Over the years, my job has taken me the length and breadth of the country, but while I've been in lots of different places across Northern Ireland, I feel like I've never fully stopped to appreciate what stunning landscapes we have.
I have to admit, when it comes to taking a short break away, I've always been inclined to look outside of NI. I'm not sure why, I guess I felt like going somewhere in Northern Ireland for a weekend break, never really felt like much of a holiday...too close to home perhaps.
Now don't get me wrong, I have stayed in some beautiful hotels across NI, but for some reason I do look beyond here when sussing out a weekend trip away.
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Oh, how my opinions have changed! I'm now a mum-of-two young children, aged four and 19 months, so I've very quickly learned, that staycations are exactly what we need!
When Tourism NI offered us a short break to discover North Down and the Ards Peninsula I jumped at the chance, I feel my two children have missed out on so much due to Covid so a nice break not too far from home was just the ticket.
The novelty of staying in a hotel for two nights was not lost on my four-year-old son who kept saying over the course of the weekend 'We're in a hotel mummy...I love it here!" In fact, since we've been a couple of weeks ago now, he has asked every weekend since, when are we going back?
The stunning Culloden Hotel just outside Holywood was our base for the weekend and we were treated to the best hospitality by all the staff.
I have to admit, I did think before we went, 'is this really a place for two young kids who love to run around and explore...and touch everything?', but I was quickly reassured by the incredible staff who went above and beyond to make us all feel so welcome and really interact with the children.
On the first night, we dined at the beautiful Cultra Inn, where again the staff made sure we felt at home, bringing the colouring paper and crayons to keep them occupied while we waited for our food which was out of this world!
My husband and I both opted for the steak which was cooked to perfection, while both the children loved their sausages and mash...and even more so the delicious local ice-cream for dessert!
After a tasty dinner, it was time to retire to bed and get a good sleep for our jam-packed weekend of exploring. First on the list before we set foot outside the hotel, was an early morning dip in the Culloden hotel pool. Our two water babies couldn't get enough and again, a super family-friendly environment.
From there it was a short walk down the road to the Ulster Transport Museum, a place I'm a little ashamed to admit I have never visited before so it was great to explore it for the first time along with the family. And the queue at opening time full of families and young children made me realise this was definitely somewhere I should have visited sooner.
Our four-year-old in particular loved it, he's always been a fan of big trucks, trains, and buses so it was right up his street, and the littlest one also enjoyed getting inside the trains to explore.
Before another busy afternoon, we took a drive into Bangor, where both children exhausted from their morning swim and exploring of the Transport Museum took advantage of a car nap whilst my husband and I enjoyed a takeaway coffee and a few minutes of quiet as we parked up looking out across the beautiful Bangor marina. Again, somewhere I've been for work many times, but never really stopped to fully appreciate.
With time creeping away from us, we took a quick pit-stop lunch break before heading to The Ark Open farm in Newtownards. The weather had been dry all morning but in true NI style the rain emerged just as we parked up outside the farm!
But not to be deterred, we layered up and got everyone into puddle suits and wellies, perfect attire for an afternoon exploring a farm. As someone once said to me, there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.
Thankfully, the rain didn't stick around for long and it dried up quickly so we could enjoy all the animals without worrying about everyone getting soaked.
It was here we discovered the baby of the house, really doesn't like animals...of any sort! She is a huge dog lover, but it seems everything else, is definitely not for her as she cried on every approach to anything that moved.
Our four-year-old on the other hand was in his element, he even had a go at feeding the sheep and chickens, something I didn't think he would be up for, but he loved.
Another highlight for him was the barrel rides and we all (even the littlest one) managed to enjoy a scenic tractor and trailer ride around the farm taking in all the animals just enjoying their freedom to roam around the large grounds.
And it was just in the nick of time too as the heavens opened again just as we walked back to the car. But as I said, just wrap up, bring changes of footwear, puddle suits the lot, and a bag to take off those mucky shoes at the end in the car and you'll love it!
A quick drive back to the hotel, where we had a little rest, and a freshen up, and then it was off back into Bangor for a tasty dinner at Little Wing.
Another great spot that I couldn't speak highly enough of, the children loved it and so did we. Such a relaxed, casual dining vibe where again the staff were brilliant and the food was amazing to match. I highly recommend the tomato and chilli jam as a pizza dip, it was like nothing I've ever tasted before.
Up bright and early again on Sunday morning, we enjoyed our last breakfast at Culloden before it was time to depart for our next adventure. The four-year-old was very disappointed to be leaving two things in particular behind...the breakfast buffet and the pool!
On the road again and this time, we headed off in the direction of Portaferry, where we stopped off at the beautiful National Trust's Mount Stewart. I had visited here a number of years ago with some work colleagues as we met up to take our dogs on a walk around the stunning grounds.
This time top of our list for a visit was the outdoor nature trail which the children loved. One word of advice though, the paths up to the nature play area is not built for a buggy, as we quickly learned and had to abandon ours until we returned.
So be prepared if you have a toddler you might need a body-carrier or just be prepared for achy arms!
I loved having a walk around the gardens as well with a coffee from the beautiful cafe, and taking in some of the stunning buildings which were recently used to film the Netflix film The School for Good and Evil.
After that much-needed fresh air and stretch of the legs, it was back into the car and onto the last part of our trip, Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry, and probably one of the highlights for all of us.
Again, we were all first-time visitors and I will definitely be back. Even though some of the areas, are undergoing some refurbishments at present, we all loved seeing the various aquatic creatures, with the seals and penguins firm favourites with us all.
Even the littlest one loved watching and peaking into all the tanks, I think she liked the fact she knew they were at a safe distance behind layers of protective glass!
After again plenty of walking around and exploring, not to mention a jump around in the soft play area, we ended our trip with another tasty lunch in The Kraken Bar and Grill. This was a real treat of a dining experience as we sat by the window and enjoyed watching the seals down below whilst eating yet more delicious food.
The Kraken Bar & Grill isn't your typical cafe, the food is proper restaurant standard with plenty to suit both adults and kids. With our bellies full once again, and two exhausted children (and parents!) we decided it was best to head back home to Tyrone. I had hoped we might squeeze in a little trip on the Strangford ferry but it wasn't to be, but it's definitely firmly on my list for a spring/summer months day trip.
This weekend really made me stop and think of just how lucky we are to have so many brilliant hotels, attractions and stunning landscapes just an hour or so drive away. But what I also managed to do for most of the weekend was stay off my phone for much of it, which explains why I don't have too many high-quality pictures of all the stunning sights we encountered, but I'm glad for once I was present in the moment and enjoying it!
It's certainly made me rethink our summer holidays, particularly with a 19-month old who isn't keen on being restrained for too long. I think this year a summer staycation could well be on the cards instead of a stressful flight abroad with a toddler who just wants to roam around!
For more information on the many different parts of Northern Ireland, perfect for a family staycation, visit the Tourism NI website here.
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