Grand Teton NP – established in 1929 – owes its existence to John D. Rockefeller, Jr.  Rockefeller visited Jackson Hole in the 20’s and was dismayed by the haphazard development marring the landscape.  With a vision to protect the spectacular Teton scenery, he began buying land – later donating over 32,000 acres of the Jackson Hole valley to the federal government.  Thus the Grand Teton NP, where the majestic Teton Range rises impressively along the western edge of the scenic valley creating striking, magnificent views that provoke wonder and welcome the visitor – –

Welcome to the Grand Teton National Park.

This landscape was born out of geologic forces.  The 2.7 billion year old rocks found in the core of the range are some of the oldest in North America.  It’s story begins 100 million years ago with the collision of tectonic plates that caused mountains to rise and the valley floor to drop.  Then starting 2 million years ago, massive glaciers began sculpting the mountains and creating the landscape that is quite picturesque today.

Stunning view across Jackson Lake to The Grand Teton range.

The view from our dinner spot, The Mural Room, at Jackson Lake Lodge.

The peaks of the Teton Range stand nearly 7,000 feet above the valley floor.  Unencumbered by foothills, they rise through steep coniferous forest into alpine meadows strewn with wildflowers, past blue and white glaciers to naked granite pinnacles.  The Snake River, having begun its journey in southern Yellowstone NP, winds leisurely past the Tetons on its way to Idaho (lunch yesterday;-)  ).  The braided sections of the river create wetlands that support moose, elk, deer, beavers, cranes and geese and ducks.

On our way to Jenny Lake, more beautiful scenes – the wetlands.

The glaciers carved out areas that now serve as beautiful lakes fed by the mountain  streams.  They provide wonderful areas for all forms of recreation – including the perfect hiking trails around their shores.

The Jenny Lake Loop Trail gave us rain, wind & sunshine – but mostly lots of great views.

A little sunshine on the peak through the rain clouds.

The Jenny Lake Loop Trail was the perfect hike for this day.  A little misting during the first portion of the hike through the forest – so a bit of a canopy to protect us.  Then the Jenny Lake Lodge appeared about half way around the lake – just in time for lunch;-)

We veered off trail for a very good lunch at the Jenny Lake Lodge.

Across the bridge and back on the Loop Trail.

Hidden Falls.

The happy hikers.

Boy – what a wonderful, beautiful, exhilarating day!  The only thing to make it better is to end with a drink and dinner on the patio at The Blue Heron Lounge at the Jackson Lake Lodge watching for moose –

Cue the big bull moose.  Ginormous rack on this guy.

The stay here in the Grand Teton NP was way too short.  Colter Bay (the best RV park in the park) – we will be back!!  But, Yellowstone NP is calling.  So we are off again.

A fond farewell to the Grand Teton NP.  Yellowstone here we come.

The drive to our next stop, West Yellowstone, was diverse.  The Continental Divide was crossed not once – BUT THREE times!!

At almost 8,000′ the view is forest vegetation.

Then we descended into the Geyser Basin, where we found another one of those fantastic stops for lunch.

What a view for lunch …

…overlooking the Midway Geyser Basin.

Now Magic is parked in the Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone at another wonderful spot and E & G are off to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone tomorrow;-)

E & G saying – There is nothing better than a National Park!

After 2 really short months, Magic was on the road again.  First destination was Sun Valley, ID and the ‘Raney Ranch’ for the historic event of the Total Eclipse of the Sun.  Rather appropriate, don’t you think, that Sun Valley would be in ‘the band of totality’ for the viewing of the TOTAL eclipse of the Sun!  There were TEN eager partiers that rallied for several days of preparation, actual viewing and then reminiscing.  All at the generosity of Eileen and Tom.  A good time was had by all and it truly was magical;-)!!

Ohhhhhh – look.  It’s starting!

Here’s to the Total Eclipse.

The “diamond ring” effect at totality. (Good job Mr. Dickey!)

