How exciting! I'm going back to Scandinavia for the second time this year!
Originally the plan was for us to go to Spain and Portugal in November of 2014. Well, as I'm sure you know, plans don't always go... well "as planned". When a certain family participant had backed out of coming on the trip (which was originally planned for them). I found it a bit ridiculous, and quickly went into the mode of thinking about the places that I wanted to go.
Seeing the Northern Lights came to mind. And next thing you know I was talking to the kids and booking our flights to go and explore ICELAND!
Bookmark this page to read the LIVE BLOG (click the link on each day), and read my Travel Diary below:
Originally the plan was for us to go to Spain and Portugal in November of 2014. Well, as I'm sure you know, plans don't always go... well "as planned". When a certain family participant had backed out of coming on the trip (which was originally planned for them). I found it a bit ridiculous, and quickly went into the mode of thinking about the places that I wanted to go.
Seeing the Northern Lights came to mind. And next thing you know I was talking to the kids and booking our flights to go and explore ICELAND!
Bookmark this page to read the LIVE BLOG (click the link on each day), and read my Travel Diary below:
Itinerary - Click on links to read about each day!
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ICELAND
Departure Day 0 JFK to KEF Check in settle... Day 1 Solfar (Sun Voyager) Sculpture, Harpa, and Old Town Day 2 Priscilla Arrives Hallgrímskirkja, Tjörnin Lake Day 3 Old Harbour, The Iceland Expo Pavilion, Cathedral of Christ Church, Perlan Day 4 Golden Circle Tour, Northern Lights Tour Day 5 Old Town - Shopping Day 6 Viking Horse Back Riding Tour, Feed the Birds at Tjörnin Lake Day 7 South Shore Adventure Tour Day 8 Reykjavik Flea Market, Videy Island & Imagine Peace Tower, and Northern Lights Tour Day 9 Blue Lagoon Depart for JFK |
NYC POST TRIP
Day/Night 1 Head to Elisa's - Dinner? Day 2 Spend time working on Book Shop for non-perishables Day 3 Shop for perishables Begin cooking for Thanksgiving! Day 4 Dave B arrives, take LIRR into the city, check in, EAT Red Bamboo, shop, head to NYBG, meet up with Elisa & gang, Holiday Train Show, Dinner at The Pine Tree Cafe Day 5 Thanksgiving Day Parade LIRR to Garden City Back to the city later that night Day 6 Statue of Liberty Family dinner @ John's on 12th to celebrate Dominic's Birthday!!! Day 7 Dominic's Birthday! Champs for Breakfast Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Hall Blossom for Lunch Union Square Christmas Market Times Square Candle 79 for Dinner Day 8 Brunch at Blossom Honeymoon in Vegas with Elisa and gang, Dave leaves Day 9 Spend with Dad Day 10 Leave for LAX |
List of Sights that I'd like to see on this trip:
un-natural though quite beautiful and MUST DO geothermal pool. TC TIP: DO NOT LET THE WATER TOUCH YOUR HAIR!!!!! Cities & Towns
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Restaurants, Dining, & Markets
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Completed TasksAirline Tickets - Icelandic Air - DONE
Hotel - TBA - BOOKED Northern Lights Tour - BOOKED Golden Circle Tour - BOOKED Horseback Riding Tour - BOOKED South Shore Adventure Tour - BOOKED |
What to Pack
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Trip Diary
10/23/2014 - 22 days to go. As of now my friend Priscilla and her companion Jim, are joining us on this trip!
I'm still waiting to hear if Cherryl can make it along for the ride of a lifetime! The kids are pretty amped, as am I!
Viking Horseback riding is all booked - just for me and the kids. I'll be booking more tours within the next few days.
Still working on the packing list, and currently adding tips for both you and me to remember on this upcoming journey!
10/29/2014 - We are getting closer and closer to leaving California and heading to New York prior to our departure for this very EPIC trip!
I still have to change out all of our summer clothes for our winter wardrobe, and of course PACK! I'll get to this early next week. Spent a lot of time yesterday figuring out our meal plans and what vegan supplies we will be taking with us on this journey. Also have been trying to figure out what to do about either renting a car for a day (mainly to check out the very beautiful Southern Coast), or to take another tour. Well the verdict is in, and I found a tour that looks perfectly awesome, and since I am having a difficult time with the pronunciation of EVERYTHING over there. I am a bit concerned with not having the easiest time on the road doing a self guided tour. So there we have it - organized tour it will be!
Also, just in case you were wondering Cherryl is NOT coming, and now Priscilla is thinking about bailing on the trip. DRAMA.
11/04/2014 - Okay, Priscilla is definitely IN. Jim is definitely OUT.
I'm am hooking Priscilla up today (booking a couple of the same tours that we are on).
Packing in underway! Meal plan is coming along! I will be adding the addition of the pre/post NYC trip to the itinerary.
Must still book Blue Lagoon with transportation and Flybus airport shuttle.
11/15/2014 - We arrived at 6am this morning, and I haven't really slept (napped on the flight) since waking up yesterday morning - this feels like such a LONG day! Luckily we were allowed to check in early, since Cosette was falling asleep on the couch in the recreation room. It's almost 9p right now and she is on her 2nd nap. I kinda don't think she's gonna wake up until morning. Except that she was hungry before falling asleep and I'm gonna try a see if she wants a bite. We had a great day strolling the bay and checking things out in old town. The weather really wasn't so bad, but Cosette was cold for some reason.
