Sunday Picnic

We drove all the way to Lansford Canal park for an easy 3 mile hike and leisurely Sunday picnic with my parents. I thought this would be a good trail to take my mom and dad too because the park, is not only beautiful and an easy walk, it has so much history surrounding it.

"Lansford Canal State Park is stretched along the Catawba River and is home to the well-preserved remains of the canal system that made the river commercially navigable from 1820 to 1835. During this period, boats used the canals to bypass rapids while carrying goods to and from the coast. The park also played a role in the Revolutionary War, as both British and American troops under Cornwallis and Sumter crossed the Catawba river here before and after pivotal battles. This 460-acre park, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, includes historic ruins of canal-culverts, stone bridges, locks, an historic mill site and a lockkeepers house, which contains interpretive exhibits about the canal system in South Carolina. In addition to its rich cultural history, Landsford Canal Park offers visitors an abundance of natural beauty. The rocky shoals on the Catawba River are home to one of the worlds largest populations of rocky shoals spider lilies, tough plants that hang tight in the swift water and bloom spectacularly in huge blankets of white in late May and early June." (SC State Park website.)

The weather was actually nice. It was around 80 degrees out, but the breeze off the river made it very pleasant. We started our hike on the canal trail. My parents stopped along the trail to read the historical information at each site, and I stopped along the trail to snap photos. We took it at an easy pace. We were out there to enjoy nature, not race with her. :) The hike back was the best part, it was all along the river. No spider lilies were in bloom (too early, they ususally bloom in late May and early June. ) But we did see a couple of water snakes and tons of fish.

When we got to the end, my mom wanted to go back and "pick" a few wild flowers she saw. So I agreed to go back into the woods, as long as Boo and my dad set up the picnic and had an icey cold coke for me when I got back. We hiked in about 1/2 a mile and notice that a tree was down. I stood there, staring in disbelief, b/c not more than 2 hours ago we crossed this same path. As I watched my mom make her bouquet of wildflowers, I couldn't help by feel lucky that this tree waited for us to pass thru before it toppled over. RESPECT nature.

As we emerged from the woods, I could see that my dad and Boo had a sweet set up going on. They had the cooler popped open, the camping chairs from the car, and were sitting pretty right in front of the river, sipping on some cold cokes. They looked really relaxed. My mom and I climbed up to the restrooms to wash up and decided we wanted to have a proper picnic at one of the picnic shelters. So we told the guys to leave the chairs where they were and haul the cooler and beach bag full of goodies up to the shelter. When we got to the picnic table, my mom spreads out the table cloth, the guys sit down, and I started passing out the silverware, plates, and napkins. While my mom pulls out the french bread, cold cuts, etc... and starts assembling the sammies, I sliced a tomato and got out my black bean and corn salad that I had made earlier that morning. Boo and my dad tore into the tortilla chips and started scooping up the black bean/corn salad just as I finished laying out the rest of the food (grapes, tangerines, and carrots). After a nice, fresh, outdoor meal, my mom and I packed up while Boo and my dad went to reclaim their spot along the river. I got everything loaded back up into my car and we headed down to relax and join the guys. We sat there for an hour just listening to the river rush by, and watching the kayakers glide through. What a perfect ending to a great day. Til next time, GET OUTDOORS!

Wilson Creek

We decided to pull out the backpacks from the guestroom closet, roll up the sleeping bags into their stuff sacks, and pack up the dogs pack with dog food and treats, because we are going backpacking this weekend!

Wilson Creek on the Blue Ridge Parkway, was the perfect hike for our water loving dogs. Thing 1 and Thing 2 were in heaven. The entire hike to the campsite was along a creek, Wilson Creek. Needless to say, there were several creek crossings, 5 crossings actually. Boo and I did bring waterproof camp shoes to change into for the crossings, but decided since it was such a nice day (not to mention alot easier), we'd just plod through in our hiking boots and at the campsite, we would change shoes and let our socks and boots dry out. The cold water actually made our sore feet feel pretty good. The trail terrain was nice, just gradual rolling hills. Nothing to steep or slick. We were covered under rhododendrum trees through out most of the hike which added some nice shade. It was pretty warm in this area for April. Since we hiked along the creek, the dogs were able to jump in and out when ever they needed/wanted too. Thing 1 definitely took advantage of that. hahhah! Thing 2, the little blonde, only enjoyed a nice swim during the stream crossings. I loved seeing them swimming around and having a great time. Makes my heart swell. (Cheesy, I know.) Anyways, we make it to our campsite, right on the creek of course, and took a small break before we started our camp chores. After almost falling asleep, we got the motivation to put up the tent, so we could nap inside :) We pull ourselves up, and 10 minutes later, I was enjoying the comfort of my sleeping pad in the tent. I took a quick 20 minute nap while Boo played with his I-phone and dog sat. When I came out in search of some water, he said, "OK, it's my turn." Fair enough, I gave up my sleep pad, and hung out in the camp chair and played with the dogs a bit. Both of the dogs are also worn out, so they took a little nap too. I was almost half asleep, when some other backpackers come down off the trail in search of a spot to call home for the night. I check the time, and it was almost 5pm. The dogs woke up and I nudged boo awake, reminding him we needed to get water. He popped out the tent, grabed the water filter, and took Thing 1 to get water. I scooped up the nalgene bottles and Thing 2 and I followed Boo to a shallower part of the creek. He tells Thing 1 to wait on the bank so he could get our water and Thing 1 was whining the entire time. I'm sure all he wanted to do was dive into that creek. Boo finishes, then pulls out a tennis ball from his pocket and threw it into the creek. That was all that dog needed, he bounded into the creek to retrieve the ball. Thing 2 dipped in and swam around a bit, then crawled out the stream to sit beside me. Together we watched Boo and his silly dog play in the water. We made it back to camp to cook dinner and because the dogs were going to be sleeping in the tent with us, we decided to keep them out of the water for the rest of the evening to dry out. This was hard for Thing 1 to understand. Boy was he a whiner! After dinner, we joined another group around the campfire and hung out til around 10pm before calling it a night. The dogs were worn out by now, so it was easy to get them to settled down. Boo and I changed out of our hiking clothes, climbed into our sleeping bags and had the water rushing along the creek lull us to sleep. He was out within minutes, I just layed there listening to the water float by and was grateful that we are able to enjoy all of this together.

