November 09, 2017

Iceland - A photographers dream

November 09, 2017/ David Ober

Things you need to know:

SAVE RECEIPTS TO SHOW AT THE AIRPORT TO GET TAXES REFUNDED - You must spend a certain amount at one time to qualify for a tax refund. Just ask the clerk at the store. They are very helpful and are familiar with the tax laws. Fill the forms in each time you get them. That will make turning them in at the airport a breeze. WARNING - turn in the receipts prior to checking your luggage on your return flight. They can/might ask to see the items you purchased.

https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/individuals/travelling/travellers-leaving-eu/guide-vat-refund-visitors-eu_en

Use a credit card for every purchase. They are totally set up for that. We use Amazon Prime Visa Card because they don't charge an exchange rate.

T-Mobile worked great. We had better cell coverage there than at home.

If you want to go to Blue Lagoon (which you should), book it as soon as you book your airfare.

Cars travel on the same side of the road as the USA. It's very easy to drive in Iceland. The hardest thing about driving in Iceland is reading the road signs.

Most Icelanders speak English.

Google Maps works great to navigate around the island. (We have T-Mobile)

Be cautious about going onto farmland (especially where animals have been grazing). You will be asked about this at customs in the USA.

The words in Iceland are really phrases. If you know a few key words, it will help you find some places you might like to see.

Key words for tourists and photographers:

Foss - Waterfall

Jökull - Glacier

Lónið - Lagoon

Götu - Street

Vegur - Road

Bakarí - Bakery

Kaffi - Coffee

Lakkris - Licorice (they put it in chocolate candy)

Food is expensive in Iceland. Save money by shopping at the local grocery stores. We found Bonus to have the best prices on basic groceries. Try their yogurt. It's really delicious. Bonus is also a fun place to find food gifts to take home. We took home American Doritos and plenty of chocolate candy bars. Some of the Icelandic candy bars have black licorice (lakkris) in them. I hear they are delicious.

https://www.bonus.is/

Shop at HAGKUP FOR UPSCALE GROCERIES, CLOTHES, MAKE UP, TOILETRIES, TOYS, BAKERY, READY TO EAT FOOD.

https://www.hagkaup.is/

THE HANDKNITTING ASSOCIATION OF ICELAND located in Reykjavic is the best place to buy yarn.

https://handknit.is/

Favorite Places:

Hallgrímskirkja Church - pay the money to ride the elevator to the top.

BRAUÐ & CO - Dave's favorite bakery. Everything there was delicious.

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur - Amazing hot dogs. https://www.facebook.com/baejarinsbeztupylsur/

Golden Circle -

* Þingvellir (In Icelandic it begins with a P with a funny mark on it. That particular letter sound is a TH) National Park. One of it's claims to fame is that the North American continent and the Eurasian continents (the continental plates) meet here.

* Strokkur Geysir - The famous geysir that erupts every 5 to 10 minutes.

* Gullfoss - An amazing waterfall with two waterfall drops. http://gullfoss.is/

Eyjafjallajökull - Hiking up this glacier. This has to be a guided tour.

Blue Lagoon - Get your tickets as soon as you book your flight. http://www.bluelagoon.com/

Bucket List -

Go to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the Reykjanes to check for Northern Lights

Iceland - day by day

Day 1 - Walking Reykjavik

We were pretty jet lagged when we arrived in Iceland. Since we didn't know what to expect on this trip, we chose to take the FlyBus from the airport to Hotel Natura (https://www.icelandairhotels.com/en/hotels/natura). (We now know that the rental cars are a walk across the parking lot, and the drive to Reykjavik is pretty easy as long as you take the time before hand to familiarize yourself with a few key words. Google Maps worked well to navigate us around the island.) Anyway, carrying on about our day, we got back to our hotel and took a nap. We spent the rest of the day walking around Reykjavik finding coffee, Te and Kaffi https://www.teogkaffi.is/ and a bakery, https://www.sandholt.is/ and http://www.braudogco.is/ are some of our favorite places. That day we ended up at Kvosin, a bakery and coffee shop. Of course, our first night was the only night that the Northern Lights were visible. We slept right through them. (I hear when the lights are visible, you can see them in the city. On a later trip we paid for a tour to see the Northern Lights. They drove us out of the city to get away from the city lights. We did see them, but it wasn't anything like the amazing photos that I've seen. The naked eye doesn't see the bright colors that the camera picks up.)

