Travel

Dakotas – Mt Rushmore

Posted on November 12, 2013 by write4jan

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The Black Hills of South Dakota were beathtakingly beautiful as we meandered around the mountains.  We saw chipmunks, Rocky Mountain Goats and various birds.  Coming around a curve in the road I got the first glimpse of Mount Rushmore.   It is one of those National treasures that I felt I had to see on my trip to the Dakotas.  I had no preconceptions only the occasional photo or post card someone shared with me.  From a distance it was beautiful and easily recognizable.  It was interesting the National Park has no entrance fee but there was an $11 parking fee for cars (more for RVs and buses).

Do not deprive yourself of going into the park itself.   Mount Rushmore is a beautiful symbol for hope, and unity in these United States.  There is an awesome trail around the mountain with plaques detailing the history and the making of Mount Rushmore.  There are places to sit and take it all in as well as on the walking path.

For more information on Mount Rushmore see their website: http://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm

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A Word on Rental Cars

Posted on October 20, 2013 by write4jan

Rental CarsAs an avid traveler I enjoy traveling both home and abroad.  My first trip outside the US was at age six months to Africa. Recently, I totally enjoyed a two week adventure in North and South Dakota.  I have a list of places I want to go and one personal goal has been to see all fifty states.   I only have ten left to complete that goal.

On this particular trip I had planned to fly into South Dakota and out of North Dakota.  I planned to rent a car at the South Dakota Airport and return it to the North Dakota  Airport.  I was easily able to purchase airline tickets in this manner.  What was impossible for a reasonable fee was the rental car.  Neither of the airports in question would allow rental at one airport and return to the other one.  I thought it might be because I was crossing state lines. So, I tried one rental car on one side of the state and another on the other side of the state.  I tried rental car companies both in and out of  several airports.  I called numerous rental car companies in each combination I chose.  I finally found someone that would do it or an additional $1,000.  Needless to say I flew in and out of the same airport.

I did rent a car from and returned it to the Rapid City Airport.  Unfortunately, this changed my route and travel plans based on the inability to be accommodated by the rental car industry.  So word to the wise call all modes of transportation and be sure you can book what you want to do before you start paying for reservations as there are fees to change reservations.  I did have to change airlines, and pay a fee, as I had booked one airline into Rapid City and another out of Bismarck before I discovered the Rental Car issue.

Remember, if there are to be multiple drivers get them all listed with the rental car company so they will be covered.  You will want to be sure your personal automobile insurance covers the rental car before you decide to decline the insurance coverage from the rental car company.  I have rented cars from various rental car companies in many states within the United States with ease.  I have been pleased with the cars and the customer service by the companies I have used.  In this experience I describe it was a lack of knowledge on my part as it never occurred to me that it would not be possible to rent in one airport and return at another airport as I have done it in the past in more metropolitan area of the country.

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Dingle Peninsula, Ireland

Posted on October 13, 2013 by write4jan

Dingle Peninsula

The drive around the Dingle Peninsula has magnificent views of steep sea cliffs, rolling mountains and sandy beaches. The Slieve Mish Mountain Range runs down the neck of the peninsula and then rolls down to the sea creating lovely vistas.

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The Beach from Ryan’s Daughter

The 1970’s film Ryan’s Daughter was filmed on the Dingle Peninsula and the beach in a scene from Ryan’s Daughter is still wonderful view. The 1992 film Far and Away was partially filmed on the peninsula as well.
Brian de Staic Ogham Jewelry
There is wonderful shopping on the Dingle Peninsula as well. One of my favorites is Brian de Staic and his Ogham jewelry. Ogham is an Early Medieval Alphabet used to write the old Irish Language. Brian de Staic makes lovely pieces with your name on them while you enjoy your drive down the Dingle Peninsula.

DSCN3393The Beauty of the Cliffs
There are over 2,000 monuments preserved on the Dingle Peninsula. There are over 6,000 years representing eight time periods; Mesolithic Period, The Stone Age, The Bronze Age, The Iron Age, The Early Christian Period, The Viking Period, The Medieval Period and the 1600’s through modern Times are all archaeologically represented on the peninsula. See a fort from the Iron Age; standing stones from the Bronze Age; monastic sites form the Early Christian Period; or circle rock art from the Stone Age.
The Dingle Peninsula truly has something for everyone. Photographers and nature lovers will especially enjoy the ocean bluffs and vistas on the drive out Slea Head. There are sheer drops where the rocks meet the Atlantic Ocean. There are sights not to be missed. I enjoyed this drive every bit as much as the drive around The Ring of Kerry.

