Have I mentioned before that we love to travel? It is true. We had been planning and saving for a while to make a journey overseas and we just completed that goal!  Conner took me to visit Paris and Ireland for a 9 day adventure. The trip started off rocky as we missed our flight and were delayed 24 hours, but the trip was fun non the less. When we were able to finally load the plane, I had to resist the urge to take paint pens to the outside windows and proclaim “Ireland or Bust”. I was THAT excited and anxious to be on vacation already.We were able to visit with our friends in Ireland and explore the beautiful country side. Our time in Ireland happened during the first heat wave of the summer so the weather was in the 64+ the entire time. We switched back and forth between light jackets, jeans, and shorts the entire trip. Here are a few of our favorite memories and must sees if you are ever in Ireland.Off the beaten path is Sugarloaf mountain. It is quite the hike as you are walking straight up the side of the mountain.  No switch backs, no paved tracks. At some portions you are even climbing up boulders to get to the top! The climb was worth it though because the 360 views of the city were incredible.Cliffs of Moher was a day trip we took to the western side of the country. I’ll keep it brief because so know Conner is going to tell you all about how we explored it Rim Hugger style.
Howth was a little seaside town we had heard about from a random stranger on a bus ride in Atlanta to the airport. Howth reminded me of a little beach town with the seafood style pubs over looking the water. We visited the cliff on the first day and it truly kicked off the trip with a bang. We walked the path along the mountain and discovered a cliff where you could jump into the water. I am not one for adrenaline rushes, but Conner is… So he put on his suit and jumped in to the water with a bunch of nackers (the term for teenagers in Ireland).Some of the best meals we are were in Dublin near the Temple Bar. Must visits are the farm to table Restaurant Boxty which had the best…you guessed it… Boxty. It is like a pancake that is thin and has the flavoring of potato. Also in Dublin was the Harry lemon which had some great traditional Irish food as well as fresh vegetables. I had no idea how hard it would be to not have access to the wide range of fruits and vegetables that we do in America. It made me grateful. It also made me rush to the grocery store as soon as we got home to stock up on all things green and fresh.Other must sees included the Guinness factory which was an experience even for a non-beer drinker like myself. It was an experience as you smelled the various ingredients in the beer, saw the process of how it was made, and learned the proper way to pour a Guinness.For shopping we visited Grafton Street which reminded me of the streets of New Orleans. It was my personal mission not to visit any store that I could go to in America. I was surprised to see so many of the stores I did visit were based in Denmark.Overall it was a wonderful trip. My favorite part about Ireland was the laid back culture and how everything ran at a slower pace. meals were not hurried and we weren’t rushing from one spot to the next. The beautiful greenery all over wasn’t half bad either.