The morning started off so nice, I went out for a long run, and then the blizzard moved in. Our whale watching excursion was cancelled, so we drove to our next hotel, stopping at a couple of interesting sites along the way.

One was a small village from about the year 900, the Viking days.

The next place was where the last execution took place in Iceland. It happened in the 1830. A man and a woman were decapitated. The story is here and is Hollywood material.

Our hotel was once a Sheriff’s office with living space. It’s large and has 4 hot tubs outside in the blizzard. Perfect for an after dinner soak.

And at 11:20 PM the Autora showed up! We all ran outside to see the show. The Northern Lights in all their glory is a thrill.

Our last day is tomorrow. It has gone by fast!

You probably know that Iceland is famous for it’s thermal features. They are everywhere. Today we drove by a thermal power plant, which I have never seen before.

This little building in the middle of no where was SO cool! I love the tree climbing spikes.

We hiked around an huge lava flow. The last eruption was in the 1960’s and they expect the next one any time. This place was where people believe their 13 Santa’s live. They are called Julelads and there’s a funny story about them.

Of course we visited a waterfall (they are everywhere).

The highlight of the day was the Forest Lagoon. It’s actually a hot spring where they have built a beautiful facility around it. The hallway leading to the locker room is a lava stone wall. The springs are outdoors, there are swim up bars, a hot (very hot) sauna and a cold plunge pool.

The town of Akureyri is a ski/college town. It has a great vibe and we found a washer/dryer in town! I get to have warm, clean clothes for the rest of the trip here in Iceland.

Next up: Whale watching. We will see if the trip is a “go”. The weather was brutal yesterday, so it’s likely to be cancelled.

We saw many herds of reindeer today as we headed into the remote North Eastern part of Iceland. It was a long drive, but wow, it was worth it!

Then the beach

And the Wilderness Lodge. So cool! It’s an old farm that the company we are traveling with purchased a couple of years ago. They have a museum telling the story of life here, over the last century or so. It’s quiet, beautiful, and they even have a hot spring and a sauna!

Next, we journey to the Forest Bath and more.

We had a fabulous day! We visited huge glaciers, drove around in monster vehicles, and saw icebergs on the beach. It was a whirlwind that finished in the local pool hot tub!

The glaciers and ice cave were breathtaking. The best way to describe it is with photos.

On to the north coast!

We landed in Rekjavik within a half hour of each other, and whisked to our hotel, who kindly allowed us to check in early.

We tried to stay up all day, and did a pretty good job. We walked the downtown tourist district before giving in to sleepiness. We were down by 6 pm.

Day one around the Island

It was a whirlwind of a day! The rift between the N American and European plates was cool!

There were also some beautiful waterfalls

And some geysers!

It rained, it snowed, and we endured and had fun!

More today.

Thank you Michael, Mark, John, Randy, Shannon and Blythe for inspiring me to get back to my keyboard and to start logging my travels.

I am about to launch a 68 day trip to Iceland and then onward to Indonesia.

My travel companion in Iceland is Debby, my sister in law. We have committed to each other to travel together every year. Our last trip was more than a year ago…but anyway. We are going now! We are doing the “6 Day – Around Iceland Adventure Tour”.

This 6-day tour around Iceland’s Ring Road will give you a fantastic experience, showcasing a stunning
variety of landscapes in a short time. You’ll see majestic waterfalls, black sand beaches, immense glaciers,
and picturesque fjords, along with geothermal hot springs and dramatic volcanic terrain. From serene
fishing villages to vibrant northern cities, the journey lets you experience Iceland’s raw, unspoiled beauty.

You will get a chance to see everything from the famous Golden Circle to black volcanic beaches, the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon
and some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world. You’ll visit charming fishing villages, historical sites,
rugged lava fields, and enjoy stunning glacier views. Depending on the season, you might see the Northern
Lights in winter time, or witness sheep round-ups and bask under the midnight sun beams in summer.

Then, from Iceland, I say goodby to Debby and fly onward to Indonesia for a Goddess Retreat in Ubud. Here is a brief description of our retreat and it’s focus:

I fell hard for Croatia, again, for all the right reasons: Great people, great food, incredible places, joyous fun with wonderous beauty. I’m at a loss for words to capture the magic of this charming little country, so I’ll just share a few photos. It’s a place that I know I’ll return.

It happened. I did it! I went sailing in the Adriatic. I promised myself it was something I would do and 38 years later…….here I am! Wow!

We cruised the islands, swam the waters, hiked, met locals in the quiet villages, and ate the most delicious meal of our trip.

Captain Mario is a 28 year old Ocean Biology student who has been sailing since he was 4 years old. His skill and precision with his boat (his grandfather’s, actually) was a delight to experience. He was beyond kind to us oldsters, and made our trip fun and informative. We would have never found him without the help of our cycling guides. Knowing someone local helps a ton.

Now we’re cooling our jets for a couple of days in (crazy busy) Dubrovnik before heading back to the same waters, this time in Kayaks.

That’s what Croatians call their homeland. They have it 100% correct. This place is breathtaking.

Yesterday, Lynn and I finished our 5 day odyssey of cycling through the Adriatic islands off the coast of Croatia.

We rode the Islands of Brac, Hvar and Korcula. The rides wove through olive orchards, vineyards and old stone villages. The photos fail to capture the immense beauty of this place.

I visited Corcula in 1986 when Croatia was still Yugoslavia. I have been determined to return. It is as pristine as I remember.

When I was traveling in 1986 I had just met Scott. We wrote letters to each other during my travels. It seemed appropriate that I was on Korcula on his birthday this year.

The best part of the bike trip? Our local guides Hrvoje, Mario and Bo. They were beyond amazing and so fun to hang out with.

We still have two weeks to go. Sailing next, then Kayaking.

I love this place. “Our Beautiful” doesn’t even begin to describe…..

Whew!! Is really how I feel about achieving my ASA (American Sailing Assoc) certification for levels 101 (basic sailing), 103 (day sailing/cruising) & 104 (bareboat coastal sailing/cruising). That probably doesn’t mean much to you, but to me it means passing three tests with 100 questions each, covering about 325 pages of material!!

I didn’t realize that this was an immersion course and that I was supposed to arrive at the dock ready to take three “final” exams.

The great news is that all ended well and I had a blast learning!!

We launched from Bellingham and were sailing within the hour. The first destination was Sucia Island. One of my favorites!

From Sucia we sailed to Stuart, Roche Harbor, Lopez, Orcas and finally back to Bellingham., spending a night at each place.

Our crew was the best!! Our instructor and owner of the boat, Bob Hathaway, ended up being someone I went to High School with. He remembers my older sister Cindy well, and fondly. we grew up on the same street. An amazing coincidence.

The rest of the crew was equally fun, enthusiastic, smart and eager. Stephanie is a NYTimes bestselling author, Megan and Chris are preparing for their sail around the world together.

It was gratifying to be learning with such interesting, motivated people. We were all so eager, I think we drove Bob a bit crazy. He kept saying things like “it’s only Monday…..we have all week, no one does (full in the blank) Monday!

The wind was mild for the first few days, but by Thursday, we had 15-20 knots which enabled us to sail the entire distance from Orcas to Chuckanut Dr. It was so fun!! Bob lets us “go”. We did it all, putting all of the skills we learned during the week to good use.

I was so stressed about the timing of this course. It just felt like too much all at once….but I hung in, because I knew it would be worth it in the end.

Boy was I right!!

I can’t wait to go sailing in another week-when I’ll be in Dubrovnik, Croatia on the Adriatic. A full 35 year wish come true.