Antrim Coast with Mom & Dad

After we returned from our 2+ weeks of site-seeing in ROI with my parents, they had a week in Belfast to recover and then they went up north to the Antrim Coast for 5 days, starting on a Saturday. I rented a car and drove the boys up for Sat/Sun. This was the first day of my Father driving in NI, and they seemed to think that things were a bit...dicey...but, they followed me up and from my vantage (a whole lot of car and air separating us), he did fine. We stayed just south of Bushmills, in a small complex of self-catering houses called St Columb's Holiday Cottages (http://www.stcolumbscottages.co.uk/). This holiday let was the nicest we experienced up there, and I'd definitely stay there again. The house was clean, modern, well-equipped, had wifi, and the manager was pleasant. And, the set-up worked well for my parents with all that they needed on the ground floor. The location was great too - just 5 min or so into Bushmills, which is the center point to all of the sites up there. 

Our accommodations. There was a nice walking trail behind the cottages (below).

Gorgeous foliage - HUGE.

The first afternoon/evening, after settling into our accommodations, we all piled into my parents very large rental car and I drove them around showing them some of the sites. It was so nice to go somewhere that I had already been to so that I could give them advice and help them plan their visit! I drove them west first to Portrush and scenic viewpoints along the way to see Dunluce, and then east through Bushmills and toward the Causeway. We had dinner at an Inn just across the street from the Causeway that had very nice views and fine food (nothing special but certainly nothing to complain about). 

On Sunday, we went to the Skerries Pitch and Putt in Portrush that is part of the Royal Portrush Golf Club. I had been hearing about P & P ever since we started planning this year, but had never experienced it. Let me say now - I am a fan! It is a miniature golf course that requires the use of a pitcher and a putter. The course we went to was a par 3 course (I think) for a total of ~1200 yds for 9 holes. It was definitely not a gimmicky/touristy thing - the course didn't even have the holes numbered and the man in the booth had to search for some clubs to lend us (and then make us a map on the back of the score card so that we would know which hole was which!). And, the location was oh so beautiful - right along the sea with grass-covered dunes, white beaches, and blue sky... This type of golf (which, by the way, was only 3 GBP per person), I could get into. We had a great time. Dad and I took turns on the holes while the other person kept Jamieson from getting in the way or stealing a ball. And, we all did pretty well! Watson had some great hits and we brought back all but 1 of the 5 extra balls that the man in the booth gave us. Fun, fun!

  

What a pose, right? Portrush in the background, zoomed in below.

He SOOO wants to do everything Watson does.

Talk about views...

After leaving the P & P course, we noticed a sign for a beach that we had not yet explored during our times on the Antrim Coast. So, down the very steep, sharp turn we went to Whiterocks Beach (http://www.beachni.com/beaches/whiterocks-beach/). Gorgeous! My parents stayed near the top to take in the view (and have a very nice conversation with a family walking a dog who looked amazingly like Keya - they called her their "dog in sheep's clothing") while I took the boys down for a little exploring and sand play. 

Reminiscent of MI's sand dunes!

Dunluce Castle on the cliff above in the middle 

This was the weekend that the Giro D'Italia went from Belfast to the
Antrim Coast and back. There were lots of signs and pained pink bikes
along the roads - here the lifeguards had spelled out a cheer to the bikers with rocks. 

That day was also the U.S. Mother's Day. We all gave Mom a NI scarf (lots of great ones here) with little birds on it and cooked my parents dinner before heading back to Belfast and saying goodbye to them for a few weeks (Next up for them - Scotland!). Even though it was only a short trip together, I really enjoyed this time together on the northern coast.