Kennedy Family Travels

Today we slept in; way more than I expected! Jet lag hit us hard this trip. But it was needed. Seamus heard the many pipers out the front windows, but the rest of us were done. Finally we started our morning with Starbucks and I found one of my ornaments there too. I was way excited!

Next we were heading up to Edinburgh Castle for our tour. We purchased the Scottish Explorer pass which was a good deal for us to use in several spots! We had a 12:30 entry because we wanted to see the firing of the cannon at 1:00 for the boys. Unfortunately I didn’t have the email from them to get the pass but everyone was so nice it was easy to get it and go in to tour. Easy!

We love Edinburgh Castle and actually wanted to get married here. It’s definitely a highlight of the trip! The boys went off to explore and Joe and I found a Scottish Whiskey tasting to try. Little did we know a downpour started while we were tasting and shopping! It didn’t last long and we continued our touring of the Castle.

I forgot to mention we were able to wash clothes here, but, as usual, no dryers! So this was the scene for the day🤣🤣

Off to the castle we go to explore!

It was loud but cool. The castle was very crowded but we were able to see everything we wanted. The boys ventured out on their own and found lots of interesting places and things to buy.

After touring we headed down the Royal Mile for some shopping before lunch at Pizza Hut. Lots of scarves and tartans in all the shoppes; the Harris tweed was a hot item to buy. We did not purchase any tweeds though. Maybe someday 😉

Next up, our Ghost Walk with the graveyards and haunted vaults under Edinburgh. Our guide was a great storyteller. Some of the tombstones in Greyfriar’s Kirk are thought to be the inspiration for JK Rowling’s character. Moody, MacGonagel, and Tom Riddle are all there! We saw Greyfriar Bobby, the dog who stayed by his owner’s grave for 14 years!! The vaults were creepy but lots of good stories. Darren, our guide, was very good at telling his tales and the boys seemed to really enjoy the tour.

Now comes the weird part of the night. Joe and I had run down to Waverly Station to get train tickets for tomorrow. The booth had closed so we headed back up to get dinner with the boys. We ended up at Bella Italia, just underneath our apartment. I sat down first with Seamus and then Joe and Max came in too. Max was wearing a Mason sweatshirt; after we ordered the guy next to us asked about his sweatshirt. Then I hear “Hayley? Is that you?!” I about fell out of my chair. Literally seated next to us in Edinburgh, Scotland was one of my first teaching partners in Mason, 28 years ago. I cannot make this up!! Cheri and I taught together for many years before she and our other friend, Kari, went down to 5th grade. We literally teach across the street from each other, but we wind up in Scotland at the same restaurant!!

We also had one of the best meals so far on the trip!

After this it was time to pack up and get ready to head to Stirling and Inverness tomorrow on the trains!

The land of the midnight sun didn’t disappoint; it stayed light and windy all night. Bright and early we started out for the airport to catch our flight to Dublin and then on to Edinburgh.

So a few weeks ago I was writing down our itinerary addresses and we realized that our original hotel that had been booked for Reykjavik had closed. Thankfully the Hotel Fron where we had stayed with the Hursts came through! Great little apartment we stayed in was perfect and the perfect location!

Off to the airport we went. Dropping off the car however brought around some obstacles however. The line for the shuttle back to the hotel took forever but thankfully we still had time. However almost everything is automated and done by you. We printed the bag tags, put them on, and sent them through the system. It’s frustrating for sure! But we figured it out, grabbed some sandwiches and ran to the gate. We made it no problem but no waiting around at all.

We were all exhausted by now so sleeping on the plane wasn’t too much to expect. It’s only a 2 hour flight into Dublin but the rest was much needed for everyone!

Landing in Dublin basically scared Seamus and me to death. We weren’t quite ready for the SMACK of the plane on the runway. We did laugh for about 10 minutes after due to our shock🤣🤣

Now this time our experience was much easier compared to last time. Todd and Dee may have ptsd after seeing some of the photos here😉. We walked up to Burger King to grab lunch where Joe had a totally new experience: Guinness at Burger King. Not even making this up! Yes, Joe was in heaven!

Ryanair. You just never know what will happen. This flight was uneventful though and we landed in Edinburgh about an hour later. Easy transition to the taxi stand and off to the Royal Mile to our airbnb!