The next morning, we woke up around 7am, let the dogs out, and began packing everything up. We hiked out the valley and back up to our car without breakfast. The hike was actually more enjoyable going back. We took our time and enjoyed the last few moments out in nature. As soon as we got to the car, we changed shoes (since our shoes our soaked from the stream crossings) and headed home. Thing 1 and Thing 2 were soundly asleep in the back of the car and Boo and I are were in search of a good cheeseburger! SCORE! only 20 miles off the parkway, we grab a couple of thick burgers and rode home happy campers. Til next time. GET OUTDOORS!

Beautiful Lake Hike

Woke up early, made breakfast, and got dressed for a hike. As soon as the dogs saw their leashes, it was on! They were so excited, jiggling around the house, and whiny for us to hurry up. We loaded up in the car and headed out. It was a crisp, clear morning, so I knew the weather would be awesome for a hike around the lake. (One hour later.) The dogs were fine until we entered the state park. It's like they equate pine trees with fun, b/c as soon as they saw the pine trees in the state park, they started whiny, and acting out. They were ready to get out of the car. We drove to the trail head, parked, and let the dogs out. The bounded out, ready to start the trail. Boo was nursing an old ankle injury, so he took it slow and told me to hike my own hike. Which left me with both dogs. But I wanted to hike with Boo today. So it was a bit frustrating trying to get in a good hike with all the stopping and waiting for him to catch up. I finally just decided to hike my own hike. Which worked out well, I got in a good pace and waited for him at the end. We normally do this hike in January, as a New Years hike. It was a totally different trail in April. The trees were so full of life. It made it the hike so much more prettier. We stopped a few times to let the dogs go for a swim and they were in heaven. Boo and I agreed we both love this time of year. Til next time, GET OUTDOORS!

Catawba River Kayaking

Beautiful Sunday to get out on the water and kayak for a few hours. We showed up to the brand new outfitter (NC Flatwater Outfitter, right on the river), and because it was the first official day of business, the kayak rentals were free! Normally it's $5 per hour. Which is still a deal! We sign the liability waivers, get fitted for our PFD's, grab our paddles, and go to pick out our kayaks. By the way, the equipment is nice, it's brand new, modern, and comfortable. We both pick "sit in" kayaks over the "sit on tops". I just have a more comfortable and stable ride in a "sit in" vs. the on tops. So, I hop into my orange "sit in" and gently glide into the water to wait on Boo. I start paddling around to get reacquainted and comfortable with the kayak. Boo, who is like a fish in the water, skims by in his yellow kayak and does a quick, sharp, I've-been-doing-this-forever turn in front of me. (If you've even seen a skier flying down the mountain and then all of the sudden turn and skid into a complete stop, this is what Boo does, but on the water and in a kayak.) He is instantly comfortable on a kayak, it's pretty amazing.

Off we go to tour a section of the Catawba River. We pass under a few bridges and I can smell the exhaust coming off the cars. From this angle, the bridges look pretty neat. Boo, being the engineering marvel that he is, stops to check out how the bridges are constructed. I paddle on, admiring the coastline, the sunshine, and the breeze. After an hour of kayaking, we enter a little cove area to explore. (By the way, we just around the bend from the US National White Water Center in Charlotte, NC.) We spend a good 1/2 hour paddling around in water so shallow that a small fish tries to jump into my kayak! hahha! I catch a glimpse of a huge blue heron just chillin' on a branch watching us float by. We decide to head back to the outfitter b/c our time slot is almost up. Well, this is when the workout begins. We are now paddling against the wind and my arms are killing me! Just when I think my arms are about to fall off, we round the bend and see our destination. With sweat trickling down my back, I begin to paddle faster and harder, knowing I am almost there. I sail onto the shore, drop my paddle and let me arms just hang there for a bit. One of the outfitter employees comes up to let me know it's ok to leave my PFD, paddle, and boat right there on the shore. Then, he extends a hand out and helps me out of the boat like a gentleman. What a great day to be out on the water, I love Spring time. Can't wait to come back and explore more of the Catawba river. Til then, GET OUTDOORS!

