Connie had talked about going to Iceland for the Northern Lights way back in March. I was hesitant because I wanted to go somewhere warm. Then we decided to get married in September, and Iceland seemed like a more appropriate destination for a honeymoon than say Texas or Florida. I was also worried about a long flight because we only had 7 days of vacation. I learned flights were nonstop from Chicago. I was all on board after that. I am so thankful I got on board, as it was a trip of a lifetime and definitely Honeymoon-worthy! Not knowing a lot about Iceland, we booked a guided tour with Gate 1 and the ball got rolling.
 |
| This is from the top of a volcano center we visited. The volcano in this view is Eyjafjallajokull. It erupted and made big news in 2010. The volcano that is active now is Fagradalsfjall. |
A few weeks before our trip, a volcano in Iceland was acting up and threatening to erupt. They evacuated a small town on the southern coast, and we all held our breaths. We followed the news up until a week before and it seemed we were a go. Iceland is no stranger to volcanoes, but certain eruptions in certain places can threaten travel. We were cleared to travel and boarded our flight on Dec. 4, 2023.
We were greeted at the airport by a guide and taken to a small brewpub for breakfast with the other people on our tour. After breakfast and introductions, we did a small driving tour around Reykjavik and stopped at a historically famous church named Hallgrimskirkja. We then went to The Perlan Museum where we learned a little about Iceland and got a 360-degree view of Reykjavik courtesy of its observation tower.
 |
| Such a beautiful view from the observation tower at Perlan Museum |
After the Museum we drove towards our hotel in the middle of nowhere. We stayed at Hotel Hella for two nights. There is no light pollution there because it is in the boonies! We had a meet and greet dinner with our fellow travelers. Then we went to bed around 9pm. We were exhausted. But don't worry, the hotel has a wake-up call for everyone whenever the Northern Lights become active. Sure enough, at 11pm our phone rang. We rubbed out the sleep in our eyes, got dressed, grabbed our cameras, and headed out. We were NOT disappointed either. We were treated to 2 full hours of dancing green lights in the sky. It was truly a magical feeling to watch the Northern Lights, and even more magical to witness them with my beautiful wife on our Honeymoon!
 |
| One of my favorites from the first night. |
 |
| Another good one from the first night. I love how the light shoots up to the Big Dipper! |
The next morning, we took a drive towards the southern coast, out to the town of Vik. Along the way we stopped to do some sightseeing, viewing a couple of great waterfalls. We stopped at The Lava Center and saw some interesting exhibits on the history of volcanoes in Iceland. The real treat, for us anyway, was the Black Sandy Beach in Vik. It was utterly surreal and unique! Winds were gusting up to 50mph, but that did not deter us from walking out to the beach and cliffsides. It actually enhanced the experience for us! It did make it a little dangerous for some of the folks who had mobility issues, and that was unfortunate. But I wouldn't trade the experience for anything!
 |
| This is such a fun photo of Connie. Notice the snow blowing in behind her! Incredible! |
 |
| This might be my favorite photo from the whole trip. Connie took this of me while I was trying to get up out of the shallow "bunker" in the sand. The snow was coming in sideways! |
After spending a little time around Vik, we headed back towards our hotel in Hella for a second night of Northern Lights. Along the way, we saw some beautiful farmland on the coast and another waterfall. We packed as much as we could in the 5 hours of daylight we had :0). The sun rose around 1030 and set around 3pm in December. Of course, it was all worth it to see the Lights as much as we did. Once again, we got our wake-up call when the lights were active, and out we went!
 |
| I like how the lights randomly shoot up into the sky |
 |
| They "dance" along the horizon |
The next day we checked out of Hella and drove to The Golden Circle. It is a uniquely scenic part of Iceland that is vastly different depending on the time of year. During the winter months, there are fewer hiking opportunities, but the scenery is indescribable with the frozen tundra, geysers, and roaring waterfalls. We also stopped at an Organic Tomato Farm, which was fascinating. Iceland imports almost all of its foods except fish. But this tomato farm harvests 2000 tomatoes a day for sale throughout the country. They are all grown inside an elaborate Greenhouse. We were also treated to a delicious lunch of tomato soup and some amazing homemade breads! It was quite the experience, to say the least.
 |
| Geyser at sunrise |
 |
| Gullfoss Waterfall in the Golden Circle |
 |
| Organic Tomato Farm |
 |
The bread was to die for!
|
Our 3rd night we spent in downtown Reykjavik. We walked around a bit and had a nice dinner at a Thai restaurant. After dinner, we had a guided Northern Lights tour. Basically, our guide drove us out to the edge of The Golden Circle, away from the city lights. He found a small parking lot and we all got out to set up tripods and such. Within a few minutes, the lights were dancing all over! We spent an hour and a half just enjoying the display before we headed back to our hotel to sleep. All 3 nights were spectacular, but the last night seemed extra special to me. Maybe because it was our last night? Maybe because we were in The Golden Circle? Who knows, but I do know Connie and I thoroughly enjoyed them all!
 |
| The Big Dipper was really prominent! |
 |
| For this one I played around a little and made a Fisheye effect |
 |
| "Beam me up Scottie" |
 |
| Two Happy Honeymooners!!! |
 |
| The final photo of the night. |
On the final day in Iceland, we were supposed to go to The Blue Lagoon. Unfortunately, it was closed due to the threat of volcanic activity. Luckily, our tour guide had another option for us. It was a smaller, more quaint Hot Springs just north of Reykjavik. It was called Hvammsvik and we loved it. We probably enjoyed it better than we would have The Blue Lagoon. We always enjoy the smaller out of the way places better and this one did not disappoint.
 |
| The view was spectacular! Notice the small "Hot Tubs" near the water and to the left. |
After the Hot Springs, we had free time to do whatever we wanted. We lounged at the Hotel Beer Garden and then walked around the city a little before grabbing dinner. The trip was only 4 full days, but we were thoroughly tuckered out and ready to come home. I am so glad I made this another LILI moment in life and followed Connie's suggestion. It is a trip we will never forget! May you all have such a trip in your lifetime!
Now Go Out and Hug Someone!!!