We spent quite a bit of time walking around looking for a famous hot dog stand that Dave had read about. All he knew was that is was near the bay front. It's a food cart type stand located between tall buildings so it's a bit difficult to find, but you get the benefit of a name and address. We didn't have the benefit of using google maps on our first trip. T-Mobile has now changed their coverage so we had roaming at no additional charge (be sure to call them before your trip to set everything up). the http://www.bbp.is/ and Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur Tryggvatagata 1, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland

Day 2 - Golden Circle

We were supposed to go on our glacier hike this day, but the winds were too heavy and so our trip was rescheduled. The wind didn't seem so bad to us and so we decided to get our rental car a day early and we set out on our own to see the Golden Circle. By the time we got to Gulfoss, we understood why hiking on a glacier wasn't the best idea for the day.

Second stop – Geyzir (pronounced gayz sure in Icelandic). There is one active geyzir that erupts about every 5 minutes. If you watch carefully, you can get a picture of the gorgeous blue bubble the precedes the huge eruption. Use a tripod and set your camera on high speed continuous shots to get a great combination of shots. The pool of water will be begin to form a bubble just before it's ready to erupt.

Third stop – Gulfoss – an epic waterfall. This is the second largest waterfall in Iceland. It’s amazing. Be sure to bring cloths to wipe your camera lens dry. The falls shoots off a lot of spray that isn’t very noticeable through the camera lens, but boy does it ever show up on your computer screen and prints. Those water spots are very tedious to Photoshop out. If you have crampons for your shoes, take them. Although now they close the path down to the water if it's icy. They didn't when we were there on this trip. There are several viewing places to take great shots of the waterfall so be sure to take the trails.

There are bathrooms and gift shops at all three stops, and food at Geyzir and Gulfoss. Be ready to do quite a bit of walking and stair climbing. I highly recommend taking a rental car and doing a self-guided tour. It's very easy to find the places. If you see something you like at the gift shop, get it. I thought I could get it at all the shops, Not true. Gulfoss had my favorite gift shop.

Day 3 - Hiking the Glacier

To hike the glacier, you need to have go with an experienced guide. They will provide you with the proper equipment and training to be safe on the glacier. There are large cracks deep cracks in the glacier that drop all the way to the ocean water running underneath the ice. You don't want to fall into one of those clevises. I'm not sure how far in advance you need to book your tour. We booked ours when we bought our airline tickets. Dave and I aren't spring chickens and we aren't in the best shape, but we were able to do the hike without trouble. You need to have hiking boots (not shoes) for this tour.

Because of the storm the day before, the ice was gorgeous! When the ice is wet, it gets that beautiful blue hue. The black veins in the ice are made from the ash from the recent volcanic eruption. The combination of colors was absolutely stunning.

The tour bus stopped at two of the most famous waterfalls in Iceland, Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. I think they are the most famous simply because of their proximity to Reykjavik. Take plenty of cloths to wipe off your camera lens because even in calm days, the spray from the falls get on the camera lens. On a windy day, you get doused.

We were on the tour bus and so we didn't get to make all the stops that we would have liked. There are caves that the farmers use as barns. Also, there are plenty of nice places to pull off the road and photograph the Icelandic horses. Be sure to stay on the road when you photograph them. Stepping onto the grassy area could cause you problems when answering the questions in customs. Also, DO NOT feed Icelandic horses anything! This is critical because if the horses get other food they quit eating the Icelandic hay, which is very course.

Day 4 - Reykjanes and Blue Lagoon

This peninsula is pretty close to Reykjavik. There are some beautiful churches, very old cemeteries, views of the rocky cliff coastlines, acres of volcanic rock, lighthouses, and the bridge that crosses the mid-Atlantic ridge. After touring about for a while, we headed to Blue Lagoon.

Blue Lagoon is worth every penny. Be sure to book your spot when you book your airfare. Only a certain number of slots are open per day and they seem to book up quickly. Bring your own towel or robe unless you want to rent one from them. Also, inside the locker rooms are dispensers that look like soap dispensers. Look carefully to be sure you are using the correct one, but there is conditioner to put in your hair prior to getting in the water. DO THIS! I learned the hard way. I thought it was for after you get out of the water. The minerals in the water make your hair very dry.