Oh, and once I unpacked I realized that I can't find Cosette's swimsuit! UGH! I must've left it at Elisa's. SHOOT!!
11/17/2014 - 3rd Day here, been putting lots of mileage on the ol' stompers (feet/shoes), exploring all of the in and outs, ups and downs of Reykjavik. Lots of sightseeing, picture taking, and good times. On the not so good hand - we have terrible neighbors!!! Awful since we checked in. 7 guys in total, split between 2 rooms, and NOISY at all hours! Stomping through the halls at 2am and waking me up with their rude disrespectful behavior! UGH - I had it this morning, I reported their a$$e$ and happily found out that they will be checking out tomorrow! YES!
Priscilla arrived yesterday, but stayed in all day catching up on her Zzz's and today was the first day that Pris came out to explore!
Northern Lights Tour has been cancelled on us 2 nights in a row. #sucks But my fingers are crossed that we will see the Aurora Borealis before we head back to the states!
11/19/2014 - 5th Day here, last night was an exhausting BUST. Had a wonderful day touring the Golden Circle, go to see so much! But then although our Northern Lights tour was not cancelled on it - it probably would've been better if it were...we were out from 7:30p until around 2am. And saw a big fat nothing! Totally bummed. And it caused us to have a rather lazy morning. We got out late, did a bunch of shopping (who's complaining there), had Bretzels and vegan Carrot Cake, and rescheduled another Northern Lights tour for tomorrow night! Told by a local that the best months to catch the most dramatic Lights are in Jan/Feb...
I'm still waiting to hear if Cherryl can make it along for the ride of a lifetime! The kids are pretty amped, as am I!
Viking Horseback riding is all booked - just for me and the kids. I'll be booking more tours within the next few days.
Still working on the packing list, and currently adding tips for both you and me to remember on this upcoming journey!
10/29/2014 - We are getting closer and closer to leaving California and heading to New York prior to our departure for this very EPIC trip!
I still have to change out all of our summer clothes for our winter wardrobe, and of course PACK! I'll get to this early next week. Spent a lot of time yesterday figuring out our meal plans and what vegan supplies we will be taking with us on this journey. Also have been trying to figure out what to do about either renting a car for a day (mainly to check out the very beautiful Southern Coast), or to take another tour. Well the verdict is in, and I found a tour that looks perfectly awesome, and since I am having a difficult time with the pronunciation of EVERYTHING over there. I am a bit concerned with not having the easiest time on the road doing a self guided tour. So there we have it - organized tour it will be!
Also, just in case you were wondering Cherryl is NOT coming, and now Priscilla is thinking about bailing on the trip. DRAMA.
11/04/2014 - Okay, Priscilla is definitely IN. Jim is definitely OUT.
I'm am hooking Priscilla up today (booking a couple of the same tours that we are on).
Packing in underway! Meal plan is coming along! I will be adding the addition of the pre/post NYC trip to the itinerary.
Must still book Blue Lagoon with transportation and Flybus airport shuttle.
11/15/2014 - We arrived at 6am this morning, and I haven't really slept (napped on the flight) since waking up yesterday morning - this feels like such a LONG day! Luckily we were allowed to check in early, since Cosette was falling asleep on the couch in the recreation room. It's almost 9p right now and she is on her 2nd nap. I kinda don't think she's gonna wake up until morning. Except that she was hungry before falling asleep and I'm gonna try a see if she wants a bite. We had a great day strolling the bay and checking things out in old town. The weather really wasn't so bad, but Cosette was cold for some reason.
Oh, and once I unpacked I realized that I can't find Cosette's swimsuit! UGH! I must've left it at Elisa's. SHOOT!!
11/17/2014 - 3rd Day here, been putting lots of mileage on the ol' stompers (feet/shoes), exploring all of the in and outs, ups and downs of Reykjavik. Lots of sightseeing, picture taking, and good times. On the not so good hand - we have terrible neighbors!!! Awful since we checked in. 7 guys in total, split between 2 rooms, and NOISY at all hours! Stomping through the halls at 2am and waking me up with their rude disrespectful behavior! UGH - I had it this morning, I reported their a$$e$ and happily found out that they will be checking out tomorrow! YES!
Priscilla arrived yesterday, but stayed in all day catching up on her Zzz's and today was the first day that Pris came out to explore!
Northern Lights Tour has been cancelled on us 2 nights in a row. #sucks But my fingers are crossed that we will see the Aurora Borealis before we head back to the states!
11/19/2014 - 5th Day here, last night was an exhausting BUST. Had a wonderful day touring the Golden Circle, go to see so much! But then although our Northern Lights tour was not cancelled on it - it probably would've been better if it were...we were out from 7:30p until around 2am. And saw a big fat nothing! Totally bummed. And it caused us to have a rather lazy morning. We got out late, did a bunch of shopping (who's complaining there), had Bretzels and vegan Carrot Cake, and rescheduled another Northern Lights tour for tomorrow night! Told by a local that the best months to catch the most dramatic Lights are in Jan/Feb...