The Packing Dilemma

As I prepared for a 2-month trip to the Netherlands, Ireland, and Scotland, I had a huge dilemma: I could only take a carry-on suitcase. Well, I didn't have to take a carry-on only, but I would have to store my suitcase in a public locker for a week during the Scottish Tour. I wasn't willing to do that. Besides, it would be much easier to carry the smaller suitcase around than lug a regular checked baggage onto public transportation and around city streets. I decided to take a week's worth of clothes with me; I could get 2 weeks out of it and then wash in my lodging. 

The "Stuff"

In my suitcase:

3 Baleaf Yoga Dress Pants (black, brown, khaki)

2 Active Pants (gray, blue-the blue one is not this brand but is very similar)

1 Cuddl duds bottom (because the active pants are pretty thin...I may need that extra layer, especially at the beginning of my trip) 

1 Fleece-lined, waterproof pants

2 Fleece Tops (black, olive)

5 Long-sleeved & 3/4 sleeved shirts

2 Short-sleeved shirts

1 Pair of pajamas

6 Pairs of underwear

1 Bra

6 Pairs of socks (2 are Merino Wool)

Boots (Lightweight and very comfortable)

Toiletry bag (which won't have much in it since everywhere I'm staying will provide toiletries)

Door lock (Peace of mind/extra security)

Laundry Sheets

Quick-dry towel

Retractable portable clothesline

Universal Travel Adapter (as a backup for the PWR Travel Pro-see below)

Daypack

Crossbody

Cardigan

Z-Pack (Just in case)

In my backpack:

A pair of jeans and underwear in a compression cube

Packable raincoat and down long jacket

2 portable chargers (1 is a backup ): The PWRMobile PWR Travel Pro lets me charge up to 5 devices (although the cord for my phone doesn't charge it for some reason), has 3 different adapters, and also has wireless charging 

Sneakers (Very lightweight and super comfy)

Earplanes (Seriously...these work wonders!)

Airfly

Earbuds

Neck travel pillow & mask (The last overnight flight I was on was the first time I used these...it was also the first time I actually slept on a plane!)

Nustrips (This also helped me sleep on the plane)

Medicine

Glasses/contacts

Owala Water Bottle

Tablet

Making It All Fit

Let me preface this by saying I'm not a small woman, so my clothes are not small either. I really like Baleaf because the material is not only light but also quick-drying. I can wash the pants, hang them up, and they'll be dry the next day. 

As I look back over the list, it looks like a lot, but it really does fit into my carry-on and backpack. Once I get to my first destination, I'll unpack and reassess as needed. 

I started "practice packing" a couple of months before the trip because I can get a bit OCD and anxious about stuff. I didn't want to be kept up at night as the trip got closer because I wasn't going to be able to fit everything in my suitcase.

First, I tried compression cubes only. I did it, but it was tight. I'm finding that the compression cubes limit how the clothes go in the suitcase. I also am finding that I tend to overpack the cube, so they're bulky and take up a lot more room than I think they should.

This isn't all of my clothes in these 2 cubes; just the pants in 1 and the fleeces in the other

I was curious to see what would happen with the vacuum bags. I know there are people who swear by them. I put the pants in 1 bag and all of the shirts in the other. I placed the pants on 1 side of the suitcase and the shirts on the other side. I put the pants on top of the first layer in the suitcase.

As I opened the suitcase, this is the very top layer

When I unzipped one side, this was the top layer

And then under that: shirts, underwear, pjs

The top layer of the other side was the bag that held my pants

The bottom layer

The result: I had a hard time zipping my suitcase closed. It was bulging a bit. So, back to the drawing board. I decided to do a combination of cubes for my fleeces & pants, then use the bag for the shirts. It worked a little better.

Shirts on top

Under the shirts (I forgot how I configured my boots from last try; this way didn't work as well)
Quick dry towel and cuddl dud are in the compression bag

Pants in the big bag, 2 short-sleeved shirts in the small

The suitcase closed more easily, but it was still a bit tight. Once again to the drawing board. This time, I didn't use any kind of compression. I used a mixture of folding my clothes in thirds and rolling.

There are all of my clothes (except for fleeced pants, underwear & socks) on 1 side of the suitcase

WINNER!

I think I have a winner! I watched a video explaining how to correctly use a packing cube. The purpose of the cube is important: is it for organization or for saving space? For me, on this trip, it's definitely to save space. So, I will be foregoing the bags and cubes. I think I can save more space with my clothes by folding and rolling better, as seen in this video. Since I was able to fit almost all of my clothes on 1 side (except for my socks, which will go in my boots, cardigan, fleeced pants, and underwear), that leaves me with a lot of space on the other side of my suitcase. That makes me feel so much better!