Once the celebrating was over – we were back to normal activities.  One morning took us out Greenhorn Gulch to the Cowhorn Loop Trail.  The day was perfect for such a hike with wonderful cloud cover – the scenery was pretty nice also – –

A panoramic view of the Greenhorn Canyon.

Nice vistas but, alas, no moose.

Since the Park City departure was a bit earlier than usual this year, the fall colors did not send us on our way.  They did, however, welcome us to Sun Valley.

Colorful foliage along the trail.

Another day took us to the Trail Creek Golf Course where we played in the shadows of the ski area with more beautiful views – –

Took time out for a round of golf at the Sun Valley Resort.

The time in Sun Valley was short, as Grand Teton NP was calling.  It proved to be just another ho hum beautiful drive.  One of our favorite things about traveling in Magic is the ability to pull off the road wherever we see a stunning spot and have lunch.  This day was one of those days as the Snake River presented itself in a fabulous setting with raptors overhead.

Our lunch spot on the way from Sun Valley to the Grand Tetons NP.

This guy soared overhead for quite awhile. 

Good thing lunch settled quickly, as the next stretch of road was — interesting;-(

Just topped the final summit on our approach to the Jackson Hole area.

It certainly was fun to be in the ‘band of totality’ for the eclipse and even more fun to share the magical experience with so many new and old friends.

Awed E & G

Has it really been more than a month since we last did a post??  Hard to believe – BUT, must be because we have been soooo busy!!

The theme of new experiences has continued – even into our dining experiences.  One evening was spent in the delightful setting of Log Haven in Millcreek Canyon with friend Sally.  (Picture does not do justice to the serene setting;-) )

Yummy dessert!  (Dinner was good too.)

Then there was the new venue in Kamas – The State Road Restaurant at the DeJoria Center, where there is free music every Thursday night.  All our ‘old’ RV’ing friends enjoyed the evening with us.

Relaxing and enjoying the music with old friends.

Just HAD to get in a little dancing.

Of course there were concerts.  Even though the venue was the same (SnowPark at DV), the acts were all new to us – Patti Austin ‘doing’ Ella at 100, Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton), a Classical Mystery Tour and Diana Krall – –

Diana Krall performing at the Deer Valley Amphitheater.

Thanks to friend Sally, John Mayall at the Egyptian was also on the calendar.  AND – he was awesome!!  A couple of plays also crept into the agenda – ‘Cabaret’ at the Egyptian and ‘Book of Mormon’ at the brand new Eccles Theater in Salt Lake.  What a riot to watch this here in “Salt Lake a City”!!

Although there was not as much hiking in the last month – what was done was new.  A trek to Shadow Lake on the Park City Mountain – organized by the Budd’s – proved to be a beautiful hike with outstanding wild flowers and a charming little lake – –

Beautiful wildflowers.

What a crew!

We even took in a Bees (LA Angels farm team) baseball game when they played the Dodgers farm team – including a great burger dinner before at Lucky 13;-)  And spent an evening at a good old standard – The Park City Art Festival.  In between all of this – there was a VERY quick trip back to Scottsdale.  Just outside of Kanab this sign appeared – –

Interesting play on words. To bad we didn’t have time to stop and enjoy the – – pie.

And, of course, there were 14 rounds of golf!!  In order to get in a new course – a trip to Evanston was in order to play Purple Sage with Rheta and Tom.

Hole #2 at Park City Muni. Gary left a number of balls in the water on this hole this year.

This did seem to be the summer of the moose.  Probably saw more in the last couple of weeks than we have ever seen before.  It is so much fun to see these animals – somewhat close.  They are really HUGE and yet majestic – –

This youngster came out of the water and joined us on the 18th green at the Muni course.

Spotted these four bulls on the road from Empire Pass to Midway, UT.

The camera shy cow was not far away as her two calves enjoyed breakfast at the Mountain Dell Golf Course.

Our last round of golf at Park City Muni this year – this HUGE bull moose and the cow came to say ‘bye’.