Ireland (Dublin)

After a rough nights sleep in Doolin, (bed was pretty hard), we had an ok Irish breakfast and leave Doolin for the last city on our whirlwind tour of Ireland. Dublin. The drive to Dublin was interesting. We hugged the coastline around Galway Bay and could see Galway from a distance. Kicking ourselves for not planning a day in Galway, we decided the next time we come to Ireland, we will start there. We continue driving on small country roads dotted with sheep, b/c we know once we pull into Dublin, it will all become citified. As we come around a bend, we stumble across this castle and decide to take a break and stretch our legs for a bit. There are no signs for this castle so I have no idea about it. It's pretty well preserved though. Afterwards, we climb back into the car and continue on. Well, somehow we get lost in a tiny town and flagged down a man walking his dog. He gave us perfect directions to the freeway. The rest of the ride was uneventful.

Once in Dublin, we drop off the rental at Hertz, catch the shuttle to the airport, then hop on the aircoach bus to our hotel. We are dropped off below St. Stephens Green on Lower Leeson St. and had to walk about 1/4 of a mile WITH our luggage to our hotel. I was a bit tired and grouchy from our long drive, so I was not a happy camper. Check in at the Mespil Hotel was easy. We get our key, check out our comfy room, and plop down for a 15 min. break. After freshening up, we decide to take on Dublin! Boo and I walk through St. Stephens Green up to Grafton Street and check out all the shops. We pass the Molly Malone Statue and duck into the TI center, which is an old church converted into a tourist information center, and pick up some info. We stroll into the Templar Bar area and grab an early dinner at the Hard Rock in Dublin. It was just OK. I forgot how loud (and expensive) the Hard Rocks can be. Anyways, we were just nostalgic from the great time we had at the Hard Rock in Rome, that's why we hit the Hard Rock Cafe in Dublin. After a loud dinner, we walk past Trinity College and down to Merrion Square for the photo op with Oscar Wilde's lounging statue. Just as we started to relax on a park bench, here comes a Garda (guard-ee, Irish police) and tells us the park is closing. It's 7pm, so we head back towards our hotel. Not tired at all, we decide to walk around the block of the hotel to explore. Wow, we are actually in a real Irish neighborhood. Lots of small restaurants, grocery stores, cute pubs, and these beautiful all brick homes with brightly painted doors. It's rumored that when the English Queen Victoria died, all England owned/ruled properties were asked to paint their doors black, out of respect for the queen of England. The people of Ireland, who were British ruled at the time, opted to paint their doors in bright colors, an obviously silly, defiant slap in the face to England. Got to love the Irish Humor :) We then took a seat along the board walk of the little canal that runs directly in front of our hotel, and just people watched til we got tired enough to call it a night.

The next day, we started out early and found a small cafe' to enjoy a quick breakfast. Then it was off to Trinity College to see the famed "Book of Kells." A colorful, artistic manuscript of the four gospels of the New Testament, written in Latin, and transcribed by Celtic Monks. The complexity of the artwork on each page is so intricate and magnificent, it is hard to understand that it was written in 800 AD. Trinity College itself is pretty neat. It's the oldest college in Ireland, established by Queen Elizabeth in 1592. The Book of Kells tour starts when you enter a dark rooms where a few pages are enlarged and illuminated, pointing out details of the art and describing what is on the page. Then you finally get to see the actual book itself. Afterwards you enter the old library. (This was my favorite part.) It is just gorgeous. A long hallway with stacks of old books lining up to the ceiling. Huge glass windows letting in natural light, marble bust statues of famous writers, philosophers, notable politicians. It is the epitome of what I think a library should look like. I could of spent hours in this room alone. Boo has an inherent aversion to libraries and all things readable, Hahaha! but he was patient enough to let me take my time in the library. The end of the tour spits you out into the gift shop. I did buy a few things here. I bought a post card featuring the long library hall, shamrock pellets to take home and grow my own luck, and a small magnet Irish Potato Cookbook in the shape of a potato. It was cheesy but practical. It actually has a bunch of good and easy recipes. I found Boo sitting outside in the green grass courtyard amongst the students. He looked relaxed and like he fit right in. We left the college, crossed a bridge over the River Liffey, and went up O'Connell Street towards the Spire, the worlds tallest piece of sculpture. It is a large, stainless steel, pin-like monument that is (390 ft) in height and cost 5 million dollars to construct. The Irish have some interesting names for the spire. Like; "the stiffy at the Liffey", or "stiletto in the ghetto" or "the skewer in the sewer." Anyways, it is there to commemorate the Easter Rising in 1916. "The Rising was mounted by Irish Republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing an Irish Republic." (wikepedia) Along the way, we passed statues of famous Irishmen like "Charles Stewart Parnell, known as the uncrowned King of Ireland and Daniel O'Connell, who successfully and peacefully led the movement to achieve Catholic Emancipation." (wikepedia) We then turn left and head towards Parnell Square and to the Gardens of Remembrance. "The gardens were erected in the 1960s to commemorate all those who fought and died for Irish freedom. This could be seen as the central memorial to the struggle for Irish independence." (go Ireland website) It's a water feature, a pool, laid out like a Latin cross. After resting our feet for a few minutes, we continue back towards the River Liffey. Along the way we stumble across an outdoors market. Boo buys us some fresh plums, a tangerine, and a banana for a quick lunch time snack. We continue on to Ha'penny bridge and enjoy our snack there. Ha'penny bridge is named so b/c at one point it cost a half a penny to cross this pedestrian bridge. We finish up our snack and cross over the bridge walk thru the Templar bar area and end at Dublin Castle, built in 1226. We find a free small museum about paying taxes (boring but quick) then walk across the garden into the Chester Beatty Library (yes, another library). To check out their 3 free exhibitions. The first was a quick 2 room gallery of drawings. The second and third exhibitions were Chester Beatty's, (who was an American mining engineer and only person to receive an honorary Irish citizenship) personal collections which he donated to Ireland. The first is called "Arts of the Book. Books from the ancient world including the world famous Chester Beatty Love Poems (c.1160 BC), Egyptian Books of the Dead and beautifully illuminated medieval European manuscripts and fine European printed books, as well as Old Master prints. Highlights from East Asia include one of the finest collections of Chinese jade books in the world, Japanese picture-scrolls depicting fables and legends, and deluxe woodblock prints." The next exhibition is called "The Sacred Traditions Gallery. Exhibits sacred texts, illuminated manuscripts and miniature paintings from the great religions and systems of belief represented in the collections - Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism with smaller displays on Confucianism, Daoism, Sikhism and Jainism" (Chester Beatty Library website) After cultural overload, we head back towards Grafton Street and buy an ice cream cone and stroll through St. Stephens Green Park. A huge park with walking trails, fountains, lakes, flowers, and park benches. We take a bench, snuggle, talk, and people watch for an hour. We decide we really don't want to go to the Guinness Storehouse and do the beer tour thing. We want to finish off our last night in Dublin the right way. With a good Italian meal and great bottle of wine. Hahaha! No really, that's how we spent our last night. At an Italian restaurant called Milanos. (I know some of you are thinking, how can they eat Italian in Ireland? that's sacrilege! Hey, I've been trying all the traditional Irish dishes since I got here.) So off we go to our hotel to shower and change for dinner. Milanos was a nice time. Afterwards, Boo and I enjoyed a romantic stroll around the neighborhood before we called it a night. We popped into a cute little grocery store, where I bought some scones to have with our tea for our last breakfast in Ireland tomorrow morning.

