Iceland 2022 on Jamie Thingelstad

Iceland Log Day 16

Sun, 07 Aug 2022 12:01:39 -0500

Sunday, August 7th
Cold morning in Reykjavik. Rainy day in Minneapolis.

Up at 5:20a!
6:00a Depart Airbnb in Reykjavik.
Return rental car to Enterprise Rental. Mazda CX-5 served us well!
Get checked in and drop off bags.
9:30a Depart DL261 to MSP.
4:30a Back to Central Time.
11:00a Land in MSP
11:49a Arrive back home!

Jump to day 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or Iceland 2022: Ring Road collection.

Iceland Log Day 15

Sat, 06 Aug 2022 17:10:56 -0500

Saturday, August 6th
Nice Icelandic day, a little misty in afternoon, no wind.

Our final full day of this epic Iceland 2022 trip! To frame the day, imagine that each of us had a few things on our list that we wanted to get done before we finished our trip. The net of that is a lot of walking around, various tasks, and a wide variety of things!

Breakfast at Sandholt.
Walk down Laugavegur.
Walk along harbor to a small lighthouse
Escaped from Reykjavik Escape!
More shopping on Laugavegur, with long stop at Hörg but no purchases.
Yummy snack at Loo Koo Mas.
Watch the Reykjavik Pride Parade.
More shopping, resulting in shoes!
Drop off shopping at Airbnb.
Never having enough baked goods, stop to try Brauð & Co.
Visit the Kattakaffihusid (Cat Cafe) for cappuccino with Cats!
More shopping at 66° North to get Mazie a shirt.
Much deliberation at art gallery.
Go see the Sun Voyager.
Shop at Museum Shop in Harpa.
Tried to see if we could use the Hopp scooters to get around, but decided wouldn’t work.
Visit Vínberið candy store.
Visit Rammagerðin to get Icelandic Wool Blanket.
Visit Kronan to get some local snacks to bring home.
Go to Fly Over Iceland! Stunning visuals, and a lot of places we had been to on the trip.
We got super lucky and found another street spot to park car in after driving to Fly Over Iceland! 😅
Final dinner in Iceland at Íslenski Barinn. Very good food and a very fun waitress.

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Sat, 06 Aug 2022 16:02:19 -0500

Family selfie from the Sun Voyager in Reykjavik. Cool sculpture!

Sat, 06 Aug 2022 10:17:42 -0500

Reykjavik Pride is this weekend so we got to see the Pride Parade! Super fun, great event! Huge crowd with most joining the parade after the final float. 🏳️‍🌈

Sat, 06 Aug 2022 08:23:52 -0500

We escaped from “The Mafia” room at Reykjavik Escape in 38m 44s with no clues! 🔓 Our first escape room outside of the US, and the only escape room in Iceland. Room 44!

Sat, 06 Aug 2022 05:51:21 -0500

We had a delightful time last night at the Icelandic Sagas: The Greatest Hits. We learned new things and had many laughs. Plus we got to hang out with the cast afterward for a group photo!

Iceland Log Day 14

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 18:05:49 -0500

Friday, August 5th
Nice, warm in sun. Sprinkles in afternoon.

Depart Blue View Cabin and travel to Reykjavik.
Breakfast at Sandholt.
Shopping and strolling on Laugavegur: Skúmaskot, 66° North, Blue Lagoon, Nordic Store, Nielsen Sérverzlun
Icelandic Punk Rock museum. Very fun!
Cappuccino at Te & Kaffe
Snack at Sandholt
Visit Hallgrímskirkja Church.
Walk around looking for Fish & Chips stand that Tammy had found online but we never were able to find it.
check into Airbnb at Baldursgata 22.
Dinner at Bastard Brew & Food
Dessert at Sandholt. Seems everyone really liked Sandholt. 🤩
More shopping and exploring on Laugavegur.
Go to the Icelandic Sagas: The Greatest Hits at Harpa. Very fun! 🎭

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Fri, 05 Aug 2022 08:40:49 -0500

Family selfie from Reykjavik!