The lagoon itself is pretty warm. We were there on an extremely cold and windy day so we hovered around the intake to be near the hottest water. There are places around the pool that have white mud on them. You use this on your face. The minerals are very good for your skin. Look for the waterfall and stand under it for a nice natural massage. Next time I go, I'm springing for a massage while floating in the water. There is a nice restaurant that overlooks the lagoon. We plan to spending an entire day at Blue Lagoon the next time we go to Iceland.

Day 5 - Exploring Reykjavic

We returned our rental car and spent the day walking around Reykjavic. We found out that we could ride up the elevator to the bell tower in the church. Do this. It doesn't cost very much and there are great views of the city from the top. If you take the stairs from the bell tower level, there are openings without windows to get much better photos. It can get extremely windy up there.

There are many murals painted on the buildings around the city. There are also some great photo opportunities along the bay front and Tjörnin, the lake in the center of the city. We came back to the city at night with our tripods and took some evening photos. There are three nice churches at are beautifully lit at night. Also, the park has lovely lighting.

Day 6 - Tjörnin before heading to the airport

Our flight didn't leave until afternoon and so we packed up so we were ready for the FlyBus and then walked to town to spend the rest of our time enjoying the city we grew to love. We had to get one more hot dog before we left so that was our first stop. We spent the rest of the time enjoying feeding the ducks and swans at the lake.

The FlyBus is a convenient way to travel to and from the airport, but since we tend to over pack for every trip we prefer to have our own rental car.

Speaking of over packing...we were going to Iceland so we had to take a bunch of gear for the cold, right? I only wore about 1/2 of the clothes that I took, but we did use our coats, hats, scarfs, and gloves. I couldn't keep my hands warm no matter what gloves I wore. I even bought a pair of wool mittens while I was there, but those didn't keep my hands warm either. Since we were taking the glacier hike, we had to bring our hiking boots. I will pack lightweight long or short sleeved t-shirts, two pairs of jeans (one for days of hiking that will get dirty and one for days of touring that should stay clean), my 32 degree long underwear, enough socks and underwear for each day, pajamas, a sweatshirt to wear over my lightweight shirts, a coat, and my swimsuit. Dress in layers. Re-wear the top layers. If I'm not going on the glacier tour, I would just bring two pairs of tennis shoes (one that can get wet) and a pair of shoes for the pools. Dave and I did invest in a pair of water socks so we can stand in the glacier water and not get cold. https://www.nrs.com/product/2347/nrs-boundary-socks-with-hydrocuff

November 08, 2017

Portland to Banff - Amtrak and rental car

November 08, 2017/ David Ober

October 2017 – Trip to Canada

Overview:

Amtrak from Portland to Whitefish, MT

Uber Driver from Train Station to Kalispell Airport ($20) where we picked up our rental car.

Be sure to have your passports. They are required to enter Canada. When you approach the border have your hats and sunglasses off and all the car windows rolled down.

You can take bananas, packaged cooked meats, cheese, bread, crackers...into Canada. You can't take raw meat unless it's in in packaging and shows it's country of origin. You can't take apples or citrus into Canada. We had some potatoes that we bought in British Columbia with us when we came back into the states. That was alright.

Amtrak roomette is great - it includes meals and the car is more secure.

The Hot Springs are affordable.

Day by Day -

We booked a Room-ette on a Superliner train. They are located in the sleeper cars. It’s basically a small room with two roomy chairs. The chairs fold together to form a bed and a murphy bed folds down from above for a top bunk. There’s room to stow your luggage in the hallway. They have bathrooms that only those traveling in the sleeper cars can use. There is a nice shower room. The porter makes down your beds. They are very comfortable. The top bunk gets cold, but we didn’t know about the temperature controls. Meals are included, but the dining car doesn’t join the train until Spokane and so they give a nice cold dinner on the train. We had a salad with chicken breast and a salad with steak. The chicken breast dinner was the best by far. You need to be in the dining car when it opens at 6:30 am if you’re getting off at Whitefish. You can order whatever you want off the breakfast menu, including additional sides. We all had the omelet. It was quite good. The train sways from side to side quite a bit so my parents had a difficult time walking to the dining car. We didn’t stay in coach, but they did have a good amount of space. We weren’t able to connect to the internet on our train.

