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Thursday, November 27, 2014

Holiday Gifts for your Travelers

It's that time of the year . . . we are now less than a month away from Christmas. It's the time when people start their holiday shopping. I have a list of presents for the traveler in your life. Some of the items are incredibly practical and some are things you wouldn't necessarily think of. Without further ado check out the list:

-Books: every travelers has down time. Whether it's waiting for your train, flight or layovers a good book is a must.
-Journal: I love writing about my travels and being able to look back and relive my adventures.
-Luggage tags: I see these all over the internet. Some websites, such as, www.shutterfly.com allow you to personalize your own.
-Guidebooks: Know their next travel destination? Give them a guidebook to help them decide how to spend their time at that destination!
-Scarves: Your mind may not have automatically gone here, but one scarf can change an entire outfit and be multifunctioning.
-Rosetta Stone: Give them the gift of learning another language. This can come quite handy if you are in a country that doesn't speak your native language.
-Tablet/Ipad: I take my mini ipad with me every time I travel. It has now replaced my laptop. I can read books, get on the internet, blog, edit my photos and stay connected with my friends and family. One of my all time travel accessories.
                              Travel Gear:
-Luggage: For my birthday in 2013 I received a whole luggage set. They have gone on many many travels and are still going strong. My current set is American Tourist brand.
-Weekender Bags: These are great for quick trips. https://www.etsy.com/ offers some really nice ones with many different designs and the options to personalize them.

Personalized Monogrammed Canvas Weekender Bag
 
-Converter/Adapter: It may not seem like a big deal, but all the little things you need for trip add up. This will take care of your traveler's electronics.
-Toiletry Bags: A girl has to keep her make up and everyday items somewhere. I love mine from L.L Bean. I can fit my make up, shampoo/conditioner, razor, shaving cream, ect in it. It also has a mirror on the inside, has a hanger and takes up minimal space in my suitcase.
-Travel Size: toiletries, hair dryer and straightener. Most places have a hair dryer, but some people like to take their own.
-Passport Cover: Keeps their passport safe and most provide slots for credit cards, ect
-Mini Travel Size Surge Protector w/ USB plug: Im asking for one for Christmas this year. It seems like there are never enough plugs in your room.

Belkin 3-Outlet Mini Travel Swivel Charger Surge Protector with Dual USB Ports, 5 Charging Outlets Total (1 AMP / 5 Watt)
Belkin Mini Travel Size Surge Protector w/ USB Plug
 - External Battery: These are awesome. Charge the night before and take it with you. Your traveler will no longer need to fight for a spot at a charging stations. They come in multiple sizes.
*Expedition Wanderlust Tip: Check out the Jackery Brand *

Jackery® Bar Premium Aluminum iPhone Charger External Battery 6000mAh Portable Charger Power Bank for Apple iPhone 6 Plus, 6, 5S, 5C, 5, 4S, iPad, Air, Mini, Samsung Galaxy S5, S4, S3, Note, Nexus, LG, HTC. Portable Battery Charger, External Charger, USB Battery Pack, iPad Charger, Travel Charger, Backup Battery (Orange)
-Packing Cubes: These provide more space in your travelers luggage. Check out www.ebags.com (they are currently 20% off.

                       Gift Cards:
-Airline Gift Cards: Check with each airline. Delta and American Airlines offer gift cards.
-Hotel Gift Cards: Does your traveler prefer a particular hotel? Get them a gift card. Always check with the hotel chain. Marriott and Hilton both offer gift cards.
-Visa Gift Cards: Can be used on anything from gas, accommodation, food, and other travel expenses.
-If you know the destination you can purchase gift cards to attractions, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, plays, musicals, ect.

                  Check out for more ideas:
My pinterest page: https://www.pinterest.com/exwanderlust/
My facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/expedwanderlust?ref=hl

What do you buy for the traveler in your life? If your a traveler what would you like for Christmas? As always leave your comments and ideas below!

