"The peace, prosperity, and happiness of the Irish people"

I have been to Ireland before, but only in the bigger cities on both coasts: Dublin and Galway. It had remained a dream to get off the beaten path into the countryside. However, I did not intend, after picking up a rental car from the Dublin airport, to drive on the country's most dangerous road. We only found out upon our arrival in Derry that we had put our lives at risk on the way to Northern Ireland. 

Per our B&B proprietor's tip, we paid tribute to our survival with our first pure Irish pint at George's Bar. With our newfound sense of mortality, we wandered within the city's walls (top left) to find another suggested spot, Tracy's Bar (top right), the first among many pubs with non-traditional music and non-understandable patrons. I was so giddy I was in one piece that I foolishly tried to order a whisky sour. Thankfully, the friendly regulars forgave me, allowing us to sing along to Paul Simon while watching soccer till we succumbed to jet lag. The Celtic hospitality continued in the morning, with a meat-heavy full Irish breakfast (bottom).

 

Considering Derry's connection to the start of the Troubles and as the site of Bloody Sunday, we thought we should pay respects at the City Cemetery, where many victims are laid to rest (top). We paused a moment overlooking the River Foyle before setting out for our next city. On the way, we made a detour, as directed by many folks the night before, to Grianán of Aileach (bottom left), a 1st century stone fort from whose rim you can see five counties on a clear day, which it was not (bottom right). 

 

Still, the view was amazing, but not as good as the vista in Glenveagh National Park, where we stopped to take a hike (top). From the Old Dunlewey Church, we delved into Poisoned Glen, bisecting the bog in the mountain basin without spying another soul (middle left). It wasn't until we double-backed to the trailhead bridge that we saw signs of human life (middle right). It got wet as we continued on the Wild Atlantic Way, and the drops were really coming down by the time we checked into our room in Donegal (bottom left). We hunkered down out of the rain at The Reveller Bar, where we senselessly played pool on a snooker table (bottom right) and the bartender schooled us in the differences between American and Gaelic football.

  

 

With a bit of Irish luck, our next day out and about in county Donegal was mostly dry. It was still a little damp when I took a morning stroll along the town's River Bank Walk (top left). But by the time we pulled off the road to see Assaranca Waterfall, the only H20 in the air was mist from the cascade (top right). And by the time we hit Maghera Beach just around the bend, we could even spy slivers of blue sky (bottom). 

 

Because it was low tide, we could explore the strand's many slot caves (top left). The positioning of life-saving rings and the waterline on the stratified-stone walls clearly showed that the sea level could have been well above our heads without proper planning (top right). We stopped by Slieve League Cliffs on our way back to town (bottom left), but about halfway up to the trail summit, dark clouds became downpours, so we called it a day. I shook off the showers with a shellfish pasta at Olde Castle Seafood Bar (bottom right), then we spent the night sheltered from storms at McCafferty's, a good spot for IPAs and footie.

  

 

Since our next stop wasn't far away, the next morning we had a leisurely breakfast before setting out for Sligo. The avocado toast at Blueberry Tea Room was more American but still just as abundant as a traditional Irish breakfast (top left). Upon a recommendation from our friendly footballer bartender, we made a quick stop at Rossnowlagh Beach, a renown surfing beach (top right). No one was in the water, probably because of low tide, but the grooves blown into the sand indicated conditions favorable to hang-ten crests. We didn't try any water sports, but we braved the land sport of Irish driving as we navigated the narrow but luckily vacant roads of the Gleniff Horseshoe (bottom left). We could triangulate where we were on the 10K loop by our position in relation to Benwisken (bottom right), a mountain in the Daltry range along with the more famous, although arguably less visually distinct, Benbulben. 

 

 

Our weather-app radar showed rain on the way, so we slid on into Sligo. While downing some delicious pizza at Swagman (top left), we noticed a surprising sign amid the whisky (top right). Apparently, a brewer at The White Hag, a local craft producer, hailed from central Ohio and fell in with the bar's owner. We toasted their friendship with a few beers from the best tap selection we saw in Ireland, then we checked into our room in the surfing suburb of Strandhill (bottom left). Later, we strolled among the dunes behind The Strand Bar (bottom right), where we had a quick drink before heading back downtown for livelier environs. 

  

 

We lounged with locals at the curiously named Shoot the Crows (left), then I raised my first Guinness pint to salute the musical duo at Thomas Connolly's (right). Our fun was deflated by some forced participation in the global sport of "retracing your steps to find your rental-car keys" -- that were in your dashboard console all along. And thus, the first half of our trip ended with gratitude for the kindness of helpful strangers and relief for the blessing of an unstolen vehicle.

 

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Lennox, P. J. “The Historical Aspect of Home Rule.” The North American Review, vol. 195, no. 679, 1912, pp. 788–802. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25119775. Accessed 5 Aug. 2024.

"Lots of live music at reasonable prices"

Scott and I aren't big on tangible gifts, so a while back, we mutually decided that any present beyond an inexpensive gesture would be an experience instead of an object. For our birthdays this year, we traded concert tickets. I went semi-classical, with Ben Folds performing with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra on the Columbus Commons (top). We didn't arrive early to stake our grassy claim, but we managed to find a small plot where we could lie down and watch the clouds drift past before the notes did. Scott went old school, with a stop on the The Breeders "reunion" tour (bottom left). It was fun to watch the band members so clearly enjoy playing with one another and to see opener Horsegirl so spiritedly gallop down the same girl-rock path.

  

Speaking of groups with animal names, I corralled Scott into seeing Donna the Buffalo with me at Natalie's Grandview (left). I'm not a loyal member of The Herd, but still, I was excited to immerse myself the zydeco-inspired jam-band experience with him. He was impressed enough that he bought me a T-shirt. So of course I was happy to roll with him to a Steel Wheels show at Woodlands Tavern. Mostly, they stick to peppy Americana-infused tunes, so their a capella ballad was a pleasant surprise (right). I was impressed enough that I bought him their latest CD. 

