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Desert Hiking and Room Service

January 12, 2010 in Uncategorized by traveleatlove | 4 comments

By the time this posts, I will be on a plane back to Boston, yet another national sales and marketing meeting over and preparing for a manic 2.5 work days before I leave for IRELAND on Friday. Woohoo!

The highlight of my lovely and busy trip to Scottsdale was most definitely the 6.5 mile guided hike that we took on Sunday afternoon. After a long morning that started with meeting room setup at 6:40, I was ready to be outside and away from laptops and presentations for the day!

Blurry photo of the beautiful sunrise

Our guides picked us up at the hotel and drove us to the base of South Mountain in Phoenix where we split into a couple of groups based on how far we wanted to hike. Because I wanted to get a good workout in and because I am hardcore 🙂 I chose the fastest, longest hike. The guide setting the pace was not messing around. . . she took off, and we scurried along behind her.

In the first 20 minutes or so, I honestly started to get a little worried. The very dry air, combined with our quick pace and the hilly terrain had me huffing and puffing. I started to wonder if my legs were still fatigued from my long run earlier in the week. Sometimes I think I am out of shape when I am just overly tired. Do you ever get like that?

After some time, I got into the swing of things and started really enjoying powering up and down each of the hills. The scenery was so amazing.

Petro glyphs

Along our way, we climbed many hills, scaled our way down some very slippery rocks, squeezed between giant rocks in a space so narrow I thought I was going to get stuck, and saw three coyotes! I was most excited about the coyotes because I was really hoping to see some wild animals! Luckily they were about 25 feet away and ran into and across a ravine when they saw us. Also lucky, it was not rattlesnake season so we did not have to worry about seeing any of those!

Our guides were very helpful, knowledgeable and interesting, and they had plenty of water and snacks for us.

After the hike, feeling exhilarated and exhausted, we all headed back to the hotel for drinks by the fire pit. I had one Italian mojito made with basil, then called it a night to take a hot shower and order room service.

Sicilian tuna sandwich with green olive tapenade

The protein in the tuna hit the spot. I have been eating piles of veggies and staying pretty healthy but definitely lacking in the protein department. I need it with all of the activity going on!

So, I am looking forward to sleeping in my bed for a couple of nights, seeing my hubby and my cats, and getting a couple of workouts in. I won’t lie, I really wish I lived in a warmer climate like Arizona so that I could exercise outside year round. I think it would be amazing to be able to mountain bike, hike, run, kayak, and walk in the mountains in the winter. I am thinking I just need to do more fun winter sports. LOVE being active and outside!

I hope you are all doing well! I am way behind in blog commenting, but I will be back someday soon. Thanks for reading!! 🙂

Tags: Arizona, Food, hiking, Travel

Máméan to Mannin

June 11, 2009 in Uncategorized by traveleatlove | No comments

Horses near Renvyle

Happy almost weekend! I am totally dragging today, but working from home tomorrow which is fun and helps to break things up a bit! Had a great dinner at dbar here in Dorchester this evening, which I will post about someday soon. I am excited to share more of our Ireland with you so without further adieu. . .

Back as promised with a post on Connemara, the mountainous, seacoast West coast of Galway, Ireland. If I had to pick one place in the world as my favorite, it would be here. While I could probably write forever about Connemara, I have decided to pick a few places that write about, and if you are interested more please feel free to email me.

Cleggan

We typically stay in my in laws house in Galway and take one of two roads out to Connemara, either the road through Oughterard, a charming little fishing town that is the gateway to Connemara, or out the Cois Fharraig, the coast road which I usually prefer because of its breathtaking sea views, and a glimpse at the Aran Islands if it is clear (And don’t be mislead by the bad reputation – Ireland can have really horrific weather, but I have been there more than once for a week of straight sun! The November we got engaged we had 10 straight days of sunshine and 60 degree temps!).

For a good workout and some great air, head to Máméan, a sheep-dotted mountain that houses the Shrine of St. Patrick and provides a medium level hike, along rock formation stations of the cross. At the top you will see a statue of St. Patrick and wonder how it got there (helicopter) and the curved rock that is rumored to have been St. Patrick’s bed. The top of the mountain doesn’t take long to reach from the parking area- maybe 40 minutes, but you can see for miles and miles from here, and all that you can hear is wind and intermittent baaaah’s. The hike down is easier and quicker, of course, but stop and look around. There is nothing like this in the world.

Mamean

From Máméan I would suggest either heading to the majestic and woodsy Ballynahinch Castle for lunch by the fire in their pub or to the fishing village of Roundstone, probably most famous in America for being the set of The Matchmaker with Janeane Garofolo. In Roundstone, O’Dowd’s is a fantastic spot to try some local smoked salmon with brown bread, seafood chowder, and a perfect pot of tea or an Irish coffee.

From Roundstone, drive along the coast to Dog’s Bay and then on to Mannin Bay and Ballyconneely. The beach here is particularly special because it is where we got engaged in November of 2005. It is also the place I brought my father’s ashes in 2003, and a place where I hold a lot of love and peace. The seemingly endless beaches and bay are perfect for picnics, running, long walks, and kayaking if you have brought a kayak along. Again, you are welcome to walk on land that belongs to farmers, but ensure to respect it in every way possible. I love the no borders way of life out in the country and hope that people respect that so that it doesn’t change!