We arrived in Whitefish early Sunday morning. We rented a car out of Glacier International Airport in Kalispell. We were thinking that there might be taxi’s waiting outside of the train station, but that wasn’t the case. We used the Uber app and got a driver there in just a few minutes. It cost $30 including a tip to be taken to the airport to get our car. The rental car counters are located inside the airport. The airport is small and easy to navigate.

Crossing the border was very easy and uneventful. We really wish we’d stopped and bought a few packages of meat as well as purchased some other groceries before we crossed the border. You cannot bring fresh produce of any kind into Canada, but you can take some meat as long as it shows the country of origin and is still sealed in its original packaging. Dried cereals, teas, coffee, chips, cheese are all ok to bring across the border. The border guard didn’t even ask about what food we had other than asking about fresh produce. We were asked about weapons including mace. How long we were staying. Were we bringing in anything that was staying in the country. Were we bringing any gifts to anyone. Where were we from and where were we going. You do have to have passports to come into the country.

Our lodging was at Horsetheif Lodge in Panorama, BC. We have been quite happy here so far. My only complaint is that the hot tub isn’t – hot that is. The drive from Invermere to Panorama is just gorgeous. Unfortunately there are very few places to safely pull off the road to enjoy the view.

Places of interest that we passed along the way –

Campbell Meyer Lake – we captured some beautiful reflections of the mountains and fall colors. The mountain peak visible from there is called Fischer Peak. It’s located at a Rest Area. The fishermen that we spoke with told us they’d seen elk, deer, turtles, and osprey that day. We just saw the views – and them.

Canal Flats was a very pretty area.

Columbia Lake – the Source of the Columbia River. There is a rest area that has a nice picnic area that overlooks the lake.

Dutch Creek – beautiful bridge over a small river. There is also a very large cliff that’s white rock. It was a pretty area.

Invermere has pretty photo opportunity and a nice grocery store. There is a cute downtown area across the river and up the hill.

Be aware – many activities stop the end of September. Also, Canada celebrates Thanksgiving in October.

Day 2 – Canada’s Thanksgiving

We didn’t even think to check for major holidays when planning our trip. We had planned to go to the Banff area and ride the gondola at Lake Louise. We asked many of the locals which gondola ride is the best. They agreed that Lake Louise gave the best view of the lake and also had the best activities (a nice tea house/restaurant) at the top. There are three gondola rides in the Banff area – the Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper. There are also many chairlifts, but they all closed the end of September and don’t re-open until the ski season. There is a chairlift at Panorama which is where we are staying. It looks like it would be a great one to ride. The gondola rides are in the $50 price range.

Day 3 –

Today we drove to Banff. Along the way we stopped at Marble Canyon and Johnston Canyon. Marble Canyon you walk on top of the canyon with views to the bottom. The water is a gorgeous milky blue The path is easy and there are several bridges that pass over the canyon allowing you a fantastic view of the canyon walls and the water below. We hiked all the way up to the waterfalls. They were gorgeous!

Johnston Canyon is a wide canyon that has a river running through it. In this canyon, you walk in it following the water. There are two waterfalls. The lower falls are very stunning. We opted to not hike to the upper falls. The water was crystal clear. The pools of water at the base of the waterfall was beautiful shade of blue.

Banff is a beautiful little tourist town. There are many many restaurants and gift shops. We ate dinner at Melissa Missteak House. https://www.melissasmissteak.com/ It was reasonable priced and the food and service was good. The town is very tourist friendly, and we had no problem finding parking.

We made many other scenic stops along the way. The first was just outside of Invermere. As you head up the hill toward Radium Hot Springs there are several scenic pull outs that have beautiful views of the water below.

Pull out between Invermere and Radium Hot Springs

It’s worth the time to pull out at least one of them.

There are so many places to pull out and take photos of the mountains. They are well marked. It was a 2 hour drive to Banff from Panorama, so we only went to a few of them.

Things we’d do differently – leave town sooner. We didn’t get home until mid-night. Driving on the winding roads at night is nerve wracking because there is a lot of wildlife to watch out for.

