GIFT GUIDE FOR THE TRAVELER

photo from Iceland this summer

A few favorite travel related gifts for the gal who is always planning her next adventure...XO

Passport Holder // Suitcase // Headphones // Backpack // Vacation Funds Jar // Water Bottle // Emergency Kit // Laundry Bag // Places to See Book // Travel Journal // Eye Mask // Rose Water Spray

ICELAND PT. 10 // BLUE LAGOON

Our very last full day in Iceland! We chose to spend the morning at the Blue Lagoon, I'm so glad we planned it this way.  After all the driving and walking it was so relaxing to soak in the hot springs before heading back home.  We had lunch at the Blue Lagoon, which was delicious.  The night before we stayed at Northern Lights Inn which was recommended by Blue Lagoon since the hotel there was already booked.  If you want to spend the night, you definitely need to plan ahead.  Also, booking the first slot in the morning seemed much less crowded.  We spend our final evening wandering / shopping around Reykjavik again and flew home early the next morning.  

I can't believe I finally made it through all of these photos. There are so, so, so many. I am going to do a complete itinerary / favorites round up soon so stayed tuned for that. Thanks for following along as I share some of my personal adventures along with illustration ones! 

Happy Monday! 

XO

ICELAND PT. 9 // THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

Finally rounding up the last bit of my Iceland photos! It's proven quite a task to keep up after traveling yet again this past weekend (hence the silence here this week). 

These photos were from our second to last day in Iceland.  We drove back from northern Iceland (about 5 hours) and stayed in Reykjavik for our last two nights. One thing we wished we would have known is how close these sites were to Rey.  We moved several times to different hotels and we could have just booked one for several of the things we wanted to do (more to come on this in my itinerary roundup!).  Although it was fun to check out different hotels and apartments (aside from carrying our 50 pound suitcases up and down stairs, haha).  

Gullfoss waterfall and geyser were amazing.  The highlight for me though, was snorkeling at Silfra in Phingvellir National Park.  The clarity of the water was incredible. You can't tell how deep it was from the photos but you can see how crazy clear (I used my go pro for this). The visibility is about 100 meters and the water is so pristine you can drink it. Yes, it was freezing cold water. We wore a dry suit which was not fun to get on but I really couldn't believe how warm I stayed in that water.  This is definitely something to check out if you have time.  We booked the tour through sulfur.is.  Silfra is a crack in the North American and Eurasian continents, the only place in the world you can dive directly in the crack between the plates. SO AMAZING. 

ICELAND PT. 8 // AKUREYRI, NORTH ICELAND

 

Akureyri was the cutest little town.  I hadn't heard much about it when we first started planning our trip but my sister knew of it and thought it would be worth checking out.  All of northern Iceland and the west fjords are supposed to be incredible.  I wish we would have planned more time up there.  

Akureyri is the second largest city in Iceland, it's a port and quaint fishing town.  Most of the amazing whale watching excursions leave from here or Husevik which is fairly close.  We stayed at Apotek Guesthouse which was cozy and central, right on the main street surrounded by restaurants and cute shops.  The highlight of Akureyri surely was the horse back riding.  Icelandic horses are their own special little breed, they are so sweet and it was fun to learn more about them from the girls at the farm.  The ride took us along fjords and into vast green valleys.  The views were amazing and we were so lucky to have good weather.  We played with the farm animals upon our return while being served hot chocolate and icelandic pastries.  The other part of our time here we wandered the stores and ate some good food.  We went to Akureyri Backpackers a couple times, it was great food and an interesting atmosphere as it was also a hostel.  The restaurant is the black and white photo above with old plan seats as chairs! If you're staying for over a week and have the time to go up to the north, this is definitely worth a night a two! 

XO