Blown Away

Monday's itinerary included visiting the famous attractions along the Causeway Coastal Route. Although the day was bitterly cold and very windy, the group enjoyed the tour that was thoughtfully arranged by the Larne Borough Council. Oh, yes, we traveled on our own which was an adventure in itself.)

First stop was Bushmills Distillery, the oldest licensed distillery in the world. Licensed in 1608, Bushmills has successfully survived fire, Prohibition, and World Wars.

The next stop was Dunluce Castle. These castle ruins date back to the 13th century. It was truly amazing to see the walls still standing.

Traveling back toward Ballygally, we stopped at the famous Giant's Causeway. As legend has it, the giant Finn MacCool constructed the causeway to reach Scotland. The hexagonal shaped rocks actually were caused by slow cooling lava over 60 million years ago. We all agree this site is one of the most fascinating places in the world.

Last on our tour of the Antrim Coast was Carrick-a-rede Rope bridge. After hiking roughly 2 miles down a path at the very edge of the high cliffs, we saw the 65' rope bridge hanging 80' above the sea which crosses to a small island. Although the bridge was closed (did we mention how windy it was - tropical force winds at least - atypical even for Northern Ireland), we were thrilled with the views of the Causeway Coast.

If you are interested in any of the sites mentioned here, visit www.causewaycoastandglens.com. Our delegation was blown away (in some instances, quite literally!) by the Causeway Coast. You will be too.