It was another day of uncommonly gorgeous weather for Northern Ireland. We traveled by train from Derry to Coleraine at around 9 am March 16. There we picked up a pair of Mercedes-Benz 3 Class rental cars (because that was all they had in automatic…not complaining) to take exploring along the Causeway Coast. My dad and brother-in-law did the driving when it came to the rental cars. I apparently was not trusted to steer on the opposite side of the road than I’m used to, but this allowed me to help my dad navigate through Northern Ireland.
Dunluce Castle
Our first stop was at Dunluce Castle. It was a beautiful, historic site that you could tell was magnificent back in its prime. It is situated right on the cliffs of the northern coast and the fog of that morning was already starting to fade and give way to sunlight. Within the walls, there were many little spaces of rooms and walkways that were a lot of fun to explore and try to imagine as they were in their original state. The most fascinating part was an expansive stairway that led under the castle into the cliffs. There was even a space in the cliffs that led right to the water’s edge. If I had been wearing better hiking shoes, I would’ve gone down into the cave to say that I had touched the ocean from that coast. The trek back up those stairs was excruciating, but the crisp air made it bearable.
Bushmills Distillery
From Dunluce Castle, we drove to the small town of Bushmills, home of the Old Bushmills Distillery, producing some of the finest Irish whiskey there was. This was the part of the day I was most excited about. We were led through the distillery on tour covering everything from start to finish in the whiskey making process. I learned about the coloration and flavors that come from the different barrels they use in the aging process as well as what distinguishes a whiskey from a bourbon. As it turns out, Bushmills helps in the bottling process for Jameson at their facility.
The tour was followed by a complimentary dram of one of the featured whiskeys they had available at the bar, including the Bushmills Reserve 12 that you could only get there at the distillery. Naturally, this is the one I select to enjoy, but I was able to taste a few others sharing with my family and utilizing my sister’s pour. The Reserve 12 was exceptional and I had a dram of the Bushmills Black Bush to accompany an Irish stew they had at the café. Then it was on to the next stop as we made our way to the Giant’s Causeway.
Giant’s Causeway
This sight was particularly astonishing. There was a great deal of folklore associated with this location and we listened to an audio guide tell stories as we marveled at the scenery. The stones of the causeway had the most bizarre and repetitious pattern of geometrical hexagons, that it’s hard to believe that they were naturally formed by nature. It is said that giants were behind this unusual formation of stones as there was a fight between a Scottish giant and an Irish giant. It started to get late and we realized we’d have to hurry to reach our next destination before it closed to the public.
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Making it to the site minutes before they closed for entry, we hurriedly bought admission tickets and started racing along the trail to reach the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. Even with all the physical activity we had already experienced that day, this was probably the most strenuous part of the entire venture. We were racing the clock, not wanting to miss out on the chance to see experience this attraction, and the steep inclines and rough terrain were not making it any easier. It was worth all the exertion in the end though. Being suspended on the rope bridge between two cliffs hundreds of feet above the water below was exhilarating. The strong winds made it felt like you could be blown off at any second, but it was just the sort of thing that this thrill seeker loves. There was a final stop that I wanted to make before heading to the hotel for the evening
The Dark Hedges
In my research before coming to Ireland, I discovered that a part of Game of Thrones was filmed not too far from the Causeway we had been touring all day, The Dark Hedges. Navigating with a “map” that had six basic instructions and hand drawn depictions of the roads (that caused a little bit of confusion) we made it to the site where the King’s Road was filmed. The nerd in me rejoiced as I walked through the beautiful twisting limbs of the beech trees that were planted way back in the 18th-century. It was difficult to get a picture as majestic as the images shown on film because there were cars parked and driving down the road. I did my best to capture this iconic sight with what little daylight was left before we packed back into the cars and headed to the hotel in Portrush.
Winding Down at the Wine Bar
We checked in to the Ramada in Portrush and then headed to Ramore Wine Bar for dinner. The atmosphere was mellow and all orders, including food, were placed at the bar. I ordered a vodka tonic to enjoy while we waited for the food. The food took a VERY long time to come out, but it was worth it when my meal was placed in front of me. I had ordered Monkfish en croute. It was a monkfish wrapped in homemade sausage in a puff pastry served with béarnaise sauce and stuffed mushrooms, and it was one of the best dishes I had the entire trip. If you ever get the chance to try it at Ramore, do it!
We topped the night off with a dessert from their broad selection of sweets. I shared a decadent chocolate and cherry mousse with my parents and enjoyed my first legitimate Irish coffee. Then it was time to head back to the hotel because it would be an early morning as we traveled to Belfast to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
Cheers!
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