Iceland Log Day 13

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 16:47:15 -0500

Thursday, August 4th
Morning was very cold and windy, and improved throughout day.

Morning hot tub time.
Depart Blue View Cabin.
Explore Gullfoss. Beautiful!
Explore Geysir in Haukadalur Valley.
Visit Þingvellir National Park (part 1 and part 2): Öxarárfoss, Langistígur, and Lögberg.
Dinner at Restaurant Mika. The Hot Chocolate (really, Drinking Chocolate) was amazing!
Return to Blue View Cabin for relaxing evening.
Second session in hot tub. Great!

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Thu, 04 Aug 2022 15:07:44 -0500

The Langistígur, or The Walk of Death, in Þingvellir National Park.

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 14:54:11 -0500

We happened upon this couple taking wedding pictures at Öxarárfoss in Þingvellir National Park today. Cute couple, amazing scene.

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 13:53:51 -0500

Me at the Lögberg (Law Rock) of the Alþingi in Þingvellir National Park. This is where the Lögsögumaður (Law Speaker) would preside over the assembly. It was amazing to be able to be here.

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 06:42:01 -0500

This is the most extreme vehicle we have seen in Iceland yet! Mazie included for scale. 😲

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 05:56:27 -0500

Gullfoss!

Iceland Log Day 12

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 17:58:04 -0500

Wednesday, August 3rd
Sunny & Windy

Checkout of The Garage. Final visit with the horses and dogs. We enjoyed our time here.
Take Herjólfur Ferry to Westman Islands.
Delicious breakfast pastries and coffee at Vigtun Bakhús.
Shoping at 66° North store.
Take hiking trail to museum Eldheimar Museum.
Explore Eldheimar Museum. Very engaging recounting of eruption in 1973 on the island.
Walk back to harbor.
Return to Vigtor Bakhús to get tomorrows breakfast
3p ATV tour pushed to 3:45
ATV Tour with Volcano ATV. Very fun time!
Some more shoping: Icewear, Póley, and Penninn.
Good dinner at Gott.
7:30p Ferry back to mainland.
Drive to Blue View Cabins to check-in.

Team Update: On Day 9 while descending the Vatnajökull Glacier I (Jamie) got tripped up a bit in my crampons. I placed my right foot down and caught the crampon on my left foot. I stumbled, and took a few big steps but didn’t fall. Everything seemed okay at the time, but my right knee has been hurting me since. I’ve been hoping it would get better but so far it isn’t. Due to my knee issues we have changed our plans for tomorrow. We were planning to go to Landmannalaugar and hike a bit. Since my knee isn’t doing so well, we are going to instead do the Golden Circle tomorrow. Landmannalaugar will have to wait for another time. I’m sure my knee will be fine with some rest.

Jump to day 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or Iceland 2022: Ring Road collection.

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 15:53:41 -0500

Funny joke from Logi at Into the Wild.

What do you do if you are lost in an Icelandic forest?

🤔

Stand up.

🤣

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 11:49:16 -0500

Beautiful view on Westman Islands.

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 05:54:38 -0500

Departing on Herjólfur Ferry headed to the Westmann Islands for the day!

Iceland Log Day 11

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 17:26:06 -0500

Tuesday, August 2nd
Great overall weather. Sunny. A few sprinkles.

