Cliffs of Moher

(8/4) Saturday -
On our first morning in Ennis, we had breakfast and then loaded up our cars and drove out to the Cliffs of Moher along the West coast of Ireland.  Even thought it was a rainy, gloomy day, the Cliffs were incredibly beautiful.  This was my favorite stop of the trip so far.

We spent several hours walking the cliffs, until we saw a storm in the distance and decided it was time to head back to the visitor's center.  From here, our next destination was Bunratty Castle, so we hopped back in the cars for some more scenic driving.  It really is impossible to get tired of the scenery here.  It's breathtaking no matter where you look.  Everything is so green and lush.  There are rolling hills, valleys, mountains, lakes . . . it's so different from the flat, dry (right now at least) lands of Illinois. By the time we reached the Bunratty area we were starving, so we went to the original Durty Nelly's Pub for linner and a few beverages. 

After eating, we were ready to explore the castle, but unfortunately it was closed so we did a little bit of shopping and then headed back to Ennis.  We decided to rest at the hotel for a while and then went out for a small bite to eat and some traditional Irish music.  Mr. and Mrs. Dite joined us for food and a few pints. Mrs. Dite stayed out to enjoy pub time with her sons after Mr. Dite, Elise and I decided to turn in for the night.