After flights from the US to Manchester, England, we made our way into Scotland on different four trains before arriving in Aviemore. We were able to enjoy a nice hike in the national park and an afternoon walk and dinner in Inverness later that day.
Here is our first short video from the road of our hike in the Cairngorms National Park near Aviemore.
Stirling, our second stop in Scotland, is of great strategic and historic importance. We spent our time visiting the castle, old town and the William Wallace Monument.
We spent three days in Fort William enjoying several outdoor activities, including hiking and boat cruising on a lake. We also took a day trip by train and ferry to the Isle of Skye.
Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, was our last stop on our train journey. We spent time here visiting many historic sights as well as several museums.
We explored Alaska by train and cruise ship over 13 days in June 2007. The highlights of the visit included two national parks, Denali and Glacier Bay, as well as activities in four cities. The wide open spaces and natural beauty made it a very special trip.
Ecuador provided a great getaway to experience historic haciendas, beautiful volcanoes with sweeping vistas and natural rain forest jungle in the Amazon Basin. All of this was experienced during a 10 day trip in November 2008.
Our first stop on our Ecuador journey was at a Hacienda near Otavalo, north of Quito. Otavalo is famous for their craft market. It is the largest indigenous market in Ecuador. It takes place in Plaza de Panchos. There are food and animal markets in other parts of the city.
Cotopaxi National Park is 50 miles south of Quito. We stayed at a wonderful hacienda in the area that contains some original Inca empire walls. We also took a day trip into the park and a short hike.
We spent three days hiking and viewing wildlife in the Amazon Basin. Our home base was Sacha Lodge, which is approximately 50 miles downstream from Coca, Ecuador on the Rio Napo (Napo River).