Up early for 8:30a departure with Into the Wild to go on Super Jeep tour of Þórsmörk (Thorsmork) including: Eyjafjallajökull Volcano, Stakkholtsgjá Canyon Hike, Lunch at Thorsmork. We then transitioned to ATV’s for some fun riding and a stop for Gljúfrafoss Hike. Final stop at the very popular Seljalandsfoss waterfall before returning to The Garage.
Wonderful late afternoon hot tub time under the waterfall at The Garage. This place is great to stay at.
Return visit to Black Crust Pizzeria. We went there yesterday, and the place was too busy, dinner was rushed, and seating wasn’t great. Tammy felt strongly there was a better experience to be had so we went an hour earlier and had a delightful dinner.
Visit Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach and the kids had a great time playing on the beach, climbing on columnar geology, exploring the giant cave.
Mazie insisted that we stop at this cave just a bit down the road from The Garage on the way back. She read the sign and discovered it was Steinahellir Cave. It had a varied history, including some superstitions. Mazie insisted that we all get out and go through the door and see it. But then she got super scared about the stories of bad luck and insisted none of us go in and then we had to let Steinahellir Cave know that we were good people. 🤞

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Tue, 02 Aug 2022 14:55:26 -0500

Beautiful evening on Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach by Vik.

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 07:12:53 -0500

Stopping to observe the power of Eyjafjallajökull with Into the Wild. Amazing.

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 07:10:24 -0500

Out on an excursion with Into the Wild to Þórsmörk (Thorsmork). Beautiful spot for lunch.

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 18:28:09 -0500

These old Icelandic houses at the Skogar Museum don’t seem to fit me so well. I look and felt like a giant.

Iceland Log Day 10

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 17:13:41 -0500

Monday, August 1st
Very nice and sunny, with high winds in parts.

Visited Skogafoss. Majestic waterfall.
Did one-half (2.5 miles) of Waterfall Way hike from Skogafoss to Cascading Falls. 5 miles round trip. Next time we’ll do it all.
Visit Skogar Museum to see the turf houses and visit the cafe.
Walk to Kvernufoss from Skogar Museum.
Return to The Garage to relax.
Pizza at Black Crust Pizzeria in Vik.
Go to the Icelandic Lava Show!

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Mon, 01 Aug 2022 17:02:44 -0500

We had some fun hiking companions on the trail today. 🐏

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 13:55:00 -0500

Kvernufoss. Very beautiful waterfall.

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 13:54:08 -0500

Family selfie at Kvernufoss!

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 05:39:50 -0500

Family selfie at Skógafoss!

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 17:50:36 -0500

While driving we wrote down words that we felt described Iceland well: Rugged, Dramatic, Varied, Simple, Windy, Rainy, Chilly, Rocky, and Volcanic.

Iceland Log Day 9

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 17:40:07 -0500

Sunday, July 31st
Pleasant weather.

Checked out Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon
Five hour glacier hike on Vatnajökull Glacier with Troll Expeditions.
Gas station for refuel and lunch snacks.
Quick visit to Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon. Did not go all the way up. We were short on time and Jamie’s legs were spent.
Dinner at Smiðjan Brugghús in Vík
Get groceries at KR in Vik.
Drive to The Garage to check-in. This place is amazing!

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Sat, 30 Jul 2022 19:30:58 -0500

Svartifoss. I love the columns in the rock.

Sat, 30 Jul 2022 18:56:51 -0500

We had an amazing time on the Zodiac tour in the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon today visiting the glacier and looking at icebergs. We even saw some seals!

Sat, 30 Jul 2022 18:04:22 -0500

Wonderful evening hike to Svartifoss.

Iceland Log Day 8

Sat, 30 Jul 2022 17:34:00 -0500

Saturday, July 30th
Freaking cold and windy until 2p then really nice after that.

Checked out of Fosshotel Vatnajökull.
Drive to Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon.
1:10p Zodiac Tour was cancelled due to wind. Rebooked on 3:20p.
Explored the Diamond Beach and played with ice pushed back onto the beach.
Delicious lunch at Nailed It Fish & Chips. Really, really good!
Zodiac Tour which was amazing!
Check in to Foss Hotel Glacier Lagoon.
Very nice dinner at Foss Hotel Restaurant.
Hike up to Svartifoss Waterfall.
Outdoor hot tub at hotel.

Jump to day 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or Iceland 2022: Ring Road collection.

