Will Blog Soon!

Sorry to those who may be waiting to read about our Western Adventure but there has been no time to sit down and blog!  Things have been go go go and super action packed.  I will say we barely avoided a Grizzly attack in Yellowstone NP though.  The day prior to us hiking a particular trail in the Canyon section of the park a man was killed on that very trail.  How scary is that?  Both my wife and I carry bear spray at all times when hiking in bear country but a bear can cover 100 feet in something like 5 seconds.

I will blog soon!  Happy travels!

Sorry to interrupt the Circumnavigation of Iceland Road Trip...

Sorry to interrupt the Circumnavigation of Iceland Road Trip...

We're going to have to leave Iceland in the past for awhile and fast-forward to the present because we are about to embark on this year's family adventure!  We have decided to stay in-country this summer.  For many people that know us, that seems like a huge surprise  considering that we tend to go as far away as humanely possible when we have the opportunity (i.e., Queensland, Australia in 2010...blog forthcoming), but the United States of America is HUGE and there is much that we have not experienced within our own borders.   It's not like we are going to Cleveland.  Instead, we are doing a huge, 3-week, Western loop through the nation's National Park System. 

Here is the tentative itinerary:

1.  Arrive in Vegas (yuck, I know), Nevada

2.  Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim, Arizona

3.  Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

4.  Moab, Utah

5.  Canyonlands National Park, Utah

6.  Arches National Park, Utah

7.  Salt Lake City, Utah

8.  Jackson Hole, Wyoming

9.  Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

10. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

11. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

12. Salt Lake City Again, Utah

13. Great Basin National Park, Nevada

14. The Hermitage Ranch, Nevada

15. Zion National Park, Utah

16. Depart Las Vegas, Nevada...maybe.

We will be camping about half the time and staying in cabins when not in the tent.  This should be an incredible adventure for our kids!  Our daughter, who just turned 5, is totally pumped.  She just got a brand new climbing harness and can't wait to put it to use on some real rocks (she has been hanging from our rafters in our house since she got it!).   Our son has no idea.  He is only 1 and a half.  He is going to be a handful for sure.  The kid DOES NOT walk...he RUNS.  He will be either attached to me via his own harness, or snuggly packed away in his luxurious Deuter Kid Comfort III kid carrier.  He is not to be trusted near canyon ledges on in bear country.  Yikes.

I hope you enjoy the blog!  Please feel free to comment.  We will update as often as we can! 

Have kids, will travel! 

Day 4, Part 2: EYVINDARÁ FARM, EGILSSTAÐIR to LAKE MÝVATN

Day 4, Part 2: EYVINDARÁ FARM, EGILSSTAÐI​R to LAKE MÝVATN

The drive to Lake Mývatn was one in which we had cross what amounted to be a virtual no-man's (or woman's) land.  We drove across a windswept plateau in which the swirling snow made it difficult to stay on the road.  The gusts of wind coming across the plain were so powerful that they actually shook the truck! If we didn't pay very close attention, we could have veered of the road, and plowed into a snow drift or a plunged into a crevasse.  If that had happened, we probably would still be there!  Several times we wondered if we were going to right direction.  The white surroundings, lack of road signs, and the vastness of the area in which we were, made for a disorienting experience.  This wasn't the first time this happened to us Iceland but it was maybe the most disconcerting due to fact that we were essentially on our own if we got in trouble.  This area was rugged and unpopulated.  On the map, it showed a road and nothing else for miles and miles.  But alas, we didn't have any real issues.  We got off the plateau to find what in Iceland passes for a civilization...a sign and 3 houses.   It was a relief none the less.

Closed! Maybe I can borrow this snow machine... 

