Travel the World's 2015 Holiday Gift Guide

It's that special time of year again when Christmas songs play on store sound systems non-stop and it's time to find that impossible person to shop for the perfect holiday gift.  If that person loves to travel the world, one of these 10 holiday gifts for travelers is sure to bring them some Christmas cheer.  If you're the impossible-to-shop-for traveler, add these great travel gifts to your Amazon wish list and make things easier for your friends and family.

Feel Like a Tourist at Home

When you think of the typical tourist, you picture someone walking around in white tennis shoes (or sandals with socks) and carrying a camera.  Get that same vibe at home with the Camera Lens Thermo Mugand sip your coffee in the morning while daydreaming of all the photos you'll take on your next vacation.

Carry Your Passport Everywhere

Your favorite travel lover will love this phone case made to look like a passport.  While the one pictured is for a US passport, they make them for many different countries. The passport phone cases are made to fit multiple versions of iPhones and Galaxy phones.  

Turn Your Camera Into a WiFi Camera

The Eyefi Memory Card turns any camera into a camera with WiFi.  This gift is perfect for the traveler who wants to share their photos with friends and family on Facebook or Instagram, doesn't have a camera with built-in WiFi, and wants to share their good photos rather than their cellphone photos. 

Wear Your Love for Travel

Most of the items on this list I personally own, but this one is on my own Christmas wish list (hint, hint).  Printed t-shirts are my favorite for wearing around the house, out for chores, or on the airplane headed to somewhere fun and exotic. This Jet Lag Made Me Do It t-shirt is made even better with its fun travel theme.  Airportag has lots of other fun travel-related t-shirts for men and women too.  

Fight Jet Lag

Speaking of jet lag, know someone that loves traveling but hates jet lag?  Help them with that jet lag by gifting them 1Above Anti Jet Lag Flight Drink.  These effervescent tablets dissolve in water and are to be consumed throughout the flight.  As their website says, "1Above® is formulated to fight jet-lag with six essential electrolytes, six B vitamins, vitamin C and Pycnogenol® to help you fly well and arrive ready!"  I've tested it on a flight across the country and it really worked!  I'll be using it again on an upcoming trip to Europe. 

Commemorate that Special Trip

Did you and your favorite travel partner take a trip you'd like to remember forever? Commemorate that trip with this customizable boarding pass throw pillow.  You can get just the pillow cover or both the cover and insert.  This pillow is personalized with name, date, airport codes, and flight number. This would also be an amazing way to give the gift of travel by entering the specifics for a future trip you've planned as a surprise. 

Preview Your GoPro Shots

It seems like everyone has a GoPro.  They're great for snorkeling, zip lining, kayaking, or driving the open road.  What they haven't been good for is making sure you're capturing what you want.  Previously you had to use an app on your phone if you wanted to see a preview.  But now you can add the GoPro LCD Touch BacPac to your GoPro and set up the perfect shot.  Believe me, this thing is awesome!  

Travel In Style with the Incase Duffel

When we travel, I typically travel with one rolling suitcase and one duffel bag. The Incase EO Travel Duffelis the newest addition to my luggage collection and I love it.  It's stylish, it easily slides into the overhead bin, and it keeps its shape when partially or fully loaded.  (For more information, ready my review of the Incase EO Travel Duffel.  

Go all the Way with a New Camera

If you're really wanting to impress and are looking for a gift for your favorite photog, consider the Sony Alpha a7IIK Mirrorless Digital Camera.  I have been a loyal Sony customer for over a decade, first with the Sony Cybershot, then the Sony NEX3, and most recently with the new sony a7II.  In my humble opinion this is one of the best cameras money can buy (the Sony a7R IIand Sony a7SII versions are more expensive). 

When All Else Fails...

Still can't decide what gift to buy?  Or waited too long?  There's always the stand-by gift for the picky or people who have everything, your best friend the Amazon Gift Card.  

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links.  Purchasing through these links costs you nothing extra and helps fund our travels so we can bring you more travel stories.  Thank you and happy holidays!

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15 Things to See in Ireland for Your Road Trip Itinerary

Kylemore Abbey

A trip to Ireland isn’t really complete unless you take a road trip through the country.  There are so many things to see in Ireland including Irish castles, historic sites, and beautiful scenery.  Add to that cute towns and some of the friendliest people you will ever meet.  We traveled clockwise as our Ireland road trip itinerary took us from Dublin to Kilkenny, Waterford, Kinsale, and Galway, with lots of stops in between.  A what to see in Ireland list could go on forever, but here are some of the top things to see in Ireland on a road trip.