The following morning, we are walking to the aircoach stop, when a taxi driver pulls up and offers to take us to the airport for the same amount the bus would cost. We could not pass it up. We hop in and are whisked away. What a great cabbie. He gives us some great info on Dublin. He tells us that we actually, without knowing it, stayed in the south, well off, nice part of Dublin, and that north Dublin is the rougher part of town. He shows us the pub in the north end where President Clinton made an impromptu stop with, at the time, Prime Minister of Ireland, Michael McDowell to have a drink and meet some of his childhood friends.

Airport check in was pretty quick and easy. We had 2 hours to wait so we went exploring the airport. How about we found the only reggae bar in the entire airport (probably in the entire Island) and decided to just chill for a bit. haha! Somethings can't be helped, they are just meant to be :)

I will miss Ireland. It is a country full of funny, interesting people. The landscape is gorgeous and so different from county to county. We learned alot, laughed alot, walked alot, and will miss it alot. Til the next time we are able to make it back to this beautiful country, I will be sipping on my Jameson and Gingers, reminiscing about green countrysides dotted with sheep, tall and round medieval stone towers, cozy pubs, and roadway round abouts :)

Ireland (Doolin)

Sad to leave Killarney, but we are on our way to explore County Clare. We leave County Kerry behind us as we take a ferry from Tarbert and sail into County Clare at Kilmer. We hop back on the road and make our way to the Cliffs of Moher, along the way we discover the town called Lahinch. It has a perfect half moon beach that has at least 20 surfers, decked out in full winter wetsuits, hoods, and booties. We pull into the beach parking, get out to spectate and stretch our legs a bit. Boo decides he wants a closer look, so he heads down to the beach. I'm good where I am, so I stay and take in the beach sights. All of the sudden I spot a horse and rider prance on to the beach. I guess he's going out for his morning exercise. I watch as he gallops down the length of the beach and back. Beautiful.

Did I mention it's chilly out. It's got to be at least 40 degrees, and I'm in a wool sweater, scarf, gloves, and jacket, but as I look around, there are several families strolling about with their children. I stare in amazement at this one kid. Here is this 2 year old slurping away on an ice cream cone! and here I am, just a few degrees from teeth chattering. I don't know what it is. Must be my thin tropical blood, but what I wouldn't do for a piping hot chocolate right now. Boo comes back and we climb back into the car, turn the heat up, and drive the 7 kilometers to the Cliffs of Moher.

