A couple of weeks ago Yankee and I decided to take a babymoon, our last minute vacation before we become a family of three. I have always wanted to go to Iceland, so, we booked some tickets, and we were off. Some might think we were crazy visiting Iceland in the winter, but it was a magical time to go. We highly recommend visiting Iceland in the winter, and now we want to go back and visit it in the summer.
We took a direct six-hour flight out of BWI so my brother and sister -in-law who live in Washington, DC could “dog sit” Gracie. It was a red eye flight, and the moment we arrived, we hit the ground running so we could make the most of a trip around part of the country. Iceland is very small with less than 400,000 people for the whole country. Geographically, it is around the size of Kentucky.
Our first day was not very sunny, and it was cold. But we knew that because we were in Iceland. We brought lots of layers and were able to handle the cold and wind. One of our first stops was at the famous Gullfoss waterfalls. I actually enjoyed seeing it with the snow and ice.
Shortly after, we visited their version of Ole Faithful in Yellowstone. This geyser was very consistent, and I was surprised how close they let us get to the geyser. It seems to erupt around every eight minutes, so, we didn’t have to wait in the cold too long. We even watched it go off a couple of times. While March was considered the shoulder tourist season, we were still impressed with how many other people were sightseeing. Iceland is making its way onto the list of must-see places.
We made a quick stop at the beach! It was a black sand beach, and since it was too cold for the toes shot, we took a photo with our hiking boots. We were so glad we took our hiking boots. Not only did they give us traction on the icy spots, but they also kept our feet warm. This day did clear up, but I liked the overcast skies as we visited this area.
The Northern lights were something we were hoping to see, and since we were there in the winter, we had a better chance of seeing them. It is never a guarantee so do not plan a trip just on the northern lights. We faintly saw them one night, and they show up better on camera. We took our good camera and tripod so we could capture their beauty.
We spent a of couple days exploring the country on a tour before settling into Reykjavik. One of the days we were able to explore Vatnajökull , go to an ice cave and hike one of the glaciers. Here you can see some seals hanging out of the icebergs waiting to catch some fish. These seals have a completely different lifestyle from the ones we saw on our trip to the Galapagos Islands.
One thing we both really wanted to do on this trip was to go to a natural ice cave. After we were picked up in a four-wheel drive vehicle, we had about 45 minutes of “off-roading,” Due to the weather warming up, the car became stuck both coming and going. We learned that was the last day to explore the ice cave because the road was then closed down due to weather conditions. If you want to do this, do it in the early part of the winter season.
I actually enjoyed our stops as we waited for the car to get unstuck. We got to play around in the snow and just have fun. In the picture on the right, I was trying to get some height and jump. I totally ate it and fell right on my butt. At least the tons of snow made for a soft landing.
The ice cave was so breathtaking and one of the coolest things I have done. Beware! If you are claustrophobic, this is not for you. To get to the main part of the cave we were in a tight tunnel on our hands and knees. I am glad we had the hard hats because I did hit my head in the tunnel a couple of times. However, once we made it through, the view was spectacular.
We also did a glacier hike, and I enjoyed it just as much as the cave. On that day the weather was beautiful, and climbing the glacier was a nice little workout.
Along with crampons, they gave us an ice axe. I used it more for the pictures.
The sights were hard to capture in pictures. If you look back, you can see the glacier. We also stopped at some waterfalls on the side of the road.
These cute horses were everywhere. They were a lot smaller than our horses and had a lot of hair to keep them warm.
Once we were back in Reykjavik, we spent a couple of days in the city walking around and going to museums. I love seeing houses in other countries.
One day we took a side trip to the Blue Lagoon which I loved. It was so relaxing in the geothermal water. It was crowded, but they limit how many people can get tickets each day. If you want to do this, book your tickets early.
During our research before booking our trip, we learned that 54 per cent of people in Iceland believe in elves and hidden people. We found out there was an elf school, so, we signed up right away. We spent one afternoon learning all about elves and hidden people. I am happy to report we graduated and even earned a diploma. We both loved elf school, and I would add it to your list of must-dos in Iceland. They are working on an elf museum, and we hope to visit the next time we go to Iceland.
Overall, it was a wonderful babymoon, and I hope after reading this, you are interested in adding Iceland to your travel list. If you ever plan to go to any of the destinations we have visited (see them in the good times tab at the top of this page), we would be glad to answer any questions for you.
Sherry Holcomb says
Hi Jordan,
I love reading your blog and most especially enjoy the posts about your travels. Iceland looks beautiful!
I communicated with your mom probably over a year ago about your bike and barge trips in Holland. We’ve actually booked a trip to tour northern Holland through Tripsite. There are five in our family going and we’ve looked forward to the trip for a long time.
Unfortunately, because of the recent tragedy in Brussels, two in our group want to cancel our plans. With you and your mom being avid travelers…what would you do? My sister is an RN and does foreign travel consults at the university in our town and she is very concerned about our traveling. Our trip is in July.
I would appreciate your thoughts.
Thanks so much.
Sherry Holcomb
I also want to send my very best wishes to you on the upcoming adoption of your daughter. Two of our grandchildren are adopted…one nearly nine years ago from Kazakhstan. Both are so dear and we feel so blessed that they are part of our family.
Jordan says
Sherry,
Thanks for your comment and that is so exciting you book a tour. Be on the lookout we will emailed our response.
Cheers!
Beth says
I was in Iceland for a few hours in 1979, it was 2:30 am and still some daylight. But I promised myself I would return to visit this fascinating country. Still building up my travel $$$ from my trip last fall. I loved your pictures. What a great babymoon!
Alicia@Eco Friendly Homemaking says
Our neighbors took a trip there and loved it! Looks like you all had a great time as well. Love seeing all the wonderful pictures you took!