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5 Reasons to travel ‘Chamber Style’ to Ireland

By Sierra Lauder
Director of Events and Downtown Promotions


Director of Our downtown office has been hopping lately. Amongst the downtown construction, launching our #constructdowntown sweepstakes, and planning the annual Awards Banquet, the Chamber is still busy preparing for our trip to Ireland in April 2018. If you’re on the fence about going, there are still some seats open and we would love for you to join us. This is your chance to spend 11 days in Ireland, immersing yourself in the history, culture, cuisine and diverse landscape.

The tour includes nine nights in handpicked hotels, daily breakfast, a private deluxe motor coach and guided sightseeing by local experts. Travelers will be treated to lush landscapes, historical sites with awe-inspiring architecture, and local pubs filled with fresh pints and friendly locals where it is not uncommon for local musicians to share songs and stories.

Eleven days can’t cover everything that there is to experience in Ireland, and everyone has different interests, which is why we opted for a tour company that can flex to build some options in to suit your travel preferences. You can choose to extend your tour a few days, or for added fees you can customize your experience both on the tour and after. So if a banquet dinner in a 17th-century castle overlooking Galway Bay sounds like your glass of whiskey, you can make that happen. Or, if you want to leave the tour in Dublin and go your own way, Go Ahead can help you plan for that.

Here are just a few reasons to consider joining us in Ireland next Spring:

  1. History and Architecture. Ireland’s landscape has been riddled with intense power struggles, severe climate changes, famines, viking raids and turmoil. Yet through all this, Ireland has prevailed. We will have the opportunity to see much of Ireland’s history up close and personal on our trip, including the inside of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the remains of a 6th century church, various historical castles, a Victorian mansion, the iconic Rock of Cashel that dates back to the 12th century, and the Cobh Heritage Centre. The Heritage Centre is situated within Cobh’s beautifully restored Victorian railway station, a building with its own historic story.  Because so many people from Ireland’s past travelled through Cobh, which is still one of the world’s finest natural harbours, you can can learn about the stories of these emigrants, as well as other maritime, naval and military history of the area.
  2. Music and Dance.  Irish traditional music has remained vibrant through the 20th and into the 21st century. Irish traditional music includes many kinds of songs, including drinking songs, ballads and laments –  sung unaccompanied or with a variety of instruments.  Traditional dance music includes reels,  hornpipes and jigs, and even the polka.
    Since the 20th century, Irish pubs have become little outposts of Irish culture, and we will have plenty of opportunities to see the inside of these pubs.  Towards the end of our tour in County Kerry, each tourist gets an entire free day to explore on his or her own (or with new friends) and soak in the Irish culture. You even have the option to visit a traditional Irish music and dance show while we’re there.
  3. Food and Drink. At one time, Ireland was the world leader for producing and distributing whiskey – allotting for 90% of the world’s whiskey at the start of the 20th century. Our tour includes an Irish Whiskey tasting at the historic Kilbeggan Distillery – the oldest licenced distillery in Ireland, dating back to 1757. And let’s not forget that the world-famous Guinness originated in Ireland and is proudly served at nearly every pub and restaurant.
    Food and cuisine in Ireland has experienced a recent renaissance based on traditional ingredients that incorporate international influences. This cuisine is centered around fresh vegetables, fish, traditional soda breads and the wide range of hand-made cheeses that are produced across the country. (Try a “Dublin Lawyer” – lobster cooked in whiskey and cream.) Come hungry and find a new favorite meal or recipe idea to bring home.
  4. Environment. The island’s rich vegetation, a product of its mild climate and frequent rainfall, earns it the nickname the Emerald Isle. Some may say it is similar in climate and landscape to Tillamook with its farmland, forests and coastal habitats. Our particular tour makes a point to travel around the Ring of Kerry, a 112-mile coastal route that covers Ireland’s most spectacular scenery. For a more hands-on experience, take a walk along the coastline of the Cliffs of Moher.
  5. Community Building. Even if Ireland isn’t your dream vacation, traveling “Chamber style” is worth it if only for the intense community building that ensues. Taking the conversation about how to enhance the livability of Tillamook to a new country opens up new avenues of thought, appreciation and problem solving. It gives us a chance to see how other cultures operate and thrive, and we are then able to bring this newfound energy and excitement home with us to implement in exciting ways. Being an active part of this conversation is hugely rewarding.

Intrigued? For more information about Ireland, contact me today at sierra@tillamookchamber.org, or call our office at 503-842-7525.

 

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Why July is the perfect time to register for Ireland

 

By Justin Aufdermauer

Executive Director

July is a particularly special time along the coast, where we have not one but four incredible firework displays, and equally as many parades and festivals happening all over the county. From Wiener Dog races to the Dory Days Celebration, there is almost always something fun going on.

July is also the perfect month to register for our Ireland trip in April of 2018. If you sign up before the end of July, you can take advantage of our July promotion and receive $100 off your registration costs. We already have 22 people registered and spots are filling up quickly. So if you’ve been on the fence about whether or not you want to come with us, don’t hesitate much longer. My advice would be to find someone who attended our recent China trip and talk to them about their experience. Or just come in and talk to Sierra and myself, because we could go on for hours about what a beneficial trip it was – both as a Chamber fundraiser, but more importantly as a community- and friendship-building excursion. It turns out when you take 65 people from Tillamook to a foreign country, great things can happen. We anticipate our Ireland trip will be no different in terms of the number of people, but what is different is the amount of flexibility built into the trip. You can add additional stops or tours, and even use your frequent flier miles to get there. Or, stay a couple of extra days after the official tour wraps up. It’s an opportunity to travel as a group and still individualize the trip to fit your personal preferences. You will have the option to customize your trip for additional costs, and may decide to visit a traditional Irish music and dance show while we’re in County Kerry, or attend a banquet dinner in a 17th-century castle overlooking Galway Bay.  