Cliffs of Moher, what can I say, but WOW! Just when I think I've seen all this little island country has to offer, I walk up and catch the spectacular, jaw dropping, Cliffs of Moher. Even though it was a bit, (who am I kidding, ALOT) foggy, it was one breathe taking sight. I can see why the Irish are lobbying for this place to be considered the 8th wonder of the world. This place is just that amazing. "The cliffs rise 394 ft above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and reach their maximum height of 702 ft just north of O'Brien's Tower. The cliffs boast one of Ireland's most spectacular views. On a clear day the Aran Islands are visible in Galway Bay, as are the valleys and hills of Connemara. O'Brien's tower is a round stone tower at the approximate midpoint of the cliffs. It was built by Sir Cornelius O'Brien, a descendant of Ireland's High King Brian Boru, in 1835, as an observation tower for the hundreds of tourists that frequented the cliffs even at that date."(Wikepedia) For anyone that watches Late Night T.V. and know who Conan O'Brien is, he did a bit where he actually came to the Cliffs of Moher, and to O'Brien tower to show everyone how windy it was. His hat flew off and he went chasing it. It was pretty funny. Anyways, this place is windy. We happened to show up just as it was starting to rain, so the freezing rain, and wind chill made for a quick visit. We did stop in the museum/gift shop to take a break from the wind and to dry out a bit. The museum/gift shop was built into the side of a grassy hill. Seriously, it looked like the Hobbit Shire from Lord of the Rings. We had a nice hot lunch at the cafe' above the gift shop. I had some hot veggy soup with brown bread and some hot tea. Boo had a sammie and a slice of carrot cake. After warming up a bit, we headed back out, we wanted to see the Buren before we checking into our B&B in Doolin.

The Burren "means 'great rock', is a karst landscape region(layers of soluable bedrock with some sinkholes and caves) in northwest County Clare. It is one of the largest karst landscapes in Europe. The region measures approximately 250 square kilometres. The Burren is home to rare alpine plants, delicate wonders that grow in the thin soil and crevices. The survival of both alpine and Mediterranean plants in this unusual habitat continues to arouse debate and to delight the careful walker. Those interested in the ancient history of Ireland will find a wealth of material in the Burren - megalithic tombs, Celtic crosses, a ruined Cistercian Abbey and more than sixty wedge tombs." (Discover Ireland and wikepedia) This place looks like, what I would envision the surface of the moon to look like. In my guide book, I remember reading that when Oliver Cromwell came to Ireland to force the Irish to become Protestant, he sent one of his generals into the Burren to survey the land. The General came back and told him, "There isn't tree to hang a man, water to drown a man, nor soil to bury a man". And so the residents were spared from Cromwell's protestant crusade. Boo and I parked our rental and walked out to the Poulnabrone portal tomb, one of the world's best known and most visited dolmens. It looks like, and is sometimes called, the giants picnic table. "It literally means 'the hole of sorrows'. The capstone sits on two (6ft) high portal stones to create a chamber (30ft) of low cairn. Excavations showed that the site dates back to about 2500 BC." (wikepedia) This tomb was built over 4,500 years ago! That's old! After staring at this tomb for a few minutes, trying to wrap my mind around how old it was, I turn around and see Boo has wandered off. Probably doing his own survey of the land. I remember reading in my guide book that there are all types of flowers that grow here, from the tropical purple orchids and ferns, to the high alpine blue Spring Gentian. All in the same area, same climate. I'm curious to see them, so I jaunt off on my own survey. I think it's to early for the flowers b/c I didn't catch a glimpse of any, but I did discover lots of ferns growing out of crevices. When the rain started to trickle down a little harder, we decided to go check into our B&B in Doolin.

We pull into Lane Lodge B&B around 4:30pm. The room is a bit small, but has a great view of the Cliffs of Moher from the window. Our host lets us know that at 5:30pm, Gus O'Connors pub will be having a traditional Irish music session, Trad for short. The next one will be at 9:30pm. I look over at Boo, we are both exhausted from a long day of travel and sight seeing, and were looking forward to a hot shower, warm food, and an early night. But, since we have not participated in any Trad sessions since we've been in Ireland. I suggest we catch the 5:30pm, then grab dinner. Boo looks at me wearily. I can tell he doesn't want to go, but then I mention we can just take a nap and catch the 9:30pm show, and Boo is like, "no, lets just go to the 5:30pm, b/c I can't promise that I will get up for the 9:30pm show." So we clean up (in the tiniest bathroom ever. Seriously, the sink was so small, we had to bend down to use it.) and head out.

Luckily, the world famous Gus O'Connors Pub (http://www.gusoconnorsdoolin.com/) is literally around the corner from our B&B. (Yay for location!!) We walked in, and headed to the bar area for a couple of pints. Boo got his favorite Carlsberg, I got my favorite Harps and we grabbed a table. The pub started to fill up fast with locals and tourist alike. We met the couple next to us and found out they are from Asheville NC (wow... small world.) We ended up talking to them most of the night and found out he works for a micro-brewery that we will have to go and check out when we get home :) Around 6pm, the musicians start piling in and begin their session, right in front of our table! (Yay for location!) The music was so lively, it made you want to clap your hands and dance. There were people of all ages enjoying the fun, even children were running around and dancing. It was a bit weird b/c in the States, children aren't allowed in bars, but here in Ireland, it's like a family outing. So I sort of felt guilty for drinking a beer in front these kids (but not guilty enough to stop me from getting another pint. hahha!) As for the music; At one point, there were 12 musicians playing all at once! Flutes, mandolins, accordions, violins, guitars, recorders, and some other instruments that I don't know the name of. It was so much fun! When I was at the bar ordering a couple more pints and the bartender told me that I got here on a lucky night. Usually there are only 2-3 musicians playing. I felt lucky just witnessing the Trad. The atmosphere was so jovial, the musicians were fascinating to watch, and the music took me back to the medieval times. I can't describe the feeling, it was just an overwhelming combination atmosphere, the music, and the people, that made this moment one of my favorite memories of Ireland. I can't wait to come back to Doolin. Well, four pints later around 9pm the session ended. Boo and I decided to grab dinner at the pub. I ordered the Guinness beef stew with brown bread and Boo gets a platter of fish and chips. The portions were HUGE! I walked out of that pub full as a tick! We decided to walk down to the harbor to help my aching belly. After a 1/2 mile, Boo got this overpowering need to relieve himself, (after 4 pints who could blame him). We are in the middle of nowhere, it was pitch black out, and not a person/house/or car in sight. So he hopped over the stone retaining wall and handled his business. Normally, I do not condone this behavior, ever, but the following I'm blaming on the four pints of Harp I had. All of the sudden I blurted out a quote that I remembered reading from my guide book. "Hey, did you know you are peeing in the western most point of all of Europe?" (sound of crickets.... ) Then we bursted out laughing. Ireland really is the most, geographically, west country in all of Europe. (Thanks Rick Steves). Anyways, we walked back to our B&B and sat out on the picnic table, star gazing and chit chatting for a bit before deciding to call it a night. Great times in Doolin.

