Day 1 - the golden circle begins

We didn’t sleep much on the plane but hit the day running. The kids were champs, and so was my husband for overcoming the initial challenge of remembering how to drive a manual transmission in our rental van (to our surprise, there were no automatic options). We drove along the Golden Circle, making stops at the following sights: Thingvellir National Park – What a peaceful place to come walk and soak in the nature around you. The paths are easily walkable and consist of dirt, stone, and beautiful boardwalks. This area consists of stunning rock formations, wildflowers, streams and waterfalls. Gullfoss or “Golden Waterfall” – This is a magnificent and powerful waterfall! You can feel the power of it rattle under your feet as you walk along the paths to the various viewing points. You will also want to wear a waterproof coat because you will get sprayed by the mist it creates. It is no wonder why this is considered to be one of the most beautiful and famous waterfalls in the country. Geysir – I enjoyed viewing this unique field of geothermal activity and while we didn’t witness the iconic eruption of “The Great Geyser” that has been dormant since 2016, we did see the eruption of a smaller geyser in the area. It was worth the stop. Laugarvatn Fontana – This was such a unique experience! We got to dig up and eat geothermal baked bread, served with Icelandic butter and smoked trout. It was delicious and is an activity we won’t forget. We made it to the quaint fishing town of Eyrarbakki, where our reserved apartment waited, and we were ready for some much-needed rest!

day 2 - glaciers, diamonds, and waterfalls

Whew! What a day - up at 7am and out adventuring until 11:00pm (thank you Iceland summer daylight)!! We explored the south coast, and what the kids called the “ice” part of Iceland. We started the day by heading to Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon to see Vatnajokull Glacier, the largest glacier in Iceland, as well as icebergs up close. We went through a company called Ice Lagoon and felt they did a great job keeping everyone safe and providing interesting information about the area. They also provided the cold weather gear we needed for the boat tour and prepped us for the increased wind and temperature drop that would occur as soon as we got on the water. We had never experienced a glacier by way of water and the beauty around us distracted us well from our numbing limbs. We were mesmerized by the most beautiful blue colors in the ice and even found seals on some of the icebergs. The kids loved it when our tour guide plucked a sizeable iceberg out of the water, passed it around to everyone and took guesses on how much it weighed. When we made it back to land, we wrapped up this experience at a food truck that served delicious fresh cod and lobster rolls from the Atlantic! Diamond Beach, the black sand beach that is known for its icebergs that wash up to shore and resemble diamonds, did not disappoint. It was another cold and windy location, but all of us were impressed by the variety of ice formations scattered throughout the beach. The kids loved walking along the beach, competing with one another on who could pick up the largest chunk of ice. This was definitely a unique kind of beach combing that we won’t forget! As we drove from Diamond Beach to the iconic Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, we passed goats in fields of grass and wildflowers, towering waterfalls in what appeared to be in the backdrop of peoples’ homes, and landscapes that had our eyes glued to the car windows. Once we made it to Black Sand Beach, we took our shoes off to fully embrace this geological phenomenon, while we also admired the basalt rock formations and the two towering rocks that stood out at sea from a distance. Though it was tempting to dip our toes in the frigid water, we took heed of the dangers of coming too close to the power of the changing tides that have swept tourists out to sea. We left the Black Sand Beach to find a couple waterfalls: Skogafoss was another powerful and impressive waterfall, standing at 203 feet and 82 feet wide. It was easy to access and admire. It was worth the stop as one of Iceland’s biggest and most accessible waterfalls. Seljalandsfoss waterfall was incredible as well. The green grassy flats, streams flowing through, and general area was just breathtaking. This was also a very fun waterfall to visit because you can walk behind it! We did get wet, but we welcomed the spray, and it was quite magical. Just be prepared to climb some stairs and for some slick sections. After a day like today, why not celebrate with ice cream for dinner! So. Much. Beauty.

day 3 - relaxing by the atlantic

After such a full day yesterday, we decided to hold off on setting the alarms…and everyone slept until 12pm!! Our bodies were clearly still adjusting to the time difference. We relaxed around the town of Eyrarbakki and met one of our daughter’s requests to ride Icelandic gaited horses. We found a company called Bakkahestar with wonderful hosts. Their horses were beautiful and so smooth to ride. The scenery we explored while riding was serene and included some splashing along the shore of the Atlantic. We also played in the tide pools when the tide was out and enjoyed the views of the Atlantic from our apartment. We savored a nice dinner out at a restaurant called Rauoa Husio (i.e., The Red House) with some surf n' turf lobster and steak, followed by a post-dinner stroll around town. We loved the cute little churches, cemeteries and rainbow jumping pillows called Hoppepude. A relaxing day was in order to get ready for our 5 hour drive up to the northern coast tomorrow.

