If I may offer one piece of universal advice: When you have the option to take a Best Friend’s Trip, take it!
The last time Sarah and I travelled together, we took a road trip up to Boston before I applied to their Master’s program in Photojournalism (was accepted; enrolled at Ohio University instead) and hit Salem on the way back home. Last week, we crossed the Atlantic and had ourselves a wonderful, laid back trip around Iceland’s Capital Region.
I/We love Reykjavik! Fresh air, clean water, ocean views, and the city somehow beautifully melds both a downtown and small town atmosphere. Oh, and the food. Yes, it’s pricey, but it just tastes like… more compared to what we’re used to in the States. Brauð og Co is life, don’t @ me.
And YES, Iceland managed our expectations by completely pummeling us with wind and rain just on the journey from airport terminal to rental car building, but after that the rain seemed like no big deal.
Casual evening on the black sand beach at Seltjarnarnes, picking up glass, shells, lava rocks, and the occasional vertebrae.Driving north from Reykjavik, one of our first stops was Glanni waterfall. We expected something small because it didn’t sound loud from the parking lot, and were blown away by what we found!Next stop: EirÃksstaðir (Erik the Red’s Homestead). This place closes at the end of September for the winter, and the rickety roads covered with free-range sheep really drove that point home. That didn’t stop the Icelanders from putting up a statue to Leif Erikson in the middle of (relative) nowhere!This viking longhouse was reconstructed in the early 2000’s, and I refuse to ruin your sense of adventure by showing you the inside. Our tour guide was amazing and I highly recommend making the trek out when it re-opens in May.We spent the night in Stykkishólmur, which I’ve been to once before. It’s an absolutely lovely seaside town, with the best seafood I’ve ever had in my life.We braved the insane winds to climb the bluffs across Stykkishólmur’s harbor, and were rewarded with incredible views as the sun set.Kirkjufell & Kirkjufellfoss were everything that every travel blog made them out to be. So stunning, even in the rain, even after I fell on my butt trying to scoot around the many photographers there.Mossy lava fields are my jam.Djúpalónssandur beach might have been the most incredible sight we found on our Snæfellsness trip. The craggy formations were at once imposing and welcoming.Inside Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge. Most tourists took photos of the one seagull chillin’ inside (ok, I did too), but I loved the view looking straight up.Feeding the birds at Ráðhús ReykjavÃkur was an absolute must. I love these young seagulls!It’s hard to tell that this park sits next to a highway in Reykjavik. Elliðaárdalur is pure magic.More magic at Elliðaárdalur park.Our last stop before the airport was Stekkjarkot, outside the Viking Heritage Museum.Visitors can’t go inside the structures at Stekkjarkot, but it’s a great (free!) example of how vikings used to live.
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