Ireland (Killarney)

We left Kinsale after a filling full Irish Breakfast and are off to spend 2 days in Killarney! The drive through the country side was nice, but the closer we got to Killarney, the worse the weather got. Our streak of perfect gorgeous weather was about to be over. We had booked a hike and realized we had to cancel because; A. it was raining and B. there was no way we would make it in time to leave with the group. So I called and canceled and was a bit bummed for the rest of the ride. Boo, being the "half-glass-full" type that he is, said we could just flip flop the events we planned during our 2 day stay in Killarney. So we decided to explore the Dingle Peninsula today. http://www.dingle-peninsula.ie/. I was still sulking, b/c I had wanted to go on a hike, but as soon as we started driving into Dingle, my mood changed. The weather had cleared up in this area and you could see the views of the Ring of Kerry on the left with just the rugged ocean separating these two peninsulas. We stopped at Inch Beach and just took in the views. Never had I seen such a huge crescent moon shaped beach with no one on it. We headed on and took a detour to see and old Irish Castle that was built on a cliff. The drive into mountainous Dingletown was impressive with sheep dotting the farmlands, but the loop drive around Slea Head, the tip of the peninsula, was breathe taking. Wow... I pulled out my Rick Steve's guide book and read about the sights along the Kilometer markers (mile markers). We stopped at least 1/2 a dozen times to take photos of the Blasket Islands, the staggering cliffs, and the views. There were sheep sprinkled all through out this area too. Close to the end of Slea Head loop we took another detour to this monastic ruin that dates back to 5 A.D. Talk about old. We were able to touch these old stone markers. It was just so neat to be around this history. I don't think I've even seen anything this old, and to know that it had been in this exact spot for so long, left me speechless. We finished up our tour of Dingle by stopping into Dingle town for a picnic lunch on the waterfront. It was a bit chilly/windy to be hanging out in the harbor but I wanted to get a good feel of this place. We snacked on authentic Irish potato cakes. Oh, by the way, Boo likes to call picnics "Hobo'n it" like some homeless hobo sitting along the harbor eating out of a paper bag. He is so pampered sometimes. We left Dingletown by taking Connors pass. Talk about a scary road! Winding down the snow capped mountains on a road so narrow that it has small nooks you can park in to let oncoming traffic go by, b/c there is no room for two cars! It was so terrifying (in a fun way) that I couldn't look out of my window as we drove down this passage way.

What a perfect day to explore Dingle. I'm glad it rained in Killarney now. We rolled back in to Killarney and checked into our B&B, the Muckross Stables. We showered/changed and headed for downtown Killarney( http://www.killarney.ie/) to explore. This town was pretty lively. We walked around a bit, ducked into some shops and decided to try O'connors Pub for dinner and some pints. The pub was uneventful, but downtown was pretty neat. At one point, we were walking and all of the sudden a shower of tiny hail starts falling. Boo and I run under cover of a shop and in an instant the hail stopped. We just looked at each other and were like "what was that?" We left downtown and decided to stop at Molly Darcy's Pub for one pint. It's a pub that's down the street from our B&B. Wow, the interior of this pub made you feel like you were back in medieval times. No offense to our bartender, because he was a nice guy, but he seriously looked like the hobbit Merry or Pippin from the Lord of the Rings. No joke. I got a pint of 1/2 pint of Smithwicks and Boo got a whole pint of Guinness that I had to help him finish. We decided that after our hike tomorrow, we would come back here for dinner. So off to our B&B we went. It was down a quiet street and tucked into the Killarney National Park, making for a restful night.

