Bridges – Page 5 – Wandering Dawgs

Throwback Thursday #12 – November 7, 2009

November 7, 2019September 17, 2026Posted in Bridges, Kentucky, RVingTagged autumn, football road trip, Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Kentucky Horse Park, Memories, Throwback Thursday, Wild Turkey Distillery11 Comments

We’re not traveling as much in our fifth wheel anymore so I thought it would be fun to relive some of our most memorable days from previous RV trips.

On this day eleven years ago, November 7, 2008, we were camped at the Kentucky Horse Park, a beautiful state park in Lexington, Kentucky. What a contrast from the week before when we were camped awning to awning in a large parking lot in Jacksonville, Florida to attend the Georgia/Florida college football game. After traveling through Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee, we traded the crowded parking lot for a large campsite in a quiet natural setting. We were in Lexington to attend the Georgia/Kentucky SEC football game at Commonwealth Stadium at the University of Kentucky.

20081106Kentucky-Horse-Park-(2) — Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, Kentucky

The game wasn’t until Saturday so as always we wanted to explore the area. It was raining when we woke up that day so what would be better than taking a drive along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and touring a distillery. As we drove along the fall colors were gorgeous and we passed some beautiful horse farms.

20081107Kentucky-(18) — Bridges over the Kentucky River at the Wild Turkey Distillery

We stopped at the Wild Turkey Distillery in Lawrenceburg for a tour. It was our first distillery tour and very interesting. There were about 22 warehouses filled with barrels of whiskey ageing in the charred barrels. Each barrel is only used once and after they are used the barrels are shipped to distilleries in Ireland to be used to age Irish whiskey. Little did we know that one day we would be touring the Jameson Distillery and see Wild Turkey barrels there!.

20081107Kentucky-(1) — Wild Turkey Distillery on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky

20081107Kentucky-(15) — Ageing barrels at Wild Turkey Distillery, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky

After we returned to the campground I walked by this old barn in the park as I was taking my afternoon walk.

20081107Kentucky-(28) — Barn at Kentucky Horse Park

We attended the football game on Saturday, and on Sunday we enjoyed touring the museums and seeing the horses up close at the Kentucky Horse Park.

A Day in the Scottish Highlands

June 27, 2019September 17, 2026Posted in Bridges, Historic Sites, Lighthouse, Tourist Attractions, TravelTagged Eilean Donan Castle, Isle of Skye, Kyleakin Lighthouse, Loch Ness, Portree, Scotland, Scottish Castles, Skye Bridge, Urquhart Castle20 Comments

Our small tour bus with Rabbie’s Tours departed Inverness early on a Saturday morning for a 12 hour tour across the Scottish Highlands. As we rode from place to place our guide Colin filled us in on Scottish history and folklore.

Soon after leaving Inverness we were riding along with views of Loch Ness to our left. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one on the bus who was searching for Nessie, more commonly known as the Loch Ness Monster. We didn’t stop at Nessieland, a small theme park.

20190518-Day-18-Isle-of-Skye-Tour-IPhone-(2) — Nessieland was just up the road, Lock Ness, Scotland

Our only stop on Loch Ness was at historic Urquhart Castle. The castle is undergoing some restoration and we did not tour it. It was our last chance to see Nessie and she wasn’t cooperating.

20190518-Day-18-Isle-of-Skye-a1-(2) — Urquhart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness, Scotland

We had plenty of time to tour Eilean Donan Castle and enjoy the gorgeous setting.

20190518-Day-18-Isle-of-Skye-(30) — Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland near Kyle of Lochalsh

20190518-Day-18-Isle-of-Skye-(58) — View from the bridge at Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland

20190518-Day-18-Isle-of-Skye-Tour-IPhone-(42) — Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland

Most of the day was spent on the spectacular Isle of Skye. There are dramatic mountains and cliffs, charming seaside villages, and gorgeous scenery all around the island.

