarais (pronounced Bomaris) in Wales - and one day trip in Scotland. I also got to know the pharmacies pretty well, although they are called Chemists in the U.K. I over-worked some muscles while climbing about the castles in Wales and then got some horrible blisters during the second week of the trip. Very painful, that. Other than that, very good trip all around.

As you probably expect, I took lots of pictures, over 200 of them. I am even in some of them. Garry and Cristine loaned me their Advantix camera (I have since acquired my own) and they turned out pretty good. But I will refrain from showing you each and every picture. Let's face it, you didn't go so you won't be interested in 200 pictures. So I will only show you the highlights. And, to make it easier to load all the pictures, I split them up into the major stops.

Tower Bridge, London, England