The next morning we had a full Irish breakfast with an amazing view. We looked out onto the owners expansive property and their horses were out grazing on it. They had a playful border collie named Jack who I fed through the window. :) After a serene breakfast, we left to find our outfitter for our hike of the Gap of Dunloe in the Killarney National Park. (http://www.killarney.ac/gdtour.htmlc/gdtour.html). We find them, and get dropped off at Kate Kearney's cottage. Which is a souvenir shop/pub/cafe all in one. We decide to hire a jaunting cart to take us to Lord Brandon's cottage to wait for the boats to take us across to Ross Castle. Well, Boo negotiates a price and we are off with Craig (the horse) and her jaunting cart bouncing us along the 7 mile hike through the Gap of Duloe. At one point Boo and I jump out of the cart, do some real hiking, and just admire the jaw dropping views. What a beautiful day this was, and the weather was perfect, not a rain cloud in sight. We passed through stone bridges, walked along lakes, and cut through huge mountains until we reach our Lord Brandon's Cabin. We walk over a stone bridge and are greeted by a silly mule who looks like he has his head stuck through the wire fence, but really he is just begging to be petted. Boo obliges him and I snap some photos of it. hahaha! We go thru a little wrought iron gate and walk down to Lord Brandon's cabin, which is just a small cafe. We explore the tower ruins that was once the real Lord Brandon's hunting cabin. Since we are "hobo'n it" We find a nice grassy hill (very Lord of The Rings Shire like) and have a nice picnic then take a short nap in the warm sunshine. An hour later we wake up and are being flagged down by a tall, smiling Irishman. We walk down to the dock and board a boat with about 8 other people and start the second half of our tour. The 3 lake tour to Ross Castle.

Our guide is a witty man, with plenty of stories and jokes. Like, at one point we say a kayaker on the lake and he goes, "Oh look, it's the Irish Navy." He tells us the history of this Park and the history of each of the lakes and sprinkles in some leprechaun stories to make it interesting. The scenery from the lake was spectacular. At one point we actually get out of the boat and explore a bit. When we get back in, he tells us we are going into our third lake. He tells the passengers up front to start passing out these plastic tarps and to start covering ourselves in it. One of the English ladies on the boat says, "Well this is a bit frightening." We have no idea what is about to happen. All of the sudden we go under a bridge and enter the third lake and into hurricane force winds. It starts whipping thru us and thrashing water on top of us. There is a mixture of screams and laughter as everyone in the boat gets splashed and jostled around. Oh, that was so much fun! I can still feel the stinging in my cheeks from the icy water that smacked my face. We round the an island on the lake and then I see it. Ross Castle. Awesome view from the lake. Our captain drops us off on the dock and one side of me is soaked. Thankfully I was wearing quick dry hiking pants, but it was still cold! I run around taking photos of Ross Castle before our ride back our B&B arrives. By now it's only 4pm. Boo and I decide we still have lots of energy left in us so we drive down into Killarney National Park and hike up to see Torc Waterfalls. Afterwards, we drive back down to Muckross House( http://www.muckross-house.ie/), and hike the 1 mile up to the Abbey ruins. This was a nice walk along the lake that we just crossed by boat. It was very serene and peaceful. We hiked the mile back to our car and happened to catch a glimpse of a bride, groom, and their party taking photos in the park. Very romantic. We headed back to the B&B, showered/changed clothes, and headed out to Molly Darcy's for dinner and drinks. Our hobbit friend/bartender was there again, and we sat in his section up at the bar. After our long outdoor adventure day, we were glad to get a good meal and relax with some pints. Sleep came easily that night. We were sad to leave Killarney, but knew that we had more adventures ahead of us.

Ireland (Kinsale)

Our adventure began leaving Kilkenny behind and driving to see the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary. This place was amazing from a distance. If you've ever been in Rome, walking along the cobble stoned streets, and turn a corner into a piazza only to come face to face with the magnificence of the Pantheon you'll understand this feeling. You turn around a bend and from a distance, you can see the massive rock with a stone cathedral and tall round stone tower jetting in to the sky. The land surrounding was low laying plains/farmland. It's stunning. We pulled into the cute little town of Cashel and missed the exit immediately. Oops... Boo's jet lag and my rigid map directions really don't make for a great combo. Anyways, we flipped it and turn down the right street and into the pay parking lot that's about 200 yards below this massive rock. Then we start our short climb up to the entrance. Per our Rick Steve's guide book, we do the self tour and I read the history of the place as we walk around. "The large Cathedral, ancient round tower and the very early Romanesque Cormac's Chapel , perched on a dramatic outcrop of rock, were silent witnesses to many of the stirring events of Irish History; St.Patrick converted the local King Aenghus, here in the 5th century from Pagan to Catholic. St. Patrick's Celtic cross is still standing at the very spot; Brian Boru was crowned King of Ireland on this spot in the early 11th Century. According to local lore, the Rock of Cashel originated from Devils Bit, a mountain 30 km north of Cashel when St. Patrick banished Satan from a cave, resulting in the Rock's landing in Cashel." (Cashel website.)

