Hello! Only one week left of the summer holidays here in Northern Ireland. It’s always bittersweet for me. I look forward to the return to routine and grieve the loss of spontaneity. However, I have a couple of ideas for a cheap day out, if you are in need of some inspiration until then. Over the past couple of days we visited a Sunflower and Wildflower Field in Portglenone, and the Waterfall Walk at Glenariff Forest.

Sunflower Field Portglenone

Sunflower fields are becoming a very popular phenomena. Hordes of people have been making their way across the country to see these sunny fields.

I don’t know how the farmers grew them so tall. I planted 6 seeds in my garden and got zilch!

The boys enjoyed playing hide and seek , and the whole field had been designed as a maze, adding to the adventure.

And of course I bought some stems to bring home.

if you are interested in visiting the sunflower field just head to Portglenone and it is well signposted. Though you better be quick, I’m not sure how much longer it will be there!

However, the Waterfalls at Glenariff Forest aren’t going anywhere.

Waterfall in Glenariff Forest

The walk to the waterfalls from the main Glenariff Forest car park is a couple of miles. Instead of doing this we choose to incorporate our walk with a visit to Laragh Lodge. This meant we were able to view an array of waterfalls within a few minutes walk, and then have a cuppa and a snack in the restaurant when we finished.

The boys enjoyed hunting for Leprechauns and Fairy’s. They both claim to have seen Leprechauns and we did find a Fairy house, where they left some ferns for the Fairy’s.

Fairy House in Glenariff Forest

And when we had finished exploring, it was back to the restaurant for some refreshments. They have main meals and snacks on offer.

It’s definitely a stunning area of natural beauty. I also think it would be a perfect place to visit on a nice crisp sunny autumnal day, so I’m planning to head back there soon.

For now, I hope you do enjoy the rest of summer.

Mel