The Giant’s Causeway was the third main leg of our Ireland 2023 Road Tour. I have read about this place many times, and it has been featured in the video game Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. I really wanted to visit this place. I am an Eagle Scout, a nature lover, and a rock nerd. I love running up and down any rock formation and chasing waves on the surf. What a perfect place to indulge in all of my rock proclivities.
Belfast
First off we set for Belfast, Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, we arrived so early with the drive time that many places were closed. Honestly, it was a boring, depressing town. The Titanic Museum was closed as were most pubs. Where was my Irish breakfast?
Enough of this – we pushed North to the Bushmills Distillery for lunch at a proper open pub.
Now off to the Giant’s Causeway
The Giant’s Causeway is an area of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. There is a similar formation in Mount Rainier National Park that Carter and I have hiked past on one of our 50-mile hikes.
The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although some have four, five, seven, or eight sides. The tallest are approximately 39 ft high.
According to legend, the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant. The story goes that the Irish giant Finn MacCool was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Benandonner. Fionn accepted the challenge and built a causeway across the North Channel, allowing the two to meet.
The Dark Hedges have been featured in Games of Thrones and other movies.
I must say that the day at The Giant’s Causeway was totally amazing. Unreal, sureal and otherworldly are some descriptions that come to mind. It is am amazingly beautiful and unique place and I am so happy we were able to visit and get our inner QBert on.
