In brief
In his book Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, Vice‑President JD Vance describes Caernarfon Castle as “the coolest thing I’ve ever seen”. The 13‑century fortress’s enduring walls remind him of the vastness of history compared to the relatively young United States. The visit, made with his wife Usha, sparked a habit of choosing off‑the‑beaten‑path sites and a deeper appreciation for local culture. Through this experience, Vance reflects on the humility of being a tiny dot in time and the value of immersive travel.
During a 2013 trip to north Wales, Vice‑President JD Vance and his wife Usha were captivated by Caernarfon Castle, a 13th‑century UNESCO world‑heritage site.
In his new book *Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith*, Vance writes that the castle was “the coolest thing I’ve ever seen”. He describes how the ancient walls made him feel dwarfed by centuries of history, a stark contrast to a Cincinnati house he calls “historic” for being only 150 years old.
The couple, drawn to the site of King Charles’s investiture in 1969, took a local English breakfast before touring the nearby Conwy Castle. Vance compares the day’s adventures to a typical vacation of sights, meals, and too‑much drinking, emphasizing the newfound sense of being “a hiccup on the vast scale of time.”
Vance recounts meeting utility workers in Wales who were humorously dedicated conservatives who had read his National Review articles, calling the experience a reminder of a world that is “strange.”
He concludes that the visit sparked a lasting practice: choosing off‑the‑beaten‑path places to truly understand life in a foreign land, rather than merely photographing landmarks.
