Good afternoon travelers! We are back once again with our weekly blog post to explore Ireland. This week, we are taking a look at some of the best landmarks to visit on your trip in central Ireland. From Galway to Dublin, we have got you covered here! Let's get started!
We are going to start this segment with County Galway and work our way west. One of the most popular destinations is the Aran Islands, there are 3 islands, and they offer some of the most stunning costal views as well as old Irish forts for those of you who may be history buffs. The next destination is the Galway Cathedral, which is a beautiful example of architecture and while it may look old, its actually relatively new compared to other cathedrals in the country (built in the 1950s) Finally, the city of Galway itself is a very walkable city full of fantastic food and beverage options that are worth a stop on your trip. Galway is also full of little shops as well as B 'n' B options for those of you who may go on a self-guided tour. Moving on to Athlone this historic city has much to explore if you plan your time there right! The first is the Athlone Castle which is a gorgeous piece of ancient Irish history. The next is Irelands OLDEST pub, yes you read that right, the oldest pub in the country of Pubs! Sea's Pub has been around since the year 900 and is a must visit for anyone looking for a classic Irish pint. If you are traveling with a family Baysports is a fun spot for anyone looking to have a little fun! Finally, we come to Dublin, the capitol city where many tours will start or end if you book through us at Port of Call Travel! Trinity College is in Dublin and a famous college in Europe. Also, if you visit in the summer, which many of our clients do, you can even stay in one of the student dorms! Dublin is also home to many, many distilleries! Everything from Jameson to Irish Whiskey can be seen in Dublin as well as of course Guinness! Finally, in Dublin lies the National Irish History Museum and this is an especially important visit for anyone with Irish roots. These museums (yes there are 3 in Dublin) show the good the bad and the ugly of Irish history. As an Irishmen myself, I find it incredibly important to learn about the history of my culture and I would highly suggest everyone do the same, you may learn a thing or two about yourself! Thanks for reading this week's edition of Exploring the Emerald Isle! We will be continuing this the rest of the summer with new topics every week! Remember as always, if you are ready to book your trip to Ireland or anywhere else in the world, get in touch with us at Port of Call! We can make your travel dreams come true!
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Hello Travelers! We are back for our third week of blog posts regarding travel to Ireland! This week we are going to start exploring some popular tourist destinations in Southern Ireland. This will include County Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Waterford, Wexford, and Kilkenny. If you are planning to or are interested in traveling to these areas of Ireland, this blog post is for you!
We'll start with County Cork, and the first destination is the City of Cork itself! It is a very walkable city with old markets and shops to explore. It is also home to the Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral, a famous landmark in Irish history. The Ballycotton Cliff walk is another highly recommended activity in County Cork, but it may not be for those who prefer mild activities on their vacations as this walk can last over 2 hours, but if you are an adventurer, this might just be for you! You will get amazing views of the coast and some lesser-known Ireland beaches. Finally, last but not least, you can visit the Blarney Castle (and the Blarney Stone). Most tourists think that the only thing to do here is lean back and kiss the Blarney stone, but these grounds offer much more than that. There are beautiful gardens, and it is a simple area to move about. Onto County Kerry, my favorite area of the country! I want to start this section with a mention of a famous tourist site that I would bet many of you recognize but you aren't sure why. The Skellig Islands, located just under 10 miles off the coast of Irelands western shore are 2 small rocky Islands. One of these Islands, Skellig Michael, was home to an ancient monk group that built a Monastery and inhabited the island for over 600 years! This Island is also where Luke Skywalker is hidden in the newest Star Wars movies, so if you have seen any of those movies, you've seen Skellig Michael! County Kerry is also home to the Ring of Kerry, a road trip destination for everyone! Here you will discover some of the most picturesque destinations in the world! Finally, the Gap of Dunloe is a beautiful geographical destination that extends for miles in Killarney National Park. Next up is County Limerick, and as the same with County Cork, the city of Limerick is a beautiful destination with much to offer. King John's castle is one example of the highlights that await you in the city. Limerick also has some of the best food offerings in all of Southern Ireland and they have many places that pop up for short periods of time, so there is always something new to try there! The final destination is Lough Gur, and this area is full of natural beauty and archeological history. Continuing on to County Waterford, and this county is world famous for the crystal that they produce in the factory within the city of