Killarney to Kenmare

Killarney National Park was actually not on our itinerary  When we set out that morning we had planned to drive the Ring of Kerry.  What we didn't plan on was how long it would take to get there from where we were staying.  In hindsight, we should have stayed closer to our starting point and planned to stay at our finishing point. Having all the children with us really limited us to where we could stay as not all hotels offer rooms that accommodate six people and a budget was the second factor because if a hotel didn't offer a family room that often meant we would have to rent two rooms and that can get pricey. Unlike, the U.S. Europe is a little more strict on how many people you can put in a room.  Anyway, Killarney National Park was a wonderful find.  Even my mom who has been to Ireland 8 times had never been.  Driven by hunger we stopped at the Muckross House. They have a wonderful visitors center with a cafeteria.  Cafeteria style eating really worked out for us on this trip because it gave us a chance to see portion sizes and economize on the number of portions we actually needed. Splitting a plate between 1-3 children based on portion size really saves a lot of money.  It also gave us a chance to see what we were actually ordering. The food was really good too!  I had a lovely ham, mashed potatoes, and vegetable plate which I shared, Roman had a portion of ravioli, and I can't remember what the girls had but they loved it!  My mom enjoyed a warm bowl of soup with a side of brown bread and butter.  Afterward, we took a jaunting car around the park. It was so cold and windy that it was nice to snuggle under the blankets.  Patrick and his horse biscuit gave us a wonderful tour.  Part of the tour was a ride to the Torc Waterfall!  Gorgeous!  Patrick told the girls not to go too far or the leprechauns would get them.  The girls were on the lookout! When our tour was over, it started to rain and we wanted to get back on the road, so we skipped going into Muckross House.  I am sure it was lovely inside!  On the road to Kenmare, it is simply gorgeous. My photos just don't even begin to do to the area justice.  All I can say is that if you go to Ireland make sure you schedule a trip to Killarney National Park so you can see for yourself how beautiful it is!  Come back on Friday and you can see pictures from our trip to Cork and Adair!

Sunset in Cork