Day 3 - Ring of Kerry and Dingle

Okay, let me give you a little back story.  6.5 years ago, LouAnna did some genealogy work and found out she has some Irish ancestors.  This, along with her reading an author who writes a lot of her stories based in Ireland made LouAnna want to go to Ireland.  Almost 6 years ago, she found a picture of Ireland and has had it as her desktop picture on her work and home computers.  Here is that picture.  It's somewhere in the Ring of Kerry.

Part of today's hope was to find this vantage point.  So, we headed out from Killarney to follow the Ring of Kerry in a clockwise fashion.  Our first stop was a picture wonderland at the Muckross House that lead up to the Torc waterfall.  There are 3 entrances to get to the waterfall...the 2.5 mile walk, the 1 mile walk, or the 1/2 mile walk.  We chose the 1 mile walk that lead past the House and has stunning views!  It was a 25 minute very leisurely stroll back to the waterfall.  Here are some pics that don't even do justice!

Muckross House

View from Muckross House

Just down from the waterfall

Chris at Torc Waterfall

Then it was back in the car to follow the ring of Kerry to find LouAnna's picture.  Here's a map of the entire ring.  It's about 100 miles all around.

The road from Muckross House toward Kenmare was SO narrow and the posted speed limit was 100 kph/62mph.  Look at this picture of the road and tell me if you could drive 62mph!  The road is VERY narrow and 25mph is WAY more appropriate!

So, half way to Kenmare, we stopped along the way to take pictures and LouAnna could feel we were getting close.  Then, we decide to stop ahead at Ladies View where there is a little cafe.  We round the corner and park and right in front of us is...LouAnna's picture!!  It's like seeing the Grand Canyon.  She wept with joy!  We took a BUNCH of pictures and will be hanging some up in the house when we return!  Here's our picture of it!  It's not as green, but just as stunning!!

While we were up there, we also saw a leprechaun crossing!!

Since we had found the vantage point so soon, we decided not to continue the rest of the 100 mile tour and instead do something we didn't plan to, and that was to go to the town of Dingle, along one of the peninsula's in Ireland.  It ended up being SUCH a beautiful day, and a great day for a drive.  It was on this drive that Chris saw the Atlantic Ocean for the first time since he was a very young boy.  There was also a beach, where LouAnna put her toes in the sand!  Who says you can't go to the beach AND Ireland in the same honeymoon?!  ;)

Here we are at Inch Beach

LouAnna with her new scarf at Inch Beach

Toes in the sand...LouAnna couldn't resist taking her shoes off!

Then, we got to the town of Dingle.  It's a quiet little town.  We stopped for an early dinner at a pub called the Marina Inn.  LouAnna ordered a pint of Guinness and also the Beef and Guinness Stew and Chris got the Bangers and Mash.  Both were SO delicious!  These are our favorite meals since arriving in Ireland and both were very native!

No better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than being on your honeymoon with your love in Ireland, finding LouAnna's picture, a drive along the coast, and real Irish food!  Erin go Bragh!

Here's where we've been so far in our 3 days here!  We are having a BLAST!!!