NORTH ICELAND

We are on day three of our Ring Road Trip! Here's a look at where we explored. 

Dettifoss - Pure power this one. The most powerful waterfall in Europe! Wild and fierce among a raw and rugged landscape - Dettifoss crashes hard into Jökulsárgljúfur Canyon. Located in Vatnajökull National Park, I consider it a can't miss detour if you're driving through North Iceland. You take 864 for the east bank, which is a harsh gravel road. All along we had left this detour open for a game time decision - so we originally passed by the turn but immediately pulled over to decide. After the jaw dropping views and that overhwleming but also incredibly humbling feeling where you become a teeny tiny human in the earths presence, there should never have been any debate. Go. To. Dettifoss.

Donuts - Driving back down 864 our stomachs started rumbling. All we'd had to eat today was some skyr and granola bars from the grocery store in Djúpivogur and the ham and cheese croissants from the bakari in Fellabær. The donuts from said bakari were still sitting in the backseat - salted caramel and coconut, both with luscious chocolate frosting. So I don't know if it is because these were our late lunch or if they were actually the best donuts I've ever tasted. Let's go with the latter. That bakari find was a true gem. 

Mývatn Geothermal Area - There is a lot to explore in this active volcanic region such as Lake Mývatn and Grjótagjá Cave. We stopped at the base of Mt. Námafjall where some wild geothermal activity occurs - gray bubbling mud pools, boiling pits and and steaming rocks. The sulfur fumes were rather overwhelming but I'm glad we checked it out. Otherwise, it was all about the Myvatn Nature Baths; also called the "blue lagoon of the north" which was super relaxing. I wished we had a little more time in the area overall, but we were pushing to make it to Akureyri before dark to have a nice dinner and settle in for a (fingers crossed) Northern Lights Show. 

Selfies - Einstock Icelandic Arctic Pale Ale - brewed in Akureyri (Iceland's second largest urban area, 60 miles south of the Arctic Circle) this quickly became my favorite beer in Iceland - along with their Icelandic White Ale. And just for fun: a quick shout out to three of my favorite brands / Sunglasses: Sunski - Dipsea Emerald Tortise / Bikini: Kiini - Tuesday Bikini Top + Bottom / Socks: Smartwool.

Goðafoss - Oh yea!! Another waterfall on my road trip list that I somehow forgot about until we spotted her. You can see Goðafoss right from the Ring Road - no crazy detours or gravels roads to treck. The sun had just ducked behind the mountains in the distance, leaving us a little golden hour light to hop across the submerged rock trail out to the multiple sets of falls. Another beauty right here!!

Akureyri next!