Saturday, August 10th (Minneapolis to Reykjavik)

Three best things:

1. People’s smiling reactions to the matching outfits showing our zest for hiking.

2. General, all around anticipation of the upcoming hike with my good friend.

3. The luxury of going first class!

Thoughts: It is a relief to have only myself to look after and daily responsibilities consisting only of

-strolling for 5 to 10 hours a day

-soaking up the scenery

-exulting in the ability to do the same hike we did eight years ago

Sunday, August 11 (Reykjavík to London by plane, London to Saint Pancras to King‘s Cross to York by train, York to Whitby by bus)

Three best things:

1. Singing the “Plane Socks” song and chatting with people on the plane

2. The beautifully patterned fields and hedgerows of England viewed from the window of the plane

3. The helpful Brits and eating a crumpet on the train

Thoughts: It is life affirming to connect with strangers and share kindness and laughter. It is splendid to see the solid old buildings and the sea in the distance against the blue, blue sky.

Monday, August 12 (Bus from Whitby to Robin Hood’s Bay… stopping every 12 seconds or so… hike from Robin Hood Bay to High Hawsker)

Three best things:

1. Sleeping until 11 a.m.

2. Wandering the narrow cobbled lanes of Robin Hood’s Bay and imagining all of the old smugglers doing the same thing long ago

3. Views of the North Sea and the fields of wildflowers framing it.

Thoughts: Public transport has been absolutely packed with the exception of one train. People have been happy to help us with the system from 11-year-old girls hanging out at the local bus station to elderly men. I love the vibe of the English and the vitality of the land and the other hikers!

Tuesday, August 13 (Hike from High Hawsker to Intake Farm near Littlebeck)

Three best things:

1. Miles and miles of heather

2. Meeting lots of people coming the opposite direction on the path…the way we hiked the first time…the direction that sane people take

3. The bucolic nature of the section…cows, sheep and the occasional goat

Thoughts: People truly want to be helpful and to be heard, to laugh and smile and to have a decent life. The Coast to Coast is kind of a love fest! Love of nature seems to transform into love for one another.

Wednesday, August 14 (Hike from Intake Farm, through Littlebeck and Grossmont and Egton to Glaisdale)

Three best things:

1. Classic English Countryside all day…green rolling hills as far as the eye can see

2.  Lunch beside the tracks where the old steam train pass by…visited by two daring little boys wondering about our accents. The youngest brother we later dubbed “the little troll and his funny voice”

3. Remembering things from the last time we did this!

Thoughts: Feeling fit and sort of well rested and very fortunate to have this life.

Thursday, August 15 (Hike from Glaisdale to Lion Inn, Blakey)

Three best things:

1. Sweet small views on the way out of town…lanes and gardens and farms and farmers

2. Cows and their owner, Richard…he came along while we were conversing with the cows and explained all about them. He was quite proud of how social they were!

3. The wind and drizzle was refreshing on our faces for the first 10 minutes but by hour three we were quite disgruntled by the damned weather!

Thoughts: It was a cold, exhausting day ending with an early arrival and a hot bath. A person can walk quite quickly when it won’t stop raining and blowing!

Friday, August 16 (Hike from Lion Inn to Clay Banktop to Great Broughton)

Three best things:

1. A kind, easy walk after a joking sendoff from neighbors of the Lion Inn…they were correct that we were starting out in the wrong direction, I guess

2. Blue skies, puffy white clouds and heather everywhere

3. Everybody, everywhere is so kind

Thoughts: The walk was perfect and the village of Great Broughton was adorable…and our server at a restaurant was named Heather which is so very appropriate to our latest travels.

Saturday, August 17 (Hike from Great Broughton to Park Inn)

Three best things:

1. Laughing at our foolishness while wading through the Fern Forest following paths on Gaia. We met up with the people who were ahead of us on the path at lunchtime and they were having a good laugh about seeing us from above barely visible in the towering ferns

2. Lunch at the darling, isolated café in the hills with lots of happy wanderers

3. Amazing views from the hilltops included Cringle End

Thoughts: The couple that owned the Park Inn was absolutely adorable. Their friends who camped overnight we’re great breakfast company! It was a very beautiful walk and we climbed over 100 stories according to our phone apps.

Sunday, August 18 (Hike from Park Inn to Danby Wiske)

Three best things:

1. Large variety of twists and turns and tunnels of trees

2. Stiles and bridges were abundant

3. We were able to command cows to form a fairly straight line

Thoughts: It was a troubling walk day for me. Vertigo and one’s body listing to the left are not good things to struggle with over a long distance. ER visit required when the walk was done in case it’s related to the concussion from Grand Portage, Minnesota.

Monday, August 19 (Taxi to Richmond for recovery while Mel battled the wind and rain solo.

