Doolin

If you are going to visit the Cliffs of Moher, chances are you will either drive through or stay in Doolin. This is a very small, quite town. It sits near the coast and is a great home base if you plan to visit the Cliffs of Moher or head out to visit the Aran Islands. We only stayed one night in Doolin and the place we stayed at was called the Doolin Activity Lodge. This was a great little place to stay. There was plenty of parking (which was great for our 3 vans) and there were a few great amenities. First off, we had a family room that had 3 beds in it. The bathroom was updated and spacious. There was a rec room with a kitchen in it that was so nice to hang out in. This was great for the kids. They could sit on the couch and watch a movie. Since there was a full kitchen, I was able to cook them spaghetti for dinner so they could 1. eat at a normal time and 2. eat something that they liked and was familiar to them. Most of our dinners on this trip started late and ended late. For the most part the food was child friendly, but just different from what they were used to. To be able to cook them something that was hot and just like how I would have made it at home, was so nice. The hotel also had a nice little breakfast room and they served very American style breakfasts with eggs and pancakes, etc...You could still get the traditional Irish breakfast, but again, with kids, this was a plus!




I mentioned in my last post that we stopped at a fudge shop in town and got some wonderful homemade fudge. I do not remember the name of it, but if you go to Doolin, the town is so small, it won't be hard to find. Here is a link to a video that I found. It shows a lot of pictures from the town including the fudge shop. It really captures the essence of the little town. WATCH IT HERE.

That night for dinner we ate at a place called Cullinan's. It is actually a restaurant that is part of a little hotel. It came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. Most everyone in our party got the Early Bird menu (you would see this a lot of there. Pre-set menus with multiple course choices at a great value.) They mostly had seafood and steaks. That is what we usually got at dinner. I, however, was about mussel'd out and had had enough seafood, that I went with a pasta. I by far made the right choice. Everyone made fun of me for getting Italian in Ireland, but it was soo good. I got a cannelloni pasta with a ratatouille Parmesan. Yumm!

Sarah Irish Dancing in the parking lot of Cullinan's!

After that we went to McGann's Pub. I have a movie quote that comes to mind every time I think of this night. "You have a baby...in a bar.." - Sweet Home Alabama. Not only did I have one of my babies in a bar, I had 2! They were welcomed with open arms and Sarah ended up being the hit of the night due to her Irish dancing showcase that she put on inside! She really commanded that bar crowd!



Next post will about The Ring of Kerry....Inch Beach....Dingle....and the arrival of our nanny to the vacation!