Ireland can look down right tropical!

Mannin Bay/Ballyconneely are a very short and bumpy drive from the town of Clifden, that is quickly becoming a city! Stop here for petrol, to stock up on snacks at the grocery, or to grab a coffee or an ice cream. In itself, Clifden is a charming place surrounded mostly by still untouched countryside.

Be sure to make your way back in to Galway city in time to watch the sun set on Galway Bay and to hear traditional music at the many many pubs that offer it nightly. I could keep writing for the next hour about Connemara, but am ready for bed. I am sure there will be more Ireland posts, as there will always be more Ireland. I leave you with a photo of the valley that my husband grew up in. Enjoy, goodnight, and I welcome any questions or suggestions!

Eric's home

Tags: hiking, Ireland, Nature, Travel. Food

Travel: Ireland's Wild West

June 9, 2009 in Uncategorized by traveleatlove | 3 comments

Planning my posts on Ireland has proven to be the most difficult of the posts that I have done so far. Which experiences do I include? Out of the hundreds (maybe thousand?) of photos I have taken, which do I choose? Over the years this place has become more like a second home than a vacation spot, so a little background might be helpful before sharing my Ireland with you.

I first went to Ireland with my family at the age of 9, fell in love with it, and returned for a visit when I turned 18. When the time to choose a study abroad location came, there was no doubt in my mind that Galway would be it, and so I was off to live in this amazing city for 7 months. Leaving at the end of that time period proved to be one of the hardest things I have ever done, and I spent the next couple of years just wanting to go back.

Fast forward to college graduation and then my first job which I will spare you the details of, but it is enough to say that I was miserable. And then one day in walked my husband. Having spent time in Ireland and living close to many recent Irish arrivals in Boston, I knew before he even started speaking where he was from. Needless to say, we hit it off, and less than 6 months later I was on a plane to meet his family.

We have taken a dozen trips there since, some just for vacations and some for weddings, christenings, and other celebrations, and each trip has been unique, special, and ended too quickly.

My Ireland post will be broken up into a few parts. Right now I am not even sure how many posts I will do, but there will be at least 3, today’s on the countryside of Ireland’s Mayo coast, Thursday the highlights of Connemara, County Galway, and Saturday, the food and nightlife of Galway city.

Exploring the West of Ireland can be done from a variety of places, and my favorites are Galway and Westport. If you stay in either of these towns you will be within an hour or so drive of the countryside and can come back and enjoy the “city” life in the evening. You can of course stay in the many inns and bed and breakfasts out in the country as well, and I would suggest starting here: http://www.discoverireland.ie/ to look for lodging. You are also welcome to contact me!

IIn Westport, I would highly recommend the Clew Bay Hotel as your lodging base. It is in the center of everything, very comfortable, and they offer a lovely breakfast room service, which I enjoy taking full advantage of. Is there anything better than breakfast in bed? Starting out from Westport, I have two places that are must visits: Achill Island and Clare Island. You can access Achill easily by car, but as anywhere in Ireland, be super careful to watch for sheep and cows in the road, and when going around tight bends be sure to honk the horn repeatedly so that fast moving vehicles coming from the other side are aware that someone is coming. Once on Achill, the island is yours for exploring. You can see Europe’s highest cliffs, an old British defense fort, and endless space for walking, running, cycling, and picknicking. On Achill, like most places in the Irish countryside, you can pretty much walk anywhere, unless posted, as long as you respect the land, keep your dog on leash, don’t litter, etc.

Achill

My absolute favorite place in Mayo is a little island in the middle of Clew Bay, Clare Island. There is a somewhat famous song by the Galway band, The Sawdoctors that is about Clare Island, and because of this I couldn’t wait to get out there. In order to get to Clare Island, you will have to drive a short distance from Wesport to Roonagh and take the very short ferry ride to the island. The first thing you will see is the castle of the infamous pirate queen, Granuaile (Grace O’Malley). All that remains of the castle are ruins, but you can go inside, look out, and imagine what it might have been like to defend your island back in the 16th century.

Clare Island offers several walking trails as well as hilly, winding roads for biking. There aren’t many cars on the island with a population of about 165 people, so even a novice cyclist would probably feel safe. We enjoy spending hours walking around the island, sitting on the beaches, and searching for seals along its rocky cliffs. Clare Island is also an archaeology buff’s dream, with Neolithic tombs, an Abbey dating back to the 13th century, and a walking trail marked with important historical markers. Without a doubt, you will get a great workout here if you want one. Which brings me to food. . .

The island is small, but there are a couple of quality places to eat: the community center, which offers delicious seafood chowder, sandwiches, tea, and other lunch/snack items in a cafeteria-style environment, and The Bay View Hotel, which completely surprised me with its delicious chicken tikka sandwich on a plate loaded with a veggie-packed salad. The views from the Bay View are, well of the bay 🙂 and they are stunning. I have not yet stayed overnight on the island, but when we do, we will likely stay here. Below are a few photos and useful links. Enjoy and stay tuned for more!

Clare Island