Related: 10 Awesome Irish Castles for an Ireland Road Trip

Hill of Tara

You know those places with circles and shapes in the ground that can only really be appreciated from the air?  The Hill of Tara is one of those.  The Hill of Tara is located in the County Meath.  It is a sacred place which was believed to be a dwelling of the gods.  During the Stone Age, it was a site for a passage tomb.  Those circles are ring forts.  On the Hill of Tara can also be found the Stone of Destiny, a statue of St. Patrick, and a church and graveyard.  The Hill of Tara also provides a grand view of the green countryside.

Newbridge House and Farm

Newbridge House and Farm is a Georgian Mansion that can be visited on a guided tour.  This large Georgian estate belonged to one family from when it was built until it was sold to Ireland as a visitor site, and it retained all of its original furniture and art.  There is also a working farm, making this a great place to visit for families with small children. 

Powerscourt House

Powerscourt House is one of the grandest estates we visited during our Ireland road trip.  While it has a lovely restaurant inside, the Avoca Terrace Café, where you can lunch, the real draw of Powerscourt House is the gardens and waterfall.  Powerscourt Gardens are 47 acres of lawn, tree plantations, and formal gardens.  The Powerscourt Waterfall is the highest waterfall in Ireland.  Be sure to visit the pet cemetery with rows and rows of graves of Powerscourt pets including dogs, horses, and even prize-winning cows.

Glendalough

Located in Glendalough are the ruins of a monastic settlement.  This monastic site, founded in the 6th century by St. Kevin, is one of the most important in Ireland.  Sites in the monastic settlement include the Round Tower that is 30 meters high, St. Mary’s Church, St. Kevin’s Church, the Priest’s House, and large granite crosses.  The scenery around the site includes two lakes.

The Cathedral Church of St. Canice

St. Canice’s Cathedral is located in Kilkenny.  The site was founded in the 6th century, a cathedral was built in the 13th century, and the Round Tower, built in the 9th century, is the oldest structure in Kilkenny.  Visitors can enjoy the colorful stained glass and old tombs and climb the Round Tour.

Waterford Crystal Factory

Waterford crystal is an icon of Ireland.  Waterford crystal has been manufactured in Ireland’s oldest city, Waterford, since 1783.  Waterford has made countless well-known pieces like sports awards and the Times Square New Year’s Eve Millennium Ball.  Waterford Crystal went through a financial crisis and was sold to a US equity firm in 2009.  It seemed like the production of all Waterford crystal would be outsourced to other countries, which would be a shame as it takes years for the skilled artists of Waterford Crystal to become master cutters.  However, in 2010 the new owners signed an agreement with Waterford City Council to open a new manufacturing facility where visitors can take guided tours and witness the manufacturing process.

Reginald’s Tower

In Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city, is Ireland’s oldest civic building, Reginald’s Tower.  The old city wall and original tower were built by the Vikings after 914.  The tower was rebuilt in the 12th century and more floors were added in the 15th century.  The tower is open to visitors and has an exhibit on the Waterford of the Viking era.

Charles Fort

A very different site from the others along our Ireland road trip route was Charles Fort in Kinsale.  Charles Fort is a 17th-century star-shaped fort and one of the largest military installations in Ireland.  Be prepared for lots of walking as you’ll want to walk the bordering walls and explore the ruins of this large fort.

Jameson Experience

There is an Old Jameson Distillery experience in Dublin, but if you’re taking a road trip through Ireland, visit the Jameson Experience in Middleton, near Cork.  This Jameson Distillery has been around since 1795 and the tour visits the kilns, mills, water wheel, and warehouses spread out on 15 acres.  After seeing how Jameson Irish Whiskey is made, the tour ends with a tasting and a certificate stating you are now a certified Irish Whiskey Taster.  If you’re like Rome and prefer Scotch whisky, you may want to keep that little tidbit to yourself, but luckily our tour guide didn’t kick him out or withhold his certificate, and I personally enjoyed the Irish whiskey best because it has a little sweetness.

Muckross House Gardens & Traditional Farms

Muckross House is a Victorian mansion on the shore of Muckross Lake in Killarney National Park.  The estate was originally built for the Herberts, but at one point it was purchased by the Bourns, a California couple, for their daughter’s wedding.  They even had a home near San Francisco with murals of Muckross.  The Bourn family gave the estate to Ireland as a memorial, and the estate became Ireland’s first national park.

Kenmare Stone Circle

Kenmare Stone Circle is kind of like Stonehenge, but a whole lot smaller.  The stone circle is from the Bronze Age and is the largest stone circle in southwest Ireland. 

