Happy 10th anniversary, Glasgow Gallivanter!

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I love food, drink, music & walking both in my home country, Scotland, and abroad. This is my travel blog where I intend to write about all these things. It’s under construction, but please call back later. As a taster, here I am at the Grand Canyon in 2009.

The image and text above announced to the world my arrival as a travel blogger on July 5th, 2011. Well, when I say the world, I mean my Mum and Dad. We were about to embark on one of our North American road-trips, and blogging daily while we were away seemed like a good way to keep them informed of what we were up to. I continued to blog on-the-go for about three years – certainly, the posts are short and with few images, but I couldn’t find the energy to do that now.

During those three years I never seemed to look up and realise that there were other bloggers out there talking to each other, so those early posts are eerily quiet. That first documented trip was to Georgia and the Carolinas, and a little bit of Tennessee. In honour of my tenth anniversary I have chosen one image from each post, so at last someone will see them! Clicking on the captions will take you to the full post if interested.

Callaway Gardens, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Ocmulgee National Monument, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Magnolia Plantation, South Carolina
We saw alligators! Magnolia Plantation again
Charleston, South Carolina
Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina
Mount Mitchell, North Carolina
Biltmore House, Asheville, North Carolina
Chimney Rock, North Carolina
Cade’s Cove, Tennessee
Lake Fontana, North Carolina
Blood Mountain Cabins, Georgia
Blood Mountain, Georgia
“Alpine” Helen, Georgia
Brasstown Bald, Georgia
Dahlonega, Georgia

So there you have it: the blog’s first travels in a nutshell. This has been a fantastic hobby for 10 years, and I hope to keep it going for at least another 10 (preferably, post-pandemic, with some actual travel). I love being able to preserve my memories in this way and so appreciate the contacts it has helped me make. Dear reader, I mean you! Thank you everyone for reading and reacting.

Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, USA ,

94 Comments »

  2. Happy tenth blogiversary, Anabel. A decade of blogging; a wonderful hobby indeed. I’m glad you had many follow-up trips to the US and elsewhere. And, that quiet comment section sure has exploded over the years! 🙂

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  3. Congratulations Anabel to you and John (the photographer, par excellence!) … wonderful memories for you – I’ve never been to that part of the States. Cheers Hilary

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  4. Congratulations on your 10th blogging anniversary! I’ve realised more and more as this pandemic has worn on how fortunate it was that I decided to set up a blog too. It is such a good chronicle of past trips – I wouldn’t have remembered all the detail if I hadn’t written about it and photographed it. Plus you meet so many interesting people! Hopefully there will be many more trips to come 🙂

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  5. Time does fly ☹️
    I’ve been doing this blogging lark for a little longer than you but the years have flown by.
    I discovered your blog when it had been live for a while but have been enjoying reading your posts ever since.

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  6. Congratulations on 10 years, Anabel! A stunning heading photo! The Savannah, Georgia, photo brings to mind the movie “Midnight in the garden of good and evil.” You seem to do well with heights. Chimney Rock leaves me breathless even sitting at my kitchen table. 🙂 I love your blog, Anabel. I have mentioned to you in the past, how you even make history fun. Here is to at least another 10 years!💕

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  8. Congratulations on ten years of blogging, Anabel! I loved learning more about your blogging history. Like others, I am so glad that you decided to open your blog out to all!
    Cheers to ten more years!

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  9. Happy 10th anniversary! I’m glad you finally decided to start reaching out to other bloggers – I’ve enjoyed being blog friends all these years (and meeting in person too!), and hope you keep the blog going for at least another ten years! I’m enjoying reading some of your early posts too.

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  10. Happy 10th Birthday Glasgow Gallivanter! That’s a great achievement! I think I may be a little bit behind you, 9 years this month. Happy future travels Anabel. Xx

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  12. Congratulations – 10 years is quite an achievement. I’ve so enjoyed reading about your travels and learning more about Glasgow through your wonderful posts and I look forward to another 10 years!

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  13. Happy Anniversary Anabel.. It has been a very great pleasure being a very small part of it particularly your wanders around Glasgow and surrounds. and I have enjoyed all your photographs.

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  14. Happy Blogging anniversary! And it was a little odd to see photos of places I’ve actually been to on your blog…and sort of fun. Usually, I just look at them and think, “wow, I’d like to go there someday!”

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  15. Here’s to the next fabulous 10, and to lots of meet ups in the next 10 too 🙂 so glad you did look up and start to discover other bloggers and that I discovered you too. Happy Anniversary Anabel 🙂 and also a very happy anniversary to your sidekick and photographer xxx

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  17. I will be reading some of these like the famous Biltmore Estate and that cabin. I would never ever be standing that close to death. It just looks so damn scary. I’m glad you are continuing to write about your travels near and far. This Friday I am getting my 2nd shot…Moderna.

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  18. Congratulations! And you don’t look a day older! I shall have to come back to this post and read the original posts – that Chimney Rock for instance is fascinating, where on earth where you to get that photo?

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  20. Happy Anniversary, Ms Gallivanter. Anabel, your writing about your adventures and photography always draw me back for more look forward to the next ten years of exchanging life between NZ and Scotland.

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  21. It looks like a fabulous trip, Anabel. My good old laptop finally packed in and I don’t much like reading posts in miniature but I can manage the odd comment. Here’s to your next 10 🤣💕

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  23. Congratulations on your first ten years and I look forward to the next ten years with double the pleasure knowing now what to expect from you. The photography was outstanding then as now and I hope we can all start travelling soon to, as it were, scratch the itch. I keep on thinking of taking a coach trip somewhere but then another batch of Delta breaks out somewhere and I crawl back into my shell. Talk about lost confidence! So again dear Anabel, many congratulations on reaching this milestone.

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  25. Congratulations on your first ten years, Anabel! Great pictures as always – you certainly set the bar high from the start!
    I’ve never been to Georgia – through but not to. I’ve visited North Carolina, though. Great place!
    And now things are beginning to look yup, what plans are you making for real or imaginery trips?

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  30. Happy Blogversary and Congratulations on our ten year milestone as a blogger! You have certainly visited some spectacular places and had some incredible experiences.
    I actually started my blog for similar reasons: it was a way of keeping folks back home informed about our experiences when we emigrated to the US. I wonder if, like me, you have found over the years that you now just enjoy blogging for its own sake and for the connections to other bloggers and readers?

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  31. Great photographs. You certainly get around. When I was at my most adventurous outdoors the internet didn’t exist at all and even comparing my posts from five years ago to now there’s a definite drop in ambition (i.e doing big serious hills) if not in quality of photography or writing. Only natural I suppose as I shuffle nearer 70 than in my springy prime. Love that chimney rock photo.

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  34. Yes, congratulations on 10 years of fabulous blogging! I really enjoy your posts & photos so I’m happy to know you intend to keep posting. I’ve enjoyed all I’ve learned of your beautiful Scotland too😄

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  36. Nice way to celebrate the anniversary of your blog. You had the same reason as us to start your blog: keeping family and friends up to date on your travel. For us it was in 2012 when we moved to Paris for a few years. I also never imagine that there would be so many strangers who would take an interest in our simple blog. We are also looking forward to be more active on the blog with some real travel. Happy anniversary and many more years to come,

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  39. Wow! That was a great way for your folks to join you in your travels. Congratulations on your tenth anniversary of blogging!

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