After a few years of saying “someday…” our little family packed our bags and visited Iceland in April of 2009. We left New York in the dark of  night and landed at Keflavik airport nearly six hours later under a red sunrise. The landscape on the 40 minute drive from the airport to Reykjavik was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. It was strangely lunar and ruggedly beautiful.

While in Iceland, we hiked along and behind waterfalls, super jeep-ed and walked on black sand beaches, visited Geysir, and drove on a glacier.  On the flip side, we luxuriated in the geothermal delight that is the Blue Lagoon and strolled the streets of charming Reykjavik. It was an amazing trip that I often think about.  In many ways it feels like a dream.

I came home wishing that everyone could see this naturally beautiful country and at the same time selfishly wanting people to stay away so as not to spoil it.

With the country firmly planted in the news following the eruption of the volcano at Eyjafjallajokull, my thoughts are again of Iceland.

Blog Posts About Our Trip to Iceland:

• Non-Motorcycle: Photos From Our Trip to Iceland – April 2009
• Motorcycle Photo: Icelandic Motorcyclists on the Road
• Iceland: Super-Jeep, Black Sand, Waterfalls and Glaciers
• Visiting Iceland: Photographs from The Blue Lagoon spa outside of Reykjavik
• Visiting Iceland: A Day trip to Gullfoss and Geysir
• Visiting Iceland: Assorted Photographs from Reykjavik
• Visiting Iceland: Our Arrival at Keflavik and on to Reykjavik
• Visiting Iceland: Day Trip to Thingvellir National Park
• Iceland: The Fuzz's Motorbike
• Non-Moto: The Ice Woman Cometh

More Photos, Posts and Links from our Iceland Trip:

• More Iceland Posts
• Super Jeep Exursions – NatureExplore.is
• Visit Iceland
• Iceland Tourist Board
• Blue Lagoon

On Easter Sunday we set off with our most excellent guide Haukur (Hawk) from Nature Explorer in his Nissan Patrol which they refer to as a super jeep.

One of our first stops that morning was to Seljalandsfoss where we hiked up behind the falls.

The tongue of the Sólheimajökull glacier where we were able to walk up and take a peek around.

Later in the morning we headed up in to the mountains and drove on top of a glacier where Haukur took us to you know, just hang out. And eat lunch. On the glacier. It was very cool 🙂

Top o’ the world, Ma!

The ride down from the glacier had us in fits of excited laughter as Hawk cranked up the music, hit the gas and bounced and expertly wheeled us down the snow. He was so awesome. He had a very quiet, smart and survivorman kind of vibe. You just knew that you were in capable hands and it allowed us to just relax and enjoy the spectular sights that unfolded.

The black sand beach near Myrdalsjokull glacier, a rainbow and the wreckage of an old Navy plane. Throw in the whale skeleton we’d just seen and it prompted our guide Hawk to mention that when he visits the beach here it often reminds him of being in a living Salvador Dali painting.

 

We had the beach and Skogarfoss and it’s beautiful rainbow all to ourselves.

I loved this day.

Out in the very lunar-like landscape sits one or Reykjavik most significant tourist draws. The Blue Lagoon spa. A littel slice of hot water heaven that is not to be missed.