Iceland: Bring Your Own Bun (B.Y.O.B.)

With the threat of quarantining in a foreign country behind us, we decided that this was the year to dust of our passports and travel abroad. Fortunately, we had plenty of time (inside) to research a possible destination due to the unexpected “Atmospheric River” and freezing cold temperatures (okay, it was in the 40s, but still!) that we were experiencing in Northern California. After much deliberation, we decided on Iceland for our “Spring Break 2023” trip. Two words not typically used in the same sentence.

Route Planning

Organizing this trip was certainly exhilarating as Iceland is not a place for the spur-of-the-moment traveler, particularly one with kids. After booking our flights (I was now fully committed!) I needed to swiftly formulate a plan. With eight full days, and the “Ring Road” (the route around the Island) stretching only 1322 km (820 miles) I felt that that was a great place to start. I promptly joined a Facebook group called “Iceland – Tips For Travelers” which proved to be both a blessing and a curse as I was quickly presented with plenty of naysayers emphatically telling me that eight days to cover the entire island was not nearly enough time, that it was an impossible feat, and most importantly, ill-advised and dangerous. Killjoys. Anyway, I just kept reminding myself that I am an American — driving long distances in a short amount of time, and throwing caution to the wind is just what we do. (*Note: Two weeks would have been optimal, but with school, work, and sports it just wasn’t possible.)

Excursions

For better or worse, I next started studying the kid friendly tours that would keep my brood content and engaged. Fortunately, April is the off-season, so planning in January still provided us with plenty of availability. One piece of advice when traveling with kids is to pay close attention to the age limits. Lagoons, horseback rides, and snorkeling (Silfra) have strict ones. I was able to overcome the first two challenges, but not the snorkeling. For what it is worth, twelve seems to be the magic age where one has carte blanche on all tours. Greg and Roy were eight and eleven respectively, and while I may have briefly considered leaving them in the car while Doug and I indulged in a once-in-a-lifetime swim over lava and between large volcanic canyons, my conscience got the best of me. Next time.

Accommodations

Next on the agenda was figuring out which impossible-to-pronounce town to frequent each evening and secure our guesthouse(s). (*Note. guesthouses in Iceland generally have shared amenities, like a bathroom, shower, and kitchen. So, yeah, like a step up from a hostel.) Yes, there were plenty of days that required a good amount of driving, but we daylight was on our side. (In April there are thirteen and a half hours of daylight with a whole lotta dusk on top of that.) While I agree this would not have worked as well in December, in April, eight days is plenty of time!

Useful Weather and Driving Apps

As our trip got closer, it was the unstable and volatile weather that was keeping me up at night.  While March signals the end of “winter”, April can be just as capricious. Blizzards, gale forced winds, horrible driving conditions, and the subsequent closed roads (whereby tourists were unable to catch their flights back home) are frequent.  Per the advice I found on Facebook, I added the Vedur.is app (weather) and the safetravel.is (road closures) to my phone. I studied both of them intently. I even created a “box and whisker plot” (Roy’s homework last night) in an attempt to predict the unpredictable. Either way, I grew up driving through snowstorms in both Illinois and Connecticut, I felt prepared.

Packing

Packing was a challenge as we do not typically experience extreme weather living in California. Earlier in the year I had taken inventory of our “snow clothes” and found them to be sufficient (water/wind proofing a must!) but did need to purchase boots for the kids (Sorel Waterproof) and Doug; and then gloves for myself. I failed miserably on the latter as every time I took my hands out of my gloves (in Iceland) to fumble with my iPhone for a picture, my several of my fingers would freeze, making it impossible to reapply said glove. One word, mittens.  I did find my infinity scarf to be a lifesaver, as it helped to cover my face. (For the kids I purchased the equivalent Turtle Fur.) The merino wool socks are a must as well. Other items to remember are: microfiber towels (towels are not always free when you visit a bath), a waterproof iPhone case, and a Type C Euro to US plug converter (for all of your families many devices.)

Boarding Our Flight in SFO

On Monday, April 3^rd, we departed to Reykjavik via Copenhagen on an Airbus A330 instead of the much-anticipated A350. Not a great way start for our future pilots, but at least Roy and Greg had their prized window seats.  After relentlessly critiquing the in-flight amenities (or lack thereof), and take-off, we settled in for the twelve-hour flight to Copenhagen. (And yes, I do realize that Copenhagen further away than Iceland but this was the cheapest flight I could find.) Upon landing in Denmark, we were pleasantly surprised when the SAS flight attendants spoke English to every other passenger on the flight, but us. Our family must appear more Danish than American. We decided to just roll with it.

Copenhagen

We had grand plans for our five-hour stopover in Copenhagen. We had visited previously and were practically locals according to the crew of our A330.  Unfortunately, jet lag had caught up with us, so we opted for a simple boat trip through the canals. We (think) this cost around $50 for all four of us, but who knows, it wasn’t our native currency.

With as few as five hours one has plenty of time to sightsee in Copenhagen. We purchased a “day pass” for the trains. Then we boarded the yellow-colored “M2 line” from the airport, stopping at the Kongens Nytorv station.  Allow plenty of time for the TSA checkpoint on the way back into the airport as they asked us to empty practically everything in our carryon to comply with their apparent screening policies. They were (at least) nice about it though.

