We were so excited about this particular day on our trip. Further north and west into Northern Ireland, the Antrim Coast is absolutely spectacular, with vistas worthy of postcards.
We were at the crack of dawn (well, not exactly the crack, since that is 4:45 AM in Northern Ireland at this time of year). After enjoying a sublime breakfast at the Bishop's Gate Hotel, we were out the door by 8 AM for the 90 minute drive to The Giant's Causeway.
The drive up was stuffing, but nothing could have prepared us for the beauty of this natural wonder, The Giant's Causeway. We enjoyed the scenic long walks and many photos were taken. It was as breathtaking as we had imagined it would be.
From the causeway, we headed to the Carrck-A-Rede Rope Bride (and walk), which was about a 20 minute drive away. The views were other-worldly from here as well.
It was a long day with lots of driving, but one we will remember forever!
Rousing everyone in the moring is never easy, but always worth it with all the excitement that lies ahead for the day.
"The Giant's Causeway lies at the foot of the basalt cliffs along the sea coast on the edge of the Antrim plateau in Northern Ireland. It is made up of some 40,000 massive black basalt columns sticking out of the sea. The dramatic sight has inspired legends of giants striding over the sea to Scotland. Geological studies of these formations over the last 300 years have greatly contributed to the development of the earth sciences, and show that this striking landscape was caused by volcanic activity during the Tertiary, some 50–60 million years ago." To read more about this remarkable Unesco World Heritage sight use this link: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/369/
"The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is a rope bridge near Ballintoy in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The bridge links the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede. A two-kilometre coastal walk with uninterrupted views of the North Coast. Home to basking sharks, dolphins and porpoises, spot guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars. The first rope bridge was first erected by salmon fishermen in 1755. Suspended almost 100ft above the Atlantic Ocean, the exhilarating Rope Bridge crosses a 20-metre-wide chasm connecting to the rocky island of Carrick-a-Rede." To learn more about one-of-a-kind experience and see more photos of this jaw-dropping bridge, use this link:https://discovernorthernireland.com/things-to-do/carrick-a-rede-rope-bridge-p675071
After an all-too-brief rest stop in our room, we enjoyed a lovely dinner at the hotel. We had worked up quite an appetite from all the fresh ocean air and long walks.