Stacy Takes Flight
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Photos

Travel is my favorite kind of bug.

Welcome to my travel blog!  I quit my job in NYC to go on a 100-day travel adventure, and I will be documenting, inspiring and sharing as I go.

Today I am in:  New York City

More about me

DAY 92:  HIGHLIGHTS OF NORTHERN IRELAND (BEYOND BELFAST)

7/24/2014

0 Comments

 
Tuesday, July 15 (Northern Ireland) – The northernmost tip of Northern Ireland offers an entire day's worth of activities.  I was all set to go to Giant's Causeway - the area filled with hexagonal basalt columns and formations, caused by a volcanic eruption - when my friend Helen suggested we tack on a trip across the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and sip some whiskey at the Bushmills distillery, all within a few minutes drive from each other.  So we did, and this ended up being one of the best days and a great way to come to the end of my trip!

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge

The current carrick-a-rede bridge is a lot more secure than the rickety rope bridge that once stood in its place.  Originally built by salmon fisherman who wanted to catch salmon on their migration from the rocky island, the bridge allowed for a safe crossing from the mainland.  But after becoming more of a tourist attraction, the bridge has been renovated for safety and isn't much of a fete to cross.

For me, the best part was the scenery.  Views along the hike to the bridge as well as from the island itself are incredible.  Most people don't just cross the bridge and go back, they spend time exploring the island and taking photos of the natural beauty around them.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Giant's Causeway

Ireland is filled with beautiful natural wonders, but I highly recommend a trip to Northern Ireland to see something very special:  Giant's Causeway.  The shape of the rocks in this area is so unique and it's amazing to think these rocks are the result of an ancient volcano that erupted millions of years ago.  If you listen to the audio guide that is included with the price of admission, you will learn about the legend of the area which makes it fun for kids as well as adults.  But to be honest, I was too excited to see these stones and pillars to listen to the full audio guide!

TIP:  Bring your good camera, good walking / climbing shoes and art supplies if you are a creative type - the imagery is so inspiring!
giants_causeway
Picture
Picture
giants_causeway
giants_causeway
giants_causeway

Bushmills Distillery

I love whiskey, but I've never really had Bushmills before, so I was excited to get a taste.  We signed up for a tour of the distillery even though it happened to be their 'silent season' where the factory workers are on holiday and there is no actual whiskey being produced.  I didn't mind because I could still see where the whiskey is made and learn about the process, but as an added bonus, the distillery offered an apology in the form of an airport-sized bottle of their newest honey whiskey!

I've been on a distillery tour before, but it was a couple of years back so I was happy to go through the tour to be re-educated.  Our tour guide was enthusiastic and knowledgeable and made the 40-minute tour fly by.  I wasn't allowed to take photos, but we saw the rooms where the different stages of creating the whiskey take place from mashing to bottling.  Then, we were led into the tasting room (aka the best part).  I tried the 10-year single malt which I really liked and the distillery reserve which I didn't like - it wasn't smooth enough for me.
bushmills_distillery
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Hi! I'm Stacy, a 28 year old Manhattanite who quit her job to go on a 100-day journey across the world.  Follow me as I hot air balloon in Turkey, hike the Todra Gorge in Morocco, horseback ride across Ireland, and take part in all the other active adventures I can find!

    Archives

    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014

    Categories

    All
    100 Days Of Travel
    Accommodations
    Active Travel
    Antalya
    Apartment
    Apps
    Art
    Austira
    Austria
    Beach
    Belfast
    Best Of
    Best-of
    Bikes
    Bike Share
    Bonvoyage
    Budget Travel
    Cappadocia
    Cinque Terre
    Connemara Park
    Cordoba
    Dorset
    Dublin
    England
    Fitcation
    Fitness
    Florence
    Funny
    Galicia
    Galway
    Germany
    Good Food
    Granada
    Grunau Im Almtal
    History
    Hobbies
    Horseback Riding
    Ireland
    Istanbul
    Italy
    Itinerary
    Jerez De La Frontera
    Lease
    Life Lessons
    Lisbon
    Local Delicacy
    Local Sports
    London
    Madrid
    Malaga
    Mallorca
    Marbella
    Marrakech
    Milan
    Morocco
    Music
    Natural Wonder
    Nerja
    Nightlife
    Northern Ireland
    Nyc
    Photos
    Planning
    Porto
    Portugal
    Rome
    Running
    Salzburg
    Santiago-de-compostela
    Sevilla
    Seville
    Shopping
    Spa
    Spain
    Staces-places
    Switzerland
    Touristy Things
    Travel Tips
    Turkey
    Unemployed
    Valencia
    Vienna
    Work
    Zurich

    RSS Feed

© 2014 Stacy Schwartz.  All rights reserved.