We wanted to see the great waterfall Dettifoss and took a side road up along the Jökulsá á Fjöllum, Iceland's second longest river.  Unfortunately, the road to the falls was closed due to the snow and ice.  Again, traveling just below the Arctic Circle in early spring does not make for the greatest of road conditions.  It was disappointing but not unexpected.  You have to be flexible (which is one of the greatest keys to traveling in general, but ESPECAILLY went traveling with small children!).  I won't lie, I did consider just driving around the sign to see if we could make it.  I was dissuaded by the posted warnings that you would NOT be rescued if you got trapped out on a clearly closed road.  I hadn't noticed that sign on the last couple off-road detours.  Signs ruining our fun, I tell ya!   I recommend watching this video for info on how to drive in Iceland.  It may keep you from dying. 

Hverir

We eventually got to Lake Mývatn.  We were greeted with a rotten, vial, smell.  The sulfur from the steaming fumaroles at first had us thinking that our daughter was in her car seat farting up a storm!  I think we even stopped to see if she needed a change.  At that time we noticed the steam vents and realized that in fact it was the Earth who was stinking up the truck and not our kid...for once!   We were at the Hverir geothermal field with bubbling mudpots and steaming vents.  The vents and fumaroles were awesome.  You could walk really close to them but you didn't want to get too close for fear of sulfur-dioxide poisoning or having your face melted off by the 500˚ steam. Needless to say, we didn't let our daughter run around...much.

Vogafjós Guesthouse

We continued on, looking for our next farm stay.  We made arrangements to stay at Vogafjós Guesthouse which has a restaurant attached to a cowshed.  This place and its owner were incredibly bizarre to say the very least.   You may have to go to Bjork's aunt's house to find the owners to let you in.  More on that, and our time in Lake Mývatn, next time....

Day 4: Part 1 - EYVINDARÁ FARM, EGILSSTAÐI​R to LAKE MÝVATN

Day 4: Part 1 - EYVINDARÁ FARM, EGILSSTAÐI​R to LAKE MÝVATN

Eyvindará farm cabin

Most people fly to Lake Mývatn from Reykjavik, but in doing so they miss seeing some really cool stuff.  That is not our style.  We wanted to see as much of the island as possible in the short amount of time we had but we didn't want to take any shortcuts.  The long way around is well, long, but therein lies the adventure.  You just never know what you'll run into taking the back roads.

Eyvindará farm wasn't really a farm as far as I could tell, but nevertheless, it was really nice.  The cabin, which was tucked up on a hill in a wooded area far above Egilsstaði​r,  was small but warm and comfy.  As we were unpacking, our daughter snuck into one of the bags and ate an entire Icelandic chocolate bar!  She had chocolate covering her entire face and was totally amped up.  She ran around the little cabin like someone possessed.  I swear she ran up a wall.  I may have just imagined that though.  It was funny until we tried to put her to bed in the pack-n-play.  Her nonstop, chocolate-infused, baby talk kept us up all night.  

We woke up and had breakfast with the owner of the farm.  She was very nice and let our daughter watch cartoons.  They were weird Icelandic cartoons but for an 1 year old, they were awesome.   

We left soon after and continued on to a much more barren and wilder place...

Day 3: SKÁLAFELL HORSE FARM TO EYVINDARÁ FARM, EGILSSTAÐIR

Day 3: SKÁLAFELL HORSE FARM TO EYVINDARÁ FARM, EGILSSTAÐIR


Little Girl on Minke Whale Skull

We stayed at the Skálafell Guest House right outside of the fishing village of Höfn.   The accommodations consisted of nice wooded cabins at the front of the farm.  It was quirky.  They have a skull of a minke whale right next to their porch. (Icelandic Fact: sadly, Iceland still hunts whales).   They had all kinds of interesting things laying around the front of their house which added to the charm.




SKÁLAFELL HORSE FARM


The farm itself had a large herd of Icelandic horses.  These are pure bred horses that are calmer, shorter, and sturdier than their American cousins.  Iceland is well known for their rough and tumble equines and today they are used primarily in the fall sheep round up and for tourist trips into the country.   They are a very beautiful breed.  Our daughter fell in love with them.  She really liked petting their long, soft manes.  