Finally we made our way up the Royal Mile to Deacon Brody’s Tavern for dinner. We learned that under 18s can’t be out after 9:00. Oops. They still fed us🤪. The boys had brisket burgers and I had a stovie which was like beef stew. It was delicious! Then we headed back to do laundry and sleep finally!!

The flight into Iceland from Toronto was a bit bumpy but not terrible. No one slept very much so today was long. We did land early though, touching down about 6:00 am. The boys earned their first passport stamps entering Iceland even though it’s their 2nd country. The immigration officer was sweet and she welcomed the boys into her country!!

Next we needed to retrieve the car. Now we remembered it was a hot mess to get to the car, but this time they only let Joe go so the boys and I had donuts and pain au chocolat for breakfast. Then the boys walked outside and we realized it is COLD today. In the 30’s cold. Last time we were here it was in the 60s. Not. Today.

Once Joe returned with our Ford Kuga, we were ready to roll. First stop: volcano eruption!!!

So off we go, turning around and heading to Gullfoss Falls. Joe was exhausted so I drove for a bit. It’s easy driving and it started out beautiful, just breezy.

Rolling onto the 37 highway it started fine. Then the rain. Then the gusts of 60 mph winds. Then. It. Snowed. I’m not making this up. Snow. In June. Yes, I was white-knuckling it and never went over my 90 kilometers per hour. I was too scared. Luckily it just spit, but holy moly people. I was not ready.

It blew like the wicked wolf trying to blog down the pig’s brick house. It was, by far, the craziest wind I’ve seen. Finally we reached the geyser. I’ll let the video explain why we didn’t make it all the way out there🤦‍♀️

The winds had to be 70-80 mph; it literally stopped us in our tracks. By the time we reached the halfway point out to the geyser, none of us could feel our hands. The winds were pushing us down the path as we turned around to go back. It just was too much!!

We gave in and I went back to buy my first Icelandic Wool hat and gloves. They are pricey but so worth it since my fingers didn’t break off in the cold. Joe and I decided we’d head up to the falls and pray no one blew over the edge into the falls from the wind. Yeah. We’re crazy like that🥴

So off I go, just like a hobbit, on my adventure!

We headed back into Reykjavik and Hotel Fron. We have a 3 bedroom apartment and the kids love having their own space. We managed to find parking on the street, ironically right where we parked two years ago 🤪

Next we’re off to the Hallgrimskirja Church and the Bay to see what we have named as the fork. We visited the top and took some pictures and then hit the Reykjavík Fish and Chips for dinner. After Joe and I hit the shopping district for a bit and the found the best bar and band ever. It was a bookstore that is now a bar as well with the best band I’ve heard in a long time. Seriously these guys should have a record deal. While there Joe and I met a lady from Armagh Northern Ireland who is moving back home. We belted out some Bon Jovi and Four Non-Blondes together while enjoying some Viking beers tonight! Iceland is still light out but we’re loving it❤️❤️

Dinner was at Reykjavik Fish and Chips. So fresh and so good!

Ok on our way back Joe and I found a great band playing our music at a bookstore made into a bar. It’s amazing! The band was out of this world good. We met a lady from Northern Ireland and had a blast belting out some Journey. Now because we’re so far north it’s still light out! It’s been a great day but now on to Scotland!

So now it’s time to hit the hay as it’s 11:27. But this is how it looks outside 😳

Today we slept in a bit and Seamus and I sat out on the balcony watching our squirrel friend climb trees and fall out of them🤪.

Then we headed for downtown Toronto to see the Hockey Hall of Fame. Parking was not cheap and we felt like we may have been driving into the 7th level of Dante’s Inferno on the way down the garage drive, but we made it. Toronto seems to be a young town with tons of apartments and green spaces all around. After a quick lunch in the hopping food court we found the entrance to the Hall of Fame!

Now it was time to head to the airport. The roads were packed and it was stressful but we made it and we were one of the first in line!!! Then we had a quick dinner and time to load up to head to Iceland!!

It’s finally here! The big day! Honestly I didn’t sleep well because I was worried about missing my alarm for our 4 AM wake up to hit the road to Pasadena by 5:00 AM. According to Google, the drive should take 20 minutes. Oh Google, nice try🤣🤣

Actually the first 3/4 of the drive was clear and simple. Then it was time for our exit ramp; we had purchased parking beforehand to make things easier and to have a secure spot. So, we jockey into position to exit. Literally .8 of a mile from the exit ramp, and we stop. And stay stopped. For the next hour and 40 minutes. We couldn’t believe some of the “driving” taking place around us as I slowly started to lose my mind.