Our three-hour flight from Copenhagen to Reykjavík on a 737 (yet another disappointment, as the “pilots” were hoping for a 757) was uneventful. Iceland Air was quite accommodating to children, serving them a cute little snack (I think they were Paw Patrol gummies?) immediately after departure. The in-flight entertainment was, uh, quirky. I, personally, enjoyed all of the videos produced by the Iceland tourism board, particularly the one on driving safety featuring the elf/garden gnome dressed in a Metallica shirt. I guess that is how they perceive Americans?

Landing in Reykjavik

We (finally) landed in Reykjavik at 11PM on Tuesday, April 4^th and were able to walk to our hotel, the Aurora Hotel at Keflavik Airport.  Breakfast was included with our stay, so after enjoying that (directly adjacent to a little girl that was hacking up a lung) we walked over to Blue Car to pick up our (white) Dacia Duster. “Dusty”. Like most cars in Iceland, Dusty had a manual transmission. Luckily, both Doug and I were well versed using a clutch (my 1982 Subaru with the hole in the back left door was stick shift!) so it was not an issue.  Okay, locating “reverse” was a slight challenge and I kinda thought I was going to have to only drive in forward the entire trip, but Doug figured it out and were on our way to the Blue Lagoon for a 9AM reservation. Oh, and don’t bother purchasing a hotspot. We had no issue just using our iPhones. (AT&T)

There seems to be an endless debate between whether one should visit the Blue Lagoon or the Sky Lagoon.  Many argue that the Blue Lagoon is over-crowded, touristy, and manufactured. While I don’t disagree, know that if you are traveling with kids, the Blue Lagoon accepts them and the Sky Lagoon does not. This makes for an easy decision.  In regards to tickets, we purchased the “Comfort” Package, which included everything but a bathrobe and sparkling wine.  Because our children are both under fourteen, they were free with a paying adult. This made the Blue Lagoon an excellent investment.

Blue Lagoon

Total Cost: $140

Arriving early at the Blue Lagoon is a good idea as it gets crowded quickly.  We arrived just before a shuttle arrived from the airport, and had no problem finding lockers, but by the time we left around 11:30, the place was slammed. There is a men’s and a women’s changing area. This worked in my favor, as Doug was then left to deal with Roy’s “inability to handle nudity” all on his own. There is a policy to shower before entering the lagoon, but whether you must shower nude does not seem to be enforced. As for hair, I put mine into a ponytail and lathered it with conditioner prior to entering the lagoon. I did not experience an issue with my hair.

The temperature that morning was in the thirties (isn’t it always?!?), so I brought our beanies, but didn’t use them. There is a tunnel from the changing rooms to the lagoon which is a huge bonus as you never have to deal with the cold or the wind. The lagoon is very comfortable. So much so, that Greg, our “hot body”, and Roy had to exit the water just to “cool off”.  The lagoon itself is fairly shallow, but because Greg was “under nine”, he was forced to wear a pair of bright orange water wings. He owned his floaties.

As part of our package we were offered a free mask and a drink. Doug and I applied the mask alongside all the other people that (also) seemed to also be visiting from the United States, and then after that activity, we floated our way over to the bar to cash in on our free drink coupon. The kids immediately spied (and then petitioned for) a bright blue slushie looking drink. Doug, who is against anything ‘artificial’, promptly told the kids “Not a chance! You are not drinking that crap!”. Low and behold, the name of the drink was actually “Krap”. Go figure.

Baejarins Beztu

When you exit the Lagoon, (we lasted a little over an hour) you are offered a single towel. Use it wisely. Do not try and move to the lockers without drying off first, you will be scolded.

We arrived in Reykjavik around lunchtime, heading straight to Baejarins Beztu to grab one of their “infamous” Icelandic hot dogs. Here we waited in line for over an hour, in the cold, sleet, and snow to eat a sausage that was more than likely shipped in from Chicago. Doug selected to get one with everything, Greg had ketchup only, and Roy went bun-less. (When you are gluten free, you BYOB – Bring Your Own Bun). I opted to forgo the delicacy altogether, thankfully.  After the first bite, the kids noticed a crunch (from the casing I assume) and that was the end of it. No more hot dog.

Sun Voyager, Rainbow Road, Hallgrimskirkja Church

In Reykjavik, we frequented all the famous stops — the Sun Voyager, Rainbow Road, and Hallgrimskirkja Church. We purchased two (hefty) loaves of bread at Brauð & Co and Sandholt (downtown) and then proceeded to the local Bónus Supermarket to stock up on “orange” cheese and Icelandic Skyr.

I had booked two rooms at the Guesthouse Sunna, located less than a block from the Hallgrimskirkja Church.  After eating our first “cheese and mustard sandwich of Iceland”, we took an evening stroll, stopping at “The Northern Lights Center”.  We had the place to ourselves, learning all about the Northern Lights that would allude us for the entire trip. The best part of this excursion was their “immersive” experience. This offers the opportunity to lay on a plush bean bag and watch a film of some of the best lights displays in Iceland. Dangerous when you haven’t slept in over 24 hours. The “selfie” station was also a hoot. It took us over forty-five tries to finally get this masterpiece.  

Continued here with: Iceland: You’ve Been Dusted