 Skálafell Guest House

We ate dinner with the host family in their house.  They set up a table for us in their living room while the father watched TV right next to us.   It is funny how the family just went about their business with a trio of foreign strangers eating a plate full of fish in their living room! They spoke very little English but tried to get on our daughter's good side by bringing out their children's toys for her to play with.  It didn't work.  My daughter was a crank and was tired from our long day. 

 

In the morning we began our trek anew.  We had a long distance (155 miles) to cover so we said good bye to the horses left right after breakfast.  On the way, we saw a sign for Hoffellsjö​kull Glacier and decided to give it a look.  We drove a bit and ended up at (yet another) gate that lead to an off-road path.  This path was nothing more than a pair of tire tracks in the snow that appeared to take you towards the mountains, and presumably, Hoffellsjö​kull Glacier.  Needless to say, we opened the gate and took the path!  It was long, and at times, a tad disorienting.  We passed a herd of reindeer and had to forge across a little river.  This is where 4-wheel drive comes in handy in Iceland.  After stopping several times and wondering if we were lost, we eventually got to the viewing area for the glacier.  The problem was we had to drive up a very steep, rocky and terrifyingly slippery path that ran along a very high cliff.  It was a little nerve wracking.  Rolling our truck off a cliff was not part of our itinerary so we very slowly inched our way up the path and were rewarded with a spectacular view of Hoffellsjö​kull Glacier.  It was all ours too!  It was really neat to be out there all alone.  Now going back down that path...ugh! 



Hoffellsjö​kull Glacier

After our little back country adventure to Hoffellsjö​kull Glacier we drove through the town of Höfn.  This is the largest town in southeast Iceland but still has a population of less than 2000.   There isn't much to say about the town except that we stopped for an early lunch because we read that they are famous for their lobster pizza.  It was really difficult to find a restaurant that was open.  This was a theme.  The towns are small and things are open sporadically.   I am sure it is different in the busier summer months, but while we were there it was barren.  When you find a place that is open, you may want to dine there because you may not soon find another.  By the way, lobster pizza is just ok.  Imagine eating pizza...now add some lobster to that...and there you go. 



The rest of the day consisted of a very scenic drive in and out of the fjords.  One of the most beautiful ones was Fáskrúðsfjörður, but honestly, each and everyone was amazing.  This is one of the few places we have traveled that around every corner or road there is something more amazing than what you have just passed.  Around this time, we made a left and departed the coast and began our inland journey.   Our next farm stay was in a town called Egilsstaði​r.  This town is not worth mentioning except that it is on a huge lake that has a legend that a giant lake worm-monster called the Lagarfljotsormurinn resides in its depths.  We didn't see any monsters but did have a very nice (but very expensive) dinner of reindeer in blueberry sauce at Cafe Nielsen. 



DINNER!



Fáskrúðsfjörður











Day 2, Part 2- Icelandic Road-Trip: BREKKUR to SKÁLAFELL HORSE FARM

Day 2 Part 2- Icelandic Road-Trip: BREKKUR to Skálafell horse farm

Outside of Vik

There is not much to say about the town of Vik.  We got gas there and a bag of some dried-fish.  I don't remember what was more appetizing.   Outside of the gas station attendant who took lots and lots of our Króna (gas is expensive in Iceland), we didn't see anyone.  It was like a zombie movie.  We wanted to make sure we got out of town before the sun set and Icelandic brain snatchers crawled out of their tiny, yet frighteningly practical, IKEA-ish homes. The Lonely Planet Iceland Guidebook said about Vik, and I quote, "One of our favorite places in Iceland."  I can only hope the author was speaking of the incredible natural wonders that surround this extremely small and dull little town.   It was a lovely 11 minute visit.

Once you are out of Reykjavik, most of the towns have less than 2000 people so don't expect to see many people.  Many of the towns we passed through actually had closer to 200 people.  Now that didn't include the huldufölk (hidden people).  There is widespread belief in supernatural beings throughout the country.   With the freakish lava formations, eerie northern lights, angry geysers and cobalt blue glaciers, I can understand how people may believe that the otherworldly beauty they are living within is the last refuge for the elusive elves, dwarves, and fairies the rest of us left behind to our childhood fantasies.  It was fun be believe again, if not just for a little while. 