Sat, 30 Jul 2022 07:35:11 -0500

Family selfie at Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon! 💙🇮🇸

Sat, 30 Jul 2022 05:37:54 -0500

Very good at this 3D Tetris game of packing the rental car.

Sat, 30 Jul 2022 05:23:38 -0500

Sticker on window in hotel.

Dear guest.
Please be advised that during strong winds the door can break.
Do not open unless urgent.

I ❤️ Iceland. 😊

Fri, 29 Jul 2022 17:26:59 -0500

Goðafoss.

Fri, 29 Jul 2022 17:10:25 -0500

Boat in Skjálfandi Bay on the Greenland Sea near Húsavík, Iceland.

Fri, 29 Jul 2022 14:57:54 -0500

We just wrapped up Day 7 of our Iceland 2022: Ring Road adventure. We are going counter-clockwise and are through the Northern areas and are now transitioning to the South. Iceland is amazing!

Iceland Log Day 7

Fri, 29 Jul 2022 14:37:22 -0500

Friday, July 29th
Cool and Rain starting in afternoon.

Start at Skarðás Country Cabins in Egilsstadir.
Breakfast pastries at Fellabakarí.
Visit Seyðisfjörður to see shops and town.
Return to Ring Road and drive to Höfn along the ocean.
Stop at Djúpivogur to get a Coke and the kids jumping time on Jumping Pillow.
Early dinner at Íshúsið Pizzeria in Höfn.
Check in at Fosshotel Vatnajökull.

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Fri, 29 Jul 2022 14:30:51 -0500

You come across some pretty wild vehicles in Iceland.

Fri, 29 Jul 2022 06:10:41 -0500

Waterfall on way to Seyðisfjörður.

Iceland Log Day 6

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 18:15:09 -0500

Thursday, July 28th
Windy but Mostly Sunny

Breakfast at Fosshotel Mývatn.
Drive to Borgarfjörður Eystri.
Stop at Rjúkandafoss to stretch our legs and walk a bit and found out it was the 12th tallest waterfall in Iceland.
Epic hike to Stórurð from Njarðvík Trail Head (65° 33.05 -13° 58.24).
Arrive in Borgarfjörður Eystri.
Fabulous dinner at Frystiklefinn in Blábjörg Guesthouse.
Visit the Puffins at Hafnarhólmi.
Drive to Skarðás Country Cabins in Egilsstadir for the night.

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Wed, 27 Jul 2022 18:07:00 -0500

Tammy and I, along with Mazie and Tyler, celebrated our 20th Anniversary tonight while in Iceland with a nice dinner at Vogafjós, a farm-to-table restaurant on Lake Mývatn. Every year gets even better! 💕

Iceland Log Day 5

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 17:29:46 -0500

Iceland Log Day 5

Wednesday, July 27th
Cool and Rainy throughout the day

Our 20th Anniversary!
Start in Fosshotel Mývatn.
Drive to Dettifoss to see the incredible falls.
Explore Selfoss.
Check out Námafjall Geothermal Area, also known as Hverir.
Hike to the ring of the Hverfjall. Incredibly windy at top.
Explored the Dimmuborgir.
Figured out how to buy gas at N1.
Anniversary dinner at Vogafjos Farm-to-Table restaurant.

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Wed, 27 Jul 2022 14:00:00 -0500

Upstream from Dettifoss is the beautiful “symphony” of waterfalls at Selfoss.

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 12:00:00 -0500

The power of Dettifoss is amazing. From the viewing area the falls fills so much of your field of view that you can lose yourself in the cascade of water.

Iceland Log Day 4

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 18:24:02 -0500

Tuesday, July 26th
Cool and Pleasant

Start in Akureyri.
Breakfast at Berlin Cafe, downstairs from Airbnb.
Visit and explore Goðafoss. It is amazing.
Drive to Húsavík.
Visit the Húsavík Whale Museum.
Go Whale Watching with North Sailing.
Nice dinner at Naustið.
Drive to Mývatn.
Arrive at Fosshotel Mývatn.