Now the roads closed at 6 AM. Lucky for us, we didn’t need to cross the parade route to get to our spot. Finally we pulled into the garage and found our spot at about 7:30 AM. We had about 30 minutes to find our seats and get in them.

We found the seats easy enough, but the line to get up there, oh my. One of Seamus’s buddies’ mom found us in line and helped us get to our seats just as they closed off the parade route! Whew! We made it!!

Now, California is supposed to be warm. It was quite chilly but we came prepared and you are pretty stuffed into the seats, so it wasn’t bad. Thank goodness! The KTLA tv station was directly above us, and tv corner just to our left. We were at the beginning of the parade while everyone was fresh!! One of the drum majors’ mom was next to me and kept me on track with floats and when Mason would be coming down Colorado Avenue!

After making it back in 20 minutes, it was nap time! We had one more event that I will save for the last post!! It was such an amazing opportunity to watch Seamus and the MHS marching band make their way down Colorado Avenue in the 2024 Rose Bowl parade! Michigan came out with the OT win over Alabama and will play next week in the National Championship against Washington!!!

Disneyland was the focus of today’s travels; we came, we saw, and we conquered most of our objectives for the day!

Getting into the parks took a hot minute, and when we made it to the trams to ride into the park, I was able to load the GeniePlus service, which helped us get onto more rides!

Rain had fallen most of the morning, but the clouds were lifting as we entered the park. The numbers weren’t crazy so it was pretty simple once we reached the gates.

Max chose to ride a Star Wars ride first and we were able to get on pretty fast!

After riding we grabbed some lunch at PizzaPlanet before staking our place for the parade to see Seamus march through Disneyland!

Next up: watching Seamus and the Mason band march through Disneyland as their last performance before the big parade. Luckily we lined up next to Seamus’s buddies’ families, and we all watched the kids march from Its a Small World up the Main Street to the big Christmas tree at the beginning of the park. They did a great job and miraculously we ended up on the side with Seamus marching. Max videoed with my phone and I took pictures with my good camera, so those will be added later. It was a great performance!!

Once the band marched on through Disney, Max, Joe, and I headed onto the next ride. We hit up The Jungle Cruise due to the shorter line time. Now, let’s be clear, unless you had the Lightning Lane pass, no line was short🤣🤣. Lucky for us, we had been warned! This park originally opened in 1955, and I think Jungle Cruise may be one of the original rides from that era. We had a fun boat driver and managed to stay mostly dry!

Now we were off to Star Wars area to ride Smugglers Bay. Of course we spent a lot of our time here!

After catching up with Seamus and checking out lightsabers for a bit, we decided to head for the California Adventure Park. Unfortunately we did not get to ride the Avengers rides we wanted to ride, but we did see quite a bit. The Cars land was amazing. I really enjoyed it. On the way we explored the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse too!

Now it was time to head back to the other park and finish up some rides and eat!! The important stuff. It stayed busy the whole time but definitely cooled off in the evening. I was cold waiting outside at the Haunted Mansion—which was redone for The Nightmare Before Christmas. It was really neat!

Today was a slow transition day for us; definitely needed. We moved from Seal Beach up to Sherman Oaks to be closer to Pasadena and the parade. Nice hotel, just not a great area.

On the way there we stopped and explored the LaBrea Tar Pits in LA. Really cool experience and we learned a little too.

Meanwhile Seamus and his buddies were hanging out at Universal Studios all day. Amazingly I did receive a few pictures!!

Next we headed to the Galleria in Sherman Oaks to watch the Bengals play. The food and service were good, the game, not so much. Once done there Joe and I literally ran across the street to Target. We had our first experience with the cart mover to the 2nd story of Target. Yes. Yes we are easily amused 🤣🤣

The rest of the evening we decided to stay in and just hang out to prepare for tomorrow’s big parade. Happy New Year!!

Today we headed north on the 405 in our Santa Fe to Pasadena and the Rose Bowl and float barns to watch the floats being constructed. Only a few were in there to see, but the process was pretty cool to see. The homes around the stadium were huge and amazing. We definitely made our way into the foothills of the mountains.

