The Cliffs

We spent the afternoon at the Cliffs of Moher and enjoyed a quick picnic at the base of King John's tower. The cliffs are far more spectacular than the pictures would indicate. Sam was a bit disappointed that they don't let you get close enough to see (or spit) directly over the edge.

I have to say, the difference between what it was like when we visited 12 years ago and now was shocking. There used to be a small gravel parking lot outside a small visitor information booth, and a few signs here and there reminding you to try not to walk off the edge. Now there's a huge underground visitor center with a virtual reality tour theater (if you're not interested in the actual reality tour right outside) and a gift shop mall and a huge concrete off-loading area for tour buses and it's sort of ridiculous. It's the most 'American-like' tourist spot we've visited so far. The cliffs are still impressive, but the experience is not quite what it was.