Cliffs of Moher

One of the most beautiful places to see in Ireland is the Cliffs of Moher.  It’s hard to understand until you see them in person.  The cliffs are a sheer 702 feet at their highest point and curve along five miles of the Atlantic coastline.  Warning signs are posted because the strong winds can literally blow you off the cliffs into the churning ocean far below.  It was so windy the day we visited that sea foam was blowing through the air and the gusts would physically move us.  Luckily there are walls built to keep you from being blown away.  Along the Cliffs of Moher is O’Brien’s Tower where travelers can get an even higher point of view.

The Burren

The Burren is a desolate looking area of Ireland covered in limestone and short, sparse plant life.  Large stone tombs, called dolmen, can be found in the middle of the Burren.  There are over ninety megalithic tombs, leftover from the New Stone Age, in the Burren.  The earliest examples are the portal tombs, and the Poulnabrone Dolmen, which means “the hole of the sorrows,” is one of the best-preserved in all of Ireland. 

Cong Abbey

Another beautiful set of ruins to be visited on a trip to Ireland is Cong Abbey.  This monastery was founded in the early 7th century and was refounded in 1135 after it was destroyed by fire.  The current abbey ruins remain from the rebuilding in the early 13th century.  A fascinating little building on the property is the monk’s fishing house.  The fishing hut was built in the 15th or 16th century and was used by the monks to catch fish.  Built on a platform of stones over a small arch, the water of the river flows underneath the floor and a net could be lowered through the trapdoor in the floor to catch fish while the monks warmed themselves by the fireplace.  It is believed a line with a bell was connected to the monastery kitchen so the cook knew when fresh fish was caught.

After visiting Cong Abbey, be sure to stroll around the quaint town of Cong and take a peek at the Quiet Man Cottage Museum and the new statute of John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.

Kylemore Abbey

Kylemore Abbey is one of the most recognizable sites in Ireland as it graces the cover of many a guidebook.  Kylemore Abbey can be visited while driving the Connemara Loop in County Galway.  The landscape of the Connemera peninsula is striking and Kylemore Abbey is the icing on the cake.  Kylemore Abbey is the oldest of the Irish Benedictine Abbeys and has been inhabited by a community of nuns since 1920.  Some of the rooms of the abbey, which was built in the 1860s, can be visited, though much of the abbey is private as it is the residence of the nuns.  The gardens and Gothic Church are also open to visitors.

Ireland Road Trip Hotels

During our Ireland road trip, we stayed three nights in Dublin, three nights in Kilkenny at the Butler House, three nights in Kinsale at The Old Bank Town House, two nights in Galway at The House Hotel, and our final night in Drogheda (just outside of Dublin) at the Scholars Townhouse Hotel.

Map of Ireland Road Trip Route

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Two Civil War Battlefields in One: Manassas Northern Virginia

The visitor center stands on Henry Hill.

The east coast is riddled with Civil War battlefields, but for a Southern California couple, Civil War battlefields aren’t something we see every day.  So how do you choose which Civil War battlefield to cross the country to visit?  Gettysburg is probably the most popular Civil War battlefield for travelers to visit as it is the location of one of the most important battles and was the turning point for the Union.  But Gettysburg isn’t your only choice.  Northern Virginia has a Civil War battlefield that was the site of not just one, but two very important Civil War battles.  At the Manassas National Battlefield Park in Northern Virginia, you can learn about and explore the battlefields of these two important Civil War battles and also enjoy the natural beauty of this member of the National Park Service.  These two battlefields are also a conveniently short drive from Washington, D.C.

Civil War Battle of First Manassas (First Battle of Bull Run)

The Civil War started on April 12, 1861, but the first major land battle of the Civil War occurred on July 21, 1861, in Northern Virginia.  The Union forces called it the First Battle of Bull Run, but the Confederate forces knew it as the Battle of First Manassas.  The Union’s drive to Richmond failed at the Battle of First Manassas and the Confederates scored a victory.

Matthews Hill, where the Battle of First Manassas began.

The first shot of First Manassas rang out from the Stone Bridge, but the battle started on Matthews Hill.  The Union was sure this Civil War was going to be short-lived, so congressmen and citizens of Washington arrived at Matthews Hill along with the Union soldiers so they could picnic and watch the spectacle. 

Stonewall Jackson.

It looked like the Union army was winning as the Confederates fled back towards Henry Hill.  However, General Thomas J. Jackson arrived with his brigade and the tide quickly turned.  This is where General Jackson obtained the moniker Stonewall Jackson when General Barnard Bee purportedly exclaimed, “Form!  Form!  There stands Jackson like a stone wall!  Rally behind the Virginians!”

Monument to General Bee, one of the first Generals killed in the Civil War. 

Another famous term coined on Henry Hill came about when the Confederates rushed through the tall grasses towards the Union forces, screaming the “rebel yell” as they came.  The bloody battle was won by the Confederates and at the end of the day the fields were covered with the bodies of almost 900 dead.  It was apparent the war would not be a quick and easy one.

