Sweet Tooth Traveler:Whitby

Hello? Anyone still out there? Sorry it's been so quiet here this past week. Since I last posted I enjoyed a lovely Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), took a quick trip to Liverpool, finished Zoey's nursery, and introduced Zahara to the pool. I have so much to share--once I've edited my 1,000 pictures.

In the meantime, have you been to Whitby, England? If you live in Northern England, I'm sure you have. It's a must-see location for me. Getting there is half the fun, as you drive up the steep cliffs of the Yorkshire Moors. The town itself is so charming, and the abbey ruins are beautiful. But, you know me. My favorite part of Whitby is the cake shop :)

Sweet Tooth Traveler: Whitby, England
Whitby, England is best known for its stunning sea-side views; gorgeous abbey ruins; and links to Braum Stoker’s Dracula. But let me tell you, don’t leave town without sampling the sweets. In particular, I never miss a chance to eat cake at Marie Antoinette’s Patisserie. These sky-high cakes and super fresh scones are worth the trip. Last time I was there I got a slice of chocolate brownie cheesecake and a slice of banoffee. Delicious! The cafe is tiny, but charming. With only a few tables downstairs and a few more upstairs, it makes for an intimate tea-time setting.

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Highlights of the Isle of Skye

Next up on our road trip across Scotland was exploring the Isle of Skye. To be honest, this was the part I was most excited about. Pictures from the island are breathtaking, and my friends who have been there rave about it. I'm happy to report that it did not disappoint.

One tip about exploring the island though--make sure you have plenty of gas. There are not a lot of opportunities to fill up once you're out there. Case in point, we got down to only 33 miles in the tank! I was so nervous, but we made it :)

Practically running on fumes

I wrote about my must-sees on the Isle of Skye on TripWolf.

Top Sights on the Isle of Skye
About a year ago while browsing photos of beautiful travel destinations on Pinterest, I stumbled upon a place that looked like it belonged in a children’s story book. The combination of blues, purples and greens in the Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye, Scotland looked too good to be true. I marked the location as a future destination and waited for the timing (and weather) to be right. Last week, that time finally came.

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Read about our other stops in Scotland:
Loch Lomand
Kyle of Lochalsh
Inverness and Glasgow

Travel Tip: Keep a Toiletry Bag Packed

Little known fact about me: I am an avid traveler that hates packing. I will do almost anything to avoid it, meaning most of my packing gets done at the very last minute. Dan especially hates this "quirk" of mine since he is the one listening to me gripe days before our trip. I'm over on Tripwolf again giving my tip for making packing a little easier. Hope it helps you too.

Travel Tip: Keep a Toiletry Bag Packed
For as much as I love to travel, I absolutely HATE packing. Before any trip, no matter the length or destination, I turn a little bit grumpy as I have to plan out what to bring. I’m actually a really good packer and constantly surprise my friends and family with the amount I’m able to squeeze in. Nonetheless, it just seems like such a chore to me. With an average of around one trip a month, you can see how this is a problem.

Travel toothbrushes [source]

One way I’ve lessened the burden of packing is by always keeping a toiletry bag packed. By this I mean an airline-approved quart-sized bag full of liquids that total less than 3 ounces. This is such a simple concept, but it revolutionized my routine. It is so easy to just grab one bag full of all the odds-and-ends that normally kept me scrambling until the last minute. Everyone’s toiletry bag will look different, but here is what’s in mine.

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