My summer trip to Iceland was the most memorable vacation I've ever been on; simply, it was different from every trip before it. Most places I've been to have been hot and/or tropical, but the temperature in Iceland rarely surpassed 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Rather than branching out for daily activities from a central hotel, we drove around the island on what is called the Ring Road, staying in a different hotel every night and visiting Iceland's different attractions along each day's drive. You can drive the Ring Road in a week (Iceland is comparable in size to Maine); however, my family allocated two weeks to experiencing everything Iceland has to offer.
Extreme Iceland
The first thing you'll notice about Iceland is how barren it is. Driving the Ring Road from ReykjavÃk, you'll soon get used to the view—acres of stubby grass peppered with sheep, fields of volcanic boulders and tiny streams working their way to the sea. Trees are a rare sight. However, when looking inland, it's hard to get used to the mountains and hills shrouded in clouds and fog, with the occasional waterfall and the even-more-occasional glacier spilling from their façade. Being the sibling sitting in the right seat, I found myself leaning over my brother to take pictures of the beautiful landscapes rather than the muddy plains and ocean out my window.
View out the leftSam Jirik
View out the rightSam Jirik
The landscape changes drastically once you reach the Eastern Fjords. A fjord is a narrow, flooded valley with steep sides carved out by a retreating glacier. Iceland's east and northwest coasts are riddled with fjords, so each day's drive took us in a zig-zag pattern in and out of each fjord, with the occasional tunnel shortening the trip. A sizable fraction of the 2,157 pictures I took on the trip were in these fjords, partially because of their beauty and partially because there is little else to do while riding in the car. It seemed that each fjord cradled a small village, all of which began with a set of docks and slowly climbed up the side of the fjord, giving the town a tiered look. These were my favorite places to stay. Other hotels along the Ring Road were just as hospitable, but they were placed seemingly at random in places devoid of other civilization, sticking out like Americans do whenever they are abroad.
The hotel boardwalkSam Jirik
The East FjordsSam Jirik
A dock in the East FjordsSam Jirik
Iceland is a country surrounded by, filled with and dependent on water. Fishing is a thriving industry, and I wouldn't recommend moving to Iceland if you'd get sick of eating seafood. The nation's waterfalls, glaciers (as well as the land formations they created) and hot springs are irresistible tourist attractions. Nearly every day of our journey included a visit to a waterfall, but it never got old. We visited several hot springs, all of which reeked of sulfur. Some were comparable to hot tubs, so we were able to swim, but others reached 100 degrees Celsius. (We did not swim in those.) Perhaps the best day for photography was the day we rode a boat into a bay filled with icebergs that slipped loose from the glacier and slowly made for the sea. The waterfalls, hot springs and glaciers are definitive parts of the Iceland experience.
A waterfall with a path behind itSam Jirik
A waterfall with bad lighting and my brother posing attractivelySam Jirik
A seven tiered waterfall of which you can see three tiersSam Jirik
A catwalk over hot springsSam Jirik
The aftermath of an erupting geyserSam Jirik
Birds chilling on an icebergSam Jirik
Icebergs damming the bay outletSam Jirik
The main animals you'll see in Iceland are sheep, horses and birds. It's difficult to capture the countryside without a few sheep adding white specks to the photo. I was lucky enough to add seals, whales and dolphins to the list, and even luckier to be able to take pictures of both. I was expecting to maybe see one whale on our whale-watching tour, but the boat was practically spinning in place trying to keep track of half a dozen whales at once. Each time a whale was spotted, the boat's engines would roar indicating the strain of turning, and the mass of camera-wielding passengers would slosh to the appropriate side.
SheepleSam Jirik
HorseySam Jirik
Whale tailSam Jirik
Sea doggoSam Jirik
ReykjavÃk is easily the biggest city in Iceland (which isn't saying much). It's still easy to tell you're not in America. The streets are narrower and are friendlier to pedestrians and bikers than to vehicles. It feels more like a college campus than a sprawling city. Art is everywhere. Colorful pastel buildings and giant murals demand attention at every corner. Statues, sculptures and graffiti adorn every street. Even the roads are beautiful—many of them are brick rather than concrete, and one had hearts drawn around each flower-shaped lamppost.
Colorful ReykjavÃk streetSam Jirik
Colorful ReykjavÃk buildingSam Jirik
Pretty ReykjavÃk street artSam Jirik
Iceland was the perfect travel destination for my family. Being Minnesotan, we were comfortable with the colder climate. The Ring Road tour struck a perfect balance between unplanned madness and oppressive scheduling. The hikes to each destination were beautiful, and, though they weren't too challenging, we still broke a sweat. You could've told me I was in Middle Earth and I would've believed you (even though "The Lord Of The Rings" was filmed in New Zealand). I fell in love with the country—the language, the landscapes and the cities. If you're itching for adventure, but prefer to explore comfortably at your own pace, the Ring Road tour of Iceland may be a game changer for you.
