The Big Anniversary Trip

Fifty years ago in July

Martin & I were married in my parents' house.

Through the years we have enjoyed traveling together.

This July we wanted to celebrate with a trip with our children and grandchildren to Vermont.

Joey found the Von Trapp Family Resort in Stowe, Vermont.

The grounds were beautiful with lots of activities like hiking, biking, swimming, and tours.

This area was very inviting.

Phlox and Globe Thistle

The Von Trapp Family cemetery

Phlox

Globe Thistle

The bike practice field

The grandkids burning off some energy.

Joey checking out the Sugar House where the maple syrup is made each winter.

Joey and Jessie investigating a covered bridge in Stowe.

One of the group tours was 'Meet the Cows'.

We walked about a mile to see the Highland Cattle.

We learned that they had just been moved from near the swimming pool to this far away field.

A little too buggy for some of our city kids.

This farmhouse was across the street from the cows.

Ben & Jerry's first ice cream factory was nearby.

Measure how tall you are by ice cream cartons.

Liam above and David below.

They are both growing so much.

I had to take this photo of the newest flavors.

Now on my must-taste list.

Emily brought funny props for celebration photos.

Oh, my!

Silly cousins!

David is a great snuggler.

On our way to the airport we stopped at the ECHO museum in Burlington.

It was an extensive hands-on children's museum.

The exhibits were well thought out and engaging.

It is right on Lake Champlain.

We ate lunch at a place near the marina.

This one is out of order. 

Our last evening at Von Trapp the sheep came to graze on the lawn.

What a way to cut the grass.

The Sugar House from our Maple Sugar Tour.

We sampled the syrup. It was sweet and smokey.

Maple trees

The Green Mountains

It was a fun trip with family.

Exploring York and the Dales

Nick, our guide for York, texted last night in Edinburgh and let us know he was meeting us at the train.

He sent this photo so we would recognize him.

Thursday morning we ate breakfast at our hotel 

and walked across the street to the train station and soon were on our way to York.

As promised Nick met us at the train and helped us get our luggage to our hotel.

It wasn't very far from the station. We let our bags and began our private tour with Nick.

As he led us through the lovely gardens he told us the history of York.

We saw the levels of the different time periods in places like the one below.

Each period build on the ruins of the ones before.

We saw decorations around the gardens for upcoming Guy Fawkes Day.

Nick gave us a comprehensive tour of York Minster.

We were surprised to hear that the building had caught fire in the 1980's.

So many beautiful windows, floors, support structures.

Tile floors that could make great quilt patterns.

So many to choose from.

Just a few more.

And ceilings - beautiful.

The stain glass.

I thought this list of organists was noteworthy.

Then we went into the lower level and saw really old fixtures.

More quilt patterns?

We had a great tour with Nick. 

He even treated us to tea.

The next morning we walked back towards the minster to meet our tour of the Dales.

Ben was our driver/tour guide.

We started with a look around the town that is featured on All Creatures Great & Small.

We bought a snack at a bakery and found some books and a calendar at a little bookstore.

The scenery in the Dales

Looks just like the TV show landscapes.

It seems very remote.

Houses are far apart.

Love the rock walls.

This is the church that was used for the wedding on ACG&S.

Inside they were having a flower show

People were there working on displays of flowers.

More beautiful windows

One of the arrangements

More flowers

Lots of work went into this.

Special section - deacons? choir?

There are carvings of mice hidden around the church.

This is one I found.

There were crocheted mice for sale near the exit.

A sheep farm was next door to the church.

A stream ran by.

Lots of fields and not many trees.

There are some peat bogs in the area, too.

For lunch we stopped at Wensleydale Creamery.

Our guide told us how the creamery was saved by the film Wallace & Grommit.

The cheese business wasn't doing well but a mention in the movie helped it get new business.

We had potato leek soup with bread and fresh butter.

I had a milkshake, too.

We visited Aysgarth Falls. Martin walked over to see them closer.

I was done walking.

Our last castle visit.

It was very windy so we had a falconry demonstration inside the castle.

The expansive view.

Lovely

More

Back to the castle.

See how the flag is flying straight out.

Clouds scudding across the sky.

More

A vineyard enclosed by rock walls.

Another view.

See the maze beyond the vineyard.

Our group explored the gardens.

I stayed at the top because of my knee.

How did we get different colors of fabric?

Plant dyes.

The dyer's garden in the fall.

The castle church.

Boar's pen

The long view

Another church in the area.

After our tour we went back to York.

The next morning we took the train back to London.

Only one more stop for me-Liberty of London.

I bought some beautiful Liberty Lawn.

The Liberty Store was packed and there was a wait to get fabric cut.

I went back to the hotel and Martin went in search of the Lego Store.

Tenon Tours had booked our last night in a hotel close to the station to Heathrow.

So grateful we had a short walk the next morning to get the shuttle.

The trip home was uneventful.

I made this top with one of my Liberty fabrics.

So glad we made this trip!