And suddenly the summer is over for us here in Park City.  Day after tomorrow we pull up stakes and head north to Sun Valley, ID for the total eclipse of the sun;-)

See you after the ‘end of the world’ next Monday;-)  E & G

The 4th of July in a small town is still one of the most fun ways to spend such a special day in our country.  And this particular day in Park City is no exception.  The iconic picture of our flag on the White Barn on the entry way into the city begins the celebration – –

What a beautiful picture for Independence Day!! 

While we are trying to experience new adventures this year – there are some things that just can’t be changed.  And that includes the recurring 4th of July activities which start with the Pancake Breakfast in City Park – something we have done every year for about 20+ years!!

Pancake breakfast at City Park.

Then a short walk up to Main Street provides all the sights and sounds of THE parade – –

The high school band warming up reminded Gary of his days in the drum line.

Every year the crowd gets bigger and bigger.  This year it was hard to believe the number of people on Main Street – – and how they will clear them all off the street for the parade to pass by?!?!?!

The parade is due to start any minute. MOVE IT.

Other days of the weeks we continue our hikes that provide our exercise and beautiful scenery.

Hiking Deer Valley with stunning views of snowcapped Mt. Timp.

Fun and Fabulous concerts at Deer Valley provide great music and allow us to remember ‘old’ times – like the 60’s with the Beach Boys – –

We had FUN, FUN, FUN with The Beach Boys.

And, of course there is golf;-)  This Sunday Cash and Tor joined us for 9 holes and dinner –

Cash and Tor joined us at the PC Muni Course.

These last couple of weeks seems to be the time for animals to show themselves – – on bike rides, golf courses and even along the roads.

The young raptors are getting ready to fly the coop.

The sand hill cranes enjoying the Swanner Preserve.

Wild Turkey at the Wasatch Lake golf course.

The baby ducks are everywhere.

This young moose followed us along the 18th hole at PC golf course.

We let her play through when she approached us on the 18th green.

Another couple of weeks have passed and we have not had time to look up.

Busy and Happy – E & G from Park City

It’s GREAT to be back in Park City – our ‘summer home’ where some things never change!  Lots of golf, hiking and dining with friends.  BUT – in our continuing efforts to have NEW experiences – these activities wound up on our calendar.

A Kids Adventure Day provided our entertainment on Father’s Day as Cash and Tor (two boys we babysat when they WERE babies!) competed in the event – AND each took 2nd in their age group;-)!!

Tor sliding toward the end of the race.

The cheering section..Eli-B, Mom Sarah and Brother Cash.  (Cash was sooooo fast we missed his competition.)

Sunday evenings are danced away in the ‘Dancing Thru the Decades’ dance lessons with friends – –

A LOT of OLDIES (songs, dances AND dancers!).

Hiking continues to be a preferred cardio activity – but, this year we are trying to hit as many new trails as possible.  This day we ventured up Mill Creek Canyon and hit The Pipeline Trail half way up the canyon.  Just can’t beat the views on any of the trails around the area – –

The view toward Cottonwood Canyon and Brighton Ski Area.

Joined by our frequent hiking partner Sally – down the Canyon to SLC.

And, of course, the golf.  Since we have played almost all the courses in close proximity – we just look for new animals – or just a nice day – on the courses we play.

Beautiful day on the golf course at Mountain Dell.

How can one complain in the middle of all this good scenery?!?!?

Lovin’ life – E & G 🙂

There were a couple more wonderful days in Flagstaff – golfing, of course, with new friends Jane & Larry at their course, Forest Highlands.  Beautiful scenery and a fun day.  There was also a great Thai dinner at Pato with drinks before at the historic Monte Vista – again with Jane & Larry and more new friends.

It was now time to move on again – and todays destination was Jacob Lake on the Kaibab Plateau.  Even though we have traveled 89 and 89A many times between Flagstaff and Park City, we continued our efforts of ‘new adventures’ along the way.  Having passed the sign for ‘Lee’s Ferry’ many times – this time we took that right turn to see what was there.  Surprises awaited with more beautiful Arizona scenery in Marble Canyon – –

Big mushroom rocks among the rock formations.