Skögafoss Waterfall



We passed Vatnajökul​l glacier on the way to the 186 ft Skögafoss waterfall.  This was a really cool waterfall and it was just off the Ring Road.   Our daughter had dozed off so, once again, we had to go out one at a time to explore.  The waterfall's mist created perpetual rainbows which stood out dramatically against the frozen portions of Skögafoss.  If you look at the picture you can see my wife next to Skögafoss.  This gives you a sense of the height of the falls.  There are metal steps that take you alongside the waterfall that I assume during the warmer months are somewhat safe.  When I climbed them (because of course I had to climb them), they had 5 inches of solid ice covering them.  Luckily, there was a rope that was attached to the steps that I could use to help steady myself as I climbed.  It was a dicey accent and the cold mist blowing in my face wasn't making things easier.  Eventually I had to crawl up on my hands and knees.   It would have been a bad place to fall.  I was actually a little concerned for my safty.  I was rewarded for my stupidy though! At the top there was an incredible view down the falls that produced the first and only (and if I wasn't careful, my last) perfectly circular rainbow.  There is a legend of a chest of gold hidden somewhere behind Skögafoss's rainbows.  We could have used that gold to pay for ridiculously expensive gas. 

Skaftafell National Park

We continued to Skaftafell National Park, Europe's largest national park.  During the summer this place is packed but it was devoid of people when we pulled up.  I can understand why.  It was cold and snowy.  That didn't deter us though!  I put my daughter on my back in her kid carrier, and we hopped on a snowy, but not too snowy, trail to Skaftafell​sjökull Glacier.   I highly recommend backpack kid carriers.   Currently we use the Deuter Kid Comfort III.   Unfortunately, that is not the one we used in Iceland and my back and neck suffered because of it.  Don't cheap out on backpack kid carriers. 

Skaftafell​sjökull Glacier

We reached the Skaftafell​sjökull Glacier after about 2.5 hours of hiking in the snow and ice.  After not seeing a soul for hours, a dude from California appeared out of nowhere and took our picture for us.  We wondered if he was really a huldufölk!  He said he wanted to go touch the glacier and bounded off down the trail towards the blue ice.   Occasionally the sides of glaciers cleave off randomly and crush hapless tourists.  I'm sure he is ok though.   We explored the area for awhile, gazing amazingly at the deep, dark, blue hues created within the body of the glaciers.  We double-backed on the trail towards the car with my daughter sleeping soundly on my back.   It was an awesome hike. 

 Jökulsárló​n lagoon - Dad & Daughter on an iceberg!

We got back on the Ring Road and drove towards Jökulsárló​n lagoon.  This lagoon is famous for the luminous-b​lue icebergs that calve off of the Breioamerk​urjökull glacier and float in the lagoon for up to five years. This place was surreal.  The lagoon is full of gray seals (Halichoer​us grypus).  W​e counted 45 of them.  Mostly they were just relaxing on the ice, but every now and again one would pop up right next to us and scare our daughter.  Seal meat is very much on the menu in Iceland by the way.  Here is a Iceland Factoid:  Jökulsárló​n lagoon was used in the movies, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider AND the James Bond flix, Die Another Die.  That should give you an idea how visually spectacular this place is. 



 Jökulsárló​n lagoon



We ended our day 2 journey when we pulled into our second farm-stay at the Skálafell horse farm. Today was incredibly jammed packed with adventure and awe-inspiring scenery.  It was a memorable day for sure. 

Day 2 - Icelandic Road-Trip: BREKKUR to SKÁLAFELL HORSE FARM part 1

Day 2 - Icelandic Road-Trip: BREKKUR to Skálafell horse farm part 1

We woke early and were relieved to find the weather calmed dramatically from the previous day.  I don't know how many days we could have stood getting blasted in the face by gale-force Arctic winds.  It was by no means warm, but at least we didn't have to worry about our daughter blowing away like a loose kite!  We had breakfast, packed the truck, and headed back out to the Ring Road towards fishing village of Vik. 