Three best things:

1. The castle views were stunning

2. The market square was quaint and sweet with a marvelous bakery

3. Meeting up with Melodie after not seeing her all day was wonderful

Thoughts: It was reassuring to have no issues while walking about 5 miles resting at the end of each mile. Took a cab back to our lodging so I could continue to support the industry…

Saturday, August 20 (Danby Wiske to Richmond)

Three best things:

1. Houses and gardens of all types

2. The market square

3. Meeting up with Caroline, Chris, Mark, Don and Will in the park after not having seen them since May

Thoughts: The Swale River, the castle, the friary garden and dinner with good friends made for a perfect day!

Saturday, August 21 (Tiny hike from Reeth toward Richmond to meet Melodie. She walked from Richmond to Reeth)

Three best things:

1. Hilly beauty of the area

2. Sheep complaining en masse

3. Hiking with the Brits to meet Melody

Thoughts: Just thankful to be feeling okay but very cautious after the events of a few days ago. It is hard for somebody as determined as I am to dial it back a bit!

Thursday, August 22 (Hike with Melodie from Reeth toward Keld. Melodie continued to Keld and I took the bus)

Three best things:

1. The Black Bull Inn…hours spent in the company of the locals and the bartender

2. The skinny little styles in the sheep pastures

3. The long views of the patchwork of the land with the mist and rain on one end

Thoughts: These are some trying days. I want to feel healthy and I have numbness in my arms, vertigo and odd leg movement at times.

Friday, August 23 (Keld to Kirkby Stephen)

Three best things:

1. Allen, the taxi driver, telling me the story of his life and showing me his house as we drove past it

2. Seeing Melodie as we neared Kirkby Stephen and jumping out of the cab to walk with her

3. The lovely village and people

Thoughts: It is quite a cold August!!!

Saturday, August 24 (Morning walk 7 miles from Kirkby Stephen and back…afternoon walk 5 miles to meet Melodie and return to Orton…could just have walked the whole thing with her)

Three best things:

1. Charming details of Kirkby Stephen

2. Wonderful variety of scenery and paths

3. Allen and more stories on the way to Orton

Thoughts: An almost normal day for me in terms of energy and steadiness. Gorgeous scenery all around in a large variety of styles!

Sunday, August 25 (Hike with Melodie from Orton to Bampton…half rainy and half cool and clear

Three best things:

1. An early start gave us half of a rain-free walk

2. So many adorable sheep

3. Sufficient fortitude to continue while being whipped around by cold wind and rain but not the best day of my life. Just sayin’…

Monday, August 26 (Hike from Bampton to Crookabeck)

Three best things:

1. We aren’t dead

2. We aren’t injured

3. The scenery was incredible when we weren’t being blown off the mountains or drowned by the rain

Thoughts: I have reassessed my need for strenuous hiking…

Tuesday, August 27 (Day in Patterdale due to torrential flooding…what they call a “hurricane” in England)

Three best things:

1. Learning a card game called 3-13

2. Spending time laughing and singing with the new Brits

3. Posh evening with Melodie at the Wordsworth Hotel in Grassmere

Thoughts: We needed this recovery day after the hell of yesterday!

Wednesday, August 28 (Warned not to walk again and not disappointed at all! Took the bus to Royal Oak in Borrowdale)

Three best things:

1. No walking

2. No wet feet

3. More time with the new Brits for fun and games

Thoughts: We are ready to go home even though it has been quite an adventure!

Thursday, August 29 (Bus to Keswick and pick up by Luke to Ennerdale Bridge area)

Three best things:

1. Extremely scenic bus ride from Borrowdale to Keswick

2. Pencil factory in Keswick

3. Informal car tour with Luke, our lodging host, when he came to pick us up in Keswick

Thoughts: Tired and nearly finished…

Friday, August 30 (Separate hikes to the Seacote Hotel in Saint Bee’s with Chris and Caroline surprising us by joining us! They met me about 6 miles from the end and we joined Melodie who had walked the whole route.)

Three best things:

1. Luke, who is the definition of a really nice guy

2. Stunning views of the city and a perfectly gorgeous sunny day….finally

3. Four friends hiking together the last miles

Thoughts: So lucky to have all the wonderful friends I have in my life

Saturday, August 31 (Trains and a long hike and another train to get us to Sofitel at Gatwick airport)

Three best things:

1. Breakfast with the Brits in the Seacote Hotel before leaving them

2. Riding on trains…my favorite form of transportation

3. The vibe of London walking across the city to Euston station to Victoria station…encountering two protests and a lot of happy, busy people enjoying their Saturday

Thoughts: 10:42 AM to 8:10 PM…a harder “hike” than many we took during the official route;)