– – – And there we were at Lee’s Ferry on the Colorado River.  This is the only place in hundreds of miles where one can easily access the Colorado River from both sides.  Therefore, it historically served as an important river crossing and starting in the mid-19th century was the site of a ferry operated by John Lee (thus – Lee’s Ferry!).  Boat service continued here for over 60 years until a bridge was built in the early 20th century.  Lee’s Ferry served as a military outpost for 19th century settlements in Utah and today is the boat launching point for those whitewater adventures through the Grand Canyon.   This day it served as our scenic lunch spot (E even took her shoes off and waded in the river!!)  – –

Our lunch stop – Magic along the Colorado River.

Enjoying the river scenery ….

….and watching the Grand Canyon bound river rafters heading down river.

Ahhh;-)  What a refreshing stop!  Now – on to Kaibab CampeRVillage and our new campsite home for a couple or days (another new experience).  Magic had a lovely spot in the pines at Jacob Lake with a one mile trail through the forest that took us to the best soft serve chocolate ice cream cones and homemade cookies at Jacob Lake Inn every afternoon;-)!!!  A little more strenuous hike was the East Rim Viewpoint hike which took us 2 miles in each direction with a 1400 vertical in those 2 miles;-(   This was definitely our cardio for this day – BUT, the reward was beautiful views – –

For some reason we decided we wanted to hike down to the bottom of the canyon…

….from up here to down there. Yikes

There were enjoyable sights along the way.

Including this beauty.

We DID make it out alive – although ‘dead’ the next day;-)

Thankfully the next day was a travel day – so more rest, so to speak.  And there we were – our home away from home – spot E6 at PC RV Park – –

Good to be back to our summer place.

Back in the cool, refreshing air of Park City for a couple of months – ready for golf, dinners, visits and whatever else comes our way;-)

Keeping you posted – E & G from Magic

Off for more new experiences in Northern Arizona.  This time it is a wonderful day trip to Sedona.

It was a slow morning at Magic – so by the time we ventured thru the Canyon on that beautiful drive down 89A – the stomachs were growling.  After a bit of a search for a patio overlooking Oak Creek, Creekside Cafe was the choice.  AND – a very good choice it was.  A lovely patio, good food AND a great view of some of the Red Rocks.  The small rock in the middle of the ‘indented area’ reminded me of one of the owls we saw at Bearizona – keeping an eye on us while we ate – –

Good views from the restaurant patio at lunch.

With full stomachs and a bit of shopping done, more scenic views were calling.  The Red Rock Loop Road provided stunning views of the various formations in the Sedona valley on the way to Red Rock State Park – –

The red rock formations are always spectacular – –

– -Especially  Cathedral Rock.

Red Rock State Park is a nature preserve and environmental education center – – with more stunning scenery.  Trails throughout the park wind through manzanita and juniper to reach the banks of Oak Creek.  Unfortunately, today was not a hiking day so a return visit will be needed for those adventures.  The 45 minute film on Sedona and a wander around the Visitor Center grounds were on the agenda, though – –

A sampling of matate at the visitors center exhibit.

All in all – a beautiful, relaxing day for E & G

Ah – back to sunny – and HOT – Scottsdale, AZ.  Even though it was only a week to get laundry done, errands run and Magic packed.  Then we were off for ‘cooler climes’.

First stop – Flagstaff.  On the way, though, we ran into one of those pesky – but serious – brush fires.  Fortunately this was a small one and quickly brought under control – –

Smokey the Bear says “only you can prevent forest fires”!  Be aware – PLEASE.

Once into our parking place at J&H, it didn’t take us long to be back into our routine of golfing and hiking.  Continental GC is only about 10 minutes away, is an OB managed course so we get good rates and has beautiful views.

“99 Things to do in Northern Arizona” is providing us with new activities in and around Flagstaff – including new hikes.  So – Sunday morning we ventured into Picture Canyon, a small canyon along the Rio de Flag on the far eastern edge of Flagstaff.  The primary draw of the canyon are the petroglyphs on its walls.