Next we headed into Pasadena to watch the Bandfest and Mason perform their show for the last time. We had a quick lunch at Jack in the Box where we ran into the Myers and the Gallimore’s for lunch. The kids performed at Pasadena City College at Robinson Field. The line to get in was at least a mile long!

The bands who performed were awesome! We saw bands from Costa Rica, Hawaii, and California plus Mason. It was fun to see the styles and uniforms each wore. Honestly I think it was Mason’s best performance yet. The response from the crowd was overwhelming too. So proud of these kids!

Now to prepare for Disneyland tomorrow and watch Seamus march in the Disney parade! I’m hoping to get tons of good pictures tomorrow ❤️🎄

We are on the way to the airport to meet up with Seamus and the Mason High School marching band in California! The band left yesterday morning, bright and early, and took 4 chartered flights to LAX.

After a “boring and bumpy” flight, according to Seamus, the kids arrived in California and headed to the Santa Monica pier.

So we left a day later, heading out of CVG. Smooth and uneventful flight, which is always a good thing in my book!

LAX is big but not overly busy. Until you get on the 90 minute bus ride to the car rental place. But we picked up the car and headed to the Hampton inn on Seal Beach. Joe had to work for a bit, so Max and I went to Barnes and Noble to look around for a bit.

After Joe finished up working, we grabbed him and went for a long walk through the marina to the beach. There was a beautiful sunset and I grabbed some great pictures!! Now it’s time to get some sleep!!

Everyone slept hard our first and only night in Frederick, Maryland. Today we we’re heading into Washington DC to the Hop On Hop Off Bus to take in the monuments and Arlington Cemetery. The drive down wasn’t too bad, but the driving was interesting. This would be our last road trip in the Acura, and as always, she did great! Google drove us in along the Potomac and we were able to find a lot cheaper than valet at the hotel and really right up the street. The bus stop was about 3 blocks away so we sunscreened up, grabbed the backpack and camera, and headed out on our adventure!

We headed towards the Mall to start taking in the monuments. Now the humidity was high, and it was hot. So we ducked into the Natural History museum to look around, eat some lunch, and what the heck, buy a car. Yes, you read that correctly, I bought a car while eating lunch. Thanks to Jill and her salesman Matt, we pulled together a deal over texts! Crazy!!

Next, because it is next door, we ventured into the American History Museum to see some exhibits on war. We didn’t make it to the Dorothy shoes from The Wizard of Oz or other icons, but we did learn quite a bit and had the chance to learn some cool facts. Then we were off to the monuments up the Mall! Lots of walking for sure!

Now we were heading into the Washington Monument area and the WW2 Memorial, which I had not been to before. It was overwhelming and beautiful. The weather was very muggy and the skies threatened rain, but we made it through without any drops falling on us!

After visiting the Washington and WW2 sites, we found ourselves at the Korean Memorial. This one is so striking and realistic, and so different from the others; it just really stands apart from the rest. The faces are what get me every time.

Off to the bus stop we went to make our way across the bridge into Arlington. Now we knew the afternoon was passing quickly, but we had no idea of the adventure we were about to endure! We made it to the Changing of the Guard, which was amazing, but the journey back is where things become interesting!

Now the fun begins. We were told the last bus was at 4:30 back across the bridge. After taking the tram back, we arrived at the stop at 4:35. No bus. So, against Max’s better judgment, we start trekking across the bridge back into DC. It was hot. And muggy. About a mile in length, and then, the damn bus passes us about halfway across the bridge. Now Max has decided to jog the bridge at this point and we all knew a big “I told you so!” was coming, but we did manage a few laughs after this trip. And, once we made it back to the Lincoln, we hailed a cab to the hotel because we were beat!!

Our hotel was the Embassy Suites near the Convention Center. The location was perfect and we found a parking lot that was much more economical and safe than the valet. We ended up parking next to the Chanel and Louis Vuitton stores! After retrieving our bags and getting to the room, we rested up a bit before dinner at the hotel and then off to the Treasury Building to embark on our ghost walk through DC!

Finally we were ready to head for the hotel and catch some sleep but not before grabbing ice cream at a McDonald’s where the ice cream machine actually worked!!!