Travel

I LOVE to travel! Whether it is taking my yacht down to the Caribbean or up to Maine or traveling through Europe, I love seeing everything this diverse world has to offer. I am so fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to do so much traveling so I would love to share some of my experiences and favorite places with you! This page will be constantly updated and a new destination will be added every season so be sure to check back!

Spring’s Destination Of The Season: Ireland!

What better way to welcome the Spring in than St. Patrick’s Day and a trip to Ireland?! As you may know, I was born and raised in Dublin, so I am so excited to share some of my favorite parts of the beautiful and green country of Ireland along with some of my favorite things to do there! Ireland is a beautiful place that I highly recommend everyone visit if they're able! From history and culture to shopping and dining, Ireland is truly a country that has something for everyone! 

1. Dublin 

Dublin, my beautiful hometown and the Capitol of Ireland, is an ever-changing and ever-growing city that gets more and more exciting to visit every year! 

Pubs 

As you know, Ireland is known for their pubs! What you may not know is how big of a part music plays in these pubs! Most of the pubs all around Ireland often have live bands playing. You can hear anything from traditional Irish music to the newest hits and everyone is encouraged to sing along and dance! Music is big within families as well and you can often find bands playing with multiple generations of family participating! 

Shopping!

Ireland has become quite a fashion hub over the past decade! Ranging from well-known department stores to trendy or traditional boutiques, you can find something for anybody in the shops on Henry Street and Grafton Street! My favorite department store in Dublin is Brown Thomas, which I definitely recommend you check out if you visit!

History!

One of the first things that many people associate Dublin with is the Guinness Factory! You’re able to take a tour of their seven-story landmark and learn the heritage and history of this global brand!

You can also visit the famous St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which was built in 1220 and is not only a popular tourist attraction, but also the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland! There are many other famous churches in the area along with the history-ridden prisons where you can learn more about Ireland’s fight for independence!

If you’re interested in learning more about the history-rich city of Dublin, I recommend you watch the film, “Michael Collins.” The movie stars Liam Neeson, Julia Roberts and other well known, wonderful actors and gives a great history of Ireland’s fight for independence! You can also visit the famous O’Connell Street in Dublin which is stock-full of history! 

2. Belfast

Belfast is the Capitol of Northern Ireland and also the largest city in Northern Ireland. It is home to where the world famous RMS Titanic was built and also the newly renovated Victoria Square!

The Titanic Belfast Museum

Most people don’t know that the RMS Titanic was built in Ireland! At the museum you’re able to learn all about the Titanic from design plans to the food served aboard the ship before it sank!

I visited this museum last year with my Husband and was blown away with how much I learned about the RMS Titanic! We learned about everything from the way that they kept the Titanic running (coals!) and the different housing quarters based on your socioeconomic status!

One part that I found to be particularly cool was that they have the actual transport boat, the SS Nomadic, which was the tender that transported the passengers to the Titanic and the RMS Olympic from the dock. Because the RMS Titanic and Olympic were so huge, none of the ports were large enough or deep enough to accommodate the ships, which is why this tender (transport boat) was used! This is not to say that the SS Nomadic was small by any means, it was an incredible 8,510 square feet, which is larger than most massive yachts! At the museum, you are able to go aboard the actual remains of the SS Nomadic, which have been restored to perfect condition just like when it was first commissioned for the Titanic and Olympic! 

Victoria’s Square

Victoria’s Square is the incredible new shopping, dining, leisure and residential district of Belfast. The architecture of this development is unlike any I’ve ever seen and is a modern, artistic masterpiece! The development took over six years and opened in 2008, so it’s not even ten years old! A key element in the development is two covered, multi-level streets linked to the massive glass dome measuring about 100 feet in diameter. A public square covered entirely by the glass dome serves as the hub of the entire area, which lights up the pavilion when it gets dark!

Housing all of Europe’s top stores, including the largest House of Frasier location in all of the UK, this retail pavilion caters to people of all style preferences! If you are going to visit Belfast, this is certainly a sight worth seeing! 

The Merchant Hotel

My husband and I had the luxury of staying at the famous Merchant Hotel during our last visit to Belfast. The hotel gets its name from the fact that it used to be a bank and was converted into a hotel in 2006, since which it has won an award for the “Best Hotel Bar in the World.”

As you can imagine, since this was a bank turned into a hotel, the architecture is anything but traditional! The main dining room is situated in the room where the tellers and cashiers used to be and each room is spectacular and different! This hotel was by far the most interesting hotel I’ve ever stayed in! Each room was a surprise and you could never be sure what you’d find around each corner! You could easily and happily get lost in this hotel and find hidden gems along the way!

Something to take note of at the hotel is the mesmerizing chandelier that illuminates the great room restaurant! This is also the largest crystal chandelier in all of Ireland! The architecture in each room is worth close examination as each room was crafted intricately and beautifully!

3.   Ring of Kerry (AKA The Iveragh Peninsula)

The Ring of Kerry is one of the most beautiful sights I’ve seen in Ireland. The Ring of Kerry has some of the Europe's finest beaches and also provides amazing insight into the ancient heritage of Ireland with a landscape carved out of rock by the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago.

The Ring of Kerry is a very popular tourist destination in Southwest Ireland and is essentially the breathtaking coast of Ireland with spectacular views. The Ring of Kerry gets its name from the fact that it is a 110-mile loop.  You have the option to take a bus tour or drive yourself along the cliff-hanging roads, though you should be advised that you will be well met with sheep crossing your path and the roads are very narrow at times!

Aside from the breathtaking views, some popular attractions along the Ring of Kerry include castles, villages and beautiful waterfalls! Because the weather in this part of Ireland is so dynamic, you will notice the weather changing quite substantially many times throughout your day! If you take photos on this trip, your friends will have a hard time believing how vastly the sky changed in one single day. This trip is definitely one worth taking!

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Previously Featured Destinations