Great petroglyphs..

… more glyphss and colorful lichen..

…and a view of the Rio de Flag (Rio may be a bit of an overstatement).

The Arboretum at Flagstaff was another new adventure.  A research and environmental education center, The Arboretum is home to 2,500 species of plants in greenhouses, gardens and natural habitats.  Our favorite part (besides the great picnic area for lunch) was the Butterfly House.

The butterflies at the Arboretum were as colorful as the flowers.

Next new adventure – – –

Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Honey Bear;-)

Bearizona is a wildlife park featuring North American animals in their natural forested environment.  Visitors get the experience of seeing the animals as they drive a 3 mile scenic drive – –

This bison wanted his seat IN the kitchen.

Who’s looking at Who??

A Sly Fox;-)

AND – Finally the BEARS – –

You All Think You are Going Somewhere?

Could someone turn on the water jets?

After the drive, one can get up close and personal with other animals including Birds of Prey in a free flight show.  One literally feels the breeze as these amazing birds SKIM directly overhead during this incredible show!!

This horned owl made absolutely no sound while in flight.

Awesome barn owl.

A Harris falcon.

And so our first few days in Flagstaff end.

Magic is back on the road with E & G;-)

Six days of golf in nine days – intermixed with pretty taxing travel days – had worn us down a bit.  So – it was great to be energized by meeting up with ‘old friends’, Judy and Tim, for a couple of days touring in and around Dublin.

Judy did a great job of finding us an apartment between the River Liffey and the Grand Canal within walking distance to all the sights, shopping and dining that we could possibly want.  She also fixed us up with Garvan, who shepherded us around the city for a morning filling our heads with all kinds of facts on Irish and English history.

First stop – Dublin Castle, which is the historic core of Dublin City in the Viking/Medieval area.  Viking Defenses were established here as far back as the 10th century and it was the seat of British rule for over 750 years.  It was also the location of the handover to the new Irish State – The Republic of Ireland – in 1922.

Judy, Tim, E and Garvan on our walking tour of Dublin at Dublin Castle

The change in stonework evidences years of additions on the tower structure.

Just around the corner is the City Hall, constructed in 1779, with beautiful ornate decoration and the obligatory statues of prominent citizens from the years.

Entry lobby in City Hall.

Still in the medieval area, our next stop was Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin’s oldest building.  It is renowned for its breath-taking beauty, magnificent architectural features and stunning floor tiles and was a place of pilgrimage for almost 1,000 years.  It is a protestant church – not catholic – as you might think.

At the historical Christ’s Church the Cathedral…

… is almost dwarfed by the Bishops residence.

The Bishops residence was adjacent to the Cathedral, but across the street – Hells Hole with nefarious activities.  So – a bridge was built so the Bishop could get to the church without having to subject himself to the ‘street activities’!

There are 5 items in Dublin covered by “1,000 Places to See Before You Die”.  We covered 3 of them.  (The 2 not seen/done included a celebration in June and a restaurant that would have broken the bank!)  Trinity College, Dublin is one of those 5 and was next up on our agenda.

Trinity College, founded in 1592,  is Ireland’s oldest university and boasts an impressive roster of alumni including Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilds and Samuel Beckett.  On this day the campus was bustling with students getting ready for exams and the end of the school year.

Entering Trinity College quad.

From another point of view.

Perhaps the most important role of the school today is as custodian for The Book of Kells, an early medieval manuscript – the most important and most beautiful work of art to survive from the early centuries of Celtic Christianity.  Each page is magnificently decorated with elaborate patterns and mythical animals unlike any other in the intricacy and complexity that covers every one of its 680 pages.  Such illumination by the scribes and monks of the monastery of Kells was called “a work not of men, but of angels”.  The Book of Kells is housed in the ground floor of the college’s Old Library built in 1712.  We did get to see both The Book of Kells and the Library.  Unfortunately no pictures were allowed in The Book of Kells exhibit so, the view of this outstanding library will have to do.