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Renaissance Tampa International Plaza

Girls weekend shopping trip. Sounds great, right? It was a nice shopping trip with my mom. Our itinerary for this trip was to shop at Tampa's International Plaza Mall. For this trip we chose to stay at Marriott's Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Mall. We chose this hotel for it's location and décor. If you want a hotel close to the International Mall you can't beat this hotel. The Renaissance is attached to the mall and a short walk to all the shops and restaurants.

I was very impressed by our short stay here. From the moment we arrived the staff was friendly and helpful. Our room wasn't ready when we arrived, so we took advantage of their luggage storage and began our shopping trip. Concierge called us when our room was ready (before regular check-in time). The décor for this hotel is very unique from the moment you step into the lobby.


luxury hotel in Tampa
Marriot.com
 
I was very much charmed by the décor throughout the whole hotel, including our rooms. I was very impressed by this Marriot "boutique" styled hotel. Breakfast is not included in your stay, however they offer an excellent array of breakfast options. 
               
                                                        
 

 
 
Amenities:

 
- Free high speed wireless internet in rooms
-Fitness Center
-Pool
-4:00pm Check-in
- Noon Check-out
- Complimentary parking
- Valet parking $19 daily
-Continental Breakfast $11 daily
- Buffet style Breakfast $18 daily 
 
 
Expedition: Wanderlust Tip: *When booking your stay don't forget to ask about a AAA discount (if your a member), and don't forget to use your Marriott Rewards # (this is a category 6 property)*

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Take Nothing but Pictures, Leave Nothing but Footprints

I have recently decided it's high time I start discovering all my state has to offer. I'm excited to start Take Nothing but Pictures, Leave Nothing but Footprints "campaign".  I foresee visits to state parks, theme parks, and state beaches in my future. While I'm unable to travel full time, I'm hoping to travel locally in between my international trips. I chose to refer to my Florida travels as, Take Nothing but Pictures, Leave Nothing but Footprints, because I think it sends an important message. It's important to me that we take care of our surroundings and nature in general. Ecotourism is on the rise and there are so many beautiful places in the world to travel to. However, they wont survive over time if we don't take care of them. I'm always amazed when I hike and experience nature and traveling.


By traveling around my state I'm hoping to bring a locals perspective to anyone visiting Florida, recommendations and tried and true tips. Keep a look out for upcoming posts for Tampa and Orlando! Anywhere you would like me to visit in Florida? Leave a comment below.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

20 Facts about Bunratty Medieval Banquet . . .

This banquet came highly recommended by my father who used to live in Ireland. I'm so glad we listened to his recommendation and bought tickets for it. We were running late, but there was still a line waiting to get in when we arrived.

1. You get see a small portion of the castle while they finish setting up dinner

2. They provide a small performance in the Great Hall before dinner

3. Free Mead is provided for all the adults during the first performance

4. For dinner you sit at communal tables like you would in medieval times

5. You receive a 3 course meal: appetizer, entrée and dessert

6. No silverware!!

7. We had delicious soup, chicken and potatoes, and dessert

Main Meal
  
8. The pottery your meal is served in is available for purchase


 9. We had the nicest server . . . great local insight.

10. Everyone is dressed up for their part

11. The performance was awesome. A very talented group!



12. It is interactive with the crowd: someone gets crowned the Earl and Lady

13. Someone gets thrown into the Dungeons- Make sure it isn't you!

14. Shannon Heritage runs this banquet along with the Knappogue Banquet and the Dunguaire Banquet

15. The whole performance with dinner included is about 2 1/2 hours

16. There are two performance times 5:30pm and 8:45pm

17. The Banquet runs yearly

18. The price for adults is 51.50 euros

19. Reservations are required: Book ahead of time or their wont be tickets left

20. Visit their website at http://www.shannonheritage.com/BookNow/

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Any questions or comments? Let us know by leaving them below!