Henry House on Henry Hill.

On Henry Hill is Henry House.  The original house was irreparably damaged during the Battle of First Manassas, so the house that currently stands was rebuilt in 1870, after the Civil War.  The Henry family lived in the house and were actually in the house during the battle.  Bullets started to pellet the house, so the family tried to leave, carrying their 84-year-old grandmother, Mrs. Judith Henry, out on a mattress.  They got about 100 yards away from their house when they realized their plan wouldn’t work, so they went back into the house.  The house was shot to pieces and Mrs. Henry was mortally wounded.  Mrs. Henry is buried in the yard next to the house.

One of the first monuments to the Civil War.

Behind Henry House is one of the first monuments to the Civil War.  The Memory of the Patriots who fell at Bull Run monument was erected by Union soldiers on June 11, 1865, two months after the war ended.  During the restoration of the monument in 1975, it was determined that the four 200-pound artillery shells surrounding the monument were still live.  They were sent off to be disarmed and most did not survive (one can be viewed in the visitor center).  They were replaced with replicas that do not pose a threat to visitors.

To learn more about the Battle of First Manassas, visit the Henry Hill Visitor Center, watch the 45-minute film, and join the guided Henry Hill Walking Tour.

Civil War Battle of Second Manassas (Second Battle of Bull Run)

The Battle of Second Manassas, also known as the Second Battle of Bull Run and the Battle of Groveton, was five times larger than the Battle of First Manassas and it lasted three days.  Stonewall Jackson formed a one-and-a-half-mile defensive line behind the Unfinished Railroad from the Brawner Farm to the Sudley United Methodist Church.  General Robert E. Lee formed a second line that, along with Jackson’s line, created a jaw which slowly closed on the troops of Union General John Pope.  Pope’s overconfidence resulted in a crushing defeat for the Union and the battle claimed 22,000 lives.  The Confederate victory opened the way for Lee’s first invasion of the North.

Brawner Farm Interpretive Center.

Manassas National Battlefield Park has created an 18-mile self-guided driving tour which visits 12 major sites of the Second Manassas battle.  The 12 stops have parking lots, interpretive markers, and walking trails.

The first stop on the driving tour is the Brawner Farm, which has been turned into an Interpretive Center.  This is where the Battle of Second Manassas started when Stonewall Jackson concealed his troops just north of the farm.  From March through November travelers can enter the Brawner Farm Interpretive Center and view the exhibits and the fiber-optic battle map.

Stone House.

The third stop on the Second Manassas driving tour is the Stone House.  Stone House was built in 1848 as a tavern.  During Second Manassas, it was used as a field hospital by the Union.  When the Union retreated, they couldn’t take all their wounded with them, so the Union doctors stayed behind.  There are five artillery shells embedded in the house.  However, these are not remnants of the war.  Rather, they were used to patch holes.  Take a look at the north-east corner of the house.  You will see grooves in the rock where the family sharpened their kitchen knives.

Unfinished Railroad Loop Trail.

Stop six is the Unfinished Railroad, the center of Stonewall Jackson’s line.  There is a particularly beautiful loop trail at this stop which travels through the woods.  It is especially pretty in the fall when the leaves begin to change.  Interpretive markers are scattered along the trail.  The trail is mostly dirt but also has short sections of boardwalk.

Dogan House, the last remains of the village of Groveton.

The eighth stop of the drive is Groveton.  All that remains of this village is one small frame house, Dogan House.  The Union assault was broken in the fields of the Dogan farm.

Groveton Confederate Cemetery.

Across the street from Dogan House is the Groveton Confederate Cemetery, which was established in 1869.  While the Union dead were eventually buried in Arlington Cemetery, the Confederate dead were buried in trench graves.  The Confederate Dead Cemetery contains the bodies of approximately 500 Confederate soldiers, most of whom are unidentified.

The rebuilt Stone Bridge.

The driving tour ends at Stone Bridge.  Stone Bridge was built in 1825, but what remains is not all original as it was destroyed during the Civil War.  Stone Bridge was the site of the first shot of First Manassas and is where the defeated Union army withdrew from Second Manassas, opening the way for the South’s first invasion of the North.

To learn more about the Battle of Second Manassas, visit the Brawner Farm Interpretive Center and join the guided Brawner Farm Walking Tour.

The National Park Service manages over 70 parks related to Civil War history, many with important battlefields.  If you’re traveling through Northern Virginia, plan on dedicating half a day to Manassas National Battlefield Park, which offers travelers the ability to visit two important Civil War battlefields in one.

Thank you to Discover Prince William & Manassas for hosting our trip to Virginia and making this post possible.  As always, all opinions are my own.

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