Hi all I am daring to bare my travel plans on the blog. It sort of feels like we are nearing the light at the end of the tunnel and my first holiday of the year is almost within my grasp. Let’s do this!
North Norfolk Coast.
First up in May we have the North Norfolk Coast. Wil, Hugo and I stayed in an air BnB in the pretty seaside town of Hunstanton 3 years ago and we can’t wait to go back. This time we have rented a cottage near Cley Next The Sea and I’m looking forward to getting my binoculars out , the area is famed for vast beaches, saltmarsh birds and seals. There’s also plenty of seafood which Wil loves and colourful beach huts at Wells for me to gaze longingly at. ๐
Kirkby Lonsdale.
Wil is using some birthday gift vouchers to treat us to a weekend away in the picturesque market town of Kirkby Lonsdale in June. Hurrah! We know the town quite well , even so this informative post by Pack The Suitcase has inspired me to really make the most of it. Kirkby Lonsdale is on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, close to the Forest of Bowland and within the county of Cumbria.
Ravenglass & Eskdale.
It has become a yearly tradition to stop with friends in a holiday cottage in lovely Ravenglass on the Cumbrian coast. The cottage belongs in the family of friends of ours and is right by the beach. In the village a narrow steam gorge railway can transport visitors into the beautiful Eskdale Valley. Last Summer we found the perfect wild swimming spot in a secluded waterfall pool and enjoyed barbeques and sunsets from the cottage balcony. Mostly it will be fab to spend some quality time with chums. ๐
Our Caravan in the Eden Valley.
It will be two years this year since we bought a static caravan halfway between Alston and Penrith in Cumbria. The area is part of the Eden Valley, a lesser visited, but still beautiful neighbor of the Lake District. Due to the pandemic we haven’t yet stopped at the van during April, May or June ,so we are eager to get up there when restrictions are lifted, fingers crossed. I’m looking forward to country walks and country pubs!
Belfast & the Giants Causeway.
Not that long ago The Carlisle Lake District Airport reopened and had started flying to Northern Ireland. I’m not the best flyer but if I were to travel to Belfast, a small local airport not that far from our caravan, would be an ideal starting point. I would love to discover this vibrant city with its Titanic connections and book a trip to the natural wonder that is The Giants Causeway. ๐
A Castle in Ayrshire.
My sister has arranged a family holiday for us all in 2022 and she has booked a Scottish Castle! As there will be six adults, two children and a dog, there will be plenty of room for us all at Knock Old Castle near Largs. Doesn’t it look like it’s straight out of a fairytale. Bagsy me my own turret! My siblings and I recall happy memories of our yearly holidays to Scotland as kids, so definitely looking forward to this one. ๐
What travel plans are you making?
sunshine and celandines 
What a lovely and uplifting post! โค๏ธ we havenโt made any firm plans yet but just like you plan to return to favourite places not too far away, and we also plan to have a wider family holiday and hire a couple of cottages later in the year in one of our usual holiday haunts in Aberfeldy – which has just started taking dogs which opens up the whole family to be able to go! A wonderful way to celebrate being able to be back together! Your plans look wonderful, hope they all go ahead and youโll enjoy so much x
Aw thanks. Sounds like you have some brill plans too and the family holiday in Aberfeldy sounds great. X
Your plans look lovely! One of the freelance writing jobs I’ve been doing this year is copy for an Irish travel website, so I keep reading about all these wonderful places in Ireland, and hope to get there at some point. We also have tentative plans for Dundee, the Lake District and Jersey.
Lots of exciting plans there. I have always wanted to go to Jersey too. And your right, Ireland looks to have so many beautiful places to visit. X
I barely dare voice our plans in case they get whisked away from us. Although I think it is safe to say that a botanical trip to the high Swiss Alps in June is probably already done for. Not officially cancelled yet but surely soon will be. We will come up with alternatives closer to home.