All along the Ring Road are tiny little secondary roads that either lead inland towards the glaciers, or outwards towards the sea.   The road signs are not terribly descriptive, so occasionally, we would just make a random turn and see where the road lead us.  This is an essential element to the successful family road trip.  I think it is also an essential element for a successful, if not exciting, life as well.   Everyone needs a little adventure in their lives.



First detour - Dirt "Road"

We took two spontaneous detours on day 2.  From Brekkur Farm we could see a rather large stone sea arch in the distance.  It appeared to be fairly easy to get to according to the map; we just needed to make a right off of the Ring Road and drive towards the sea.  Looked simple enough.  We found a little road that looked promising and decided to give it a go.  The road was tight and curvy but it appeared that we were heading in the right direction.  It was a very nice little ride and we were all quite enjoying ourselves, that is, right until the road ended.  It just stopped.  There was a gate that could be opened to a what appeared to be a semi-passable dirt road though.  Hey, we had 4-wheel-drive so we opened the gate and keep on going.  We could still see the stone sea arch, which we found out was named Dyrhólaey,  and used that as our directional guide.  The track we were driving on was progressively getting wetter and wetter with the sporadic stream crossing over few hundred meters, but we since we were getting closer to the arch and it was still early in the day we figured we would push on and see how close we could get.  That plan quickly evaporated when the dirt road abruptly dropped right into a massive river, which should be pointed out, was not on the map.  It appeared to be a glacier melt river and it was fast moving and very wide.  We like adventure, but we're not crazy, so we decided against forging the river and turned back.   The sea arch was SO close, but alas,  it wasn't meant to be.  In retrospect, if we had gotten stuck out there on that water-logged and muddy trail, it would have been a little hairy.  I would have had a long, cold, walk back to the Ring Road to get help, assuming there would have been help to get. (Icelandic fact: The total population of Iceland in 2008 was about 302,000 people, half of whom lived in the capital Reykjavik.)

Lóftsalahe​llir cave (middle left of picture)

On the way back out, the dirt road we were driving split.  We hadn't noticed that fact on the way in and we were now left with a choice: take the high road, or the low road.  It was a 10 króna toss.  You have to remember, we weren't on a real road and didn't actually know where we were.  There were no signs and definitely no people to whom to ask directions.  We just figured that we would go the opposite way out as we went in and now this split threw a monkey wrench in those plans.  We took the high road, which it turned out was not the road we took in.  Big surprise.  This dirt road was much dryer though so we decided to just keep going with the hope that it would eventually take us back out to a paved road.  This dirt road took us next to Lóftsalahe​llir cave (there was a little sign).  It was really high up on the side of a steep hill and apparently during the Viking saga times between 1100-1200, the cave was used for council meetings and other political gatherings.   At least if the truck broke down and we now had a place to stay.  If it was good enough for the Vikings, it would have been good enough for us!

 



Reynisfjara beach with Dyrhólaey in the background



Eventually we made it back on the Ring Road towards Vik.  We drove for a little while but could still see Dyrhólaey off in the distance.  It was mocking us!  We decided to give reaching it another try and turned off the next  random unnamed road that headed towards the sea.  We passed quaint little farm houses perched on the side of the cliffs with little kids caring for their horses in their yards.  Occasionally a little kid on an ATV would dart out into the road with carefree abandon.  That and the fact that the road was extremely curvy with no guard rails and the cliffs dropped precipitously off into the North Atlantic, made for a nervous ride.  I drove slow.  Eventually the road pitched downhill and once again, turned into a dirt path.  After the last off-road jaunt we weren't sure we wanted a repeat disappointment but we figured, what the heck and followed the path until it dropped us off at what can only be described as the most amazing beach I have ever witnessed. 