Our 11-day tour of Ireland will explore the island’s rich culture by visiting several of its cities and exploring the beautiful landscape.  The tour includes nine nights in handpicked hotels, breakfast served daily, a private deluxe motor coach and guided sightseeing. Travelers will be treated to 40 shades of green in Ireland, local pubs and fresh pints, friendly locals, and historical sites.  

We will begin in historic Dublin, that includes the opportunity to step inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral and view the remains of a 6th century church.Then, the tour group will spend two nights in County Cork. We will see a world-class racehorse farm, and tour the iconic Rock of Cashel that dates back to the 12th century. On the second day, the group will visit the town of Cobh and experience the Cobh Heritage Centre. Then, we’ll make a stop at Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone. And while kissing the stone isn’t a requirement, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you can bet a bunch of us will be puckering up.

From there the group will spend two nights in County Kerry, stopping along the way to tour a Victorian mansion. On day seven, we will make our way around the Ring of Kerry, a 112-mile coastal route that covers Ireland’s most spectacular scenery. Next comes a two-night stay in Galway, with more chances to visit historic castles, and a walk along the coastline of the Cliffs of Moher. Here we also get a full free day to explore on our own and soak in the Irish culture.

And finally, the trip concludes in Dublin, stopping at the historic Kilbeggan Distillery for an Irish whisky tasting – because no trip to Ireland is complete without a bit of whiskey.

For more information about Ireland and how to take advantage of our special July promotion, contact Sierra Lauder at sierra@tillamookchamber.org, or call our office at 503-842-7525.

 

 

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Expect a ‘whale of a time’ in Ireland

 

By Justin Aufdermauer
Executive Director

The first thing anyone planning a trip to Ireland should do is brush up on his or her Irish phrases. Why? So that you can be sure to converse with locals and have a whale of a time while you’re there.

If you’ve been practicing your Irish phrases for donkey’s years, but still have never made the trip across the sea to visit the Emerald Isle, then you will be excited to know that the Tillamook Area Chamber of Commerce is planning a trip in April 2018.

We had such a great time visiting China that it seemed like a no brainer to do it again. The amount of relationship building and networking that occurred when 65 people from Tillamook County took a group trip to China was hugely gratifying. We got to know each other better, made new friends, and took the conversation about how to improve the livability of Tillamook to a whole new level – literally and figuratively. The trip, which served as a fundraiser for the Chamber, cemented friendships and provided opportunities for conversations about community, commerce and placemaking, with a new perspective on culture. It was community building extreme edition, and we anticipate a similar number of travelers with a similar experience in Ireland.

In Ireland we will spend 11 days exploring the island’s lush, green landscape, quaint cities, and rich culture. The tour includes nine nights in handpicked hotels, breakfast served daily, a private deluxe motor coach and guided sightseeing. Travelers will be treated to 40 shades of green in Ireland, local pubs and fresh pints, friendly locals, and historical sites.

We will in historic Dublin with a sightseeing tour lead by a local expert, that includes the opportunity to step inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral, view the remains of a 6th century church, and journey through County Wicklow into Glendaslough.

Then, the tour group will spend two nights in County Cork, with several stops along the way. See a world-class racehorse farm, and tour the iconic Rock of Cashel that dates back to the 12th century. On the second day, discover the town of Cobh and visit the Cobh Heritage Centre. Then, we’ll make a stop at Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone (only if you want to).

From there the trip spends two nights in County Kerry, stopping along the way to tour a Victorian mansion. On day seven, we will make our way around the Ring of Kerry, a 112-mile coastal route that covers Ireland’s most spectacular scenery.

Next comes a two-night stay in Galway, with more chances to visit historic castles, and a walk along the coastline of the Cliffs of Moher. Here we also get a full free day to explore on our own and soak in the Irish culture.

And finally, the trip concludes in Dublin, stopping at the historic Kilbeggan Distillery for an Irish whisky tasting. From there, travelers have the option of heading home or continuing on to Belfast for a post-tour extension. In fact, there are several options to customize your trip for additional costs. For example, you might decide to visit a traditional Irish music and dance show while we’re in County Kerry, or attend a banquet dinner in a 17th-century castle overlooking Galway Bay.

The entire trip is built with flexibility in mind and a variety of ways to experience Ireland. There are lots of options for this tours and we would love to explain the itinerary and options in full to you! We did a lot of research to make sure we were booking a trip with great value and we feel that we have booked a great trip! The trip will cost $3,225 (including airfare) for registrations in the next 60 days. On May 22 from 6 – 7:30 we are hosting an informative introductory meeting about this trip at Tillamook Bay Community College, room 214/215. Here is your chance to register early, get your questions answered, and talk to some of our recently-returned China travelers about their experience and the benefits of this Chamber-style group traveling.

For more information about Ireland, contact Sierra Lauder at sierra@tillamookchamber.org, or call our office at 503-842-7525.