Giant's causeway

Our rental was perfectly located - basically across the street from the sea, with a beach only a couple of minutes' walk away.

So, upon arrival, LBJ took the girls to the beach, and I went off in search of dinner.  AP enjoyed a little peace and quiet after sharing the backseat with two noisy girls for 3-4 hours!

The beach was a big hit.  The next morning, AP and I walked to the Giant's Causeway while LBJ took the girls in the car.  It was about 2-3 miles to the Causeway - too far for them.

The Causeway was a big hit as well.  Except when we tried to scramble up one of the steeper parts of the Causeway, at which point one of the volunteers encouraged us to find an alternate route.

Girl power on the causeway

Our timing could not have been better, as it started to rain as we reached the car.  However, I do have to point out the stupidity of the UK National Trust.  We tried to get a snack at the visitor's center, but access to the cafe and gift shop were only allowed if you also bought a ticket to the exhibit in the visitor's center.  So, they lost out, especially since the cafe did not seem to be all that busy.

The Causeway

Instead, we headed into the town of Bushmills for an early lunch.  Despite the rain, we found a nice cafe for lunch.  We discovered that AP loves sausages as much as ORBJ - kindred spirits.

FABJ on the hike back to the car

After lunch, we headed on in the rain to a nearby castle, Dunluce Castle.  The weather was pretty lousy, as the rain just seemed to get heavier and heavier.  Still, the girls had a great time because they got a kids' audio guide (which happened to be free that weekend).  A smarter parent would have gotten a kids' guide as well so that we could help out, but LBJ and I were too excited about getting our own audio guides.  Still, the girls enjoyed the treasure hunt on their audio guide.

He, he, he - free audio guides!

Location, location, location

The only challenge was that, by the time we'd done the tour, it was still only 2pm.  What to do now with such lousy weather?

Medieval dress up time

After the dress-up time, we found an exhibit about the archaelogical digs at the castle.  So that got us to 230, at which point we returned home.  Fortunately, the skies cleared, so FABJ and I went to the beach and built sand castles, while ORBJ and LBJ - worn out from the day's activities - took a nap.  (Once again, AP enjoyed a bit of peace and quiet, even though she was only stuck between the girls in the backseat for 30 minutes, tops).

We had dinner at the local hotel - the only place to eat in town.  It was a nice meal, and the restaurant had a great view of the coast.