sharonlewcotravels

Home
sharonlewcotravels

Travel consultant based in Ottawa, Canada. Specializing in adventure travel, guided tours, cruises group travel and theme parks.

03/04/2024

We stopped in Drumheller on our way back to Calgary yesterday and the Royal Alberta Tyrell Museum did not disappoint 🦕🦖❤️

17/07/2023

The Jameson Whiskey and Guinness Beer tour.

Both tours were equally amazing! The Jameson Whiskey tour was first and we were given either a shot or a cocktail right off the bat and then a tasting of three different kinds. It was a very cool multi-media experience. We walked from there to the Guinness Storehouse and enjoyed a very quick but informative tour (you could spend hours seeing and reading everything) and then a tasting and of course the legendary pint in the Gravity Bar. Our tour guide Antonio was awesome.

17/07/2023

Yesterday we stopped at the House of Waterford Crystal before heading to Dublin.

The crystal showroom was beautiful! We didn't take the time for a tour (maybe next visit) but we definitely want to go back to see more of Waterford some day. We also did a quick drive through of Kilkenny which also looks super interesting. Again, it will have to be during another visit to Ireland.

We arrived in Dublin and checked into the Temple Bar Inn. This is one of the busiest and noisiest areas of the city, full of pubs and restaurants and shops. The hotel gave us a snack bag full of chips, chocolate bars and pop because I booked and paid up front through Expedia - nice touch! They also supplied us with earplugs to get through the night 😂

Thanks to Sean Miller , we had pre-booked a reservation at Jaimie Oliver's restaurant Chequer Lane by JamieOliver and then we walked around a bit before heading back to the hotel.

Guinness beer and Jameson whiskey tour later today 🍺🥃

15/07/2023

Blarney Castle

The weather held out for most of our tour of the castle, house and grounds of Blarney Castle -another lucky day for us in Ireland 🍀

We visited Blarney House first for our tour and we were the only ones at that time slot -what a bonus! Although the estate owners do live in the house, they allow (for a price) visitors to enjoy a guided tour of some of the main rooms which are quite spectacular. Sir and Lady Colthurst own the whole estate (including the castle and about 60 acres of land). We actually met up with "herself" while she was on a walk through the property with her dogs.

💋🪨💋🪨💋🪨💋🪨💋🪨💋🪨💋🪨

And we both did it! We climbed to the top of the castle and kissed the Blarney Stone!

The old castle has info plaques in most rooms so that you can imagine what it may have looked like so many years ago. It's quite impressive!

Tonight we are spending the night in a B&B just outside of Waterford and tomorrow we will look for a crystal shop in Waterford, visit Kilkenny and then drive on to Dublin for the final leg of our journey.

14/07/2023

We stayed at a beautifully located B&B last night, near the start of the Ring of Kerry. Our host there helped us with our itinerary for the day - one of the bonuses of eating breakfast at a local's home 😉. Btw, her dog's name is Lessie.

Our first stop was Kells Bay Gardens. What a gorgeous place to roam around 🌳 At first I thought it would be flower gardens and then I thought it was like a magical fairy garden but THEN it was like walking through a film set for Jurassic Park 🦕🦖

We completed the Ring of Kerry with a stop at the island of Valentia which has ties to the Canadian province of Newfoundland due to the first transatlantic cable station built between them about 150 years ago.

There were amazing views along the way but the rain did make it a little bit challenging to see everything well at times.

We ended up in Kenmare for a bit of shopping and some amazing pizza at a place called Boxed. The owner came out to greet each table and get to know us a bit. He makes the crispiest, lightest pizza dough - totally yummy!

After pizza we found a stone circle and fairy trees which totally brought out the paegan witch in me.

Staying close to Kenmare tonight and heading to Blarney Castle and then Waterford tomorrow.

13/07/2023

The Rock of Cashel was the ecclesiastical centre of religious activities around 1100 AD. Prior to that it was the seat of the kings of Munster, in the late 900's. St. Patrick himself apparently came to this site to convert one of the kings to Christianity. This unexpected stop for us was just minutes from our B&B - a beautiful, crumbling, graceful home where the owners have owned race horses for many years.