Ohh that would have been so great, you never know, it might still happen. I bet there are places in the UK you could find some rare wildlife and wildflowers too. Fingers crossed for you anyway. X
It is lovely to start thinking about getting away again isnโt it? We have an annual catch up with friends get together in Yorkshire booked for late May … rearranged from last year and are so hoping that we can get to go. There are just six of us in total so luckily we will fit into the file of 6. We then have a week booked early July for a cottage in The Peak District for us and mum which we are really looking forward to and we are just starting to look for somewhere nice in Pembrokeshire for September ๐ค๐ค๐ค
All those plans seem very doable Carol. It is especially nice that we can plan getaways with friends and family. X
You have some great plans to visit some lovely places over thext weeks and months. When we lived in South Lincolnshire we were close enough to visit Hunstanton and the Norfolk coast for a day trip which we often did. My first plan is to get out of the city and head towards Derbyshire and Nottingham to meet,, probably outisde at first, with friends and family and then perhaps much later this year to go back to the Welsh Coast, we love the Llyn Peninsula:)
I have heard the Llyn Peninsula is stunning , I’m sure you will get to go there this Summer. ๐
I am very excited about the Norfolk Coast. Nothing like the seaside. Yay. ๐
These are all locations we love! Wells and Cley next the Sea, wonderful. Why not drive to Northern Ireland via Stranraer or Cairnryan and take in Ayrshire at the same time?
An uplifting post, thank you; definitely time for planning!
It is definitely time for planning. Ayrshire is a family holiday for us, I think if we do go to Ireland it will be for a long wknd, just Wil and I. There are so many places I want to go!
Love your plans, keeping ๐ค for us all. Xxx
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I think we will both get to Norfolk this year Carol. ๐ ๐คXx
Exciting plans Shazza – good for you! Give my love to North Norfolk – our old stomping ground when we lived in Leicester. Make sure you visit Brancaster beach. Walking in the direction of Titchwell (RSPB) you’ll stumble on lots of lovely little creeks where seals loaf about doing not very much! x
That sounds like heaven. ๐ X
What great plans you have!! Everything sounds so wonderful. I was in Norfolk early 90โs?? I remember a random castle called Castle Rising. Between Kingโs Lynn and Hunstanton. It was such a beautiful place and we spent an afternoon there. Even saw our first real live British mole!! Your plans give me hope that we may actually be able get back to a real life!!
Just looked up Castle Rising. Looks like an impressive Castle Keep, much bigger than ours in Clitheroe. You never know, I may just get there. I have never actually seen a live mole! X
Some exciting plans there. You’ve already chosen some lovely places to visit. I’ve made a list of where I’d quite like to go this summer, just for days out and then hopefully we’ll get some overnight stays in Berwick and Edinburgh towards the end of the year. X
Fantastic. Berwick does look a lovely place to visit. And I love Edinburgh. X
How lovely to be making travel plans. Gorgeous photos! I am still dithering about this travel this year, maybe days out might be the way to go for now. I can’t wait to go further than my own doorstep or for a walk round the block! We have to go to our house in France sometime, if France will let us in and Britain will let us back – that will be the first trip of any mileage. Just watched Death In Paradise on tv though – the Caribbean calls, but maybe for 2022 !
Hot sunny climes would be lovely though I bet you really want to get back to your house in France. Fingers crossed for you. X
Thanks. All I can think about is how much the garden will be overgrown!
Yikes! Hope it’s not too jungle like.
Bizarrely, where our house is it’s very ‘green’ and there is a lot of sunshine and rain too. The grass is a particular variety that grows twice as quickly as some other varieties. Not that we have a horse or cows, but the area is famous for both – so I guess the grass is good for them – but not if you have to mow it!
Youโve certainly got yoour plans sussed, Shaz. I think we all canโt wait to get out and about again. We havenโt got anything organised – I bet everything will be booked up by the time we sort ourselves out ๐
Iโm hoping to get up on the hills soon, but a minor op in late April means Iโll be laid up for a few weeks just as everything is starting to open up โน๏ธ
Ohh that’s bad timing for the op, but never mind you will have time to recover before all the restrictions are lifted. Get booking something to look forward to. ๐
The op should have been at the beginning of last year, but, for reasons I dont need to tell you!, itโs been postponed twice. Will be glad to have it over and done.
Third time lucky!
We still have our Christmas holiday booked, postponed till Easter, and then postponed again! And a week in another cottage later on. Fingers crossed we all get away. Had my first vaccine yesterday (and horrible headache most of today, but itโs worth it).
Glad you got your vaccine Anabel, must make you feel more positive. Sorry about your Easter break, what a bummer. Is Scotland like England in the fact that you can book self catering cottages after 12th April? X
Around then, I think, which is just too late for Easter.
Yeah, they worked that one out wrong. ๐ฆ
I enjoyed your holiday plans- we have none at all. I loved the Giant’s causeway- be sure to go on the rope bridge too.