Sunday, September 21, 2014

Bunratty Castle

The first Bunratty Castle was constructed in 1250 and consisted of a earthen mound with a wooden tower. Throughout it's history Bunratty changed hands, was destroyed, rebuilt and destroyed again. In 1425 the current castle was built by the MacNamara clan and was surrounded by a village of over 1,000 habitants. The castle fell into disrepair until the Viscount Lord Gort purchased the land and building in 1954. He then began extensive renovation on the castle and it opened to the public in 1962. Bunratty has a fascinating history if you would like to learn more.

We visited Bunratty the same day we visited Knappogue Castle. They are only a 20 minute drive from one another. This castle and it's medieval banquet came highly recommended by everyone we spoke to. There is free parking for this castle and they had the biggest parking lot of all the castles we visited on our trip. We arrived later in the afternoon, and were not able to get a reservation to the medieval banquet for that night; so we prebooked a reservation for the following night. We purchased our tickets and followed the pathway to the castle. We had limited time before closing and the castle was a higher priority than the folk park.

Bunratty Castle was definitely the biggest castle we saw and the most functioning castle we saw. A lot of the castles we saw were in disrepair, but because of the renovation done on the castle it was like walking through time. Every room was restored to look as it would have in 1425.



Bunratty was a very imposing castle and cold! I had always read about how drafty and cold castles were, but its completely different to experience it in person. It's a self guided tour through the castle. Guests can stay as long or as little in each room as they would like.

Ready for Battle
The great room was cavernous. It was easy to imagine the laird of the clan listening to his subjects complaints in this room. On the upper level of the castle there is a peephole in the wall looking down in the great room. How many people have stood there ease dropping on conversations in history past? Some rooms did have railings preventing the furniture and tapestries from being ruin. They also ask that you refrain from using flash photography in parts of the castle. The flash will deteriorate the tapestries.

No further entrance

Nook in the room above the Great Hall

Visitors are able to visit the dungeon and battlements at the very top of the castle. The dungeon wasn't something to get too excited about, but they are dungeons. Visitors are able to take the stairs down into a little hole, turn around and walk back up. I can tell you that it made the day of every child we saw.



I liked that we were able to visit the battlements. Most castles have those closed off to visitors. The views were amazing!





Warning: be careful when coming back down. The stairways were extremely crowded with people trying to come up, so it created a bit of a jam. This is a castle that requires you to be mobile. There are lots and lots of stairs. If mobility is a problem you would only be able to access the Great Hall. Overall, I'm so glad that we stopped and visited this castle. It was beautifully restored and it was incredibly easy to imagine someone living in the castle during 1425. The ticket price includes Bunratty Castle and Bunratty Folk Park (look for the review in the next post). Please leave any comments or questions below.

Ticket Prices:

Adult: 10 euros
Child 6-16 years: 8 euros
Child 0-6: FREE!!
Seniors: 9.45 euros
Here is the link to purchase tickets for Bunratty Castle and Folk Park:
http://www.shannonheritage.com/BunrattyCastleAndFolkPark/

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Follow our pinterest page for travel inspiration: http://www.pinterest.com/exwanderlust/

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Welcome to Social Media . . .

Expedition: Wanderlust has made it's debut on Social Media!!! We now have a Facebook page and our own Pinterest!


                     



Please visit and like our facebook page if you would like to follow our travels and receive travel tips! Our Pinterest page is everything travel related, gifts, tips and inspiration!

Here is the link to our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/expedwanderlust?ref=hl
And the link to our Pinterest page: http://www.pinterest.com/exwanderlust/

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Labor Day Deals

Happy Labor Day Weekend Everyone!!

I have some great labor deals for anyone who loves to travel. Whether you are travelling currently or have future plans here are deals for travel and travel accessories.

