Leaving the modern world behind, we entered a fairy-tale as we stepped out of the car in Oxford, England. The architecture takes us back, but to when? The city boasts examples of every English architectural period since the 11th century. Our highlight was the impressive University of Oxford. While we looked forward to seeing the […]
Walking through History: Alnwick Castle (Hogwarts) in England
We each stepped inside Alnwick Castle for different reasons. For hubby and I, it was part of the journey through time in the British countryside. Downton Abbey fans find it a familiar Christmas backdrop. And, for our girls and other Harry Potter fans around the world, it’s Hogwarts. No, this is not a Warner Bros […]
Photo Tricks: Shattering the Illusion of Broomstick Flying
Several years ago the girls and I took broomstick flying lessons in the same English courtyard that Harry Potter learned to fly. They were timed to fall just after the “On Location” tour of Alnwick Castle, an actual castle that was used as portions of Hogwarts during filming. To this day, people still ask me about […]
Travel Tips for the UK and Ireland Visitors
We just spent five weeks driving around the UK and Ireland with a teen and a tween. We learned a lot, made many mistakes and discovered some great secrets. Here are my best travel tips for the UK and Ireland: See London but save most of your time for the rest of country. Go Slowly […]
Scottish Highlands: Hogwarts Express, Ruins & a Dog Fouling Sign
The “Hogwarts Express” is real, or at least it’s a real tourist attraction in the Scottish Highlands. The train runs from Fort Williams to the North and back. Sarah, our girl who chose a Harry Potter Studio tour for her birthday gift, was really hoping we could take a ride. Unfortunately I waited too late […]
Edinburgh Castles, Cloned Sheep, and More Edinburgh Fun
Scotland’s largest city Edinburgh is really interesting. Most everywhere we looked we found stone buildings, narrow streets, and buildings with what seem like too many chimneys. It all seems to lead uphill towards the Edinburgh Castle and lots of Edinburgh fun! Lots of other sites to see in Edinburgh. A few favorites: We carried Lonely […]
Broomstick Flying Lessons At Alnwick – Where Harry Potter Learned To Fly
What could be more exciting than taking broomstick flying lessons in the same field where Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasly and even Draco Malfoy all learned to fly? Today was that day! We had our first broomstick flying lesson at Alnwick Castle in the UK. The beautiful “living castle” sits along England’s North East […]
Highlights of the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London
Sarah had her birthday the first week of our travels, but she celebrated it today at the Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio Tour. It was the highlight of week of looking for Harry Potter in London, and even beat out broomstick flying lessons at the castle where Harry learned. Sarah wants to tell you all […]
Finding Platform 9 3/4 – Searching For Harry Potter In London
We allocated about a week to see London. Seems like enough time, but somehow we each had our own agenda. Today, we focused on our tween’s primary goal of searching for Harry Potter in London. Not the boy, but platform 9 3/4, a bridge, a street, the Leaky Caldron, the reptile house, Big Ben, and […]
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