Day #: 51-57

Date(s): 15JUN – 21JUN2025

Location(s) Visited: Derry, Dark Hedges, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Bushmills, Giant’s Causeway, Ballycastle, Cushendun, Whitehead, Carrickfergus, Belfast & Strangford, North of Ireland

Overall Impression of Location(s): Derry = 3, Dark Hedges = 2, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge = 3, Bushmills = 2, Giant’s Causeway = 2, Ballycastle = 2, Cushendun = 2, Whitehead = 1, Carrickfergus = 1, Belfast = 2, Strangford = 2

4 -added to our favorite list and we would return again
3 – a great place to visit
2 – OK for one visit, but we would not return again
1 – we wish we hadn’t wasted our time here  

Distance Driven on Leg/Trip (km): 397

Overall Impressions: We are certainly glad we came and explored North of Ireland, but we would not return in the future. It is hard to put our finger on, but in general it was more crowded, less friendly, there was more trash on streets and public areas and it was more difficult to boondock. There are some areas with an aggressively in your face British loyalist vibe that we didn’t like. Again, we don’t regret our visit and we saw some fun things and glad we explored as much of the country as we did, but we would not return. Tony is (not so silently) counting the minutes until we return to Ireland.

Weather/Temperature (°F): The weather has been improving and summer is on the horizon with sunnier days, warmer temperatures and a lot less rain. We have had a few days in the 70s and the nighttime temperatures are now warm enough not to need heat overnight. It has been so nice to open the van door and windows beginning at 7 AM each morning.

Road Conditions: The road nomenclature changed when we crossed the border. M roads (expressways) remain the same and are still called M roads but now we have A and B roads. The M roads are wide and very similar to the US, the A roads are like N roads in Ireland and the B roads are like their L roads. The M roads here are a hair bit wider but the A and B roads remain very skinny. The roads themselves are in much worse condition than in Ireland with lots of potholes, rough surfaces and missing pavement on the edges. There are also now a lot of curbs throughout the towns and villages which makes driving a bit more of a challenge and more difficult to pull over to allow other faster vehicles to pass. We have also gotten a few angry shouts and more than few aggressive tailgaters since we have been here.

Chickpea Mechanical Status: No issues and continues to work like a champ. We really love this van and all the places it allows us to go.

Highlights:

• We initially had not planned to go to Derry, but our friend encouraged us to go and we are very glad we took his advice. We did a walking tour through the west side of Derry and learned about The Troubles and saw many of the engaging and heart-breaking murals from this time. While we both learned about The Troubles in school and have read about it since then, it was an entirely different experience to walk on the grounds where it all happened.
• We have continued to do a lot of wild camping/boondocking, although it is not quite as easy as in Ireland. We try to start our day with a beach walk followed by tea and toast in the van while we plan our day. We are very unplanned on this trip and use our morning time to map out the day based on our desires, how we feel and the weather. We have started to really enjoy this laid back and roaming style of travel and it feels much less stressful.
• We joined the Royal Oak Society (US based) before we left home which gives us free reciprocal access to all the National Trust sites including free parking at all National Trusts sites. We arrived at the opening and we were one of the first people to cross the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge which is 20 m long and connects the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede. The bridge is 40 m above the ocean and the bridge itself is made up of simple wooden planks lashed together with rope so Tracey found it a bit unnerving. We then headed to Bushmills where we picked up a shuttle to take us to another National Trust site, The Giant’s Causeway. While it was interesting to see these rock formations there was just way too many people there and brought back (not good) memories of Mont. St. Michele in France.
• We found a lovely small municipal campsite near Belfast which was this area’s version of an Aire. We were able to use this location as a jumping off point to access Belfast. We used the public train on the first day but found it was only a few £ more to take an Uber so we used Uber for much of our travel while in Belfast. This also afforded us the chance to chat with the local Uber drivers about current events as we always enjoy hearing other perspectives. We took a 3-hour walking tour through Belfast called Conflicting Stories and ½ the tour was led by a republican/nationalist through their side of town and the other half by a unionist/loyalist through their side of town. We did not realize there is a 1.6 km long wall which still separates these areas with gates that are closed every night at 10 PM. The whole tour was eye-opening and quite an education for us.
• Tony was able to get in some great bike rides leaving from our campsite in Belfast and found some hilly rolling terrain he enjoys. He felt the cars were very respectful of cyclists and gave him wide berth when passing and didn’t pass unless they had a clear view of the road ahead. Tony has been pushing himself hard on these rides to get ready for his next race in Wales less than a week.