                    Travel Gear and Accessories:

REI- up to 30% off August 22- Sept 1 at http://www.rei.com/s/deals
Merrell- Up to 50% off with free shipping. Visit the site at http://www.merrell.com/US/en/Clearance
Dicks's Sporting Goods- up to 75% off summer sale at http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/home/index.jsp
Ebags: 70% off backpacks and luggage. Expires September 1 at http://www.ebags.com/
Backcountry: Up to 50% off all fall outdoor gear and clothing. Expires September 2 at http://www.backcountry.com/
North Face: Free shipping with a minimum of $50 purchase at http://www.thenorthface.com/en_US/index.html
Sierra Trading Post- 25-30% off at http://www.sierratradingpost.com/
Amazon: 70% off. Expires September 1. Visit at http://www.amazon.com/.
Walmart: 40% off items. http://www.walmart.com/
Books a million: up to 50% off summer sale.
Barnes & Nobles: Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook $179. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
Books a Million: Up to 50% off summer sale. Books are great travel companions. http://www.booksamillion.com/
Shutterfly: 40% off everything. Promo code: LABORDAY40. Free shipping on orders of $39 or more. Code: SHIP39.

                   Travel Deals:

Travelocity: $50 off participating hotels. Promo code: GO50 ends 8/31
Hotel.com: up to 30% off

                    Clothing:

Macy: 20% off entire purchase. Free shipping on orders of $75 or more. http://www1.macys.com/
Eddie Bauer: up to 50% off on order. Free shipping on orders $99 or more. http://www.eddiebauer.com/
Lands End: 25% off order. http://www.landsend.com/
Sports Authority: $10 off $50 or more, $20 off $100 or more. Up to 75% off and free shipping on orders of $49 or more. http://www.sportsauthority.com/home/index.jsp
L.L Bean: 10% off entire purchase. Code: LABOR DAY. http://www.llbean.com/

                  Footwear:

Payless Shoes: 15% off shoes. http://www.payless.com/
Famous Footwear: buy one get one 1/2 off. http://www.famousfootwear.com/

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Knappogue Castle

Knappogue Castle is a 15th century tucked away in County Clare. The castle was built in 1467 by the Macnamara Clan, who also built Bunratty Castle. The castle was confiscated in 1659 by Cromwell, and returned in 1670 when the monarchy was restored to power. In the early 20th century Knappogue was used as headquarter for the Free State Army in Ireland's fight for freedom. This castle has gone through so much history, and I love the stories behind the history. We happened upon this charming castle as its tucked out of the way.

Road to Knappogue Castle

Your first glance of the castle is following the curved driveway until you are along side the front of the castle. It's an excellent view of the castle. You continue driving around to the side of the castle where there is a free parking lot.

First glance of Knappogue Castle

The entrance is at the front of the castle, where you enter a gift shop. You can browse to your pleasure and pay the entrance fee. Again, student id's will give you a discount! Exiting the side door of the gift shop leads you to inner bailey of the castle. It's so easy to imagine a group of riders cantering through the bailey door and bringing their horses to a halt.

Door to inner bailey

Inner Bailey
Once you cross the bailey and go up the stairs you will enter the main floor of the castle. You are able to access most of the castle, however there are locks barring you from certain areas. One thing I loved about this castle is they have snippets of the history of Knappogue and time around the castle. I thought this was very interesting and added insight to the time period.

Snippets of history
There are also beautiful formal gardens on the castle grounds. By the time we had finished touring the castle it was pouring out. Unfortunately, we did not visit the gardens on the account of the rain. Overall I think this castle is worth the visit. It was lovingly restored in the 20's and has been taken care. This is another castle run by the Shannon Heritage and they do a wonderful job preserving these pieces of history. For anyone interested you are able to rent a room at this castle, it's just going to significantly empty your pockets. The going nightly rate is a whopping 900 EUR a night! Knappogue also offers a medieval banquet at night.

                        Entrance Prices:
Adult 6 EUR
Child 2.50 EUR
Senior 3.50 EUR

You can buy tickets at Knappogue or online at https://www.shannonheritage.com/BookNow/BookTickets.aspx?eid=0100

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Doolin Cave

Doolin Cave is located in the Burren north of Doolin Village. This cave is home to the "Great Stalactite" and is considered a world class natural tourist attraction. I love visiting natural attractions like this. Nature always amazes me.


