Wander. Wonder. Discover. 
I’m two weeks in from my arrival back home after the most amazing trip to London and Edinburgh with another top-notch tour organized by John Shors Travel. They are the same company that I traveled to France with last year, so I had clear expectations that this would also be a well-run, all-inclusive tour with a private guide and a wonderful group of fellow travelers. This time, bestselling historical fiction authors Heather Webb and Eliza Knight joined us. I won’t bore you with details of the jam-packed itinerary which covered all the standard must-sees. But I will share a few of my favorites as this was the first time that I had visited the UK, the land of my ancestors (England and Scotland). I arrived the day before the tour officially began to get acclimated to the time change. To fill my afternoon while I waited for my hotel room, I booked myself into a walking tour of SoHo to visit, and sample, four pubs while we listened to our very knowledgeable tour guide regale us with stories of British invasion bands who lived and performed in those SoHo pubs as they got their start. Very cool. And the ales were great too, although I learned to order half pints, otherwise I’d never have made it back to my hotel. The next day, I took myself out of London via train to visit Bletchley Park, which I had learned about by reading Kate Quinn’s The Rose Code. Another gem of history! We also enjoyed fabulous meals, including a dinner cruise on the Thames, and a performance of SIX at a West End theatre. The tour even had planned on a full morning of shopping at Hatchards, Burlington Arcade, Heywood Hill Books and Borough Market. I admit going a bit hog-wild with the shopping (tiaras, a tea set for my new granddaughter, lots of books, and double decker buses for my 2-year-old grandson), but managed to fit everything into my two carry-ons. I may have sacrificed some clothes and left them behind in the hotel.

After five days in London, we boarded the train at King’s Crossing (as in Harry Potter’s Platform 9-3/4) and traveled up to Edinburgh. What a beautiful city! I got a kick out of seeing traffic cones on statues, the same tradition the Tartan Army brought to Boston for their World Cup games. After finding it sold out in two stores, I found my mother’s clan tartan plaid for Davidson and nabbed a scarf, wondering if I missed an invite for a family reunion that may have happened before I got there. We walked miles every day, which was a good thing considering the food and beverage we put away each day. I met some wonderful ladies who also share a love of history and Heather and Eliza couldn’t have been friendlier and so fun to have along with us to share tidbits about some of the books they’ve written set in England and Scotland.

Now that I’ve developed an intense wanderlust, I’ve bookmarked John Shors Travel website to keep an eye on their trips for 2027 and 2028. In fact, they have another one scheduled with Martha Hall Kelly, this time to Boston and Martha’s Vineyard. I’m hoping to meet up with the group at some point. Maybe you’d like to join us!

I also have more travel on my horizon coming up later this month as I head to the setting of my next book for first-hand research. As my editor pointed out, that’s a great way to create a sense of place and to better understand my characters. More to follow on that front as the story nears completion.