20190518-Day-18-Isle-of-Skye-(92) — Dramatic Cliffs, Isle of Skye, Scotland

20190518-Day-18-Isle-of-Skye-(121) — Isle of Skye, Scotland

20190518-Day-18-Isle-of-Skye-Tour-IPhone-(68) — Henry was glad he wasn’t driving! Isle of Skye, Scotland

20190518-Day-18-Isle-of-Skye-Tour-IPhone-(70) — Curvy roads around the Isle of Skye, Scotland

20190518-Day-18-Isle-of-Skye-Tour-IPhone-(75) — Wow! We’re really here! Isle of Skye, Scotland

We stopped in the town of Portree for lunch and a view of the harbor.

20190518-Portee — Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland

20190518-Day-18-Isle-of-Skye-(84) — Town of Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland

A few people on the bus brought back some beer from the Isle of Skye Brewery.

20190518-Day-18-Isle-of-Skye-(128) — Isle of Skye Brewery, Scotland

Our last stop on the Isle of Skye was the town of Kyleakin. It was raining as we walked around the waterfront with a nice view of the the Skye Bridge and the Kyleakin Lighthouse.

20190518-Skye-Bridge — Skye Bridge, Scotland

20190518-Day-18-Isle-of-Skye-(150) — Kyleakin Lighthouse, Isle of Skye, Scotland

It rained most of the way back to Inverness. When we arrived in Inverness that Saturday night the restaurants and pubs were hopping with young people out on the town. We found a restaurant with no wait, had a quick supper and called it a night after a long but fantastic day.

Hello Scotland

June 21, 2019September 17, 2026Posted in Bridges, Historic Sites, Lighthouse, TravelTagged castle, Corsewall Lighthouse, ferry, George Square, Glasgow, Glasgow City Council Building, Inverness, Scotland, Stena Line, Wellington Statue Glasgow5 Comments

It was really sad leaving beautiful Ireland but the time had come to move on to Scotland. We boarded the Stena SuperFast VII Ferry in Belfast for our 2 1/2 hour voyage to Cairnryan, Scotland. The ferry was huge with lounges, restaurants, and even free WiFi. The seas were calm and the sky was clear for the entire trip.

20160515-Day-15-Ferry-to-Scotland-Glasgow-IPhone-(4) — On the Stena Superfast Ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan, Scotland

As the ferry was passing by our first sighting of Scotland, we saw the Corsewall Lighthouse.

20190515-Day-15-Ferry-to-Scotland-Glasgow-Sony-(24) — We saw the Corsewall Lighthouse from the ferry

We picked up our rental car at the ferry dock and were soon traveling on Scotland’s roads on our way to Glasgow, our first destination.

20160515-Day-15-Ferry-to-Scotland-Glasgow-IPhone-(12) — Another country, another rental car, more curvy roads. We have arrived in Scotland

20160515-Day-15-Ferry-to-Scotland-Glasgow-IPhone-(14) — Scenic drive from the ferry to Glasgow, Scotland

Glasgow is a huge city, much bigger than I thought it would be and we only had one full day to explore. After a good night’s rest we enjoyed our first Full Scottish Breakfast before starting our sightseeing. Henry tried the haggis with eggs, I passed on the haggis. We set out on foot to explore the area around the hotel. Our wandering took us to the Museum of Modern Art, George Square and the Glasgow City Council Building.

20190516-Day-16-Glasgow-City-Council-Hop-on-Hop-off-Sony-(8) — Wellington Statue at Museum of Modern Art, Glasgow, Scotland

20190516-Day-16-Glasgow-City-Council-Hop-on-Hop-off-Sony-(55) — George Square with Glasgow City Council City Chambers Building in the background, Glasgow, Scotland

20190516-Day-16-Glasgow-City-Council-Hop-on-Hop-off-Sony-(37) — Ceiling in Glasgow City Council Building

We decided the best way to see the highlights of Glasgow would be to take the Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour. The tour was about two hours around the city, making a few stops along the way. If you got off, you could get on another bus to continue the tour. The top deck of the red double decker buses were open and a guide pointed out places of interest as we went. The city is an interesting mix of old and new.