 

One of our favorite wallet-friendly ways to see music is when experienced bands feel obligated to return to their Ohio origins. Columbus cult heroes Great Plains, featuring two of Scott's cousins, came to the Midwest to help celebrate the 21st anniversary of Lost Weekend Records at Natalie's (top left). And Dayton legends Guided by Voices got their groove back at The Athenaeum (top right). They put on a high-energy show, but I was particularly enamored with the local -- and extremely young -- troupe they picked as their opener: The Laughing Chimes started their British punk-inspired sound in small town Shawnee and now perform frequently in small college town Athens (bottom).

 

We splurged on seeing a last-chance performance by Peter Gabriel for his i/o tour. The stop in Columbus was before his full album was out, but it was definitely a fully-thought-out spectacle through and through (top). The mix of new releases and classic hits was accompanied by innovative displays inspired by international artists (bottom left). Perhaps the most poignant moment came when the star left the stage during the closing number, while the audience continued to chant his melodic ode to Steve Biko (bottom right).

 

From my perspective, all of the concerts were well worth the money, but there's nothing wrong with taking in some tunes for free, right? During the closing weekend of Put-in-Bay, the Round House Bar brought in a clear crowd favorite, Ray Fogg. He kept the tipsy audience's attention with his spoofy songs, despite the distractions of a Browns game and a patron dressed in a cow costume (left). But by far, the most bang for your musical buck, in my opinion, is Johnny Law and the Choir Boys. Perhaps I am biased by my connection to some band members, but I thought their set at Honeyfest in Lithopolis was a banger (right).

 

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“The East Village Other.” East Village Other, The, vol. 4, no. 52, Dec. 1969. JSTOR, https://jstor.org/stable/community.28035914. Accessed 9 Apr. 2024.

"Dinners and weekends with friends"

I'm not really one for resolutions, but I do support continuous growth. So I have goals from year to year, but generally, they all boil down to "do more of what you love." This year, as with the past year, I hope to be intentional about traveling and seeing loved ones more.

Sometimes, those two ambitions intertwine, as with a girls trip to Phoenix (top left). I thought Arizona in September might be a welcome reprieve from the coming winter in Ohio, but record-setting high temperatures were scorching the Southwest at the time (top right). Luckily, the AC in our mid-century AirBnB was fully functional (bottom left), as was the tabletop video game inside (bottom middle) and the gas fireplace next to the pool outside (bottom right).

 

  

My primary objective for the trip was quality time with friends, a mission that was fulfilled in spades as we took things slow and easy. We spent a day at CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa (top), where I lounged in the pool in between two yoga classes and a 5-mile training run for an upcoming half-marathon. The desert harshness meant I was confined to a treadmill, but at least I had a good view of the mountains. The vistas were equally dreamy at the Desert Botanical Garden (middle left), which we visited close to dusk to stay out of the sun. It also turned out to be a good time to spy some local wildlife emerging for some evening action (middle right). We did brave the rays for a few minutes in Old Town Scottsdale to preserve some memories in pixels (bottom).

 

 

Another laid-back outing came in the form of what might become a fall ritual: camping on Lake Erie in order to make a day trip to Put-in-Bay. This year, we missed the Halloween celebrations at East Harbor State Park, so it was quiet at the campground. It was only slightly rowdier on South Bass Island for its closing weekend (top). We had better weather than the previous year, so we biked and hiked around a bit (bottom left) before we imbibed at some favorite watering holes, including Joe's Bar (bottom right).

 

Different friends and location but the same fun was on tap during a weekend trip to Fort Wayne. The Indiana downtown is more vibrant than you might expect (top left), especially with the development of the Electric Works, a former experimental and industrial factory complex that is being converted into a mixed-use development (top right). A few in our bunch got some grub at the food court there, but we were full up after our breakfast from Davey's Delicious Bagels (bottom left), which had a vibe apropos for a group of Bagel Street Deli devotees. During the day, we watched the OSU-Michigan game at Mad Anthony Brewing Company. Unfortunately, we didn't have the means to cheer on Columbus as they beat Orlando in the MLS semi-finals that evening. So we had some drinks at The Brass Rail before the bands took the stage (bottom right) and before we continued the college-reminiscent merriment at our AirBnB .

 

 

The Crew pulled off a come-from-behind win against Cincinnati in the finals to land in the MLS Cup Championship, which it won despite the odds -- literally, many sports-betting lines did not favor them over Los Angeles. A triumphant parade marched through downtown during a workday (top left), so I spent my lunch hour chasing the cup. An oversized replica was created for fans to behold while the real one was passed around on flatbed trailers (top right). It was a little surreal to cheer on players from so close up after watching their skills from afar for so long (bottom).

 

A few weeks after the parade, we took a short trip to Cincinnati, which was also a bit surreal since the last time we visited was to watch the Crew play there. This time, though, we had Bowie in tow, so we took him on lots of walks, including at French Park, so he would hit the hay while we hit the town (top left). Despite the sports rivalry, we made friends wherever we went: discussing the Coen brothers over dinner at The Pony, examining the works at the Contemporary Arts Center (top right), enjoying a Spaghett and pickled egg at Uncle Leo's (bottom left), or playing pool at neighborhood haunt Milton's (bottom right).

 

 

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Wyndham, Marivic. “Feeling a Bit Leftish’: The Post-Depression Years.” ‘A World-Proof Life’: Eleanor Dark, a Writer in Her Times, 1901-1985, UTS ePRESS, 2007, pp. 133–73. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1w36pcq.8. Accessed 15 Jan. 2024.