In the afternoon we arrived at The Cliffs of Moher and got as far as the yellow-ish tower which was a little underwhelming. I didn't feel like doing another hike but there was this other tower in the far, far distance.... Ten kilometres later we arrived back at the gift shop/snack bar. The views were incredible!

Tomorrow we drive the Ring of Kerry!

13/07/2023

Burren National Park Post #2

The wildflowers and botanicals of The Burren 🌸🌱

Even at the highest point we saw strawberry plants and others scrambling for purchase in the very minimal layer of soil.

Such a beautiful landscape ❤️

11/07/2023

A visit to Inis Mór, Aran Islands.

We had a very twisty, narrow road to get to the ferry and back, full of wandering sheep and cows. Super fun but a bit unnerving for me 😬

The ferry was really a smooth ride there but we were rocking pretty good on the way back. Before we left the captain told us that to really get our money's worth, we would need to ride the ferry during a storm 😳

We decided to do a bus tour on arrival and I am glad we did. It was pretty windy and the roads are very narrow so a bicycle, which is a recommended mode of transportation, didn't really seem appealing to me.

We visited a couple of ancient sites, including Dun Aonghasa, the oldest stone fort in Western Europe, dating back about 2000 years and The Seven Churches, one of the biggest monastic foundations and centres of pilgrimage along the west coast of Ireland in ancient times.

We saw many stone building ruins and absolutely beautiful scenery. Again, the weather was on our side - we have been SO lucky 🍀

Lunch at a pub and then shopping for Aran Island sweaters and Claddagh rings.

Visiting Limerick tomorrow! Stay tuned!

10/07/2023

On our way to Galway we stopped to see a statue of Saint Patrick, near Westport. We climbed partway up the mountain (part of the pilgrimage) and the scenery was stunning! Westport itself was absolutely adorable and I wish we had time to stop and visit. Next time, for sure!

We visited Galway's central tourist area with lots of pubs and souvenir shops. Lunch was amazing! I picked up an Irish whistle which I am sure will be a big annoyance to my family once we return home 🪈🙉 😂

We are staying at a B&B in Oughterard, about 30 minutes from Galway for two nights. Tomorrow we take the ferry to the Aran Islands. So looking forward to that!

09/07/2023

Irish sheep, the Giant's Causeway and Derry/Londonderry.

The weather was sunny and beautiful again today. Luck is with us 🍀

The Giant's Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a place that I have been dying to visit. What an amazing natural wonder! It was super fun to climb on the rocks, even though the trek back was a steep uphill climb. My heart is full ❤️

And look what we found in Derry! If you haven't watched the show Derry Girls yet, you are in for a laugh! We actually had lunch at The Badger, the pub that hosts this piece of artwork on its outside wall😊

Settling into our B&B in Boyle now and about to go for a walk around the town.

Tomorrow we are off to Galway!

08/07/2023

A visit to the impressive Titanic Museum, a walk around downtown Belfast and lunch at an Irish pub.

The list of names contains some that were apparently family members from my mother's side (Harder) who managed to survive the sinking of the Titanic.

We rode around on the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus and learned a lot about the "Troubles" of Northern Ireland during the late 1900's. A sad reminder to make peace, not war. ☮️✌️🕊️

Tomorrow we are heading to the Giant's Causeway, Derry and then our B&B in Boyle.

08/07/2023

Being a travel agent certainly has its benefits! The Titanic Hotel was originally the office building where the ship-building for ships such as the Titanic was planned. Our room is absolutely gorgeous with the artwork reflecting the advertisements and blueprints of 100 years ago. The hotel is located right beside the Titanic Museum which will be our first stop of the day.

07/07/2023

Amazing food here at Nanny's of Duleek! We enjoyed the seafood chowder and some sides, including a beautiful rosemary-scented bun. Every dish that came out of the kitchen was a work of art.
Now we head north to Belfast for a good night's sleep. (You can tell by my weary face that I did not sleep on the plane last night.)

