Birthday Trip to Ireland
(31 Reviews)
100% Recommended
Rebecca Dull
Memphis, TN
Utah National Parks Travel Agent Specialist
I am an experienced hospitality professional. Therefore, I'm excited to translate my passion and enthusiasm for travel into a career as a travel agent planner for Utah’s national parks. The client experience is therefore most important to me. I h...
I am an experienced hospitality professional. Therefore, I'm excited to translate my passion and enthusiasm for travel into a career as a travel agent planner for Utah’s national parks. The client experience is therefore most important to me. I have traveled extensively throughout the US, which has included a 30 day road trip in the spring of 2021. During this time, I stayed at a mix of campgrounds and hotels. Also, I have a broad range of interests from theme parks to nature settings to wineries. I enjoy trekking off the beaten path but I also love the cities. Basically, I just love trying new things and making the most out of every trip. Therefore, my background allows me to curate the perfect travel itinerary - one that meets all your travel needs in one of Utah’s spectacular national parks. In Utah, you can find some amazing national parks, including Zion National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Bryce Canyon, the Arches, and the Dark Canyon Wilderness area. If you’re seeking to hike or camp, you will find these wilderness areas much to your liking. For example, I can schedule a trip to Arches National Park, a popular attraction in Utah. The park, which was established on April 12, 1929, is located north of Moab. The Colorado River borders the park in the southeast. Its name is derived from the 2,000 natural sandstones arches located inside the park, one of which is the red-hued Delicate Arch that guards over the eastern park of the site. The fabled Balanced Rock towers over the arid terrain in the center of the park. You might also want to plan a visit to Bryce Canyon, which sprawls across Southern Utah. Known for its blush-hued hoodoos (spired rock formations), the main road of the park runs past the Bryce Amphitheater - a hoodoo-filled depression that lies under the park’s Rim Trail hiking path. Overlooks are found at Bryce Point, Inspiration Point and Sunrise and Sunset points. As you might guess, the prime viewing times are at sunrise and sunset. Located in Monticello, Utah, the Dark Canyon Wilderness area sits in the heart of canyon country in southeast Utah. It is associated with Bears Ears National Monument. The highly steep and narrowing walls, which block the morning and late afternoon sunlight, give the park its surreal and mysterious sounding name. Another park of note, Zion National Park, is known for its lofty and red-hued cliffs. The Scenic Drive in the park cuts a path through the area’s main section, which takes motorists along forest paths beside the Virgin River. The river flows into the majestic Emerald Pools, home to a hanging garden and shimmering and sparkling water cascades. Some hikers like to challenge themselves by taking a wading hike, located in the park’s Zion Narrows. As your travel agent professional for Utah’s national parks, I can personalize your adventure and travel itinerary. For example, do you like kitschy, historic hotels or is modern more your speed? Are you up for mountain climbing and zip-lining, or would you rather sip coffee or wine on a front porch? Either way (or both) and everything in between, I'm here to help. It's your own unique travel experience. Call me today and I'll get you there anytime of the year you wish to get away.
I recently traveled to Ireland with my mom for my 40th birthday. Neither of us had ever been there and it was something we both wanted to do so we figured this would be a great time to go!
My mom doesn't travel much so she wanted to do a guided tour for the duration of the trip. After researching different companies, I decided to book Irish Gold with CIE Tours. I felt like the itinerary we chose had a good mix of cities, iconic sites, landscapes and historical activities. Three highlights I was really looking forward to were Sean’s Bar (the oldest bar in Europe), Cliffs of Moher and kissing the Blarney Stone. My mom was really excited to visit the Waterford Crystal factory and showroom.
We started in a suburb of Dublin near the Irish Sea. We spent our first day adjusting to the time change and walking along the pier in the Dun Laoghaire Harbour. We met our tour group the next day and went on a panoramic tour of Dublin. We also stopped at Trinity College to view the Book of Kells. I was envious of the students attending such a beautiful university with such an amazing history.
The following morning our group set off for Galway with a stop along the way in to visit Sean’s Bar in Athlone. Let me tell you, Sean’s Bar did not disappoint! The bartenders made us traditional Irish Coffees with brown sugar, freshly brewed coffee, Sean’s Bar whisky and house made whipped cream. We got to hear about the history of the bar from Timmy Donovan. He’s actually going to be traveling to Tennessee to share their whisky with us in the United States.
Later in the trip we stopped at Marine Bar where the owner, Christy, sang traditional Irish songs and played the guitar for us while we sipped on Irish Coffee. He also told us the history behind the songs and that before Ireland declared its independence from England they weren’t allowed to write down their history. That’s where a lot of the Irish folk songs came from, many times when they are singing about love, they are singing about their love for their country. We could tell how passionate Christy was about the music and Ireland.
I took a day to myself while in Killarney to rent a bicycle from the hotel and visit the Killarney National Park. It was a beautiful relaxing day of getting (safely) lost among the landscape of the park. I had mountains ahead of me and the city behind me as I pedaled toward the Torc Waterfall. Once I reached the waterfall, the view was nothing less than magical. The moss on the trees and stones looked like it was glowing in the sunlight.
Kissing the Blarney Stone was another experience I didn’t want to miss! We were fortunate to have beautiful weather that day. We were able to take a lot of pictures in the gardens. The steps to the stone were no joke! I think it was over 120 in all but it was worth it.
Our tour guide, Bryan and driver Pat were amazing. They seemed to really enjoy providing a great guest experience and worked really well together. It was great to have everything planned out and organized for us. I really enjoyed visiting Ireland and I’m so grateful to have been able to share this experience with my mom!