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Yesterday we drove clockwise around the Ring of Berea. There were stunning vistas of the sea around every bend and the sheep were everywhere.

We arrived at our little cottage by the sea. “The Boathouse “ is our first home reserved through the home exchange program known as “Third Home”. It is a sweet little cottage with a view of the sea.

Best of all was our reunion with the Shriver’s. dear friends of over 40 years.

We had a very full first day. First we explored Sherkin Island, a short ferry ride from the Baltimore harbor. We intended to rent bikes and ride the rural roads but there was not a bike rental to be found. Instead did a three mile hike along one of the designated routes. It felt like we had the island to ourselves.

We decided to take advantage of the beautiful day and head to Mizen Head with David and Carole. It is the most southwesterly point of Ireland. It was fantastic.

We left the lovely Sheedys B&B in Doolin after an amazing breakfast to drive to our home for a week in Baltimore. It was a blustery day with driving rain. Google Maps decided to play tricks on us and added an hour to our drive. There is something to be said for an old fashioned paper map!

Yesterday was a leisurely day making our way from Galway to the seaside village of Doolin. We drove up through the Burren, 70% of Ireland’s biodiversity is found here in the Burren. I did not take pictures but instead took in the pastoral beauty of this wide open area. I would like to plan a more immersive experience here on our next visit to Ireland. History runs deep here and we only scratched the surface.

Next, we made our way to the Cliffs of Moher. It is a well known destination with the infrastructure to handle the throngs of visitors. It, along with the Burren has been designated a UNESCO Geo Park . It was one of those days that I was thankful to have a little girth to my body. The wind was howling, I mean blow you over type gusts.

Next up was Doolin, a little seaside village known for its Trad music culture. McDermott’s Pub was our destination for the evening. The food was delicious( I had the pan seared salmon on creamed leeks and Ed had Cottage Pie). The music was terrific, but the highlight of the night was experiencing an Irish hen party. These young women were respectful, joyful, and proud of their heritage. They sang Irish folk song, danced jigs, and celebrated the music with the musicians.

Our accommodation for the night was Sheedys B&B. To call it a B&B was an understatement. The bed was one I would like to recreate at home and the breakfast rivaled a 5* restaurant.

On Friday we took the ferry over to the island of Inishmore . We spent the afternoon with Thomas Faherty on his pony trap, exploring the central and western end of the island. It was a lovely way to experience the rural beauty of the island.

We enjoyed dinner at Keogh’s Pub.

A footnote: It was a windy day and the seas were rolling. As Ed said, “they were handing out puke bags like candy on the ferry” . Seriously, be prepared with whatever it takes to avoid getting sea sick.

We’ve been so busy that this is the first opportunity I have had to post. Galway has been such a fun, welcoming city. We spent 2 nights at an inn named “The Stop”. It was a convenient walk to both restaurant/bar areas which we too advantage of both evenings.

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I probably wont be posting any more while we areon our way home. It is too difficult to get good cell service and quite honestly, it would be a bit boring.

We do want to thank you for following us on our journey. Its been really fun to share! So, cheers to you my fiends! We hope to see many of you all very soon!

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It was our last full day of this amazing trip before we begin the long trek home. We bugged out of our “RV parking lot” campground in Moab. It had served our purpose as a base to visit Arches and the northern portion of Canyonlands, but it just didn’t feel like the place we should spend our last night in Utah. We found a National Forest campground that had no services this late in the season, but it was wonderfully private and the night sky was incredible.

We hiked in the Elephant Hill section of the south Canyonlands area on a perfect chamber of commerce day. We were able to get fairly close to the iconic Needles formation. I have to admit that during the entire hike I was keenly aware of what a special way this was to end our American Southwest Adventure. I had an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

*Grateful that we had such wonderful weather throughout our trip.

*Grateful that our country had the foresight to preserve these marvelous, unique areas for all to enjoy.

*Grateful that Ed and I both have the health and fitness to do the hikes and activities we enjoyed so much.

*Grateful we have the means to take this trip.

• *Grateful that, after nearly eight weeks without television, we are still laughing and truly enjoying each other company.