day 4 - heading to the north coast

We drove from the south coast up to the north coast via the Ring Road, making a few stops along the way. Highlights were: * Hvalfjordur Tunnel (a several mile tunnel taking us under the Atlantic, dropping 165 meters below sea level), * Hraunfossar Falls (i.e., the Lava Falls, a National Monument that includes a wall of water cascading out of a lava field and into the turquoise waters of the Hvita River) and nearby Barnafoss Falls, * Icelandic Seal Center and Illugastadir (where a large seal colony lives), * Hvitserkur (a legend that a troll walked out into the sunlight and turned to stone), * Dancing in grassy fields, and * Arriving in Grenivik, where we stayed for the next few nights at a home with endless views of the Greenland Sea and Kaldbakur and Porvaldsdalur mountains. Our kids even found some local kids playing soccer and joined them until 11pm – unable to speak the same language, but communicated via the common sport and laughter!

day 5 - falls and geysers

Today we drove most of the Diamond Circle and experienced one of the most geologically active areas in the world (because it’s on the Northern Volcanic Rift Zone). Noteworthy stops included: * Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall of Europe, so powerful that it shook the ground beneath our feet as we walked around. * Godafoss, the “waterfall of the gods,” comes with a meaningful story. When Iceland converted to Christianity, they took their idols of the old Nordic gods, and tossed them into the waterfall. We took this time to talk with the kids about the different “idols” in our lives today that can get in the way of our relationship with God. We each found a rock, thought of an idol in our life, and tossed them into the waterfall as well. Then, we celebrated with ice cream of course! * Selfoss, a “smaller” waterfall with a drop of around 10 meters. * The geothermal area of Hverir. Plug your nose! The kids didn’t last long observing the geysers because the stench was so strong, but they were beautiful.* The Mountain Tunnel - Another tunnel we drove through, only this time, it was through a mountain.

day 6

We continued to explore the incredible geologically active area of Myvatn. * Myvatn Nature Baths - What a way to start the day! This was the top activity for half of us for the day. These are milky blue mineral baths, with a rocky bottom, that sit at about 36-40 degrees Celsius. We each enjoyed a drink while relaxing and had some time in steam baths too. * Grjotagja - A beautiful turquoise warm pool just inside a cave. I haven’t watched Game of Thrones, but apparently this is featured in that series. * Hverfjall - We are proud to report we all climbed this volcano! While not everyone was thrilled to embark on this journey initially, this ended up being the top activity for the other half of us today. It erupted 2500 years ago, and at the top, you look down on a circular explosion crater that’s rebuilding itself. You also get some pretty stellar views from the top.* Dimmuborgir - A huge field of unusually shaped lava fields that consist of volcanic caves and rock formations. Home of a rock formation where Nordic legends say Satan fell to earth, and another that resembles a church bell. * Krafla - A beautiful volcanic caldera.

day 7

We ventured to Husavik because it’s the whale capital of Iceland!! We embarked on our vessel, Gardar, and explored Skjalfandi Bay. This is one of the best whale watching spots in the world. The dolphins stay here year-round, but the whales (a variety of species) are only here in the summer for feeding and caring for their young. We got to see jellyfish, puffins, white-beaked dolphins, humpback and minke whales. Afterwards, we visited the whale museum, and I could have spent all day in there! ** Fun fact: Did you know you don’t see puffins when on land in Iceland, even though they’re commonly associated with Iceland? You see them out at sea and at different islands. Westman islands and Grimsey island are Icelandic islands you can tour to see lots of colonies of puffins, and though we would have loved to do those tours too, we didn’t have time this trip. Lesson learned, but grateful we saw puffins today playing in the bay! We ended the day driving back to the southwest side of the country.

day 8 and 9

These days were spent exploring the capital, Reykjavik. While we missed the country areas, it was fun to spend a couple of days in the heart of the “big” city. Highlights included: * Warm delicious soups. Oh my, have they mastered their broths here! * Watching the kids’ eyes get huge, screaming, “Wait, Vespas are real?!” * Hallgrimskirkja Church * Omnom Chocolate * Our oldest daughter excitedly scootering through the city streets on an electric scooter, a very popular mode of transportation through the tight city roads * Jogging along Raudararvik bay * Everyone surviving a Covid test to get back into the states in a few days * Sneaking out on a date night to experience Magic Ice, an ice bar, and having an amazing lobster salad!

day 10

We started the day fueling up with delicious European baked goods from a super cute bakery that lured us in as we walked to our car in the morning. We then headed to the continental divide where we got to stand in North America and then Europe within steps. We wrapped up the day perfectly with an afternoon of relaxation in the beautiful Blue Lagoon. We received their signature set of 3 masks - lava scrub mask, mineral mask, and algae mask. It was another unforgettable day, and our skin and bodies felt relaxed and rejuvenated as we wrapped up our Icelandic trip.

day 11

We went out with a “boom” on our last day and hiked nearly 5 miles around Fagradalsfjall Volcano. It erupted in March 2021 (just a few months prior to this trip), so we got to see the fresh paths the lava took, as well as the hot, steaming sections that still showed activity. We enjoyed exploring this area and it captivated everyone’s attention. Thanks for sharing our journey with us. If Iceland isn’t already on your list, I highly recommend adding it if you’re active and enjoy the outdoors. It has been one of our favorite trips to date and is a wonderful country for getting the kids’ feet wet in international travel.