Life is pretty darn fantastic when I’m given the opportunity to buy a new travel book. The occasion, you ask?
Mr. M & I are headed to Iceland for the 4th of July weekend!
From the pictures I’ve come across in my trip planning, Iceland seems to offer up unbelievably gorgeous natural scenery: waterfalls, glaciers, geysers & hot springs, lava-strewn volcanic fields… it looks otherworldly and like one of the absolute best places to lace up our hiking boots and get dirty.
We’ll be visiting Iceland during the summer, when the sun rises at 3am and doesn’t set until midnight. It’s the answer to the proverbial ‘if only I had more hours in the day’ quandary.
Here’s what I’ve come up with to take advantage of these 21-hour Icelandic days:
*Pingvellir– where the North American & Eurasian continental plates meet (and are drifting apart, causing Iceland to grow a few centimeters wider every year).
You can actually go diving in the river between these two tectonic plates to visualize the fissure line… and because the summer sun doesn’t set till midnight, you can do this at 10 o’clock at night. So we’re going midnight snorkeling! I’m a little terrified and reeeally excited.
*Road tripping along the southern coast to see what beautiful scenery we can see.
*Lots and LOTS of hiking… definitely to visit Svartifoss waterfall in Skaftafell National Park…
*Exploring the Ice Lagoon at Jokulsarlon…
*Trekking to see puffins along the black sand beaches in Dyrholaey…
*Taking a dip in some of the natural hot springs that arise from all that volcanic activity…
*And, of course, visiting the capital city of Reykjavik.
Since you asked, I wouldn’t mind befriending a wild Icelandic horse or two, either.
Stunning scenery aside, one of the silliest reasons why I’m excited to visit Iceland has to do with my usual breakfast choice here at home: skyr, an Icelandic sort of yogurt-style concoction that’s somehow even thicker & creamier than Greek yogurt. I’ve never found it anywhere but in the recesses of Whole Foods, and now I have serious plans to eat genuine Icelandic skyr morning, noon, and night. Aim high!
(Be quiet. I warned you it was silly.)
So what’dya think? Any ideas on what to see/do/eat/experience in the land of fire and ice?
To explore my first day’s Icelandic adventure eating puffin and thinking my snowmobile ride might be thelastthingIeverdid, click here!
It should be a fantastic trip, there is so much to see and do there, especially as you seem to like hiking.
Have you been, Joan? Iceland looks like it's a wonderland of natural beauty! My preliminary research does seem to suggest A LOT of fantastic hiking trails... I can't wait to lace up my boots and get muddy!
I haven't been, but a lot of the people in our hillwalking club were there last year, and had a fantastic time, even hiked up to that volcano that erupted a few years ago. it should be a great trip.
What amazing pictures! I bet you're gonna have sooo much fun! xoxo, felicia
Thanks, Felicia! I'm excited!! There were so many gorgeous Iceland pictures online that I'm now realizing that Iceland will be a great opportunity to practice my rudimentary photog skills on some very photogenic landscapes. :)
Oh, wow! I'm pretty excited for you!! Side note: You'll be in Iceland when I'm in Alaska. Maybe we'll be hiking on glaciers at the same time, hahaha. Seriously, that's so AWESOME!
Yay! Glacier twins!! Thank you- and I am excited for YOU because Alaska is going to be ahhmazing. You & I have some fairly awesome (& icy) 4th of July plans, if I do say so myself! ;) Are you guys planning on doing a glacier walk while you're there?
We really do have some awesome 4th of July plans. I can't wait to hear about yours when we get back! That's the part that's driving me a little crazy. I'm a planner. I like to know what's going on and make sure I get to do all the things I want to do. Daniel's parents are paying for most of the trip, though, as our Christmas gift. So, Daniel's Dad is planning it. He asked me to make a list, and Glacier walking was on the top of the list. Hopefully it happens! Trinity really wants to dog sled, and I found a spot where they take you dog sledding on a glacier! Of course, you have to get to the spot by helicopter and it cost like $600 a person. I don't think that's happening. However, they apparently put wheels on the sleds to go sledding in the summer!
I totally understand about it being hard to relinquish control- planning the trip is sometimes half the fun for me! :) I'm sure your father-in-law will do a great job, though... at the very least, you know that pretty much *anything* you do in Alaska will be gorgeous & amazing! Ohmygosh, I have ALWAYS wanted to go dog sledding! And on a glacier? I can't even imagine. Although at $600 each, it sounds like imagining is pretty much all we'll be able to do for now. :-P Eesh, that's a LOT!!
It sounds like an awesome trip! I don't think you will run out of things to do while you are there. Midnight snorkeling and being where that first picture are would be the top two things on my list. And, awwww, puffins are the cutest! :-)
I didn't realize just how much "stuff" there was in Iceland to fit into a 4-day holiday weekend! I do hope I get to see a puffin or two. Growing up, my mom used to give us Barbara's Puffins Cereal (so named cuz the cereal grains were 'puffed' up, I'm guessing?) for breakfast, and it had a picture of a big puffin on the box. I've been wanting to see a wild one ever since! :)