After a 2 hour tour, and lots of photos, we head out to the town of Midleton to tour the Midleton Whiskey Distillery (the first Jameson Whiskey Distillery was built in Dublin in 1780, but moved to Midleton to expand). The rolling drive from Cashel to Midleton was actually quite nice. I got to drive for a bit before we stopped at a little picturesque bend in the road, overlooking some pretty farmland, to have a picnic. After we feasted on crackers and 5 different cheeses ( samples of Irish, French, and Danish cheeses), we pulled up to the distillery just in time to catch 2:30pm tour. There was probably 30 people in our group. "The tour the Jameson Midleton Distillery will take you back in time to the magnificent courtyard area, evoking the atmosphere of harvest time with farmers arriving with horses and carts piled high with sacks of grain ready to sell to the Distillery. You walk along the path to the Distiller’s cottage and see the giant waterwheel which at one stage powered all of the distillery machinery, and today still turns the cogs and wheels in the Mill Building. In the Brew House you will see the largest pot still in the World." (Jameson website) While in the brew house I got to touch the copper pot and boo actually got volunteered to ring the bell that workers once used to signal that they needed more coal brought up to keep the pot heated. He had the biggest grin on his face as he tugged that rope and made that bell ring. haha! The barrel room left me in awe. Just stacks and stacks of barrels as high as I could see, filled with aging whiskey, waiting to be tasted. At the end of the tour everyone was given a ticket for a free drink at the Jameson bar. Well, when our tour was complete the guide asked for 6 volunteers for a whiskey tasting session in the Bar. I don't know what it was, but my hand shot straight up to volunteer. Yeah, I know what it was..... my favorite Liquor drink ever is Bourbon and Ginger Ale. Hell yeah I wanted to taste some whiskey! Boo's hand shot up too, and low and behold, we get picked! Whoo hoo!! The whole group walks into the Jameson Bar and we, along with the other 4 volunteers, are escorted to a tasting table. (By the way, I am the only woman at the tasting session. ) In front of us are 3 types of whiskey. American whiskey (Kentucky Bourbon which WAS my favorite), Scottish Whiskey (Johnnie Walker), and of course Jameson Irish Whiskey. After an overview of where each was from, the tastings began. We picked up our first (BIG) shot of American whiskey. (ugh, I forgot I'm not much of a shot drinker.) Anyways, I sipped and let the familiar amber colored liquid burn down my throat as my eyes filled up with tears. Yep, this is what I remember straight whiskey tasting like. I had to take two more sips of my shot glass to get it all down. Everyone else just tossed it back. Boo is just laughing at my misery. I think he's having a good time with this whiskey thing. Then he confirms it when he reveals that he now starting to understand his people. I take it that he likes the whiskey more than the Guinness we've been having. At this point I noticed everyone from our tour group surrounding us and watching, with their free drinks in hand. Now, we are on to the Scotch whiskey. I lifted it up to my nose, sniffed it and immediately notice the difference. It has a strong earthy peat smell, and guess what? It has a strong earthy peat taste. Yuck, I did not enjoy this whiskey. In fact, I gave boo the rest of the my shot b/c I couldn't choke it down. Sorry Scotland. On to the Irish Whiskey. I sipped and it tasted smooth. Wow. I was surprised. I liked it. ALOT. Our tour guide comes back to take our order for our free drink. I'm thinking... wow, I just had 3 shots of whiskey and now I get a free drink too! SWEET! I don't know if it was the excitement of being in the tasting, or if the whiskey had already gotten to me, but when the guide asked for my order, I blurted, out of habit, "Bourbon and Ginger Ale please". I hear lots of "ooohhhs" and chuckles through out the table, then I realized my faux pas. "Oh! I am so sorry, I meant to say Jameson and Ginger Ale please!" My face with either flushed from the whiskey or from the embarrassment of looking like such an amateur. Oops... ahhahaa! She comes back with all Jameson whiskey neats for the other volunteers, and my mixer of Jameson and Ginger Ale. I am such a girl. :) It was soooo good though. I think I found a new fav. whiskey. Our guide comes back with certificates for the 6 volunteers. Boo and I are now "Official Whiskey Tasters", we have the paperwork to prove it!

We stumble, (kidding!) out the distillery and head out Kinsale (http://www.kinsale.ie/), where we are spending the night. It's a quick 20 minute drive, we just decided to take the scenic route and get lost for an additional 20 minutes. haha! We finally arrive in Kinsale and its a gorgeous little medieval fishing village town that is also known as the gourmet capital of Ireland. We navigate the narrow winding streets up to our bed and breakfast and finally arrive at The Woodlands. It's a bit far from the harbor, but our room made up for it. Our room was huge and had a commanding view of the harbor and town of Kinsale down below. We quickly showered/changed and got back in the car to park close to downtown and explore. By the time we got there, most things were already closed or closing, so we just walked around the harbor, and then tried to find a place to have dinner. Most places we saw were really upscale and here we were in jeans and wool sweaters. So we decided to just go to a pub and grab dinner and a few pints. That is how we discovered the "Muddy Maher." We walked in, took a table at the back of the bar and glanced over the menu. The bartender came over to take our drink order and I asked him to recommend something that people from the area like. I decided to try the Irish beer called Harp, and Boo tried a Danish beer called Carlsberg (the bartenders favorite beer.) We found some new favorite beers. After dinner (Boo orders the "Legendary Doorstop sandwich" and it was huge! I could probably stop a door), we decided to go sit at the lively bar and see if we could mingle with the locals. We inched up to the bar, ordered more pints and took a seat. We met a funny Irishman in a purple sweater drinking wine! His name was David, and he lives in Kinsale part time and in Spain part time (explains the wine drinking.) He was so warm and welcoming. He talked to us most of the night and introduced the other characters around the bar. What an eclectic group. We had so much fun and we even had some "craicing" going on. (Irish joking around.) One guy was wearing an Ernesto Guevara "Che" shirt, and from where I was sitting it looked like a Bob Marley shirt, so I asked him if he liked Bob Marley and Reggae music. He had no Idea what I was talking about, and after that, everyone started calling him Bob Marley. hahah! Even the bartender got in on it. Muddy Maher was probably one of my favorite pubs from our trip and it was all because of the local people and how welcoming, and open they were to us. Good times.