 We arrived early in the day and had a small tour group. It was my friend and I, a couple from New Mexico and their driver. We had a great tour guide, Jim, who was extremely knowledgeable about the cave and surrounding area. The tour starts out by entering the cave and descending about 80 feet underground. At the bottom of the entrance everyone is given hard hats before continuing further into the cave.

The cave is low in some spots and you have to occasionally bend over. There were a couple times where my hard hat scraped against the cave. There is a reason for those hard hats! The stalactite is around 23 feet long. We learned that it is the longest free hanging stalactite in the northern hemisphere. It's quite a thing to see. It's amazing to walk into the cavern and see it hanging from the ceiling as if it's a chandelier. The stalactite is definitely the centerpiece of the room. At the top of the room everyone poses for pictures with the stalactite in the background. The tour guide was kind enough to take pictures of everyone.

 
There is a platform at the bottom of the cavern that everyone is able to walk down to and take more pictures. Unfortunately, I didn't have the flash attachment on my camera and had to rely on my friend for all the pictures. Our guide informed us that they are opening another cavern and was hoping to have it finished by November of 2013. If I'm every in the area again I will have to stop and see the new cavern. This isn't a strenuous or challenging walk through the cave. I think anyone could do this, except very small children and older people who are not in shape. The only things I could see presenting a challenge would be the amount of stairs you have to climb up and down, bending over and the metal walk ways are wet and slippery.

This is an attraction that you want to wear comfortable, closed toe shoes. I wore my Merrell hiking shoes for most of this trip. Remember it is always cold in caves, so dress accordingly. At one point you are about 200 feet below ground. Chilly! Once the tour is over (about 45 minutes to an hour long) there is a nature trail you can walk or enjoy food at their café.

There is a café, gift shop and bathroom facilities on site. We chose not to walk the nature trail, because we had a busy day ahead of us. Flash photography is allowed: don't forget your flash attachment like I did!

The cave is opened from March to November from 10am until 5pm. Tour times are at 10am, 11am and every half hour starting at 11:30am.

                             Tour Prices:
Adult: 15 euros
Child: 8 euros
Family: 50 euros

If you book your tour online there is a discount. I was able to get a student discount off my prices with an id. It's not advertised, but I would ask. Doolin Cave is truly a hidden gem and I highly recommend stopping if you are in the area. Check out their website: http://www.doolincave.ie/

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Cliffs of Mohr Hotel

Cliffs of Mohr Hotel is located in Liscannor, Ireland. It's two miles from the Cliffs of Mohr and 50km from Shannon Airport. I had originally booked our stay at Logues Liscannor Hotel. A week before our arrival I received an email from the hotel. They were having construction done on the hotel and moved us across the street to their sister hotel for the same price.
 
 
This was the second place we stayed on our trip. I was pleasantly surprised by this hotel. We arrived just as the weather was taking a nasty turn for the worse. There was a little bit of confusion at check in. They were having a hard time finding our reservation, but I had brought every confirmation with me, and they were able to find our reservation with that. I received the impression that they were a fairly new hotel and were still working out the kinks.


There weren't a lot of people staying and they weren't very busy. The check in guy was also working in the restaurant. He was the only working staff member that we saw. We ate dinner in the hotel restaurant. The restaurant was small and cozy. There was a fireplace in the bar area, surrounded by two tables. In the other room there 5-6 tables. The food and beer were really good, and it was a cozy refuge from the storm.
 
The following morning we ate breakfast (included in our stay). They had several cold breakfast options. I was impressed with their spread and options. The fruit was fresh, they had several cereal and drink options. You are also able to order a hot breakfast. The waiters were very helpful. They were willing to answer any questions we had and were very knowledgeable about the surrounding area.

I was impressed by the rooms. They were very spacious and modern, something I wasn't expecting in Europe. The bathrooms were spacious, modern. It was refreshing! Overall we enjoyed our stay here. The fast was friendly and helpful. The amenities were great, but the wifi in the rooms was spotty.