Ireland: Wild Atlantic Way Tour 2025 Pre-tour

As soon as I returned home from my 2024 tours with Vagabond Tours of Ireland, I started planning the next trip. I invited my sister, who wasn't able to travel with us, and to my surprise (and joy), she said yes. If she had declined, I would have gone solo. I feel that comfortable with Vagabond that I wouldn't have thought twice about going by myself. 

We opted for the 8-Day Wild Atlantic Way Tour. There were some places I'd already visited (and wanted to return), and some places that were new for me. The Driftwood Tours are the perfect pace for me; even though it's not the "active" branch of the tour company, we got in plenty of exercise every day. We had 13 people on our tour, and we all got along famously. Our guide, Shane, set the tone as soon as we got on the bus, which really helped. I have had fantastic "Vagaguides" (as they're called) for all 3 tours. They are the ones who can make or break the whole trip. And, really, you're spending good money to be on that tour...with Vagabond, it's money very well spent.

Before the tour began, we had a full day in Dublin to explore. I let my sister take the lead since I had already done the "touristy" things. The day we arrived, we walked around a little bit and saw the Temple Bar area, the Ha'Penny Bridge, and, of course, we paid homage to Molly Malone.

And I had to visit The Long Hall and actually take pictures this time. We went in and had a little drink.

The Long Hall is a traditional pub is on South Great George's Street

The Long Hall was established in 1766...10 years before the USA won its independence

The interior dates back from 1881

Slainté

For our full day, we bought tickets to the Hop On/Hop Off bus so my sister could see most of Dublin without having to walk. The one thing she was interested in seeing was St. Patrick's Cathedral so we spent quite a bit of time there. I checked the events before we went, and a high school choir that isn't far from where I live was performing. We made sure we were there for part of it. I went into the Cathedral for the first time in Ireland (in 2017), but I didn't spend a lot of time there. We took our time and learned a lot about the cathedral and Irish history.

While tickets are necessary, they are available to purchase at the door.

There are guided tours available, but we learned a lot by taking our time, watching the video, and reading the signage

The Lady Chapel was built in 1270 and restored in the 19th century. It is also called the "French Chapel" because it was used by French Protestant Refugees 

A piece of history: this is the cannonball that killed Lord Lisburne (1 of William of Orange's commanders) during the Siege of Limerick is hung above where he is buried.

Door of Reconciliation: During a family feud involving the Butlers and FitzGeralds, the Butlers sought refuge in the Cathedral, and the FitzGeralds followed. After attempting to make peace, Gerald FitzGerald ordered that a hole be cut in the door; he stuck his hand through it and offered peace to the Butlers. Realizing that Gerald was ready to risk his hand to make peace, the Butlers accepted the offering and the families made peace.

Toilets and a gift shop are on site.

We stumbled onto a real gem with the church where we attended Mass the night before the tour started. St. Andrews Catholic Church was the first church to be built on a Dublin main street after Emancipation. Daniel O'Connell was chairman of the building committee and donated the Baptismal Font (which, unfortunately, I don't have a picture of). John Hogan was a renowned Irish Sculpture; there are a couple of his sculptures in this church. 

(Information is taken from the St. Andrews website)

St. Andrews Catholic Church is made up of the pre-Reformation parishes of St. Andrew, St. Anne, St. Peter, and St. Mark

The Farrell Memorial by John Hogan

The dome was cast from a mould by John Hogan, depicting the Coronation of  Christ. The medallions (also by John Hogan) represent the 4 pre-Reformation Parishes that now make up St. Andrews

The Mortuary Chapel was built in 1909; the sculpture on the altar (on the right side of the picture) is the work of Willie Pearse, brother to Padraig Pearse (One of the leaders of the Easter Rising)

The Nuptial Chapel originally was the Baptistry

The main altar. The painting in the center (Descent from the Cross) dates to 1755. 

I think every Catholic Church in Ireland has a statue of St. Patrick!

Holy Water is available outside of the Church. Only in Ireland would it be in a whiskey barrel! But just in case, the sign on it indicates that the Holy Water is not for drinking.

On the walk back to the hotel, we went by Kennedys. This was mentioned on the Hop On/Off tour as a pub where Oscar Wilde worked when he was young. It was also a hangout for James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, and W.B. Yeats.

Established 1850

We chose to stay at the hotel from where the tour departs so we wouldn't have to rush to be there by 8:00 a.m. We had plenty of time to eat breakfast, get our suitcases, and head to the lobby to meet Shane and our fellow travelers. To recap this trip, I'll divide the posts into places I revisited this time and new places. Just as in the 2 previous tours I've been on with Vagabond, each day was packed full of beautiful sites. 

First Solo Road Trip: History and Fun

Splattered during my visit to the Painted Churches were interesting places I discovered along the way: A couple of historical sites along with a fun one. 