 

Basalt Column "Stairs"

Instead of sand, the beach was covered with perfectly smooth oval shaped rocks that appeared jet black against the snowy white waves that were crashing against the beach.  The cliffs above were teeming with thousands of nesting kittiwakes, who I may add were very cranky to see us and had no problem displaying their unhappiness with our arrival by pooping several times on each of our heads.     The most amazing aspect of this beach were the giant stacks of basalt columns that formed the base of the cliffs.  They were analogous to the Giant's Causeway in Ireland.  They looked like steps and in fact, could be climbed as if they were.  My daughter really enjoyed this beach.  She loved climbing the basalt columns and enjoyed throwing the rocks.  On this trip, she became quite the budding little geologist and started a really cool rock collection.   The name of this beach (I think) is Reynisfjara.  From the beach there were incredible views of the sea stone arch, Dyrhólaey, but no way to actually reach it.  Offshore a tad, were the huge sea stacks of Reynisdrangur, the summer nesting site for hundreds of puffins.



Neither of these side trips were planned.  We just wanted to see were the road would take us.  They both ended up being really cool.  You never know what you are missing in life by staying on the paved, safe, path.   Adventure and opportunity are usually found by those willing to take a little risk and make that random turn. 

And on to Vik...

 

              

  







Day 1 - Icelandic Road Trip: KEFLAVIK to VIK

Day 1 - Icelandic Road-Trip: KEFLAVIK to VIK

We landed in Keflavik International Airport early in the morning after a rough 5 hour flight from JFK.   We booked an evening flight thinking that our daughter would sleep during the night.  We were mistaken.  Silly us.  Instead, she stayed up all night, leaping between my lap and my wife's, alternatively crying like wounded wildebeest to talking and/or yelling incessantly to the poor fellow sitting behind us.  We brought a portable DVD player with us for her to watch movies, but the batteries died within an hour of the flight.   It was Daddy's job to make sure the batteries were charged before we left and obviously I failed at my task, an error everyone on the plane regretted as much as we.   Eventually she fell asleep.  Twenty minutes later, we landed.

We picked up our SUV (a full size Isuzu) and fitted in our rented car seat. We weren't exactly happy with the car seat selection.  I would recommend bringing your own for your own peace of mind.  It is worth the extra luggage fee.  Some airlines will not count a car seat as a checked piece of luggage.  Read the fine print or call the airline to find out their policy regarding both car seats and strollers.  If they do not charge make sure you have with you the airline's printed policy saying as much.   When you are checking your bag the airline staff at the ticket counter may still try to charge you an extra fee.  This annoyance happened with US Airways when we flew out of Montreal.  I showed the airline staff their own policy and they begrudgingly waved the "required fee".  US Airways is a terrible company to fly with in our humble opinions. 

Car rentals in Iceland are very expensive but due to the crazy spring weather and occasional white-out road conditions, you don't want to skimp and try to make it around the island in a tiny budget European make.    I think they actually make their economy cars out of cardboard.  One big Arctic gust and you would be blown into the North Atlantic! 

I downed 3 giant espresso coffee drinks, strapped our daughter in the back seat, loaded our bags, kissed my wife, and got us on the road to start our Icelandic adventure!  FYI - We use maps as opposed to GPS.  GPS ruins the chance of an unexpected (mis)adventure!  Maps are so much cooler. 

Our day 1 plan: Keflavik - Reykjavik - Þingvellir National Park -  Kerió - Hengill volcano - Geysir - Gullfoss Waterfall - Brekkur near Vik.

We zoomed through Reykjavik, Iceland's capital, and pushed towards the famous Golden Circle which includes Þingvellir National Park, Geysir, and Gullfoss Waterfall.  This natural wonder trifecta is one of Iceland's most famous tourist attractions and during the summer it can be mobbed.  Although it is still cold in late March and early April, we loved having these sites practically all to ourselves.   It was usually just us and a few other brave souls on day trips out of Reykjavik.  It seems that must visitors to Iceland don't travel much further out of Reykjavik than the Golden Circle.  Their loss was our gain! 

Dad on the fissure Almannagja!