 

 

 

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Ring of Kerry

Posted on October 7, 2013 by write4jan

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Above: That’s me with a view of some of The Ring of Kerry scenery

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Above: Me in my new hand knitted Irish sweater at Torc Waterfall

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Above: The Muckross house

The Ring of Kerry holds breath taking vistas of mountains fields of green, and views of the beach and ocean. You will see stunning fields of lush green grass that give Ireland the nickname Emerald Isle. There is also a good bit of history to see in the old famine houses, forts and old monasteries. I recommend getting a guide book if you are planning to drive the Ring of Kerry so you will not miss any of the points of interest. There are several churches with interesting cemeteries and statues along the way you might miss without a guide book.

Ring of Kerry is a place to truly cherish the solitude and the grader of nature. There are lots of opportunities for scenic photography. The Torc Waterfall is a short walk through the forest up a slight incline to a beautiful waterfall. The Muckross house completed in 1843 is a wonderful house to take a tour of. It was the home of Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife, Mary, a watercolorist. The rooms are furnished with period décor from the 19th century.

There are some quaint small towns along the way that offer a pub for lunch. All the pubs I visited had soup and wonderful Irish meals. One of my favorites is a toastie. A toastie is made like a grilled cheese sandwich but includes ham, onion, tomato and cheese.

It is recommended due to the narrow roads to drive around the Ring of Kerry clockwise, buses go counterclockwise. That way you do not get stuck behind a tour bus. It takes about four hours to drive the 109 mile Ring of Kerry.

The Ring of Kerry is a relaxing drive around the Iveragh Peninsula and is not to be missed. It is Ireland’s most popular drive in the country. We had a debate on the tour I was on as to which was best Ring of Kerry versus Dingle Peninsula. The results were split almost evenly with a third choice of loved them both. It truly is a personal preference. I voted that I loved them both.

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Bathrooms of Ireland

Posted on October 4, 2013 by write4jan

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To left – is the double button.
Everyone has to use the bathroom at some point in their travels. It is always a bit of an adventure in foreign countries. Every time I leave the US I find something to marvel about in the bathroom. Ireland did not let me down!
I have found that when I enter a bathroom in a foreign country there are two things I have to take note of. First where is the necessary paper – sometimes it is behind you, under the sink, hidden in a cubby, or just hanging on the wall.

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Second is to figure out where the flushing mechanism is. This means you have to look high and low.  (To left – note the paper behind you and the high tank flush.) Sometimes, it is a pedal on the floor, or a button on top of the tank, levers on the front or sides of the tank, pull chains from the ceiling if the tank is high or any manner of other hidden combinations. I have been in some countries that do not flush as continuous flow of water over a trough type contraption. The Irish do provide the necessary paper in the bathroom. I have been in places in Europe where you had to pay for the paper or carry your own. The Irish have two buttons on top of many of their toilets. One button gives you a small flush and the other delivers a full flush to meet your individual needs and conserve water.

In Ireland you do need to carry your own facecloth, washcloth, as very few hotels provided them. During my stay in four hotels, all of which were four and five star hotels, only one had facecloths. I usually buy some cheap white facecloths that I can leave behind when traveling.
As a nurse I am always concerned about hand washing, it is scientifically proven to be the best method to prevention of infection. In Ireland I was impressed with the cleanliness of the bathrooms, availability of soap and individual paper towels to perform proper hand washing. Occasionally, there would be one of those electric hand dryers similar to what we have here, but
the majority of places had individual paper towels. I did see one or two of those old rolls of real towels where you pull out some fresh towel and then it retracts back into the machine. I have not seen them in use in the US for years.
All in all, Ireland gets an A for adventure in the uniqueness of some of their bathroom. To get an A one must be clean first and have something I have not seen before, the double button was the new thing for me!
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Kilarney, Ireland – Jaunting Carts

Posted on September 18, 2013 by write4jan

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Kilarney, Ireland offered a wonderful way to see the town and countryside.  If you get the opportunity take a Jaunting Cart Ride!  It is a horse drawn cart that goes through town into the countryside.  It is a marvelous way to take in some fresh air and enjoy the Ireland countryside.  We were fortunate to see a herd of deer.

 

 

 

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The thatched roof is a dying art and we saw this beautiful example on our Jaunt.

 

 

 

 

 

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The  Jaunting Cart ride took us out to see Ross Castle circa 1410.  You can just see the ears of our horse at the bottom of this photo. We were able to take a break and explore the castle.

