Come Taste the Best in Orange City

The benefits to travel off the beaten paths of large, touristy cities can also be found in your wallet: Smaller cities are typically more affordable than their nearby bigger brethren.

At home and abroad, so-called tier two cities - and even those towns further down the name recognition rungs - are full of surprises for trail-blazing travelers willing to add them to the itinerary.

Ask most visitors where they've been in Ireland, and it's likely to be Dublin, with side trips to usual tourist must-sees like the Blarney Stone and the Cliffs of Moher. To seriously gauge the energy of an eclectic Irish student town, however, get off the beaten path and give Galway a go. Sidled up against the Atlantic Ocean, the city sits roughly 140 miles due west of Dublin. Bike-friendly streets and an outwardly artistic population of less than 100,000 make Galway both approachable and eclectic. There's something Left Bank-ish about the town's Medieval Quarter, home to nightclubs, pubs and boutiques. The city's love of live music burns brightest during the annual Galway Arts Festival, held every summer, when an international array of comedy, music, literature, dance and more fills the streets, parks and pubs.The benefits to travel off the beaten paths of large, touristy cities can also be found in your wallet: Smaller cities are typically more affordable than their nearby bigger brethren.

At home and abroad, so-called tier two cities - and even those towns further down the name recognition rungs - are full of surprises for trail-blazing travelers willing to add them to the itinerary.

Come taste a piece of Ireland at The Rock: Regan's Orange City Kitchen.

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