Waterford, which I highly recommend stopping at on your visit. For the adventures of the group, the Waterford Greenway is a 46 km long nature walk that starts in the city of Waterford and runs past many ancient castles as well as Viking settlement areas and ending in the town of Dungarvan. County Waterford is also home to some truly beautiful beaches, and while most of the year in Ireland may not be typical beach weather, these beaches are most certainly worth your time when you visit! Wexford is up next, and this is a perfect destination for those who are looking for adventure and natural beauty in Ireland. Located in the Southeast Coast of Ireland, similar to County Waterford, there are countless beaches to see. In addition to this, the Saltree Islands which is 3 miles off the coast of Kilmore Quay in County Wexford. These islands (in addition to the Skellig Islands I mentioned above) are home to Puffin colonies between the months of April and June. Irish Heritage National Park is also located in County Wexford and tells almost 10,000 years of Irish history with fun stories and interactive experiences. Last but not least we have County Kilkenny. There is much to do within the city of course, but Kilkenny offers so much outside of the city limits. The Dunmore Caves are a stunning destination that are not to be missed. There also is an old castle that you can rent out for yourself (yes like your own private Airbnb Castle! called Tubbrid Castle, this books fast and is highly recommended if you want to try something unique during your stay. Kilkenny is also home to the Smithwick Brewery which was founded in 1710 (over 300 years ago!) and is perfect for any beer fanatic. These destinations I listed are by no means a comprehensive list of the things to do in these counties but offer a glimpse in the possible destinations during your vacation. We will continue to explore Ireland this summer including some more information on attractions and destinations within other regions of Ireland, the culture of Ireland, and ways you can visit this one-of-a-kind country. Topics will be announced on Mondays with a post on our Facebook page and blog posts will be up on Wednesday afternoon! Thanks for visiting and if you are ready to book your trip to Ireland, get in touch with us at Port of Call Travel to get started! Good afternoon, Travelers and happy July!! It is time for our second monthly recap of the summer, and we have quite an impressive one for you here! Port of Call Travel had clients travel worldwide this summer. Let's start with some of the tropical destinations, which includes the Bahamas, Aruba, Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, and a Disney Cruise! We also had a few European travelers this month and they went to some truly stunning destinations. Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, and even a Mediterranean cruise were all traveled by our clients. Finally, we had some adventurers this month who traveled to Yellowstone National Park, Mount Rushmore, and we had clients take an Alaska Cruise Tour to truly immerse themselves in the culture.
If any of these destinations sound amazing to you or there's a place YOU want to travel, contact us to get your vacation started! Also, if you are one of the clients that traveled with us this month, leave us a quick review below and some highlights of your trip to share with others! Hey Travelers! It is time for our weekly Ireland blog post, and this week we certainly have an exciting one for you all! Food and beverages are very crucial parts to any vacation and there are plenty of options in Ireland! Today we will discuss some classic Irish dishes and dining venues that are not to be missed. There are some obvious options here such as Fish and Chips or Soda bread, and while those are certainly fantastic options, we are going a bit deeper in this blog post. Seafood in general is quite prominent in Ireland and a few of the most popular types are salmon and oysters. Oysters are present all throughout the country, but the west coast cities have some of the best. Kirwans Seafood Bar in Galway is one of the highest rated dining venues in County Galway. Another very popular food in Ireland is Irish Stew (the national dish of the country I may add). Irish stew is made with lamb, carrots and various herbs. If you see Irish stew at a restaurant, I highly recommend giving it a try! One last food to try on your trip to Ireland is a Shepards Pie. This Irish classic is seemingly at every restaurant in Ireland and for good reason! It contains lamb, peas, gravy, and a mashed potato crust. It can be easily made at home too if you are ever missing Ireland after you return home from your vacation! Onto the beverage portion of this post, and I have to start with the most famous drink in all of Ireland, Guinness. This drink can be found in every Irish pub and if you are a superfan, you can visit the distillery and museum in Dublin! Murphys Irish Stout is another very popular beer that might be slightly less known to people who are not natives of the country. Served on tap and in cans this is a can't miss for any beer drinker. For the non-alcohol drinker, Ireland is filled with different types of tea in stores and dining venues, most famously Barrys Tea. They also have all of the typical drinks you would expect such as lemonade, soda etc. The final drink I believe worth mentioning is Baileys Irish Cream. This is quite popular and used to enhance countless drinks in Ireland from coffees to milkshakes!