(Laterooms.com)


There isn't much to do in the town of Liscannor. There is one bar in town, but they do not serve food during the week, and the other restrauarant closes early. There is a town within 10 minutes from this location that has plenty of food and shopping options.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Cliffs Of Mohr

The Cliffs of Mohr and Blarney Castle were at the top of my things to see list. Neither were a disappointment. The Cliffs were originally planned for the following day (Day 3). The ticket attendant at Aillwee Caves was so very kind to us. It turns out she had lived in America for a short time and had attended the same college as me! What a small world! I travel across the world and meet someone who attended my small public college. I suppose a student id can be an icebreaker. When she found out we were planning to go to the Cliffs of Mohr the following day, she recommended we go that same afternoon. Apparently there was bad storm predicted for the next day that we didn't know about! She even pulled up the weather radar on her computer to show us.

She called her husband to get the best directions to the cliffs for us. What a fresh breath of air that was! I'm glad we listened to her, because the weather did pick up that afternoon through the following day. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. It was nice out when we arrived.




The longer we stayed the darker it became and the wind was blowing us all over the place!



The visitors center was built into the earth. The further you walked away from it the harder it became to distinguish it . . . fascinating! The views of the ocean were breathtaking, and I loved watching the storm come in. We were able to get some amazing pictures as the storm rolled in. When you approach the cliffs it is safe with a cement wall blocking you from the Cliffs edge. To the right is a sitting area and further up you can walk on the unprotected part and to the left is the O'Brien Tower. We went to the right first and for the more daring and adventurous you can walk onto the less stable portion. Of course we had to do it! There are warnings that clearly state you are doing so at your own risk . . .

 Past this point you can get as close to the edge as you want. I did get close, but I was very cautious. However my friend did closer than I did.



 
 
 A sad reality of the cliffs are some people jump off of them to commit suicide and they have erected a memorial for those that have jumped. 
 
 
We did not walk the entire side of the cliff because of the weather. We wanted to head to the other side before the weather became to bad. The O'Brien Tower was closed when we visited, so we weren't able to go inside.
 
 
I highly recommend visiting the cliffs if you have the time. I would like to go back and get pictures with the sun coming up! It's not too expensive to get in, and they do offer a discount for students!! They also have a small café with food and drinks inside the visitors center and a wonderful gift shop!! Visit the website for more information: http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/.
                                              
                                              2014 Price List:
Adults- 6 euros
Students- 4 euros
Senior citzens- 4 euros
Children under 16- FREE!!!
 
 

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Aillwee Caves

Aillwee Caves are karst caves located underground. They are located in County Clare, Ireland. This is area is commonly referred to as the Burren. The region itself is a wild, beautiful, dramatic scenery. I loved driving through it. Ireland is a abundant in breathtaking scenery. I'm discovering that I favor wild, dramatic beauty. When you pull up you are greeted by a guard. She explained everything that was offered at Aillwee Caves and that is when you purchase your ticket.


 There is plenty besides the caves to do here. They have a lord of prey center, the hawk walk (I don't think this was offered while we were there, but it looks pretty cool), the wolf den (survival skills) and a farm shop. We only paid for the cave, but we stopped at the farm shop on our way up the hill. They have homemade goods for sell, drinks, cheese and fudge. They offered us free samples of the cheese and fudge. The cheese was so good that we bought some to take with us. I still talk about how good that cheese was and how I wish I could have some right now! It was delicious!
Once you make it to the top of the hill, there is parking available and you enter Aillwee Caves. Outside of the entrance you have a prime photography spot of the burren. There is a panoramic view of the burren. The town and coast look like tiny little dots! Inside is where you wait for your cave time. There is a gift shop to browse and a cozy tearoom.

 
The tour is 30 minutes and it's all walking. The cave floor and metal bridges are damp and wet, so plan your footwear accordingly. For the majority of our trip I wore my Merrells and my friend wore her converse with no problem. This was not physically active, especially the other cave we toured. I saw families with very young children in the tour groups before and after us.
At one point inside the cave they do turn the lights off. It was pitch black and you could see nothing. I have never been in darkness like that before. I imagine that is what a black hole would look like. I stuck my hand in front of my face and I still could not see it . . . not event the outline. I don't know how the people who discovered it kept digging in such darkness.


