Day 7

Day 6

Day 5

Day 4

Day 3

Day 2

Day 1

West Highland Way, Scotland Overview

Scotland had been on my list of places to travel since 1996 when Ward's Best Bitter beer kept me from making my bus from Sheffield. A close friend told me the West Highland area and although he didn't walk it, suggested I would enjoy it. Sign me up. Shaun was interested too so we set off in early July for an amazing adventure.

My favorite part about our trip was how pure it was. Our job was to walk. No modern distractions. We would wake up, eat, walk, eat, walk, eat, sleep and do it all again the next day. It was an amazing way to see the country but even in remote locations, modern transportation was always up above, or in the distance or in view. I'd take this trip several times over again if I could minus the food poisoning. Someone asked me what we talked about the entire time, I guess that is something that just comes easy.

We were able to spend time in both Edinburgh and Glasgow too, so all in all we got a feel for what this beautiful country offers. I enjoyed Arthur's Seat and Parliament in Edinburgh. We went to restaurants like Spoon, Howie's, and bars, Bow Bar and Sandy Bells. The veggie haggis or smoked salmon did me in from Always Sunday and after the Castle and Whiskey tour, I was SICK. It was impossible to find plain crackers or anything like the comforts of home. Shaun picked an amazing restaurant and I couldn't even touch the food so we would return on our trip back through Edinburgh along with Khushi's. The restaurant, David Bann Restaurant. There was quite a lot of veggie fare in the cities.

In Glasglow, I was still not 100% but we made it to Kelvingrove Museum, Where the Monkey Sleeps and another amazing vegetarian restaurant.


Day 1 Milngavie to Drymen @ Glenalva B&B
The Clachan Inn, The Oldest Pub in Scotland 1734
Also a visit to the Glengoyne Distillery, single malt whiskey

Day 2 Drymen to Rowardennan Rowadennan Hotel
Hill top views and locals out for their daily "stroll"

Day 3 Rowardennan to Inverarnan Beinglass Farm - 14 miles!
Rocky paths, most spently on the Loch

Day 4 Inverarnan to Tyndrum Tyndrum Lodge- 13 miles!
Easy Day... reward Fish and Chips!

Day 5 Tyndrum to Inveroran Inveroran Hotel 1708 @ Bridge of Orchy
Donnchadh Ban was a gatekeeper on the local estate and his nature poetry is known as some of the finest in Gaelic tradition. One of his most famous songs is "Oran do'n cheile nuadh podsa," song to the newly married couple. It was written for his wife who was the daughter of the Innkeeper

Day 6 Inveroran to Kinlochleven Highland Getaway Hotel- 21 miles!
LONG WALK to the mid-point. Today was Devil's Staircase and a long descent

Day 7 Kinlockleven to Fort William Berkeley Guest House
Long stretch to the finish!

No midges!

Oregon Brewers Festival July '08

It was Laura's Bachelorette weekend but since she is a good friend but non-beer drinking friend, I appreciated her joining in for the festival :). I went in with a plan.

My favorites from 2008:

Eugene City Brewery 100 Meter Ale*****
Surly Brewing Co. Coffee Bender, Brown****
Green Flash Brewing Co. Hop Head Red***
Eel River Brewing Co. Organic IPA**
Laurelwood Brewing Co. Workhorse IPA**
Dick's Brewing Co. Dick's IPA**

Aloe

Shaun chose Aloe, a quiet, intimate restaurant in the East Village for one of our dates, it was here that the homebrew restaurant idea was born!

My last game at Shea (no pictures)

Shaun, my parents and I went to Shea, this was my last time and as I hoped, I got to see the Apple rise once again. It was the Mets vs. Phillies and The Mets LOST. There are no pictures of us as Shaun's very new iphone ate the pictures. :-0!