Prisoner of Hopes

Category: travels

  • Sligo in the Rain: Travel Goals Ireland

    Sometimes in Ireland the rain sets in. There is nothing to be done except to find an umbrella and sing. We find ourselves in Sligo on such a day. Using our trusty Google Maps, we find a large parking lot near the town center. So we arrive at Sligo Abbey only half drenched. The ticket…

  • The Great Lake: Rural Road Trip

    Sandwiched between a visit with our kids in Chicago and a work trip in Milwaukee, we squeezed in a day of enjoying rural Lake Michigan. After walking the granddogs to the local bakery for breakfast and a leisurely walk, we loaded up the car and headed North. The day was sunny, warm and beautiful. After…

  • Somewhere Beyond the Sea: Travel Goals Ireland

    We visit Ireland for simple pleasures. Today was a classic Irish adventure. We took our time leaving the farmhouse. I had a nice chat with the sheep in the front yard while packing my roadtrip snacks of oranges and Taytos. Our destination was the west coast of counties Sligo and Donegal. It was overcast as…

  • State Park Adventure: Rural Road Trip

    There is something very relaxing about a camping trip. I sound hypocritical to my own ears when I say that the trick is a minimalist mindset (we own a class A motorhome). I know people who won’t camp that talk about the work involved. Less is truly more. (And I still think a backpack is…

  • Along the Byway: Travel Goals Ireland

    Some of my best days in Ireland are simply unplanned drives in rural counties. I use google maps and find an area to which we haven’t traveled. A simple “things to do” or an “attractions”tag in the search bar yields lots of options. It is how I found an awesome Gaelic Warrior statue in a…

  • You know you are in Ireland when….

    Ireland may be one of my favorite places in the world. I feel at home as soon as I step off of the plane. From the moment I hit the concourse I instantly know I am on the Emerald Isle. Certain things are unmistakably Irish. People are greeting each other on the turd (third) of…

  • Nature Heals: Travel Goals Ireland

    The world is in turmoil. Why, I can’t say. Much of the anger and hardship seems to be unnecessary and self induced. Manufactured crisis designed to make cold hard cash for someone….certainly not me. Old wounds ripped open to manipulate strong emotion. Ancient prejudices exploited for power. It is too much to contemplate. The world…

  • Revolutionary Countess: Travel Goals Ireland

    We visit Lissadell house on a warm summer afternoon. The family home of the Gore-Booths, Lissadell sits outside of Sligo, Ireland. It is now owned and lived in by Irish attorneys who allow tours to offset the upkeep. The estate had a great location with both Ben Bulben and Knocknarea mountains in view as well…

  • Home Away From Home: Travel Goals Ireland

    When we travel, we try to rent locally. Ideally, we find a property that has been in the family for awhile. I look for local hosts who have great reputations. We avoid corporate rentals. I love spaces that feel lived in. I want local connections. But it is hard to make a selection from photographs…

  • The Shearing: Travel Goals

    When we travel, we prefer to stay local. We found a family farm that was willing to rent us the old homestead for a month. Our host and his father Desi, were wonderful “neighbors” and kept us connected to the community. So when Desi invited us to the annual sheep shearing, I assumed that it…