Day 4

Today we ventured into Invermere and just laid low. We went to The Bakery again, this time taking my mom with us. She loved the pastries as much as we did. The coffee is very good here too, and they have brewed decaf. We went to several of the city shops. One of the locals told us about the beach located in town. We drove down to check it out. It’s a nice area, but not like the beaches of the Pacific Northwest. The railroad track and the quaint pond are right at the beach also. I’m sure in the right weather and lighting, some nice pictures could be had. We intended to go back to take some photos, but opted to head back to Marble Canyon.

After dropping my mom back at the condo’s we explored more of Panorama. The road to Panorama follows Toby Creek. The creek runs through a canyon. At places are very deep canyon. We found many beautiful places that we wanted to photograph, but very few pullouts and safe locations along the road. I guess we’ll just have to keep the memory of the beautiful places we saw. There were some great ponds that offered some nice photo opportunities.

Panorama Drive continues past the resorts. Shortly after the resort the road turns into a gravel one. It does continue to follow the creek. There are several nice photo ops, but none that compelling. Do be careful though.

Day 5 –

Today we chose to head back to Marble Creek this time with our tripods. We stopped at several places that we’d seen before, but didn’t have time to check them out.

We stopped to check out Numa Falls, but the bridge was washed out so we didn’t see them. We did crawl around the rocks along the river and took a few nice shots.

Vermiliion Crossing was a great place to stop. The jewel colored river flows through a small canyon of very interesting rock formations. Our favorite photos of this location were taken from the road.

The Dog Lake pull out was another great stop. We didn’t hike all the way to the lake, but we did walk to the walking suspension bridge the crosses over the Kootenay River. The water was such a gorgeous blue.

Several of the pullouts and trails were closed this time of the year.

We saw a big horn sheep and a herd of mountain goats in Radium Springs. They seem to be pretty comfortable with people.

We stopped to check out the Hot Springs at Radium Hot Springs. At this point, the thermal water is being diverted to the outdoor swimming pool. The entry price is just under $6/adult. I sure wished we checked this place out sooner. We were expecting the prices to be much higher after visiting the Hot Springs in Iceland.

Day 6 - Heading Home

Well, there was a crash involving two freight trains which kept our train from getting to Whitefish. We opted to drive home. Amtrak was quick to refund our tickets so we used those funds to pay the way.

Our first stop was Kalispell, Montana, because we had to swap rental cars. One thing we learned was that there are fleet cars and franchise cars (not sure if these are the right terms, but one car belongs to the company and can be dropped off at any location and others have to be returned to that location only). Unfortunately, we had the one that had to be returned to that location.

We headed toward Spokane after a quick dinner at Hops in Kalispell. We stopped in Coeur d'Alene for the night. We ate breakfast at Golden Corral (a treat for my parents) and headed to Spokane. We spent a bit of time in Spokane taking my parents around to see some of the sites. At one time, they lived in Spokane and it was fun for them to see some of the places that were important to them. The falls in downtown are a great place to visit.

Our next big stop was at Country Mercantile just north of Pasco, Washington. https://www.countrymercantile.com/ This is a great place to visit. They make wonderful sandwiches and their soup is good too.

Other than gas and coffee, we didn't stop again. We were more than ready to be home and out of the car by this time.

November 08, 2017

Portland to Leavenworth to Portland

November 08, 2017/ David Ober

Portland to Leavenworth and back – March 26, 2017

Overview of Leavenworth activities:

Walking down Front Street

Exploring Water Front Park

For the Rock Hounds – they have very interesting rocks in the river

The first pull out in Stevens Pass

Day by Day -

I left the Portland area around noon on a Sunday morning. I chose to travel via I-84 because I had my parents with me, and I knew we’d need to stop often so my parents could get out of the car and stretch. This route has plenty of places with clean bathrooms along the route.

It was pouring down rain for most of the day and so any photography, especially since I had my parents, was limited. Also, another limiting photography factor was the fact that the old highway was closed due to landslides, and the parking lot at Multnomah Falls was closed because it was full. That being said though, there were plenty of times I would have pulled over for a few shots had I not had my parents with me. The clouds were so interested as they hovered among the rolling hills, and the green on the hillside just glowed at times. Oh well, this time I have to be satisfied with the pictures in my mind.

