“You’re crazy.”
That’s what they told me. “They” being nearly everyone I encountered and shared my plan with.
The plan: Work all day Friday. Come home to a family party hosted at my house. Leave around midnight to drive 311 miles from Metro Detroit to Chicago, solo.
When it comes to food in Iceland, one may not expect a small island hovering below the Arctic Circle to hold a fork in culinary delight. But it does. Oh yes, the food in Iceland is quite delicious.
In a county that has ZERO McDonald’s (yes, you read that correctly), much of the Icelandic cuisine is organic, locally-sourced, and supremely delectable. From free-range lamb to creamy skyr to pungent, rotten shark and bread baked in the earth, the food in Iceland is a cuisine that charms and surprises.
Ready to unleash your inner Viking? Take a bite! Here are the standout tastes from our honeymoon in Iceland.
It’s difficult enough to figure out what to wear on your average Monday. But figuring out what to wear in Iceland is a a whole new challenge. Especially when you’re trying to figure out what to wear in Iceland in September — the shoulder season still clings to summer while creeping on to winter. The weather can range from the low 60s and plummet down to the low 30s at night (Fahrenheit).
These are the wardrobe essentials for a trip to the land of fire and ice, Iceland.
Many people have told me, this is the best Iceland itinerary I’ve seen! This makes me glad, because planning a trip to Iceland and determining an Iceland itinerary can be challenging. It’s a country with so much to see and do and taste. When I sat down to plan our Iceland itinerary for our epic honeymoon road trip, I became instantaneously overwhelmed. For a few reasons:
Though we determined where we’d end up each night, much of the day was left open with a few “must see” sights we’d bookmarked. But Iceland is a place that happens naturally to you, so you go with the flow. This is my recommended Iceland itinerary. It loosely follows what we did, but I modified this itinerary to what I would do if I could travel to Iceland for 9 days all over again. This isn’t an exact replica from our journey. Why? Because we missed some things, made some mistakes, and back tracked more than I wish to admit. This could have been easily avoided with better planning, but I’m an ENFP — planning isn’t my strongest trait.
If you have any questions about my 9 day Iceland itinerary, check out some of the comments (there are many questions!) or feel free to drop me an email or tweet or Facebook message! Much love.
Here’s a sneak peak of my recommendations for your trip to Iceland…
Where to stay in Iceland? There are so many Iceland accommodations available for the traveler, depending on budget and type of trip.
Budget travel in Iceland? Consider camping, hiring a camper van, or hosteling. Luxury travel in Iceland? Check out any of Iceland’s fancy resorts. Looking to stay with locals in Iceland? Research AirBNB options, Bed & Breakfasts, or any of Iceland’s unique farmstays.
We sought an Iceland accommodation somewhere in the middle. Getting married is expensive, so we were conscious of our wallets, but as it was our honeymoon, we wanted to find more than a tent or budget hotel. Lucky for us, everything was cheaper since we visited in low season.
PRO TIP: Book in advance, especially during peak or shoulder season. Some of the towns we stayed in only had a few hotel options and booking a week in advance really limited our choices. Another important note — accommodation prices are significantly cheaper in the low season! Low season begins September 1.
Determining where to stop and stay was the biggest struggle of planning our Iceland road trip. During our 9-day road trip around Ring Road, we stayed at 7 different accommodations in Iceland. They were all unique and different from each other. Here’s a quick snapshot of the places we stayed:
If you’ve been a longtime reader of UnrestingSea, you’ve probably read Toronto by Suggestion, when my friend Lara and I stayed in a hostel and rode bikes around the city in the summer. I’ve been eager to return since.
I recently road tripped back, husband in tow, for a Christmas-themed trip to Toronto. This trip was quite different from the last, but just as fun. Toronto knows how to celebrate the holidays. There are plenty of Christmas things to do in Toronto that are fun, romantic, and affordable. Here are some ideas that you could do for a weekend trip to Toronto – Christmas themed!
It’s uncharacteristically mild for December.
This is a good thing, because the crowds are growing and the queue to enter is lengthening. Judging by the masses of friends, families, photographers, and couples, we’re in for a holiday treat.
We’re waiting to experience one of Toronto’s top attractions for the holiday: the Toronto Christmas Market.
Christmas markets aren’t new. They’ve remained in our history for centuries, originating in Germany/Austria around the early 1400s. For a tradition so rooted in our human history, this is only our first time visiting one. It’s a holidate for me and my newlywed husband, Eric.
The historic Distillery District is the perfect backdrop for the Toronto Christmas Market. It’s an industrial mill repurposed as a pedestrian-only block, now home to art galleries, boutiques, and unique restaurants. Founded in the 1800s, the buildings in the Distillery District add to the nostalgia of the atmosphere.
If you’re here to find out if you can take rocks from Iceland or take sand from Iceland or if it is illegal to take rocks/sand from Iceland, please scroll down to the end of this post where I answer these questions. Originally this was a story post, but because so many people have asked me if it is permissible to take rocks from Iceland as souvenirs, I’ve contacted the Environment Agency of Iceland for answers. That is provided at the end of this post, after my personal experience of taking rocks from Iceland.
There’s a reason they say:
Take only memories, leave only footsteps.
Because travelers should not disturb nature. Because travelers should not leave their garbage. Because travelers should respect the places they visit and remember them forever. Because travelers do not want to get cursed by taking something that doesn’t belong to them.
Let me first preface by stating: We are NOT a superstitious couple. Nope, not superstitious. We walk under ladders, cuddle black cats, and request rooms on floor 13. And superstition did not follow us on our honeymoon in Iceland…
The wind and rain inhibited our sightseeing plans for Snaefellsnes Peninsula. The visibility was so poor, we drove around the iconic Kirkjufell and could only see a faint outline of the monolithic mountain.
Exploring new restaurants and trying local cuisine is an excellent alternative when weather throws travel plans awry. Nothing says “emotional eating” like feeding our despair with food. So we treated ourselves to a romantic seafood dinner at Bjarnarhöfn — the Icelandic Shark Museum famous for the production of a very special Icelandic delicacy – hákarl.
It’s fermented shark. Yes, that famous fermented shark of Iceland.
A tiny country hovering close to the Arctic Circle has captured the international travel spotlight: Iceland. And for good reason. Have you seen how many times Iceland is listed as one of the most mesmerizing places on the planet? Iceland boasts unspoiled nature, promises adventure, and proclaims majesty. It’s a place that not many visit, but when people do, they’re enraptured.