🚐✨ VANILLA'S GREAT COASTAL ADVENTURE. ✨🚐

Intro:

Buckle up, dear reader — or better yet, grab your campervan keys and your best roadtrip playlist, because this is no ordinary blog post. This is the fully loaded, turbocharged, Rattler-fuelled tale of John Nickolls and Vanilla — the indium grey campervan with orange accents, a soul of adventure, and more gadgets than a Bond car. We’re diving deep into every glorious detail of my 3-day escape across North Wales, with so much colour and texture you’ll practically feel the sea spray on your face. Let’s go!

🗺️ DAY 1: MILFORD → LLANGOLLEN → HORSESHOE PASS → CONWY → LLANDUDNO

🚀 Milford (ST17 0UR) → 09:00 blast-offPlaylist: Depeche Mode, Underworld, Dire Straits, and a few guilty-pleasure 80s bangers (you know you love it). The fridge is stocked — Rattler cider, bacon, the Ninja Thirsti bottle chilling. The DJI drone is charged and humming in its case. Vanilla rumbles to life, and Stafford fades behind us as the adventure crackles in the air.

⛽ Fuel burn: ~140 miles, £15.50

📍 Llangollen (LL20 8RY)11:30 arrival. Picture stone bridges, narrowboats bobbing along the canal, and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct soaring 38 metres above the Dee Valley. I stroll the towpath, chat to local boaters, maybe hop a steam train, and without doubt find the first pub of the trip for a refreshing lime and soda (because when I’m driving, it’s all about the soft drinks). Parking: £3.

📍 Horseshoe Pass (LL20 8DW)14:30. The road curls and climbs, sheep scatter like confetti, Vanilla handles the hairpins like a champ. I stop at the iconic Ponderosa Café for a coffee, tip £2 into the pot, and launch Nemesis (the drone) to capture sweeping aerials. Breathe in the mountain air — this is what freedom smells like.

📍 Conwy (LL32 8AY)16:30. The medieval walls wrap the town like an old embrace. I wander the castle, peek into Britain’s smallest house, and devour a double-scoop ice cream while the salty breeze tugs at my jacket. Parking: £6.

🌅 Llandudno West Shore (LL30 2BG)18:00. Vanilla is parked facing the sea, pop-top raised, kettle on. The sun dissolves into an orange-pink haze. I kick back, crack a cider, and sigh with that feeling only campervaners know — you’re home, everywhere you go. £8 overnight parking.

✅ Day 1 Total: £19 parking + £15.50 fuel

🌊 DAY 2: LLANDUDNO → ABER FALLS → BARMOUTH → ABERDYFI

🐐 Morning goats + seaside walkLlandudno’s Great Orme goats casually wander the streets like they own the place. I sip coffee, stroll the promenade, wave at the early joggers, and soak in the morning calm.

📍 Aber Falls (LL33 0LP)10:30. A short, gentle hike leads me to a thunderous, mist-spraying waterfall. I perch on a rock, sip water from my Thirsti bottle, and marvel at nature’s soundtrack. Nemesis gets another spin overhead. Parking: £5.

📍 Barmouth (LL42 1NE)13:30. The smell of fresh fish and chips hits before I even park. I wander the sandy beach, fend off ambitious seagulls, and devour lunch while watching kids leap over waves. There’s something timeless here, like childhood summers wrapped in salt and sunshine. Parking: £5.

📍 Aberdyfi (LL35 0EA)17:30. As the day winds down, I roll into Aberdyfi, pastel-coloured houses glowing in the low light. I park near the dunes, wander barefoot across the sand, and later settle in for a soft drink at the local pub (because when I’m on the road, it’s all about the soft drinks!) or a starlit movie night inside Vanilla with the Nebula projector. Overnight parking: £8.

✅ Day 2 Total: £18 parking + £15.50 fuel

🌲 DAY 3: ABERDYFI → DOLGELLAU → MACH LOOP → BETWS-Y-COED → MILFORD

🥐 Morning:The air fryer sizzles bacon; the kettle hums. I sip my coffee, watching the waves roll in, feeling like the king of the coast.

📍 Dolgellau (LL40 1AR)History and charm tucked under Cadair Idris. I meander the narrow streets, marvel at the stone architecture, maybe pick up a pastry at a local bakery. No parking fee — just good vibes.

📍 Beddgelert (LL55 4YD)A delightful detour on the way to Betws-y-Coed. This picture-perfect village sits at the meeting of rivers, with stone bridges, a legendary faithful hound’s grave, and cosy cafés where I’ll sip a lime and soda. I’ll wander the trails, admire the scenery, and snap a few drone shots before continuing.

📍 Mach Loop ViewpointSomewhere between Dolgellau and Betws-y-Coed, I pull off at a safe spot and wait. Suddenly, the silence shatters: RAF jets slice through the valleys, thundering so low you feel it in your chest. Cameras click, jaws drop, hearts race. This isn’t just a roadside stop — it’s a highlight.

📍 Betws-y-Coed (LL24 0AE)13:00. Fairy-lit cafés, waterfall trails, souvenir shops (yes, I buy a fridge magnet). Parking: £4. I pause to soak in the last tastes of Wales before rolling homeward.

🏡 Homeward bound:14:30. Fleetwood Mac on the speakers, windows down, grin wide. Another ~140 miles, £15.50 fuel.

💰 TOTAL TRIP COST

Fuel: £~39 (at 35 mpg, approx. 25 litres)Parking: £41Food, fun, extra ice creams: £60+TOTAL: ~£147.50

🎶 THE ULTIMATE ROADTRIP SOUNDTRACK

• Born Slippy – Underworld

• Enjoy the Silence – Depeche Mode

• Walk of Life – Dire Straits

• Go Your Own Way – Fleetwood Mac

• Mr. Brightside – The Killers

• Dreams – Fleetwood Mac (because one is never enough)

• Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen (obviously)

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📸 GEAR CHECK

• DJI Mini 4 Pro (Zoom) ✅

• Ninja Thirsti bottle ✅

• Anker & Jackery powerbanks ✅

• Air fryer & Cadac BBQ ✅

• Nebula projector for pop-top cinema ✅

• Solidline torch & Sonos Roam for camp vibes ✅

• Spare blankets, solar panels, folding chairs ✅

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💥 WHY THIS TRIP IS LEGENDARY

Because this isn’t just a roadtrip — it’s a rolling symphony of sights, sounds, smells, and joy. It’s drone footage over valleys, seagull chases on beaches, Mach Loop flybys rattling your ribcage, and knowing that Vanilla isn’t just a campervan; she’s a companion, a home, and a ticket to freedom.

This is more than a weekend away. This is a memory bank stuffed to bursting. This is why we drive. 🚐💨💛