Iceland Ring Road 2019

Iceland Biogeography 2019

Reykjavík 2019

The Blue Lagoon 2019

The Trip Itinerary: September 2, 2019 Monday - September 16, 2019 Monday - under construction

September 2, 2019 Monday - Palo Alto to Iceland

Palo to SFO

Depart SFO after midnight

September 3, 2019 Tuesday - Keflavik to Hella

Arrive Keflavik Airport

Clear customs

Car rental

Lighthouses and shoreline at Gardur Headlands

Reykjanes (= smokey peninsula) - bridge between continents at the mid-Atlantic ridge - fissure between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates

Stop at Gunnuhver geothermal area - steam vents - power plant

Hotel Hella

Walk along river - frisbee golf course

Walk to restaurant - dinner at Ahwes on the river, sunset

September 4, 2019 Wednesday - Hella to Heimaey Island in the Westman Island group

Breakfast at the hotel

Drive to Landeyjahofn Harbor

Ferry to the Heimaey Island, Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar)

Check in at Guesthouse Hamar

Drive to look for puffins

Stop at Herjolfsdalur

Dinner at Slippurion - met John and Joan

Head out around 10 for puffin patrol - encounter Joan and John

Overnight at Guesthouse Hamar

September 5, 2019 Thursday - Heimaey Island in the Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar)

Breakfast at guesthouse

Eldheimar volcano Museum

Climb Eldfell volcano

Beluga "sanctuary"

Dinner with with Joan and John and Wendy

Puffin patrol with Joan and John and Wendy

September 6, 2019 Friday - Heimaey Island in the Westman Islands to Skaftafell

Slept late

Breakfast at guesthouse

Drive out to puffin colony to try and get pictures of puffins in flight

Drive to harbor

Ferry back to Landeyjahofn Harbor

Dyrholaey Promontory

Seljalandsfoss waterfall

Drive to Skaftafell

September 7, 2019 Saturday - Skaftafell to Höfn

Breakfast at the hotel

Svartifoss waterfall

Dyrholaey Promontory

Reynisfjara Beach with columnar basalt and caves

Diamond Beach - very rainy and my cameras got sandy and fogged up

Jokulsarlan Lagoon - very rainy

Drive to Höfn

Dinner

Hotel Höfn

September 8, 2019 Sunday - Höfn to Seyðisfjürðar,

Drive to eastern fjords

Very foggy drive

Walk around Seyðisfjürðar,

Dinner at El Grillo

Hotel Aldan

September 9, 2019 Monday - Seyðisfjürðar, to Húsavík

Walk around Seyðisfjürðar,

Stuðlagil Canyon - - columnar basalt

Stopped to take rainbow photos, mushroom photos

Drive to Lake Mývatn

Námafjall geologically active region - steam vents and mudpots - en route

Dimmuborgir Lava Formations - aka Black Fortress - rock formations, birch trees in fall colors

Drive around Lake Mývatn in search of birds; lots of mini-craters

Drive to Húsavík

Check in

Walk around Húsavík

Dinner at the waterfront (Salka?)

Fosshotel, Húsavík

September 10, 2019 Tuesday - Húsavík to Siglufjürður

Walk around Húsavík - rock art, harbor

Breakfast at hotel

Sigurgeir's Bird Museum, Lake Mývatn - lake balls

Godifoss waterfall - rock ptarmigan

Walk around Siglufjürður

Sigló Hotel

September 11, 2019 Wednesday - Siglufjürður to Stykkisholmur

Walk around Siglufjürður

Breakfast at the hotel

Glaumbær Turf house museum, church

Drive to Stykkisholmur

Dinner at Restaurant Narfeyrarstofa

Akheri Guest House

September 12, 2019 Thursday - Stykkisholmur to Borgarnes

Breakfast

Snaefellsnes Peninsula

Kirkjufell (Church) mountain and waterfall

September 13, 2019 Friday - Borgarnes to Gullfoss (Golden Circle)

Golden Circle

Þingvellir National Park

Geyser field - Geysir Geothermal Area - Haukadalur Valley - Strokkur Geyser eruptions

Gullfoss waterfall

Hotel Gullfoss

September 14, 2019 Saturday - Gullfoss to Reykjavík

Breakfast at the Hotel

Back to Gullfoss waterfall

Kerið, Crater - Grímsnes area, Golden circle

Walk around Reykjavík

Dinner at Geysir Bistro

Centric Guesthouse - excellent location

September 15, 2019 Sunday - Reykjavík to Blue Lagoon

Walk around Reykjavík

Coffee and pastries at bookstore

Lutheran church

Blue lagoon

Northern Light Inn

September 16, 2019 Monday - Blue Lagoon to Palo Alto

Breakfast at hotel

Drive to airport, gas along the way

Drop off rental car

Reykjavík to Dallas - American Airlines Flight 231

Clear customs

Dallas to SFO, somewhat delays to to runway work

Quickly clear customs

Uber home

Discover kitchen was destroyed due to water damage

Some lists

Geothermal areas visited

Geyser field - Geysir Geothermal Area - Haukadalur Valley - Strokkur Geyser eruptions

Námafjall geologically active region - steam vents and mudpots - en route

Gunnuhver geothermal area - steam vents

Volcanoes climbed

Eldfell, Heimaey Island

Kerið, Crater - Grímsnes area, Golden circle

Museums visited

Eldheimar volcano museum, Heimaey Island

Sea Life Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary, Heimaey Island

Sigurgeir's Bird Museum, Lake Mývatn

Glaumbær Turf house museum in North Iceland

Herring Era Museum - Siglufjürður, Iceland - outside only

Orders of birds depicted

Accipitriformes - white-tailed eagle

Anseriformes - whooper swan, graylag goose, mallard

Procellariiformes - northern fulmar

Charadriiformes - Atlantic puffin, black guillemot, black-headed gull, great black-backed gull, lesser black-backed gull, European golden plover, dunlin

Columbiformes - rock dove

Galliformes - rock ptarmigan

Passeriformes - redwing, European starling, common raven

Acknowledgements