Our first stop was at exit 64, Hood River Starbucks. Mom wanted a clean bathroom and I wanted coffee so it was a win win stop. Bridge of the gods is at this exit as well as the marina. Often you can photograph windsurfers here too. It’s not my favorite place to take photographs in the gorge, but it’s worth mentioning. If you are into the spring and/or fall foliage, this is an excellent exit to take. Go southerly following the road that heads toward Mt. Hood. It takes you past many orchards.

Mt. Hood Winery and Pine Grove Butte Cemetery both have beautiful views of fruit trees and Mt. Hood. http://mthoodwinery.com/contact-mt-hood-winery/

We crossed the Columbia River at the Biggs exit. We continued onto Toppenish, but there are several very interesting places to visit. The Maryhill Museum is just over the river heading westerly. Directions to the museum are very well marked. It offers good views of Mt. Hood on clear days. There are plenty of other nice things to photograph at the museum. Heading easterly is the Stonehenge World War 1 Memorial. I guess the official name is the Klickitat County Veteran’s Museum, or perhaps it’s just that this museum is located at the war memorial. Anyway, it’s a replica of the original Stonehenge. On clear days, some great photos of the river, the little town below, and Mt. Hood can be taken. After visiting the memorial, head on down to the little town of Maryhill for more great photos. There are gorgeous older buildings, antiques, the river, orchards, and fruit stands. It’s worth taking the trip just for the peaches if they’re in season.

On the way to Toppenish, you will pass very close to the windmills. On clear days, you will get great views of Mt. Adams. There are plenty of places to pull over and get beautiful and interesting photos along the way. The town of Toppenish is filled with murals painted on their historic buildings. There are some great restaurants and gift shops in the town as well as some great parks if you have kids that need to run around a bit.

The town of Yakima was our next stop. Yakima has plenty of hotels, restaurants, and stores. Mom and dad needed to walk around and so I stopped at Walmart, which is on the west side of town just off of the interstate. Yakima is the last major town until you reach Leavenworth although there were several fruit stands and a couple of restaurants.

There was plenty to see and photograph between Yakima and Leavenworth. The orchards were in full bloom. Also there were mountains and valleys. Again, if it wasn’t pouring down rain, I would have stopped many times to take photos.

It started snowing as we went through the last pass. The higher we got the more snow we saw. It was stunning.

The trip took a long time, and I was quite sore from the long car ride. I wasn’t saying it aloud, but I was thinking that I wasn’t ever going to make this trip again, and then…I saw my first glimpse of Leavenworth. It wasn’t long until I’d changed my tune and was thinking about who I was going to bring and how often I was going to come back. It really is a pretty town. It’s at the base of many tall mountains that are covered with snow. The shops and restaurants are all so pretty fitting in with the theme of the town. I just can’t wait to walk all around the town tomorrow.

We have rooms at World Mark. All of the units are 2 bedroom/2 bath. If you haven’t stayed at a World Mark facility, you should. They are fully furnished apartments. We have a beautiful mountain view from our rooms.

Day 2 –Leavenworth is a quiet little town at the base of the Wenatchee Mountains which are part of the Cascade Range. The Wenatchee River runs through the downtown area. The city has done a great job of providing beautiful walking paths and pedestrian bridges to explore the river. All of the buildings and signs have a Bavarian theme.

There are many shops to explore. Some are the typical touristy souvenir shops, but there are some others that are unique to the area. I had the grandkids with me, so of course we went into the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Shop as well as several toy stores. We also went into Kris Kringl and several little souvenir shops. Later I went back by myself and went into the Cheesemunger’s Shop and the Cup and Kettle Tea and Spice Shop. All of these stores are located along Front Street. Much of the city was built prior to ADA guidelines. Quite a few shops are located at the bottom of some pretty steep stairs.

I also wanted to explore the waterfront Park area. There were plenty of signs to guide me to the park entrance. I didn’t have the time to walk the entire path, but I did follow the trail to the rivers edge and manage to get some pretty photos of the mountains and nice reflections of them in the water. I also did a bit of exploring on Blackbird Island. Blackbird Island is accessed via pedestrian bridges. It is a wooded area with a walking path that goes around the outer edges of the small island. It’s an easy walk, but I wouldn’t recommend it for a wheelchair. They do have nice seating and viewing areas for those not up to the hike around the island. There are pedestrian bridges on the western and eastern sides. The seating/viewing areas are located on the eastern side (closest to downtown).