This blog is the second segment in a summer long series of posts about Ireland. We will explore Ireland in depth as the summer goes on, including some more information on attractions and destinations within regions of Ireland as well as the culture of Ireland, modes of transportation and ways you can visit this one-of-a-kind country. Topics will be announced on Mondays with a post on our Facebook page and blog posts will be up on Wednesday afternoon! Thanks for visiting and if you are ready to book your trip to Ireland, get in touch with us at Port of Call Travel to get started! Ireland has beautiful destinations all across the country. In this blog post we will take a look at some of the most popular regions of travel. We'll start with the Eastern coast of Ireland which features the capital city Dublin and is home to Trinity College. This region of Ireland is home to both stunning landscapes and immense amounts of Irish culture. It is also home to the Guiness brewery for those of you who are fans of the famous beer brand. The next region is the Southeast coast. This has some of the most famous geographical landmarks in all of Ireland and a few well-known towns as well. The Ring of Kerry, The Skellig Islands and the Cliffs of Moher are all located in this region, and definitely are not something to miss. In addition to these, the towns of Dingle, Killarney and Galway are located in the Southeastern region of Ireland, and these cities are home to many Irish classics. Continuing on, the Northwest coast of Ireland may not be the most sought-after area of the country by travelers, but it still holds some beautiful destinations. County Donegal has many stunning geographical sights including the Slieve League Cliffs which offer gorgeous views of the North Atlantic. It also is home to the Glenevin waterfall, a majestic 40 ft waterfall about a half mile from the town of Clonmany. The final region of Ireland is actually part of the UK, but nevertheless, full of amazing places worth a visit. Northern Ireland is home to the city of Belfast which may sound familiar to any Titanic fans as this was where the famous ship was constructed before it tragically sank in 1912, and also is host to a memorial museum. The Mourne Mountain range is also located in Northern Ireland and as one of the pictures show in the slideshow in this post, they are breathtaking. Of course, this section is not complete without a mention of the Giants Causeway. This world-famous location is located in Northern Ireland and a must see stop for any visitor to Ireland. This blog is the first segment in a summer long series of posts about Ireland. We will explore each of these regions in depth as the summer goes on, including some more information on attractions and destinations within these regions, traditional food and beverages, the culture of Ireland, and ways you can visit this one-of-a-kind country. Topics will be announced on Mondays with a post on our Facebook page and blog posts will be up on Wednesday afternoon! Thanks for visiting and if you are ready to book your trip to Ireland, get in touch with us at Port of Call Travel to get started! Good afternoon travelers! It is time for our first Port of Call Travel monthly recap. The month of May was a very busy one here! We had clients travel to multiple continents and destinations across the world. Some examples of the amazing trips people went on include a tour in France, Spain and Iceland enjoying amazing local cuisine and culture. Europe is a very popular destination and for good reason. We also had some cruisers this month! Clients took river cruises through Europe and a cruised with Royal Caribbean International. Cruising is as popular as ever and there are still opportunities to cruise this summer. In addition, we had clients travel to all-inclusive destinations in Mexico and across the Caribbean and enjoyed beautiful weather. Last but certainly not least we had clients travel to the most magical place on earth. the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida!
We will have an end of the month update all summer long to share where our clients have traveled. Are you one of the many people who traveled with us this month? Leave a comment below sharing your experience with us all! Port of Call Travel can help provide the vacation of a lifetime to anyone who chooses to travel with us. The destinations above are just a few examples of the vacations we can book. With 36 years of experience, you won't find a better agency. Contact us today to get your next trip started! This year has been a year like no other. So many travel plans have had to be changed or cancelled. Travel, to many of us is deemed essential. It is what many look forward to as a chance to just unwind and step back from our hectic everyday lives. For the most part, we've been deprived of that in 2020 and many of you, including myself, are getting anxious to travel again soon.
Things are starting to look up. The theme parks in Florida, both Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, have had phased reopenings. Things are so well thought out and organized that guests who have traveled have offered positive feedback. It may not be the same experience as in the past, but there are some new things happening that will be equally magical. Now is the time to travel if you aren't a fan of large crowds! Some tropical destinations are open as well. Mexico was the first destination to open and many travelers have been enjoying some fantastic pricing. Mexico, was the first destination to receive the Safe Travel Designation and things have been going smoothly. Many of the hotels are offering some great rates for extended stays. If you can work remotely or if your children are learning virtually it's a great opportunity. The resorts are set-up to provide WIFi connections so you can get your work/schooling done and then have time to enjoy the pools and all the destination has to offer - what a great learning experience! Punta Cana has once again become more available to US Tourists and resorts are opening in phases, with many opening in October. So whether you just want a weekend getaway or have a few weeks to try a new way of working, now is the time to travel at some great rates. If you are itching to travel now we are ready to assist you. If you aren't quite ready to travel, we will be here for you whenever you are. We've been assisting travelers for 32+ years and we hope to be servicing you for many more. Thank you for all of your support! I recently returned from Punta Cana and can honestly say it's as lovely as ever, SAFE and ready to welcome visitors. I stayed at two different resorts, Hard Rock Punta Cana and Excellence El Carmen. At both resorts the staff was very friendly and accommodating and the beaches were beautiful with very little seaweed. The resorts however would appeal to totally different clientele.