20190516-Day-16-Glasgow-City-Council-Hop-on-Hop-off-Sony-(61) — Mural in Glasgow, Scotland

20190516-Day-16-Glasgow-City-Council-Hop-on-Hop-off-Sony-(138) — Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow, Scotland

20190516-Day-16-Glasgow-City-Council-Hop-on-Hop-off-Sony-(172) — Italian Shopping District, Glasgow, Scotland

20190516-Day-16-Glasgow-City-Council-Hop-on-Hop-off-Sony-(99) — Glasgow SSE Hydro concert, sporting, and special events arena

20190516-Day-16-Glasgow-City-Council-Hop-on-Hop-off-Sony-(180) — The old and the new in Glasgow, Scotland

The next day our adventure was a ride from Glasgow to Inverness in our rental car. After a few wrong turns and a ride through the Glasgow suburbs the scenery got better and better as the day went on.

20190517-Day-17-Glasgow-to-Inverness-Sony-(12) — On the road to Inverness, Scotland

20190517-Day-17-Glasgow-to-Inverness-Sony-(15) — Snow in the Highlands, Scotland

Inverness is a much smaller city with the River Ness running right through the center of town and a castle at the top of a hill. The name Inverness means “mouth of the Ness”. We arrived early enough to take a walk beside the river.

20190517-Day-17-Glasgow-to-Inverness-Sony-(44) — Inverness Castle, Scotland

20190517-Day-17-Glasgow-to-Inverness-Sony-(53) — Faith, Hope and Charity statue in Inverness, Scotland

20190517-Day-17-Glasgow-to-Inverness-Sony-(31) — River Ness, Inverness, Scotland

20190517-Day-17-Glasgow-to-Inverness-Sony-(45) — River Ness, Inverness

Next up, a full day bus tour through the Scottish Highlands.

Northern Ireland

June 17, 2019September 17, 2026Posted in Bridges, Historic Sites, Tourist Attractions, TravelTagged Belfast, Bushmills, Carrick-a-Rede, Causeway Coastal Route, Dunluce Castle, Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland, Rope Bridge, Titanic Experience17 Comments

After we returned our rental car in Cork, we set out on foot for the train station carrying and rolling all our luggage with us. The ride was relaxing and I enjoyed watching the scenery go by.

20190512-Day-12-Cork-to-Dublin-train-Mothers-Day-Iphone-(4) — Train from Cork to Dublin

The next day we arrived in Belfast, Northern Ireland after another enjoyable train ride. After we were settled in our hotel we spent the afternoon visiting the Titanic Belfast. The Titanic was built and launched from Belfast. As we walked through the self guided tour we learned about the history of the boat industry in Belfast and about how the Titanic was constructed and built. In 1912 the Titanic left Belfast for what turned out to be a doomed first voyage.

20190513-Day-13-Belfast-by-train-Titanic-Experience-IPhone-(46) — Titanic Experience Belfast, Northern Ireland

20190513-Day-13-Belfast-by-Train-Titanic-Experience-Sony-(6) — Titanic Experience Belfast, Northern Ireland

After a big Irish breakfast the next morning we met our guide Emily and boarded a tour bus for an 8 hour tour. For most of the day we would be traveling beside the water on the scenic Causeway Coastal Route. Our first destination was the Giants Causeway.

Before arriving at the Giants Causeway our guide Emily told us two different theories about how the Giants Causeway was created. The first was scientific. The other was a tale about an Irish giant named Finn McCool and a Scottish giant named Benandonner. I like to think it was the giants who caused these unusual rock formations.

20190514-Day-14-Giants-Causeway-Tour-IPhone-(16) — Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland

20190514-Day-14-Giants-Causeway-Tour-IPhone-(10) — Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland

20190514-Day-14-Giants-Causeway-Tour-IPhone-(8) — Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland

The bus made a quick stop at Dunluce Castle for a photo op. For you Game of Thrones fans the castle is one of the film locations from the series.

20190514-Day-14-Giants-Causeway-Sony-(58) — Dunluce Castle, Northern Ireland

The Bushmills Irish Whiskey Distillery was just down the road. There wasn’t enough time to take a tour but we did have time for a tasting.

20190514-Day-14-Giants-Causeway-Tour-IPhone-(23) — Bushmills Distillery, Northern Ireland

20190514-Day-14-Giants-Causeway-Sony-(63) — That’s a lot of Irish Whiskey!

The scenery was stunning all along the Causeway Coastal Route.

