Driving the Antrim Coast Road (A2)



Kevin in the Saab rental near Ballygalley.

The Traveling DINKs are not big road warriors. Most times when we travel, we choose to stay near public transit and pedestrian-friendly locations.  But once you leave the boundaries of Belfast, you really need a car to see Northern Ireland properly.  So we picked up a rental at the airport (an aging Saab with over 60K miles on it) and headed towards the A2.

There are two routes to reach County Antrim, which was our destination--you can cut across the middle of Northern Ireland along a true motorway or you can take the curvy road along the coast A2.  We decided to take the scenic route up because we had the whole day and would take the fast, motorway back for the return trip.



Anne near Carrickfergus Castle

 We first stopped at Carrickfergus to visit the Castle there, which was built in 1177.  We were there too early to explore the castle proper, but we did wonder around the town, which was bustling with locals running errands and chatting with neighbors.  One of the interesting things you'll find in Northern Ireland are the loyalist areas have union jack streamers decorating the streets.  We noticed this quite a bit in Carrickfergus.

Waterfall, Glenariff Forest Park.

We hopped back on the A2 and spent the next few hours making our way up the coast, stopping in Ballygalley and attempting to find something to eat in Waterfoot.  Instead, we took the A43 away from the coast and took a lunchtime hike in Glenarrif National Forest.  There are a series of nine valleys known as Glens of Antrim.  Besides being lovely, green valleys, each has a distinct culture and history.  After navigating an unwieldy parking meter (it only took coins and there were several people standing around it rather perplexed), we took hiked along a waterfall trail and took a break enjoying the vistas munching on a mint Aero and some crisps.  After our hike, we took some pictures of the heather, which was just past peak.  We then returned to the A2 and the lovely coastal scenery. 



Fields of purple heather, Northern Ireland.



My favorite stop of the day was Whitepark Bay near Ballycastle and Bushmills. This beach trail flowed through green meados and along rocky shores.  The bright sunshine made the beauty of the location even more intense.  I felt lucky to be there, experience that moment.  It just felt really special--the whole day just had that magical feeling.  When the weather, plans, all work out.  It felt perfect.

Scenic Whitepark Bay, County Antrim.

After wandering along the beach trail, we hopped in the car for our final stop Bushmils Distillery.  Whiskey has been distilled in this area of Northern Ireland since 1608.  So of course we had to buy some Irish  Whiskey from there!



Bushmills Distillery, County Antrim.



The whole day is a happy memory--cruising the A2, driving on the left-hand side of the road through little villages and seaside towns.