My travel & days out diary

St Ives to Land’s End Coaster photos, review + helpful traveller info

Published on January 6, 2023January 6, 2023 by VictoriaLeave a comment

In summer we rode St Ives to Lands End on an open-top bus known as the Land’s End Coaster!

It’s a really fun and affordable way to see the beautiful Cornish landscape if you’re on holiday in Cornwall, or even if you live here.

It’s also an adventure if you have kids and a great idea for a low-cost activity in the summer holidays.

So what makes this bus journey so special and out of the ordinary?

Read on as I share some photos in our Land’s End Coaster review, our honest thoughts and some useful traveller information. Enjoy!

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Camel Trail Wadebridge to Padstow: Is it good for kids?

Published on January 5, 2023January 5, 2023 by VictoriaLeave a comment

If you’re planning a trip to Cornwall with your family and are looking for a fun and active outing, the Camel Trail is an excellent choice. In this post, we’ll focus on cycling the Camel Trail Wadebridge to Padstow with kids, and share some tips and recommendations to make the most of your journey.

In 2022, we cycled The Camel Trail from Wadebridge to Padstow, or vice versa, three times with the kids. In winter, spring and summer, we experienced the famous Camel Trail across three different seasons.

It’s an ideal part of the trail to cycle with kids as there are no roads to cross and a flat concrete path. It’s around 5.5 miles each way, so an 11-mile round trip.

For reference, our kids were 6 and 9 at the start of the year and, then 7 and 10 years old at the end of the year. The distance is about enough for them currently, with a stop for snacks or a picnic along the way!

Below we’ll share some photos and helpful advice if you’re thinking of cycling The Camel Trail Wadebridge to Padstow with your kids too.

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Visiting National Trust’s Trerice Manor in Newquay, Cornwall, with kids

Published on January 1, 2023January 1, 2023 by VictoriaLeave a comment

In the summer we visited Trerice Manor which is in Newquay, Cornwall. It’s managed by National Trust of which we are members, so we had free entry with our passes. We took our children, aged 7 and 10 years old at the time. Read on as I explain more about what to expect at Trerice Manor in Newquay and whether it’s a suitable day out if you’re looking for things to do in Newquay Cornwall that aren’t a day at the beach!

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14+ vegan-friendly restaurants and plant-based cafes in Newquay, Cornwall

Published on October 4, 2022October 4, 2022 by Victoria6 Comments

When you visit a new place, especially as a vegan, it can be hard to know where to find vegan-friendly and plant-based food options. Having moved to Newquay in Cornwall in 2021, one of Cornwall’s most popular summer tourist destinations, we have been checking out some of the local vegan-friendly offerings. We have much more to explore but have found a lot of choices so far.

So if you’re in Newquay and looking to grab a bite to eat that’s plant-based then read on. Here are the places we’ve tried so far and keep an eye on my blog as I’m sure we’ll be sampling many more soon!

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Exploring Roughtor and Brown Willy with kids

Published on August 20, 2022August 30, 2022 by BenLeave a comment

Visit the highest peak in Cornwall and explore the surrounding moors with this amazing walk around Rough Tor, Little Rough Tor and to the top of Brown Willy. This is an adventure for the whole family with loads of amazing views, rocks to climb and wildlife to experience. It’s a great family fun day out.

Within this article, I’m going to share our experiences of this beautiful walk with our kids and point out a few helpful tips so that you can be prepared and get the most out of your visit. We visited during the summer (August) so it was at the height of the holiday season. Our kids are aged 7 and 10 so it’s always interesting to see how they get on during our slightly longer walks.

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St Erth to St Ives train ride (STUNNING coastal views)

Published on August 14, 2022January 6, 2023 by VictoriaLeave a comment

If you’re looking for an easy way to access St Ives without the hassle of trying to find a parking spot in one of the busiest towns in Cornwall then read on. Here’s our St Erth Park and Ride review with lots of helpful information to plan your journey.

It’s also one of the best coastal train rides in the whole of Britain with stunning scenery. I’ll share some photos below so you can see the type of amazing coastal views to expect!

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Watergate Bay to Mawgan Porth, South West Coastal Path walk

Published on July 2, 2022December 11, 2022 by VictoriaLeave a comment

Since walking from Perranporth to Newquay and also from Porth to Whipsiderry to Watergate, I’ve really wanted to explore the next stretch of the South West Coastal Path walking from Watergate Bay to Mawgan Porth.

I finally ticked it off my to-do list this week as I enjoyed an amazing 10km walk from my home in Newquay, past Whipsiderry and along the South West Coast Path at Watergate Bay to Mawgan Porth… where Ben greeted me with a lift home and a warm pasty! Yum! (Cauliflower and onion bhaji from The Cornish Bakery if you’re wondering… vegan-friendly!)

Read on to see my thoughts and photos from this glorious stretch of the coastal path.

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Glendurgan Garden, National Trust, Cornwall

Published on June 27, 2022January 1, 2023 by Victoria1 Comment

Last Sunday we visited Glendurgan Garden in Falmouth, Cornwall. It’s a National Trust site and so we had free entry and parking with our membership. Glendurgan is around a 50-minute drive from our home in Newquay through some lovely leafy country lanes around Falmouth.

The weather had looked a bit iffy on Sunday and likely to rain, so we looked for something to do that might be slightly sheltered or indoors on the National Trust app. Glendurgan looked great as although outdoors, perhaps sheltered with large trees and they had a couple of activities for the kids and a cafe if needed!

Thankfully, the weather stayed dry for our visit, but it was freezing! After a week of warm 20 degrees celsius, it was around 15 degrees on the day we visited and we really felt it, even in coats and trousers!

Since living by the coast we have really found the weather so unpredictable, especially with the coastal winds which can really cool down the temperature if they are cold!

Anyway, here are some photos from the Glenurgan gardens and a little information about what to expect if you decide to visit yourself.

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Bristol Botanical Gardens review

Published on June 8, 2022March 6, 2023 by VictoriaLeave a comment

If you’re looking for something calm and peaceful to do whilst in Bristol then I recommend a visit to Bristol Botanical Gardens. Here are my photos from our recent trip and my review.

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Eden Project Cornwall review, photos + helpful visitor information

Published on April 15, 2022November 10, 2022 by VictoriaLeave a comment

The Eden Project is an amazing place we had visited a couple of times in the past when the kids were dinky, but we have returned twice in the last month with the children now being 9 years and 7 years old. They couldn’t remember it from before, but Bella had a school trip recently and since moving to Cornwall last year, we decided it was great value to sign up for their annual membership so we can visit regularly throughout the next year.

Read on to see our March and April 2022 photos from the Eden Project and some thoughts on our two recent visits so you know what to expect. Discover some answers to some common questions about the Eden Project Cornwall and how you can save money if you are local, or if you regularly visit Cornwall and love the Eden Project.

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Beautiful 10km Newquay coastal walk: Whipsiderry to Watergate Bay along the beach, and back along South West Coast Path

Published on February 25, 2022December 11, 2022 by VictoriaLeave a comment

This is probably one of my favourite walks so far since living in Newquay. It was the first walk I did by myself: a 5km walk from the far end of Whipsiderry Beach to the far end of Watergate Bay. The first time I did it, Ben and the kids picked me up from Watergate Bay as they stayed and played at Whipsiderry. Just this week, we returned and we walked as a family to Watergate Bay and then back along the cliffs taking the South West Coast Path from Watergate Bay to Whipsiderry, back to where we’d parked the car.

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