‘Winter is Coming.’-Eddard Stark, Game of Thrones

Once I made my plans to go to Northern Ireland, I started figuring out what to do there. I used Get Your Guide to see all that was available to do and when I saw the Giants Causeway/Game of Thrones Tour, I knew it was the one for me. I do enjoy Game of Thrones, in which Northern Ireland stood in for ‘The North,’ I was more interested in the scenery. The Giants Causeway is a UNESCO heritage site and a trip to the Dark Hedges were all right up my alley. So I immediately booked. Note…they do offer this if you’re in Dublin, a bit longer of a drive but I highly recommend. There are a lot of different options, including my tour but an added stop to the Bushmills distillery. Do whichever works best for you and all are reasonably priced, I paid $31.

I walked to the pick up location and waited to board the coach. They had the list of people going aboard and I just gave my name (I also had my ticket in the app). I was able to get a window seat, which was what I wanted. Pick wisely, you’ll have the same seat the whole trip. The trip was full, so I sat next to a stranger but just kept to myself. First stop was Carrickfergus Castle, which is 800 years old. While the stop was only about 20 minutes and didn’t allow time to go inside, it was plenty of time to walk around the castle and down the dock. The drive also provided a glimpse of the divide still in the country. Some villages have the Union Jack flying while others have the Irish Tricolor-subtle reminders of conflict and national identity.

While driving the Giant’s Causeway, you’ll see some breathtaking scenery of both the coast and pastoral landscapes. While I was on the wrong side of the bus for clear Irish Sea views, I was able to get an excellent view of the cliffs that make up the famous wall of the Night’s Watch. Then onto lunch and another GoT location…The Kingsroad…err Dark Hedges.

The Dark Hedges are a road flanked by beech trees planted by James Stuart around 1775. A combination of haunting beauty, alleged wanderings by the ghostly Grey Lady (I didn’t see her), and Game of Thrones, it is one of the most photographed spot in Northern Ireland. And you should really go sooner rather than later. The trees are slowly dying. Of the original 150 or so trees, only about 85 are still there and many are in poor shape. To save them, the road is now closed to auto traffic. You park at the visitor’s center and walk the road. I can’t speak to peak season but it was nice being there in the off season as I was pretty much alone.

Then onto the main event, the Causeway Coast-a rugged basalt coastline. I had plenty of time to fully explore and it was awesome! Overseen, mostly, by the National Trust, it is free to visit. There is a visitors center but there is a fee there. I can’t tell you if it is worth it as I didn’t go in. If you go during the winter, wear layers. While it was not raining and not super cold, it was WINDY which made you feel much colder! I live in West Texas, one of the windiest regions on earth and even I was like what is happening (not as windy as the Cliffs of Moher, however).

When you get dropped off, you have two options to get to the water: walk or take the trolley. I walked the mile or so down, it was an easy walk but make sure you have grips on your shoes. Coming up, I took the trolley. It runs ever 15-20 minutes, is about a quid one way, and they take cards/mobile pay. Once you get to the bottom, you can fully explore (so many rainbows). There is a trail that will take you around and you can go on the rocks. There were workers from the National Trust at the bottom to answer questions/safety but not sure if that was just a coincidence or if they are there daily.

It did unlock some core memories for me. I was obsessed with Disney’s The Little Mermaid and even had a rock in the front yard where I would pretend to be Ariel. I also learned as a kid, in the original tale, she does not, in fact, get her happily ever after but dies and becomes sea foam. And let me tell you, the amount of sea foam on the Causeway, there must have been a massacre under the sea. THERE WAS SO MUCH!!!!! Foam everywhere and because it was so windy, it just floated in the air. Since it was overcast and nearing sunset, it was a very eerie experience. Cool but eerie.

I really enjoyed my time in Northern Ireland. A country I have always wanted to visit and I was able to experience the sadness of the region but also its unparalleled beauty.