Ireland- Carlingford with Ravensdale

We just ate a really great dinner at Fitzpatrick's, a true locals pub that Niall Connelly recommended, just outside of Carlingford. I had Guinness steak topped with a pastry shell with salad and potatoes gratin. Mmmm

Today we ventured into the town of Carlingford, which has a large number of medieval buildings, including a town Mint and King John's Castle. The town is small enough that you can explore on foot. We walked to an old church and up to the graveyard, which held views over the town's rooftops and the lough. You can look across the lake to see Northern Ireland. We ate lunch in a warm local pub.

After exploring the town, we used our somewhat trusty GPS to navigate over to the seaside towns in Northern Ireland. Of course, we soon discovered why the ladies at the rental car counter were laughing when I asked if the GPS was accurate, when instead of leading us into town, we were led on a wild ride along a one land country road, taking in beautiful countryside, but ending our journey at what was probably the only trailer in the area. The old man who lived there looked at us as though he hadn’t seen anyone on this road in years. Well, we do try to get off the beaten path with Equitrekking. I guess we succeeded.

Later, we visited an ancient burial tomb, the Proleek Dolmen or portal tomb, right outside of Carlingford. No one knows how the ancients placed the top stone, which may weigh between 30 and 46 tons, on top of the stone formation. It is quite a mystery and quite amazing. Locals say that if you throw a stone and it stays in place on top, your wish comes true. I tried a few throws, but was unable to land a wish. Next time...

Learn more about visiting Carlingford with Ravensdale Training & Trail Riding.

Darley Newman is an equestrian travel expert and the host of the Public Television series Equitrekking®, which takes viewers on horseback riding vacations around the world. Visit equitrekking.com and purchase Equitrekking DVDs, the Equitrekking Travel Adventures on Horseback book and more at ShopDarley.com