By Staff Writer: Kelsie Glenn
Imagine standing on a hill, raindrops tickling your face, as a rainbow touches the ground so close you swear you could grab it. That was my long weekend in Wales, a tiny country with a giant heart, bursting with lessons in nature, history, and community. As a wanderlust craving adventure, I found it all in the wilds of Wales, and I’m here to share the magic with you.
My family stayed in an off-grid yurt on Annie’s land, a cozy canvas tent where sheep wandered like fluffy cotton balls and a tree grew right through the lounge. We cooked in an outdoor kitchen, braved a compost toilet (a quirky science lesson in sustainability), and showered under open skies. It showed me how little we need to live a big life; nature does the heavy lifting.
The highlight? Snowdonia National Park, home to Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), the highest peak in England and Wales at 1,085 meters (3,560 feet). We rode the Snowdon Mountain Railway, a 4.7-mile track climbing through rugged cliffs and heather. Our plan to hike down from the summit hit a snag; windy weather stopped us at Rocky Valley Halt, about 680 meters (2,230 feet) up, near the dramatic Llechog ridge. Still, the views taught me geography in living color: valleys plunging, peaks soaring, and rainbows everywhere, each one a prism of light bending through the Welsh misty air. I even saw the end of a rainbow; what a first! Science has never felt so real.
Welsh natives were as warm as their landscapes. Annie’s stories, hikers’ chats, and locals’ smiles showed me that their community thrives outdoors. This small country, with its coast-to-border vistas, begs you to explore, rain or shine. So, grab your boots and some friends! Wales is a living sanctuary, teaching us to chase rainbows and embrace the wild.