Ahhh that’s great to hear! This means, of course, that I have to work up my courage and actually start talking to people 
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Hi Anabel,
Carmarthenshire is a welsh speaking county with Welsh spoken in the towns and villages. I was born in Carmarthen before moving away for work . I spend all my holidays in Wales at Plas Uchaf in Llanybri at my farmhouse and Barn which was once owned by Dylan Thomas’s aunt Anne Williams.The Barn is available for holiday lets throughout the year. We are a mile from Llansteffan on the coast with its famous Norman Castle overlooking Carmarthen Bay and the Irish sea.Llanybri is a 20 minute drive from Dylan Thomas’s boat house at Laugharne.
Carmarthenshire is regarded as the royal county as Prince Charles has a place here. It is known as the garden of Wales too because of it’s green lush countryside undulating hills and valleys and home to the National Botanical gardens . It is right next to Pembrokeshire.
See our website www.plasuchafruralretreat.com
Croeso i gymru! Mwynau!
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Three cheers @sandralanewillis for the shout out for Carmarthenshire. I live in Cwm Gwendraeth which in itself probably isn’t prime tourist territory, but with Carmarthen, and the Brechfa mountains and the Cefn Sidan beach along with Llansteffan and Laugharne it deserves many more visitors. Too many just go straight through on the A48 from the motorway to Pembrokeshire.
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Greetings from another Chicagoan! I just took my first trip. I spent 2 weeks in Wales - one outside Caernarfon and the other outside Machynlleth, but we had a car and drove all over the place. Both were fantastic areas - beautiful in late June, and I can imagine how lovely it would be in October with the leaves changing! I would suggest looking at the train lines and planning your trip around those if you aren’t going to have a car. Just a warning - if you’re in north Wales and want to head south to Cardiff on the train, it’s an expensive ticket and a long trip that will take a full day. I definitely heard more Welsh being spoken around Caernarfon, but everyone pegged me as an American right off, so everyone approached me in English. Good thing, because the minute I set foot in the UK, all the Welsh I’d learned flew out of my brain and I couldn’t remember anything other than diolch 
I need to go back so I can practice!
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I know this was directed at anabel, but I’m also in Chicago and would love to find someone I could practice with!
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HI fellow Chicagoan!! Thank you so much for this! I really appreciate the info. 
Any chance you’d like to practice speaking with me, since we’re in the same city??
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Wow, thank you so much for this!
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Thank you @sandralanewillis and @margaretnock for the suggestion! I’m not sure I’ll have time this trip but will absolutely keep in mind for next time!!
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Wel dw i di ffeindio bo fi angen ymarfer mor aml a phosib. Felly nes i cyfarfod pobl newydd a dw 'di siarad cymraeg efo nhw.
Dylet ti fynd. Mae’n neis i fynd ac mae pawb yn neis hefyd.
Pob lwc. Mwynha dy wyliau.
If you ever visit for long enough not to mind visiting places where virtually no one speaks Cymraeg, Gower is glorious! Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty! Ancient tombs, cairns, caves occupied before the ice age…castles…are you into history? prehistory?.. but only a few still speak Cymraeg, all in North Gower, except 2 I know of in south Gower who have moved from Gogledd Cymru.
I’d love to. I’m in the north suburbs - where are you?
I’ve also got a ton of tourist brochures that I can give you if we meet in person that might help you narrow down what you want to see/do.
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An update: I will be in Wales Oct. 3-8, staying in Llandudno for the first couple of nights and then in Caernarfon. If anyone is in that area and would be interested in chatting please let me know, or if you have any suggestions for things I absolutely must see/do/eat while I’m there!
I’m so excited to visit Wales for the first time and hopefully be brave enough to use my Welsh!
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Would love to. I am about 30 minutes from Llandudno so if you fancy a chat let me know.
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We’re about ten minutes south of Caernarfon - Carmel - and you’d be very welcome to come round for a panad and a chat in Welsh…
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I work in Caernarfon so can be in town any weekday lunchtime, and I’m only 5 minutes away - Caeathro - in the evenings. So panads & chats available on request!
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Hi Anabel:
You’re right in my old stomping grounds. I lived in Llandudno Junction as a child before moving to Llanrwst. You’re in for a treat! This is without a doubt the prettiest place in the world (although I may be just a tiny bit biased).
Things to do in and around Llandudno: DEFINITELY, you have to go to the walled town of Conwy and visit the castle there. Don’t restrict yourself to only the castle, though. Walk on the town walls - the views are amazing - and visit the town itself - it’s really lovely. Visit the smallest house in Britain, tucked away on the quay. Visit Plas Mawr (which my auntie used to swear was haunted), and visit the grave of “We Are Seven” in the churchyard. They’re all easy walking distances from each other. You’ll find plenty of opportunities to speak Welsh with the locals there, too.
In Llandudno itself, if the weather’s good, there’s the Victorian pier and, of course, the tram up the Great Orme (the Great Orme and the Little Orme bookend the harbour). The views from the top of the Great Orme can be breathtaking.
You can also arrange for coach day tours up the Conwy Valley from Llandudno. A couple of my favourite places to see in the valley are Llanrwst (Tu Hwnt i’r Bont tea house is a “must see”), Betws-y-Coed (Swallow Falls) and Beddgelert (if you don’t know the story of Gelert, you HAVE to read it: http://www.beddgelerttourism.com/gelert/ Warning: Have tissues nearby.) The further up the valley you go, the better chances to practice your Welsh. The locals will LOVE that you’re trying, so give it a go. Don’t be shy!
Please let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to know about that area of the country. I’d love to help.
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Bydd rhaid i ti alw draw i’r goedwig os byddi di ochr Rhosgadfan/Carmel unrhyw adeg…
Bydd rhaid i mi - a sori do’n i ddim o gwmpas i helpu efo symud ty. Weithiau mae’n digon gymleth rhannu amser jest rhwng Caernarfon a Caeathro!
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Duwcs, dallt yn iawn! Dan ni’n disgwyl gweld rhai ffrindiau lleol mewn tua pum mlynedd a dweud ‘sori, mae wedi bod fel ffair!’…