Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge, Northern Ireland
It was a tight squeeze on our schedule for the day but we got to the ticket wicket before last call, got to the bridge before the closing bell and got to wander around the small bit of land on the other end of the bridge. Then, I got to be the last person on the bridge as staff were closing down at the end of another day. A rather interesting feeling to be all alone at the end of the day at a major tourist attraction with no noise but the gentle ocean breeze where, only an hour earlier, the population of a small town had been on the same trails.
Getting to the ticket wicket was only the first step. Getting to the rope bridge was the next challenge as the rope bridge is some distance from the ticket wicket along a trail that skirts the shoreline offering many opportunities to see the beauty of the shoreline of Northern Ireland. My family headed along ahead of me knowing well my habit of stopping often to snap that one more shot with a glance back from time to time to make sure that I hadn’t stepped off a cliff.
The path to the bridge is wide and easy to navigate. A set of steps takes one to a lower level part way down the trail.
The bridge itself is not terribly scary but has enough sway to it to test the resolve of those who might be a bit sensitive to hanging out some height above the sea water splashing below.
I had time to look over the cliff edges one more time and then we had to clear the island and let nature be alone with nature.
Alone at last, I savor the moment while staff do their thing to close things down for the night. Then it is the trek back along the now empty trail to the parking lot.
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