Seeking Out the Hairy Coos

When my train rolled into Waverely Station in Edinburgh I realized that I had done so much research about London before my trip that I completely forgot to research anything about Edinburgh. So much so, that I had to stop in the train station, sit on top of my luggage and look up the directions to the place I was staying. After I reached my accommodations I was really eager to get out and explore so off I went. While I was walking around that first day I saw a sign for a free tour of the Scottish Highlands. This peaked my interest so I did a little bit of research on tripadvisor, the tour had great reviews so I decided to reserve a seat on the Hairy Coo.

Day Trips From Boston

Massachusetts State House

Boston is a great city and you could spend a lot of time there, but Massachusetts has so many great cities that it is hard to stay in just one location. If you are looking to get out of Boston and explore the surrounding area I would recommend these three easy day trips! 

A Guide to Salem, MA

Salem, Massachusetts is widely recognized by North Americans because of the role it played in the infamous witch trials of 1692. I, like many, had always wanted to visit and explore the town because of that reason – but there is more to Salem then you think! The small New England town was also a very important Seaport back in the day and features a lot of maritime history.

Beer for Breakfast!?

My favorite activity on my trip to Boston, Massachusetts was the Samuel Adams Brewery Tour. My boyfriend and I had read about the tour on Tripadvisor and thought it would be worth checking out.  We dragged my parents along with us for the very first tour of the day, the Morning Mash In, starting at 9:40am. Who wouldn’t want to sample some Sam Adam’s beer for breakfast? 

Food From Boston’s New Little Italy

Have I mentioned before that I like food tours? I know I have, I seem to always be talking about my experiences on them to friends and family and I recommend them to anyone heading on vacation. I can’t help it, food tours continually prove to be the highlight of every trip I take. When planning my trip to Boston, Massachusetts I knew exactly what my top choice would be on the itinerary, and since I was travelling with my family this time around I was so excited to introduce them to the concept of neighbourhood food tours!

Interesting Scottish Facts

Scotland is such a fantastic country! While travelling around Edinburgh and the Highlands I met some really amazing people and learnt some really cool facts. Here are 6 facts I discovered on my trip that I thought were particularly fascinating.

A Wee Magical Place – The Faerie Glen

No shouting, the fairies don’t like that.
No whistling either.
Don’t walk with your hands in your pockets or the fairies might trip you.
Take only photographs and leave only footprints.

Trying Haggis!!

Al, my new Scottish friend described Haggis like this, “You know at the beginning of the week when you do your groceries and you take them home, you always eat the best stuff first right? Then at the end of the week you go and look in the pantry and there’s nothing good left – that’s Haggis.” So there you have it, a true Highlanders description of Scotland’s National Dish.

Move Over New York, I Think I’ve Found My New Love!

Today I fell in love with Edinburgh.

London’s Seedy East End

In the past the East End of London was home to poor immigrants, criminals and the disease-ridden, which is the reason for the area’s seedy past. As the city of London expanded it experienced massive over-crowding which caused many immigrants to look for residence outside of the city. Throughout the 19^th century the East End was home to these various groups of people who came into and transformed the area into what it is today. Each group has left their own marks on London’s East End which is why it is such an incredibly interesting place to visit and explore.