The fact that you have your house move under your belt certainly explains why you haven’t made any travel plans yet. Xx
I was just about to sit down and plan my own way out of lockdown when I saw your post. Hope all your trips will come off, having your caravan is a great asset in these times – or it will be.
I think I will be less ambitious than you, I’m not good at booking things in advance.
Anyhow, here’s to a better year wherever.
Cheers to that!
Can’t wait to get back to the caravan. That will be on the agenda first. ๐
Infection figures here in France are spiking very high again. Italy is going into total lockdown and Germany is talking of the third wave. Switzerland is up 10 percent.
I am so impressed that the UK is doing so well, but donโt get complacent and stay local and safe!
Oh no that sounds bad. Are you guys on with vaccines and if so are they not helping. Still staying local for now until April. X
Hope your travel plans are safe & they come to fruition. We aren’t game enough to make any plans, except maybe in our own state of Victoria, in case we go into lockdown in another state & can’t get home for weeks. We’d love to see our 2 boys & grandchildren who live in other states, but are lucky enough to have my DD here nearby in Melbourne. As to seeing my stepdaughter, that seems near impossible as she lives in UK. Thanks for sharing. Take care, stay safe & hugs.
It looks like you’ll be visiting some lovely places. I’m not even going to dare to plan anything just yet!
Lovely plans. The Scotland castle looks lovely. I’ve not made any plans as yet as frightened I’ll have to cancel them again. Don’t want another upset like Scotland last year. It’s going to be busy in all the popular national parks, so just waiting for a little while longer. xx
Very wise. Our Scotland trip is next year so should be ok then I’m hoping. Norfolk has been moved forward from last year so definitely keeping my fingers crossed. Belfast probably just a pipe dream, I’m not keen on flying really and not this year, maybe next. Xx
The Giants Causeway just made me curious how it was formed. Thanks for sharing!
I love your plans. I hope you enjoy them once the pandemic is gone
Thank you.๐
Wow – what a great assortment of trips to look forward to. We only have very tentative plans at the moment. Time will tell.
I am keeping all my fingers crossed!
I had booked a coach holiday to Scotland for Easter this year which has been postponed until end of July. So fingers crossed that goes ahead! โบ๏ธ
Sorry just seen your comment. I hope you get to go. Scotland is so scenic. ๐
I hope you get to go on all of your holidays! It’s so frustrating when you have to cancel everything. I’m in Australia and despite our situation being nowhere near as bad as yours, I still had to rearranged by Canberra Trip 6 times in 2 months LOL. But we got there in the end. Wells Nest The Sea looks stunning. All the best!
Thank you. I hope so too! Feeling optimistic. ๐ Glad you got your trip sorted.
This looks like a great trip to take the family on. Thank you for giving us new travel ideas ๐
Iโm a bit late to the party on this post, but nevertheless, a great post to lift the spirits and think about getting away again. Thanks for sharing your plans and look forward to hearing all about the trips….. We are just about to start planning our first trip in a long time. We will be doing the North Coast 500 in Scotland in a rented motorhome (blog to follow)
Oh nice one. I would like to that one day. I shall look out for your posts. ๐
Next on mine and my husband’s list are Honduras and then Spain. There are so many places to go, there just is never enough time!
Very true! I hope you get to go…
The Scottish castle looks amazing! Hoping to explore the South West and Wales this Summer, probably aiming for a few shorter breaks rather than a big holiday. Times are still strange, aren’t they? I think it’s just a case of doing what we can, when we can.
Absolutely! I hope you get to do your travel plans. Off to Norfolk on Friday. So excited! Though the holiday cottage we booked has been sold, so we had to find somewhere else quickly. Only got told last week!
For someone who grew up surrounded by nature, these photos are really stunning for me. This year, my husband and I are planning to visit his country in Sweden (we’re supposed to go there last year but was cancelled due to Covid). Hopefully, with the lessened travel restrictions, we’ll be able to pursue our plan ๐ Would love to hear your thoughts on my latest post as well! https://theattractionseeker.wordpress.com/2021/05/25/camotes-2021-where-to-go-travel-tips-itinerary/
Looks lovely!
Thanks, it was. ๐
Oops I meant Norfolk was when we went a couple of weeks ago. Was nice to get to the coast. ๐
I had booked a mentor occasion to Scotland for Easter this year which has been deferred until end of July. So fingers crossed that goes on! โบ๏ธ I also have planned to visit Craigievar Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Read more about Craigievar Castle on my website blog. https://castrumtocastle.com/scottish-castles/craigievar-castle/