After what feels like forever, I’ve blown the dust off the laptop to write this post. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? It’s actually been 9 months (and before anyone asks, no, I’ve not been birthing more humans).
I’ve actually been going through the motions of various hobbies. Drawing, painting, scrapbooking… Truthfully, I’ve brought myself a load of new gear for said hobbies, and dropped them as quickly as I started them. Don’t we just love ADHD?
…But alas, I am here. And while the sun’s playing peek-a-boo over the northern hemisphere, I feel somewhat inspired to write again.
Cool spots I’ve visited
Beaumaris Waterfall
I thought I’d covered everything there is to know about Beaumaris, but it turns out I missed a hidden gem, despite living a stone’s throw away. Seriously, I NEVER knew Beaumaris had an actual waterfall, but a wander into the woods on a cold autumnal day told me otherwise.
As you can imagine, it was a great find. One of those that took a typical woodland walk from good to great. It was a bit of a dirty walk in the wet season, mind. Great fun for dogs and kids, and with suitable footwear, there’s no doubt you’ll relax into it too.
The walk’s fun, the waterfall is instaworthy, and the mud just gives that casual Sunday stroll a little sense of adventure.
If you decide to wander in my footsteps, do be mindful that it’s steep in areas, so if there are any Usain Bolt wannabes in the tribe, then best to keep them in sight or hand.
It’s also worth knowing that parking isn’t great. I’d suggest parking on the green and walking up. If you do fancy a visit, I’ve saved you a Google search and linked it here (you’re welcome).
Porth Tyn Tywyn
If you’ve read a few of my posts, then you’ll know Cable Bay is maybe my favourite beach on Anglesey. But next door but one, I think I might well have found a contender.
I’d actually been to Porth Tyn Tywyn years ago as a child, and wondered where it was. But that wonder was satisfied after a drive around in the campervan in early March. We did the “oh, this place has no barrier, shall we turn in?”, and found ourselves on a small, quiet corner of the island.
No praying for a parking space, or hustle and bustle, just a generously sized (albeit very potholely) car park, an easy stroll over some dunes, and we landed in a small, cosy beach scattered with pebbles, rocks, and a gentle shore.
There were a few dog walkers dotted around, and a group of energetic ladies motivating themselves to do a coldwater swim…and us. Bliss.
Penrhos Country Park
Now, despite this spot being well-documented, dare I say I’d never been? I suppose that’s the magic of Anglesey. Just when you think you’ve done it all, you haven’t, and there’s something new tucked away somewhere to enjoy.
This trip came about after I’d sat scrolling endlessly on Instagram the night before. Yes, I had tech-neck, but it was so worth it. Here, I happened upon a post on Penrhos Country Park, and thought, “let’s give it a go”. The next day, we loaded the camper and went with a picnic in hand, and little idea of what to expect.
While the car park was busy, we found a space pretty quickly. We had our picnic and made a start on the day along the stony estuary. In true me-fashion, it was incredibly leisurely. We sat for a bit, balancing stones, we walked for a bit, and sat down some more. After we’d fully got over our ‘food coma’, we ventured into the woodland for a proper look around.
I have to say, it was a nice walk. There were buggy-friendly paths (or scooter-friendly, if you like), an old pet cemetery that was somehow both charming and morbid, and a nice walk along paths that cut through dense forest. We stumbled across Tunnicliffe’s Seat, a famous painter, well-known for his paintings of birds on Anglesey.
We mosied around for a while, chatting about this and that, and the kids seemed entertained. They really enjoyed the mix of sand, sea, stone and forest. So a definite win, I’d say. Annoyingly, on the way home we noticed a cafe backed by what looked like a play area which woud’ve been a plus, so it looks like we’ll have to go again.
Tyddyn Mon – Pancake House
More recently, I was heading to Lligwy running errands when I said to Josh, “I fancy something to eat, I’m sure that Pancake place is near here”. A quick Google Search confirmed it was a 1-minute drive away, and that was the decision made.
It had been a while since I’d last been, and it didn’t disappoint. My youngest has additional needs, so you’ll probably notice, as you read my posts, that I like places that are generally quiet and sensory-friendly.
Tyddyn Mon, I have to say, was the biggest box ticker of a cafe I think I’ve actually been to on Anglesey. Now, I’ll boldly and confidently say here that this is in no way a sponsored post; in fact, none of my posts are. But I can say with a hand on my heart that it was maybe the only stress-free meal we’ve had in the past few years. Though take that with a pinch of salt, because she was having a good day.
Either way, what I liked was the acres of land for the eloping mad-head that is my child, but the car park was dead, and there’s more grass than car park, so pretty safe. There was a little play area (slightly tired, but it did the job), a few animals stowed safely in fields, and a garden with some outdoor musical equipment to tantalise her senses. Oh… and a little soft play area attached to the cafe.
In the cafe, there was more than reasonably priced food- 2 courses and a drink for kids at £5.95 was a bargain. And I got my pancakes! Result – bloody gorgeous too, thick soft, and topped with strawberry, banana and chocolate.
For those of you looking for something easy, super-safe and stress-free, for me it’s a list-topping contender, but check opening times before you go because they close pretty early.
And that’s it, for now anyway…
I swear I’ve been to more places recently, but I suppose these stood out the most. Over the next few months, as I dust off my sunglasses and lap up the sun, I’ll be sure to keep you posted on where’s worth a visit, and where’s best to swerve as you join me on an Anglesey Adventure.
It’s good to be back – and thanks for sticking around to the end of the post.
Love,
Caz x