Historical Site some Texans may not know about

Since I didn't grow up in Texas, I don't know a lot of that state's history except as it pertains to Tennessee. When I planned my route on Google Maps, the Kreische Brewery and Monument Hill showed up. I did a little bit of digging and decided to stop and see what this place was all about.

Heinrich Ludwig Kreische,  was a German stone mason who immigrated to Texas. In 1849, he bought 172 acres of land along the Colorado River (along with the Dawson/Mier Tomb), built a 3-story house and brewery that was to become one of the first commercial breweries in Texas.

The brewery is now in ruins

When a new batch of beer was ready, the brewery would hang a banner with "Frisch Auf!" (literally, "Fresh On!") so the community would know they could gather for beer and fun.

The house is still in relatively good shape

The kitchen

A bedroom

View from the downstairs bedroom

The cistern. The girls would do their sewing here to make use of the good light.

The Monument Hill was a piece of fascinating Texas History. In 1842 and 1843, the Dawson Massacre and Black Bean Death Lottery (respectively) took place. Captain Dawson's company of 53 men answered the call for volunteers after San Antonio was captured. To make a long story short: They were intercepted by 500 "irregular Mexican cavalry". 36 of Dawson's men were killed; 15 were taken prisoner. Dawson attempted to surrender but was shot; the same fate was met by the soldier who took up the flag and rode toward the Mexican lines. The Black Bean Death Lottery occurred when 176 Texan Prisoners of War were recaptured following an escape. At first, all prisoners were going to be executed, but then it was decreed that every 10th man would be shot. Their fate would be decided by having each man draw either a black or white bean from an earthen jar. In 1848, the bodies from both events were buried at Monument Hill.

The tomb in front of the monument. The Kreische Family took care of the tomb when they owned the land.

Close-up of the monument. In 1936, the monument was erected.

Ewen Cameron was a Scot who was a Texas Hero. The town where my mother grew up is named for him.

First Shot of the Texas Revolution

In 1831, Gonzales, TX, was in Mexican Territory and had been on the receiving end of raids from Native Americans. The Mexican Government gave Gonzales a small cannon so it could protect itself from the raids. 4 years later, Santa Ana was the dictator and gave orders for the Mexicans to take the cannon, but without engaging. The Guadalupe River was high, and the Mexican in charge yelled across the river to surrender the cannon. He was told that the Texian leader was out of town and would be back the next evening, allowing reinforcements to arrive. There was a heavy fog, so the Mexicans didn't see the reinforcements arrive. The 2 leaders met with no resolution, and a flag that said "Come and Take It" was unfurled on the cannon. The cannon was then fired, and the Mexicans (with orders from Santa Ana not to fire) retreated. You can find more on the history here.

Monument of the First Shot of the Texas Revolution; intersection of State Hwy 97 and  State Hwy 95 Spur

Behind the Monument is a road that will take you to the location of 3 battles. The Children's Monument is down that road.

A close-up of the Children's Monument

Sam Houston Oak

Not far from where the First Shot happened, and down a dirt road (County Road 361), is the Sam Houston Oak. It is said that, after burning Gonzales to keep it out of the Mexican's hands, Houston's troops rested under this oak. Santa Ana is also said to have stayed under this oak a few weeks after Houston left.

The tree is on private property but can be seen from the road.

The McClure-Braches house (on the left in the distance) was built in 1843 and is still owned by a member of the Braches Family.

Now for some fun

As you read in my Painted Churches post, I visited Shiner, TX. Why wouldn't I tour the Spoetzl Brewery? Shiner is a really small town (under 3000 people) so the brewery was very easy to find. Upon paying for the tour, I received a couple of tokens for beer. The gift shop had a lot of Shiner merch, so make sure you have time to shop. I went into the shop first, then to the bar and waited for my group to be called. Upon calling for the group, the guide told us to make sure we had a cup of beer for the tour. This was the first brewery/distillery tour I've been on that did that. It was great! 

I was really impressed with how Shiner uses all Texas products to brew and bottle their beer, except for the Czech hops. Shiner is also distilling spirits, so I made sure to purchase a bit before I left and received a couple more tokens. The "Rickhouse" is a new restaurant; construction was still going on when I was there, but I did buy some sausage from the deli style restaurant. It was delicious and there was a lot of food. At the end of the tour, we were given a ticket and told to make sure we go by the admission booth for a surprise. We were gifted with a 12-pack of Shiner Bock!

The bottling section

My "parting gift"!

One Last Thing...

Weikels Bakery in La Grange. THE place to get some amazing Kolache! Before I headed out of TX, a cousin suggested a kolache place to grab a couple on my way out. Her husband said I was going to be disappointed after having Weikels'....he was right! They were so soft and fluffy...just incredible!

Kolache on the top, Klobasniky on the bottom

PSA: Please do not call these kolache!

If you're traveling to Tx between Austin and Houston, I hope I've given you some ideas of places to visit.