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.