It was a good tour filled with local history. They explain how the cave was discovered. There are even bones inside the cave of a 2,000 year old brown bear that is now extinct. It used to roam that area, but no longer. I would recommend this cave to visitors. We did visit another cave and in comparision Aillwee Caves seemed more commercialized and touristy, but I'm still glad I visited. Don't forget your cheese on the way out!

If you purchase tickets online it will save you money! Check it out . . . http://www.aillweecave.ie/.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Travel Cord Cases

I just had to share these adorable charge and cord cases from Neiman Marcus. They would make the perfect gift for travel lovers or for yourself. I'm always frustrated with all my cords and chargers when I travel. I have never found anything that works for me and I usually end up stuffing them into a ziplock bag and putting it inside my carry on. When I take them out they are all tangled!


This just may be the solution for me. What do you use to carry your chargers and cords when you travel?

Go check it out: http://www.neimanmarcus.com/Charger-Cord-Case-luggage/prod139350125___/p.prod?icid=&searchType=MAIN&rte=%252Fsearch.jsp%253FNo%253D60%2526Ntt%253Dluggage%2526_requestid%253D16069%2526N%253D0&eItemId=prod139350125&cmCat=searcH 

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Dunguaire Castle

Dunguaire Castle is a 16th century tower house located on the southern shores of Galway Bay.  It was built in 1520 by the Hynes Clan. Legend has it if a person stands at the front gate, and asks a question, they will have the answer to that question by the end of the day. I did some research on this castle after we came home, and Dunguaire is thought to be one of the most photographed castles in Ireland! Funnily enough we didn't even know this castle existed before our trip.



We left our B&B that morning and began our journey to Liscannor, where we would be staying the next couple of nights. It ended up taking us the entire day to get there! There were so many things we came across and we stopped at all of them. We were passing through a small, Irish town when a castled popped up out of nowhere! We had a just driven around a curve, and directly in front of us was the castle! We were so excited to see our very first castle! We had been warned that castles would be everywhere, but this one is special to me now. We drove past the castle and parked in the free parking lot down the road. It's a small parking lot, but it is free. We crossed the street and walked a couple minutes to the castle. It's a very picturesque castle with the Irish countryside on one side and Galway Bay on the other side.



Dunguaire is run by Shannon Heritage and it was in very good condition. I think Bunratty is the only castle we saw that beats it in condition. The have the rooms set up as you imagine they would be in medieval times. We paid a small fee in order to tour the castle. It was awesome! The spiral staircase starts on the first floor and continues to the top. You are able to enter the rooms at each landing. In some cases you had no choices, but to get off at a landing in order for the people coming down to pass you.

The Great Hall is set up just as you imagined it would be. The table went around the room with the lord and lady's chairs at the head. I'm not sure if your allowed to sit in the chairs, but I did!
 
We became very familiar with spiral, stone staircases on this trip. On the top floor there is a couple of steps that lead you outside to battlements. You are allowed to go up and walk around. Some of my favorite pictures were taken here!

It was so beautiful! The views of Galway Bay and the irish countryside were amazing! They did a wonderful job restoring this castle. I'm so glad we stopped. Sometimes deviating from your plan gives you such unexpected surprises!



The castle is open from April- October 1, 10am- 4pm. The admission for the castle is as follows:

Adult- 5 euros
5-16 children- 2.95 euros
0-5 children- free
Seniors- 3.50 euros

They also offer the Dunguaire Banquet. We didn't know this was offered, but we did do the Bunratty Medieval Banquet. They are both run by the Shannon Heritage, so I'm sure this one would be fine also. We really enjoyed our banquet. The banquet is offered at 5:30pm and 8:45pm. Reservations are required. Reservations can be made at Dunguaire Castle or on their website http://www.shannonheritage.com/EveningEntertainments/DunguaireCastleBanquet/.