Lowlights:

• There is a lot of trash on the roads since we have crossed the border. Ireland was very clean, but North of Ireland has much more of a US level of roadside trash. We find this surprising as in Ireland there were few public litter bins but clean roads and in the North of Ireland there are large public litter bins everywhere but there is a lot of trash on the streets and in the cities. Very perplexing.
• The Giant’s Causeway was packed with tour buses and private vehicles and we feel when there are so many people all at one place at the same time it really diminishes our enjoyment. We understand the need for tourism to drive economies, but there must be a better way than allowing 1000’s people into the same small area at the exact same time. We were glad we went to the Giant’s Causeway but would not return. There was also a Causeway Museum which was basically just a giant gift and souvenir store.
• It is hard to put our finger on, but North of Ireland feels on edge and downtrodden. People are not overly friendly or welcoming, there is litter everywhere and the streets are in poor condition. We decided to treat ourselves to a movie (the new Mission Impossible and it was great!) but when we came out of the theater at 11 PM there were 30-40 cars queuing up in the parking lot where we were parked. They were getting ready to street race spinning their tires, honking horns and driving recklessly. We saw this street racing behavior 3 times in 3 separate places since we have been here. Some of the hikes we had planned to go on were closed with no explanation provided.
• There have also been anti-immigrant protests and arson activities occurring while we are here and although not in the immediate area we have been staying, not that far away either. There is a lot of anti-immigrant and racists graffiti seen on walls and buildings, too.
• The Titanic Museum was a big disappointment for us. Rick Steve’s again steered us horribly wrong on this recommendation. The museum was disjointed and lacked any real flow, the information was superficial and more entertainment driven and there were entirely too many people allowed into the museum at any one time. We literally had to wait in a queue to read any of the signage and the area that had information about the actual sinking of the Titanic was so busy no more people could fit into the room so we bypassed that area altogether. The museum was quite expensive and we wished we had spent our time doing something else in Belfast instead.
• Not all Tesco’s are created equal. We walked 1.5 miles to a Super Tesco in Belfast to get some groceries and immediately left without shopping. This Tesco reminded us of an old, outdated Kmart and the produce was only the saddest of the sad produce. We ended up taking a train to another Tesco Extra and then Ubering back to our campsite. So far, we have ben underwhelmed by North of Ireland grocery stores and much prefer those in France and Germany.
• The second half of our walking tour in Belfast along Skahill Road was difficult to listen to as it was led by a devout Loyalist. This area is a die-hard Unionist area and where a lot of the bombings and fighting happened. This area was so garish and over-the-top in their displays of Union Jack flags and Ulster accoutrements. There were even giant murals of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles. We have never seen this level of in-your-face British nationalism displayed anywhere else in the UK and it seems to be done for inflammatory purposes here. The tour led us past spots that had been bombed by the IRA and to memorials which felt like heavy-handed propaganda which in our opinion likely fuels the ongoing tensions between the 2 sides. While the tour guide spoke constantly about wanting continued peace, he only took us to places that showed the exact opposite and were highly charged. We both really tried to listen to his words and understand his perspective but failed to do so. While out for an evening stroll on flat ground, Tracey started to have whole leg pain. It started as tightness in her right leg and progressed to the point of not being able to bear much weight on it due to pain all within 15 minutes. We are not sure what is going on as there was no injury or trauma to this leg and it just had a sudden and unexpected onset. She is resting, elevating it and we are using the massage gun to help loosen the muscles but she is still side-lined from her normal activities. It is all a bit of a mystery, but luckily, we have an Airbnb scheduled for a month in Wales where she can properly rest and rehab. She does not do well being sidelined, in case you are wondering. 😊

Up Next: We return to Ireland with our final stop in Dublin before boarding a ferry to Wales.

Onwards!