Þingvellir National Park was starkly beautiful yet eerie and lonely.  It straddles the North America tectonic plate and the European tectonic plate.  It is literally were Europe and North America are being pulled apart, albeit at a slow 2mm/year rate.   You can walk along the great fissure Almannagja, crossing over from North America to Europe along the way.  Our daughter slept through most of our time in the park.   She needed the rest after the sleepless nighttime flight but my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the striking natural beauty.  We could have done without the bitter cold and biting Arctic wind though.  Brrr!  Of course, since our daughter was sound asleep in the truck, we had to go out on little hikes one at a time since we couldn't leave a 2 year old alone by herself for fear of drunken Vikings.  That is just one of the sacrifices you make if you want to travel the world with little children. 

Þingvellir National Park

As the day went on, the wind became fiercer, until it got to the point where it was difficult to stand up straight.   We were fighting wind gusts of up to 70 mph!  I've never experienced such weather in my life.  When we got to Geysir, the original hot water sprout after which all the world's geysers are named, it was almost impossible to walk up the path from the parking lot to the viewing area without getting knocked down.  It was way too windy for our daughter, so while one of us waited in the Geysir Tourist Center with her, the other attempted to brave the winds to see the mighty Geysir.  After practically crawling on all fours and getting knocked on my butt more than once just to get up the path to see the supposedly 15m to 30m plume, I was greatly let down.  The wind was so powerful, that when the geyser erupted, the wind flattened out the plume!  I barely witnessed anything more than some mist coming out of the ground.  Quite anticlimatic for sure.  It was funny watching people (including myself!) get blown all around though.  At least I got a laugh to go along with a bruised behind.

My wife was worried that our entire trip was going to plagued by weather like this and asked one of the workers whether this weather was normal.  She misunderstood his answer (which is easy to do with their accents) and thought that he said that the wind that day was typical!  She almost cried.  We came to find out that he said that the wind that day was TERRIBLE, not typical.   It was about as typical as a cyclone in your bathtub.

Gullfoss

We hopped back in the truck and took off towards Gullfoss, Iceland's most famous waterfall.  It was AWESOME!  It is a huge double cascading waterfall that drops about 95 feet into a ravine.  Because of the time of year and the temperature, the steps and path were covered in thick, extremely slippery, I-am-going-to make-you-fall-on-your-butt, ice.  It made it impossible to take our daughter anywhere near the waterfall for fears of her falling and sliding right over the edge.  That would have really put a damper on the rest of the road-trip.  So again, we went one at a time while the other stayed behind to entertain our our little elf.  We made sure we brought lots of kid's music and fun toys for her to play with during the drives.  It was still insanely windy and I thought that if the killer ice didn't send one of us plunging over the edge, the wind certainly would!   My wife got a little nervous when I didn't come back promptly, but the waterfall was so beautiful, I couldn't rush away. 

Gullfoss

On the way out of the Golden Circle back towards the Ring Road we crossed the deep blue Þjorsa River and also stopped by Kerió, a 3000 year old explosion crater with green lake in the middle.  Björk once played a concert while on a raft in the middle of Kerió.  She is SO weird, yet oddly normal for Iceland.  We also passed by Hengill volcano.  Occasionally Icelandic volcanoes like to erupt when you least expect it.  One is going off right now as I type this.  Don't let that little fact dissuade you from visiting Iceland though!  It just adds to the excitement!

Myrdalur Mountain Range

Our first farm-stay was right next to the Myrdalur Mountain range at Brekkur right outside of the town of Vik.  The farm was up a long, steep, driveway.  This is just another reason to rent a 4-wheel-drive vehicle.   You never know when you will be going off-road.  The setting sun turned the Myrdalur mountains pink.   It was a nice way to end an incredible day.  We had the entire place all to ourselves minus the staff and a young Scottish couple.  We missed dinner but we were so tired after our long day exploring Southwest Iceland, we didn't care.   We fell into our bed and slept very soundly that night. 

Day 2 to follow...

Þjorsa River