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Tue, 26 Jul 2022 10:39:51 -0500

Travel lunch in Húsavík.

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 06:28:24 -0500

Visiting Goðafoss! Amazing.

Iceland Log Day 3

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 18:39:54 -0500

Monday, July 25th
Cool and misty with some sun

Start at Kirkjufell Guesthouse.
Kaffi Grundarfjordur for coffee and croissants.
Visit the Glaumbær Turf House.
Drive to Akureyri.
Nice dinnner at Strikið Akureyri.
Mineral baths at Forest Lagoon.

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Iceland Log Day 2

Sun, 24 Jul 2022 18:22:28 -0500

Sunday, July 24th
Cool and Partly Sunny in the morning, and Cloudy and cold in Evening

Start at Silica Hotel in Blue Lagoon.
Relaxation in mineral pools of the Blue Lagoon.
Walk around Blue Lagoon and see the big lagoon.
Lunch and coffee at Rjukandi Kaffi.
Hiked to Narrow Canyon of Rauðfeldsgjá.
Visit the Protector of the Snæfellsnes peninsula — Bárður Snæfellsás.
Hiked to harbor in Arnarstapi.
Delicious pizza for dinner in Arnarbær.
Enter Snæfellsjökull National Park and visit the Basalt Formations, Black sand beach, and stare longingly at crater as we ran out of time.
Visit Kirkjufell Mountain and waterfall where Jamie took pictures for a long time and Tammy was tired and had a bad headache.
Arrive at Kirkjufell Guesthouse.

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Iceland Log Day 1

Sat, 23 Jul 2022 21:42:11 -0500

Saturday, July 23rd
Warm with Thunderstorms and Hail. ⛈

Start at home.
DL260 cancelled overnight and we are now on an “on time” DL9900 flight to KEF at 12:45p. Flight should land at 11:55p in Iceland.🤞
Lyft to airport.
Thunderstorms threatening our departure.
+5 hours to Iceland GMT time.
11:55p Land in Keflavik
1:35a Get rental from Enterprise, trekking from airport since shuttle stopped at 8p.
2:15a Checkin at Silica Hotel.
2:30a Go to sleep as the sun is rising.

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Sat, 23 Jul 2022 19:01:11 -0500

Eastern Greenland at 10:50p from 37,000 feet on way to Iceland. Such a severe landscape in the midnight sun. 🇬🇱

Sat, 23 Jul 2022 12:58:56 -0500

DL9900 taking off now to Keflavik, Iceland. Announcement that we only have five airline attendants versus typical eight for Boing 767-300. All five came in on day off to keep flight from being cancelled. 🙏🤞

Sat, 23 Jul 2022 11:31:43 -0500

After last nights delays and cancellations it is 😬 to see storms coming right as our rescheduled DL9900 is supposed to depart to Keflavik, Iceland. 🤞

Iceland Log Day 0

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 22:49:43 -0500

Friday, July 22nd
Mostly Sunny, High 93 °F

Start in Minneapolis, MN
11:41a DL260 8:20p departure delayed to 9:20p
6:26p DL260 9:20p departure delayed to 11:39p
Impromptu dinner at Yum!
Lyft to airport.
Checked into flight, checked baggage.
9:58p DL260 11:39p departure delayed to 10:30a tomorrow! Delta has no pilots able to fly tonight. 🤷‍♂️
10:21p DL260 10:30a tomorrow departure delayed to 12:45p tomorrow.
Take taxi back home to try again tomorrow. 😬

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Returning to Iceland

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 21:12:42 -0500

In September 2012 I went to Iceland for a weeklong photography trip with three friends. Iceland amazed me and left me in awe. I have wanted to return, this time with the whole family, since the flight landed in Minneapolis.

Tomorrow is the day! We depart from Minneapolis on Friday night, and will land in Iceland on Saturday morning.

I am eager for the adventure to begin!