This section of the college library is dedicated to the preservation of books and manuscripts.

The Library also houses this Brian Boru Harp – the oldest surviving Irish Harp and the model for the insignia of Ireland.  It is made from willow and oak with 29 brass strings.  Its elaborate designs, silver neck mount and embedded crystal suggest that it belonged to a master musician such as would have played for the nobel households of Gaelic Ireland and Scotland.

Are we in the Musical Instrument Museum?

With so much information packed into our little heads it was time to just wander and enjoy the sunshine.  Ha’penny Bridge – Dublin’s oldest pedestrian crossing over the River Liffey – was on our way to finding afternoon tea.  The bridge was erected in 1816 and acquired its nickname from the halfpenny toll levied on all users up to 1919.

A view of the Ha’Penny Bridge over the River Liffey.

We also wandered through St. Stephen’s Green (Europe’s largest garden square), which was created in 1663.  It is a lovely park in the middle of all the hustle and bustle with this attractive little gazebo calling our name.

A quick turn in the Gazebo in St. Stephen’s Green.

Just across the street from St. Stephen’s Green is Dublin’s favorite old dowager hotel – The Shelbourne.  (Number 2 of The 1,000 Things to See Before You Die.)  Built in 1824 it is the last survivor of Dublin’s great 19th century hotels.  Steeped in tradition, the Shelbourne holds on to much of its historic grandeur as the Irish Constitution was drafted here in 1922.  Nothing historic on our part – just a drink at the bar;-)

We enjoyed a drink in the Shelbourne Hotel Bar.

Another place we had a drink – the first night in town – was the Doheny & Nesbitt Pub, which just happens to be right around the corner from our apartment and Number 3 on the 1,000 Things to See Before You Die list!  The Pub is a mere 130 years old and a handsome Victorian specimen of carved wood and etched glass.  By the time we got there the first night it was standing room only as it was every time we passed by (sorry no pics).

After spending a day in ‘the city’, we took off for more quiet surroundings and headed to the Powerscourt Estate and Gardens via the old military road.  Very different scenery than what we had seen in our travels in the days before.  Brown peat bogs instead of the emerald greens.  But, the sheep still liked it – –

These sheep made us think of our friends Priscilla and Steve and their Soay sheep.

Once we arrived at the Estate – all was green and lush again.  Set in the wild Wicklow countryside, overlooking the Sugarloaf Mountain, Powerscourt Gardens stretch over 47 acres with magnificent views.  The Gardens have 3 themed gardens, a lake, a pond, a tower and a pet cemetery.  They are ranked No. 3 in the world’s top ten gardens according to National Geographic.   The pictures tell the story –  –

Triton Lake looking back at Powerscourt House.

One of Ireland’s largest pet cemeteries.

A view of Sugarloaf Mountain from the rear of the estate.

The Pepperpot Tower modeled on a favorite pepperpot from Lord Powerscourt’s table!

The grounds also included an Italian Garden, a Walled Garden and a Japanese Garden.  The Italian and Walled Gardens were designed in the mid-1800’s with contributions from the collections of the 6th and 7th Lord Powerscourt’s.  The Japanese Garden was created by the 8th Viscount and Viscountess Powerscourt in 1908 and provides a glimpse into a different world.  We had fun there – –

We had a great time in Dublin with our friends Tim and Judy.

Slán (goodbye) Ireland.

And so ends our “Bucket List” trip with –

•  Six days of golf at ‘famed’ courses including the Home of Golf – St. Andrews Old Course, St Andrews Jubilee, Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, Royal County Down and Partmarnock
• Five wonderful days in St. Andrews
•  Three great days with friends Judy & Tim in Dublin
•  Safe, on-time flights that got us to all destinations on time and in one piece – WITH OUR LUGGAGE
• AND – Unbelievable weather!!