29/05/2023

Beautiful totem poles at the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

25/04/2023

The final day aboard the Rocky Mountaineer train, traveling from Kamloops to Vancouver. The scenery was quite different but stunning nonetheless.

24/04/2023

A look at the Gold Leaf rail car on board the Rocky Mountaineer train plus a peek inside the kitchen where our gourmet meals are prepared fresh for breakfast and lunch.

23/04/2023

Finally boarding the train!
The drinks, snacks and meals are incredible so far! The views are also stunning, as expected.

22/04/2023

The Hoodoos, Yoho National Park, Emerald Lake and The Natural Bridge plus a handsome local.
Our Brewster Tours driver was a super guy, very professional, funny and entertaining. Thanks for a great two days of touring in Banff and the surrounding area.

22/04/2023

Banff - so beautiful!

22/04/2023

The gondola ride to the top of the mountain was spectacular. We continued to climb the path to the summit on foot and took in the sweeping, majestic views. You NEED to experience this raw beauty for yourself as my photos do not do it justice.

21/04/2023

We had an hour in Banff to grab lunch so we decided on this restaurant, . What a great choice! Off to take the gondola ride to the top of the mountain!

21/04/2023

At the Fairmont Pallister in Calgary. Just completed the White Hat Ceremony. Yahoo!

04/12/2022

Our last full day of cruising - heading back to Florida and our re-entry into the world. We had some fun in the pools, tried out the water slides, another round of mini-golf and slid down The Ultimate Abyss. Ended our day at my favorite restaurant, Wonderland, a gastro-molecular delight, complete with visits from the Mad Hatter.

02/12/2022

Afternoon sun, followed by drinks from the Bionic Bar and from the Rising Tide Bar. We are having so much fun! The evening performances have been incredible as well. The staff is amazing! So friendly and helpful ❤️. Just pulling into Haiti now. More to come! Loving this cruise 🥰

01/12/2022

Had a blast climbing Dunn's River Falls and also enjoyed visiting Green Grotto Caves. The water felt cold at the beginning but we got used to it quickly. Our guide at the falls, Andrew, made it super fun and was very quick to lend a hand if help was needed.
🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲

29/11/2022

A walk around the ship before breakfast and then the rest of the morning and afternoon at Coco Cay, Royal Caribbean's private island. Water slides, beach time, wave pool and party pool all equal another amazing day. Relaxing on our balcony with some bubbly before dinner feels like heaven 🥰. 🚢♥️

29/11/2022

Our first day on the cruise ship 🙂. We boarded at 1pm completed our muster drill, got our room somewhat organized and enjoyed some hot-tubbing, mini-golf and exploration. The ship is MASSIVE!

28/11/2022

Our cruise was delayed by one day due to a medical emergency but we made the best of it by enjoying a fantastic day in Disney Springs. Eating, drinking, shopping and even bowling -what a great day!

Address

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when sharonlewcotravels posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to sharonlewcotravels:

Videos

Woke up to a Winter Wonderland ❄️☃️🤍 #ottawa #canadianwinter #canada #orleans #winter #suburbia

So peaceful at 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada. #1000islands #seetheworld #travel #ottawatravelagent #traveltheworld #ontario #canada #birthdayvibes

Beyond Van Gogh What an amazing experience 🎨 #art #beyondvangogh #Ottawa #ottawatravelagent #impressionism #weekendvibes

Shortcuts

Address
Alerts
Contact The Business
Videos
Claim ownership or report listing
Want your business to be the top-listed Travel Agency?

Country:

City:

03/04/2024

17/07/2023

17/07/2023

15/07/2023

14/07/2023

13/07/2023

13/07/2023

11/07/2023

10/07/2023

09/07/2023

08/07/2023

08/07/2023

07/07/2023

29/05/2023

25/04/2023

24/04/2023

23/04/2023

22/04/2023

22/04/2023

22/04/2023

21/04/2023

21/04/2023

04/12/2022

02/12/2022

01/12/2022

29/11/2022

29/11/2022

28/11/2022

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Videos

Shortcuts

Share