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Waterford, Ireland

Posted on September 10, 2013 by write4jan

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Waterford, Crystal

Waterford is the fifth largest city in Ireland and has been famous for Waterford Crystal for many years.  I recently learned while in Ireland that Waterford Crystal is no longer made in Waterford Ireland.    Waterford Crystal is now made in many countries in the world.  There are also workers that worked for Waterford in Ireland that have opened their own companies using the old Waterford techniques to make quality crystal. There are those that say the “new” Waterford is not the same as the “old” Waterford Crystal, I tend to think it is personal preference in how the piece makes you feel.   The town, of Waterford, was quaint with lots to offer in the way of shopping.
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Dunbrody Famine Ship

Posted on September 7, 2013 by write4jan

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Dunbrody Famine Ship
If you are a history buff the Dunbrody tour is a must!  The reconstructed Dunbrody Famine Ship is open to tours and is quite fascinating.  The ship is in the water and gives you the feel of how the passengers lived with the cramped conditions.  The highlight of the tour is when Mrs. Annie White, a steerage passenger, and Mrs. Mary O’Brien, first class passenger, join your group to share their stories of passage to America.  These actresses did a wonderful historical interpretation performance of life aboard the Dunbrody.  Even on a rainy day, this is Ireland afterall, it was a wonderful tour!

Dunbrody Famine Ship is a three masted ship originally built in Quebec in 1845 for the Graves family by Thomas Hamilton Oliver, an Irish emigrant from the County Derry.
The Graves family, of New Ross, were merchants and they commissioned eight
such ships to carry cargo from America and Canada to Ireland.  The ship was fitted out with bunks and facilities for passengers desperate to escape Ireland during the Potato Famine.  Usually the Dunbrody carried 176 people but in the height of the Famine in 1847 the passengers climbed to 318 in number.  The tour guide gives an explanation of the times, the ship and the Potato Famine.   For more information about the Dunbrody tours
http://www.dunbrody.com/

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Kilkenny, Ireland

Posted on August 31, 2013 by write4jan

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Maeve and Joe our hosts at Jerpoint.                                                          Cap herding the Geese.

Jerpoint Park was a wonderful experience!  Joe and Maeve O’Connell are the proprietors of Jerpoint Park and have a true gift of hospitality.   We watched a sheep dog demonstration that was truly amazing!  Watching Cap, a highly trained Boarder Collie, is not to be missed.  He moves the herd of Geese on command of his master, Joe O’Connell.  The command, “come by” is spoke softly by Joe and Cap responds moving the Geese to the Left.  When asked if Cap could hear him that far away Joe replied, “He always hears me but he may not always head me.”  Cap can hear a mile away.
After the sheepdog demonstration it was down the hill and through the kissing gate for the Heritage Tour.  We were able to visit the Lost Town of Newtown a 12th Century town reputed to have 14 taverns.  You feel like you are going back in time to a medieval town which mysteriously disappeared from history.  Walk to the Hunt’s cemetery and see the tomb where St Nicholas is buried.
Then it is off to the Belmore house, home of the Joe and Maeve O’Connell for some of the best homemade scones and tea, or coffee, in Ireland!  The Tea Rooms are open daily and Maeve and Joe grace the experience opening their home and their hearts to their guests.  I really felt like family there!  What a treat and the homemade raspberry jam were wonderful.  The ambiance of the Tea Room was divine.  You can gaze out the window at the beautiful vistas while relaxing with great conversation.  You will come away from Jerpoint with Maeve and Joe as your friends!  You can find more information at the Jerpoint park Website http://jerpointpark.com/

 

Kilkenny, Ireland is home to Kilkenny Castle home of the Butler family. This castle has been restored and is open for tours for a nominal fee. Beware that the castle closes at 4:30PM and you will want to allow about two hours for a proper experience. You are able to walk around at your own pace and there is staff in the various rooms to tell you the history of that room and answer your particular questions. You can find more information on the Kilkenny Castle website www.kilkennycastle.ie/

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Escape Route for Delayed Flight

Posted on August 28, 2013 by write4jan

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As a seasoned traveler I, Jan, have experienced many types of travel.  I know when I first started with various forms of travel it was often difficult to find recommendations and suggestions.  So I decided to share some tips of the traveler here on my first blog!  Feel free to post comments and enjoy the travel in the minds eye!

Tip One – Sometimes you have to act fast.  This photo was taken of me on a trip back from Ireland. Our flight arrived  back in to Newark, NJ to find a major snow storm and many flights cancelled. Our flight into Washington Regan Airport was delayed and then cancelled. I had flow through Newark before and remembered the train. Living outside of DC I knew we could get to Union Station in DC and take the Metro Subway back to Washington Regan Airport .  There were about 30 of us in the group. I checked departures for trains on my phone and offered the option but said we have to go right now. Of the thirty only four others agreed to try the rest said they would wait. The five of us arrived back in DC for $67 each about four hours later.  I totally enjoyed the ride on Amtrak  reading my book and relaxing.

Due to the air traffic back ups from the storms some of our friends were in NJ for two nights! That was two nights of hotels, food, cab and other expenses, one friend said it cost her $500, to make the flight when it was finally rescheduled.  Another friend stayed in the airport for twenty-four hours! Meanwhile the five of us were back home! So remember think options and act fast!

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