Hard Rock is a very large resort (almost 1800 rooms) and is for the most part a very active resort. There are many pools all with a different type of music featured; most also have a bar and snack bar so all you have to do is relax. There is a very large casino and many shops right at the resort. There are a lot of activities for those who want to keep active. The beach is very large (one of the widest that I've seen in the area). There are several restaurant options, most do require advance reservations. Hard Rock, with so many rooms, does cover a lot of area but they have a golf-cart that can take you throughout the resort. So if you are looking for a large, more active resort with lots to do Hard Rock might be for you. If your idea of an ideal resort is something more laid back with a bit more of an upscale environment then you definitely want to consider Excellence El Carmen. When you enter the lobby there is a definite "wow" factor. This resort is more intimate so nothing is too far from the beach, restaurants or spa. The rooms are beautifully appointed and all have an outdoor jacuzzi with a relaxing bed to just chill. The fitness room is great if you have the need to workout while away and they have a full-service spa. You can take long walks on the beach and in this area there are actually some waves. The beach does have a lot of thatched huts if you need some shade and they they have wait service so you can just relax and enjoy the view. There are several restaurant options (all are a la carte for dinner) and reservations are not required, but they do have a food truck in the evening if you need a snack and also have a sports bar for light food. This resort has soothing music throughout so you definitely feel relaxed as you walk around. If this atmosphere appeals to you then Excellence is a resort you will want to consider. Unfortunately, this past summer the media reported on the passing away of several Americans in the past year. It was assumed that this was caused by something that was consumed at the resorts. Many Americans believing the media reports opted to go to other destinations before finding out the real truth. While I was there the FBI toxicology reports came out and it was confirmed that although the deaths were tragic, they were from natural causes and had nothing to do with the resorts. The Punta Cana area has suffered great losses from these overblown reports. It is sad as so many people's livelihood has been unnecessarily been effected. Now that the truth has come out I hope that travelers will once again return to this beautiful destination. There are some great rates available so it the perfect time to plan a visit. If you like to travel then you probably have a bucket list of places you haven't yet visited. I decided it was time to look at my own bucket list. I just returned from the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena. I had admired the floats while watching the parade on TV and the opportunity came for me to experience it myself, so I jumped on it. I actually took a mini-tour which included the parade, but also visited some of the other special attractions in the Los Angeles area.
If you want to see this parade a package really is the best way to go. You don't have to worry about driving (the traffic in LA is crazy), parking, etc. We only had to walk two blocks to get to our reserved seats at the parade. We had a great view of the floats, bands and many equestrian groups and didn't have to camp-out the night before to reserve a seat location. The floats are even more beautiful in person than they are on TV. One of the other highlights was viewing the floats up close and personal the day after the parade. All of the floats are displayed in one area. It is amazing how they are constructed and to see how seeds, flowers and fruit are used to decorate; every inch of the float has to be covered. What was special for me is one of our clients had volunteered to decorate one of the floats so I was really anxious to see their work (their float did win one of the top prizes) Some of the other things included with my tour were visits to the Reagan Library and the Getty Museum, a Gala New Year's Eve party and a farewell dinner on the Queen Mary (very neat experience). If a visit to the Rose Bowl is on your bucket list, we can make that become a reality. If you would like to see a few of my photos from the parade, please visit our Facebook page (Port of Call Travel) Aruba is a popular destination even though there aren't non-stop flights from Pittsburgh. It was over 20 years since I was last year so I was far overdue for a visit. It is a beautiful island with turquoise water and white, sandy beaches. There is a mix of all-inclusive properties as well as those that are not. It of course had changed a lot since my last visit. It feels very Americanized as there are so many restaurants and shops that can be found in the USA.
There are two main areas of the hotels - the low-rise & high-rise area. There is much more activity in the high-rise area. There is a walkway by the beach between the hotels, which is nice for those who want to walk, but not necessarily in the sand. There are many shops and restaurants in this area within walking distance of the hotels so there are many dining options for those that don't have meals included with their package. One thing I liked is the stores opened in the afternoon and stayed open later in the evening. Often when you go to an island after a day on the beach there is not much to do outside of the resort in the evening. In Aruba there were a lot of people out and about. I did stay in an all-inclusive property which had everything included - meals, drinks and non-motorized watersports with lots of other activities throughout the day. I did look at other hotels that weren't all-inclusive and there were some very nice ones. All-inclusive is not for everyone so it's nice to have the option to dine at some of the local restaurants. As I mentioned, there is so much shopping available. This ranges from up-scale stores to local crafts, so those who like to shop will be delighted with all the options! Due to the fact that there aren't a lot of all-inclusives, Aruba does tend to be a higher in price than some other popular destinations. If you want a tropical vacation, but want to feel that you are still in the USA with all the shopping & dining options then Aruba may be the perfect choice for you. |
AuthorColleen Peterson, Owner Port of Call Travel Archives
January 2025
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