20190514-Day-14-Giants-Causeway-Sony-(71) — Coastal Causeway Route, Northern Ireland

20190514-Day-14-Giants-Causeway-Sony-(72) — Fields of sheep were a common sight as we traveled each day. These are on the Causeway Coastal Route, Northern Ireland

For those with no fear of heights and a taste for adventure, the Rope Bridge at Carrick-a-Rede is must do attraction. With my fear of heights I can’t walk on swinging bridges but I enjoyed the scenery from the trail and had fun watching everyone else walk across the bridge.

20190514-Day-14-Giants-Causeway-Sony-(98) — The trail to the rope bridge was along these coastal cliffs

20190514-Day-14-Giants-Causeway-Sony-(87) — Stunning cliffs at Carrick-a-Rede on the Causeway Coastal Route, Northern Ireland

20190514-Day-14-Giants-Causeway-Sony-(90) — Henry on the rope bridge at Carrick-a-Rede on the Causeway Coastal Route

We discovered palm trees grow in Northern Ireland.

20190514-Day-14-Giants-Causeway-Sony-(117) — Palm trees along the Causeway Coastal Route in Northern Ireland

There was a quick stop at CarrickFergus Castle before returning to Belfast.

20190514-Day-14-Giants-Causeway-Sony-(121) — Carrickfergus Castle in County Antrim, Northern Ireland

20190514-Day-14-Giants-Causeway-Sony-(120) — Boat harbor near Carrickfergus Castle in County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Our guide Emily was awesome. She was a wonderful storyteller and kept us entertained as she told us some magical tales and a bit of Irish history. She even sang for us.

Next up, we say goodbye to Ireland and hello to Scotland.

Two Irish Cities

June 5, 2019September 17, 2026Posted in Bridges, Historic Sites, TravelTagged Book of Kells, bucket list, Dublin, Eyre Square, Galway, Guinness, Ha'Penny Bridge, Ireland, Long Room of Old Library13 Comments

Like many other travelers to Ireland, our introduction to the country began in Dublin. As we approached the city center on our ride from the airport to the hotel there were pedestrians everywhere and they were not afraid to step out in front of traffic. Our driver told us “In Dublin, jaywalking is a hobby.”

After a good night’s sleep and a full Irish breakfast we were ready to to explore Dublin. Our first stop was Trinity College to see the Book of Kells and the Long Room of the Old Library.

20190502-Day-2-Book-of-Kells-Old-Library-(2) — Book of Kells, Trinity College, Dublin

The Book of Kells is a beautifully handwritten and elaborately decorated book of the four Gospels. The work was done by monks and it is estimated to have been done around the year 800. There are interesting displays describing how it was made and samples of the many illustrations. The book itself is kept under glass in a special room with no photography allowed.

20190502-Day-2-Dublin-Book-of-Kells-Old-Library-Guinness-(21) — Decorated words from the Book of Kells, Trinity College, Dublin

Upstairs from the Book of Kells is the most beautiful library I’ve ever seen. I could have spent all day in the Long Room of the Old Library surrounded by all the old books.

I heard one story that there was a scene in one of the Star Wars movies inspired by this room. I also heard it was the inspiration for the library in Harry Potter.

20190502-Day-2-Dublin-Book-of-Kells-Old-Library-Guinness-(27)-tall — Long Room of Old Library at Trinity College, Dublin

As we strolled through the Trinity College campus we stopped to listen to singers perform. Our wandering continued to the River Liffey where we walked across the Ha’Penny Bridge and back before strolling through the Temple Bar District. Later we toured the Guinness Brewery and enjoyed a pint at their Gravity Bar.

We stopped to listen to the talented singers as we strolled around Trinity College

Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland and Ireland’s largest city. We enjoyed our time there but were anxious to see other parts of Ireland.

After picking up our rental car on the outskirts of town we got lost (the first of several times) before finding the right road to Galway, our home for the next 3 nights. Galway is bigger than I thought it would be but much smaller than Dublin. Our hotel in Galway was located on Eyre Square in the center of town within walking distance of Quay Street and the Latin Quarter. There were many shops, pubs, restaurants, a waterfront, and the Spanish Arch to explore.