We feel so fortunate to be able to have such an adventure and wish a fantastic “Bucket List” trip to all of you;-)

With Lots of Love – E & G

It is always sad to say goodbye – but, there are always more adventures on the horizon and one must move on to experience them.  And so we said goodbye to St. Andrews and ventured to the Emerald Isle – the land of 40 shades of green.  It took taxis, planes and automobiles to get us there but, the days worth of travel was worth it when we pulled up to our ‘home’ for the next two days!!

The Slieve Donard is an historic old hotel opened in 1897 near the village of Newcastle in Northern Ireland.  It has hosted royalty, presidents and golfing legends.  The bar is even named for Charlie Chaplin – a frequent.

The Grand Old Slieve Donard.

The grounds and views were stunning sitting on the Irish Sea with Newcastle and the Mourne Mountains to the south and east.  The bright blue sky didn’t hurt the scene either!

Such freedom in dancing – with lots of sunshine.

Our room here was wonderful;-)!  A nice size with a heavenly bathroom that Gary could move around in quite nicely – – and a view to kill!!

Royal County Down Golf Course from our hotel room window. Awesome.

Yes – Royal County Down, just adjacent to the hotel and our next 18 holes.

Friday, May 19 – The Royal County Down Golf Club, Championship Links

Opening March 23,1889, Royal County Down is another beautiful old course – originally designed by Old Tom Morris.  The Championship course has hosted various tournaments – most recently the Irish Open in 2015.  In fact, Rory has also been a guest at the hotel – and now E & G!!

It is 10:30 and we are off (notice blue sky and no hair blowing) – –

Here we go again.

Let’s just say that the course had a few undulations – – –

– – – Gorgeous skies – – –

– – – Beautiful views – across the Irish Sea – – –

– – – And the Mourne Mts. – where the forest scenes in Game of Thrones were shot.

There were NOT as many bunkers – especially those HUGE, DEEP ones – on this course, but that doesn’t mean we managed to avoid what was there;-(

E did a much better job….

…getting out of the bunker…

…than G did. ARRRGGGHHH

Despite the bunkers, The Royal County Down was definitely one of our favorites on the trip!!  We would return here in a minute if Scotty could just beam us over.

The stay at Slieve Donard was not nearly long enough but Portmarnock was calling.  So – after a beautiful day of golf, a VERY relaxing massage at the Spa and a lovely ‘room service’ dinner we loaded up the rental car and headed back south to the outskirts of Dublin.  Suddenly the weather decided that it had been all too kind to us and we deserved a wee bit of the REAL Irish weather.  We didn’t mind it so much on this travel day – just kept our fingers crossed that it might improve for our last day of golf.

Not only the weather was a BIG change for us!  Portmarnock is a suburb of Dublin, The Republic of Ireland – and a ‘beach town’ to boot.  So we were immediately thrust back into the city rat race from the idyllic ‘rolling hills, country’ settings.  Perhaps a little walk along the Irish Sea to get some dinner would clear our heads and get us in the right frame of mind – –

Found some rain along with some wonderful rainbows.

Sunday, May 21 – Portmarnock Golf Club

Portmarnock Golf Club is built on a peninsula about 2 miles long jutting into the Irish Sea (think wind and rain!!).  It opened in 1894 and was the venue for the first Irish Open in 1927.

All our ‘good weather luck’ ran out on this Sunday – –

The wind at Portmarnock was about 30 to 40 mph. G could hardly keep his hat on…and it was designed for use in heavy rain and wind.

Beautiful course..

…but we retreated to the clubhouse for lunch after 9 holes. The wind won.

And so ended the golfing portion of our ‘Bucket List’ trip;-)  Our fortunes were great – in that every other day we had outstanding weather to play FIVE fabulous, historic courses and walk in the footsteps of legends of the game!!  Each of the pictures carries a long story that will be a part of our memories (for as long as we have our memory).  Many emotions came up while writing these blog posts – as we reviewed and sorted thru the pictures and came up with the words to describe them.

Now – it is time to tuck those memories away and head to Dublin to meet up with friends.

REALLY HAPPY to have done this trip – Lots of Love, E & G