In May 2015, I took my parents on a self-guided tour around Iceland for 24 days. They were avid photographers, particularly in retirement, and this was a dream trip for them. It was also the last big trip we would ever take together. I later collected a select group of these photos in a book that I gave to friends and family.
This is a photographic blog of a journey that starts and ends in Reykjavík, traveling counter-clockwise around the country, with over 5000km of natural and man-made sights. Expect weather, epic landscapes, horses, street art and very very few photographs of food. No selfies allowed.
Leaving NYC at 11PM, and arriving at 9AM GMT. An admittedly bleary-eyed tour of the southwest peninsula, ending with a soak in the Blue Lagoon.
An acclimation day of sorts, romping around Reykjavík and getting our bearings. Architecture, shops, churches and hot dogs.
Geysers, craters, fissures, boiling streams and horses! Oh my!
Waterfalls, emergency vehicles, gravel roads, crashed planes and black sand beaches.
Glaciers, moonscapes, frozen lagoons, a polar bear club and icebergs.
A day off from driving to explore locally, relax, and listen to records.
Progressively snowier landscapes as we head north, with street art, a massive geology exhibit and a chocolate lab to round out the day.
A winter (summer?) storm makes us stay put.
An icy drive with waterfalls, an open-air shower in the middle of nowhere, and a dog sled.
A real forest, spooky water filled caves, boiling mud, and the mighty Dettifoss.
Relaxing day learning about whales and then having a soak in the Mývatn Nature baths.
Halfway through the trip and we take a vacation from the vacation.
A museum of things, a cow cafe, motorcycles, a gorgeous valley and a town tucked away at the end of the earth.
Windswept day of stormy skies through the Northwest.
Long day of driving from the relative flatness of Northwest Iceland into the majestic and isolated Westfjörds.
Exploring around the northern reaches of the Westfjörds, via a three-way tunnel.
A snowy, wet drive through the highlands of the Westfjörds to get to a massive waterfall.
Bird cliffs, red sand beaches, and wrecks from air and sea. No puffins.
A long days driving from the Westfjörds to West Iceland and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. The day starts with snow filled passes and ends with alien fields of sharp rock and blobby moss.
Caves, cliffs, craters, and a story about a small church in basic black along the shores of West Iceland.
Big surf, a very narrow canyon, and another story.
The penultimate stop on the tour brings a unique waterfall, horses, and a beautiful sunset.
Our last fjord & last waterfall in a short drive back into the capital city.
Rough seas, an elusive bird, and a final walk through downtown.
All photos from the Iceland trip, in one place.