PoppsPhoto: Extended Family Vacation: 2016-2018

2016 Iceland

2017 Peru

2018 Scotland

2016 BWCA

2018 BWCA

2016 - Iceland

During the summer of 2016, Karen Gilbert spent the summer at a study abroad program in Copenhagen. Andrea, Brian, and Becca decided to visit her during a weekend in June, and then fly home through Reykjavík, where they could spend a few days touring Iceland without paying an additional airfare. Andrea and Becca would be in Iceland from June 20 to June 24, Brian would leave for home two days earlier.

At the same time, Dustin, Annie, and two-year-old Kiera were also planning a trip to Iceland, arriving late June 19 and leaving June 28. We were thrilled to be able to join Dustin and Annie and more than happy to provide transportation and lodging. So on June 18, Tom and I flew to Reykjavík. We rented a camper truck that could fit two in front (Dustin and Annie) plus two adults (Tom and Mary) and a car seat (for Kiera) in back. Since the truck was too small for the five of us at night, we got a separate tent for Dustin's family. After a practice night of camping (we discovered the tent was missing critical poles!) we picked up Dustin, Annie, and Kiera late in the evening of June 20 and headed to our campsite for much needed jet lag recovery.

Day 1 -- June 20

The next day the everyone met for lunch: Tom and Mary; Dustin, Annie, and Kiera; Andrea, Brian, and Becca. Then we headed to Western Iceland while the Gilberts headed to their Air B&B in Reykjavík. Our first stop was Barnafoss and Hraunfossar; then we headed to Hellissanddur Camp for the night. After dinner and a rest we drove to nearby Mt. Kirkjufell for midnight sunset pictures.

2016 Filling up Our truck camper outside the restaurant where eight of us met in Iceland

2016 Kiera, Dustin, Annie, and Mary on a bridge over Barnafoss

2016 Kiera and Annie enjoying Hraunfossar

2016 Kiera and Dustin in their tent next to our truck at Hellissanddur Camp

2016 Kiera and Tom at Hellissanddur Camp

Mt. Kirkjufell sunset just about midnight near our campground.

Day 2 -- June 21

In the morning we took a hike along the south coast of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula - between the small costal towns of Helnar and Arnarstapi. Then we drove to Stykkisholmur took a ferry to Brjanslaekur. We headed east along the south shore of the peninsula, and wound our way down a steep gravel road to a campsite on Rauðasandur Beach.

2016 Dustin and Kiera on a 1 mile hike along the south coast of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

2016 Mary reads to Kiera during the 2.5 hour ferry ride.

2016 Kiera and Annie walking to Rauðasandur Beach.

2016 Annie and Kiera enjoying the surf at Rauðasandur Beach.

Day 3 -- June 22

We headed to the Cliffs of Latrabjarg to see Pufins. After enjoying some great photography, we headed along gravel roads toward the city of Isafjordur, hoping to make it by nightfall. But the roads were slow and the day grew long. When we discovered campsites at the beautiful Dynjandi Waterfalls, an exhausted grandma requested that we stop for the night; the next campground (at Isafjordur) was another 50 miles of slow gravel road away. As we set up camp, clouds rolled in and the waterfalls disappeared in fog which persisted well into the next day.

2016 Puffin at the Cliffs of Latrabjarg.

2016 The Dynjandi Waterfalls

2016 Annie and Kiera enjoy the park at the bottom of Dynjandi Waterfalls.

2016 The Dynjandi Waterfalls

2016 Annie, Kiera, and Dustin get one last glimpse of the Dynjandi Waterfalls as fog moves in.

Day 4 -- June 23

It took an hour and a half to get to Isafjordur driving through steep mountain passes as the fog lifted. We arrived in Isafjordur in the early afternoon. We were not impressed with the campground or the available boat trips, so we decided to shop, wash the camper, and continue on. We stopped at Lambagilsfoss, where Dustin, Annie, and Kiera hiked up the river to the waterfall. We camped at Súðavík Camping, where Kiera found a rocks to climb and a maze of blue lupine flowers.

2016 Annie takes a picture of the valley as the fog lifts while we cross over Haukadalur.

2016 Dustin and Annie wash the camper in Isafjordur

2016 Dustin, Kiera, and Annie starting on the hike to to the Lambagilsfoss waterfall.

2016 The Lambagilsfoss waterfall south of Isafjordur.

2016 Kiera enjoys the blue lupine flowers at our campsite in Súðavík.

2016 Annie checks her computer for next steps.

Day 5 -- June 24

The next morning we drove into Súðavík to check the wind forecast and find out the results of the Brexit vote. Both were disappointing. Our destination was the Kerlingarfjoll Thermal Area, 350 miles away. We drove along the southern edge of the fjords where the roads were paved but our tall camper fought the wind. Heading south into the highlands the road deteriorated into gravel but the winds moderated. We reached Kerlingarfjoll late in the day.

2016 Icelandic horses on a windy day/

Securing the tent against the wind at Kerlingarfjoll campground/

Day 6 -- June 25

Dustin, Annie, and Kiera spent the day on a 7 mile hike to the best of the thermal area, while Tom and Mary took a shortcut by car and saw much of the area from above.

2016 setting out on a hike from Kerlingarfjoll campground.

2016 Dustin, Annie, and Kiera set out from the campground to explore the Thermal Area.

2016 Annie heads down a ridge with Kiera bundled in down in her carrier.

2016 Heading back to camp at Kerlingarfjoll Thermal Area.

Day 7 -- June 26

2017 - Peru

2018 - Scotland

2016 & 2018 - BWCA

We had two new grandchildren to introduce to our favorite Minnesota vacation spot - the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. So it's no surprise that two-year-old Kiera joined us on a trip to Lake Insula in 2016, while both Kiera and one-year-old Kai returned to Hungry Jack (where their parents were married) in 2018. See the BWCA Blog for more details.