For dinner, we wanted an old-world German experience and so we dined at Andreas Keller Restaurant. We started with the giant pretzel. It was very good. I would definitely order that again. It came with a cheese sauce that was more like a fondue. I had the Schnitzel Cordon Bleu. I don’t know how traditional to Bavaria that it is, but I do know it was delicious. They had live music playing traditional German songs. It was a great experience. The restaurant is located at the bottom of some steep stairs.

Day 3 –

Today was rainy and overcast and so we decided to do more indoor activities. My mom loves Aplets and Cotlets and the factory is only a few miles away in nearby Cashmere, Washington. The tours are free, but I’d recommend calling first to make sure the machines are operating that day. There are plenty of samples to try in their store. https://www.libertyorchards.com/tour

The town of Cashmere is very small, but really cute. http://www.cityofcashmere.org/ There are several places to eat one of which is going on my bucket list, Country Boys BBQ. It looks like a legit BBQ place. http://www.countryboysbbq.com/

There is a nice city park and a 9/11 Spirit of America Memorial. If it weren’t raining, my grandkids would have loved to play in the park. The river also runs through the city so I’m sure there are plenty of photos and other activities that one can do. http://www.911spiritofamericamemorial.com/

On the way back to Leavenworth we stopped at Smallwood’s Harvest in Peshastin. It’s basically a tourist trap, but it’s a good one. There was a great play area for the kids with plenty on free activities for them. Again, we were there on a rainy day and it is off season so many of the activities were closed. The petting zoo is open year round. For $1 you can buy a bag of feed for the animals. It costs $2 per person to go into the petting zoo. There are a lot of animals for the kids to feed. There were goats, cows, emus, llamas, pigs, rabbits, chickens, turkeys, geese, and a peacock. They call it a petting zoo, but the kids can’t get in with the animals. It’s really more of a feed the animals zoo. Whatever it is, the kids loved it. It was a cheap and fun activity for them. The store is great. It’s very clean and offers a nice bathroom. It is well stocked with local canned goods, beverages, popcorn, candy, toys, souvenirs, and a ton of Seahawk merchandise. We enjoyed our time there. https://smallwoodsharvest.com/

We spent a bit more time in Leavenworth before calling it a day. We explored the Nutcracker Museum. They show you a short video to talk about the history of the nutcracker then you are set loose to explore the museum. The kids are given a list of different nutcrackers to find. If they find them all, they are given a little button to pin on their shirts. We spent our time looking for obscure nutcrackers. It was fun though. We also went into a very nice toy store called the Wood Shop. They have nice high quality toys and a play area in the back. The kids really enjoyed playing on the mini-grand piano and playing store with the food and shopping carts. Grandma was tired after that and I was ready to sit down with a cup of coffee. We went into the pastry store that I’d spotted the day before. It was a disappointment. They had nice looking pretzels, but they were cold and they had no way to heat them. They also didn’t have decaf coffee. I’m going to look for a different pastry place.

We ended our day relaxing in the hot tub at the hotel.

Day 4 –

Enzian Inn – Breakfast http://enzianinn.com/

They have a nice breakfast buffet for $15. Call ahead for reservations if you aren’t staying there. Every morning someone plays the Alphorn. While we were here, it played at 8:45 am and 9:15 am. The breakfast buffet features made to order omelets, potatoes, waffles, sausage, breads, cereals, oatmeal and yogurt both served with a variety of toppings, fresh fruit, and pastries. The pastries are made in house every morning, and they are delicious! The Inn has beautifully detailed woodwork and craftsmanship. I walked around and explored the indoor pool and hot tub. It looked very clean and well maintained. The room that houses the pool is decorated beautifully with columns, ornate draperies and a wonderful painting of a boy with loaves and fishes standing by a river. I might stay there just to swim in the pool. I would go to their breakfast buffet again as long as I was there to hear the Alphorn.

Road to Fish Hatchery – Icicle Road - I headed over toward the fish hatchery. The scenery was pretty, and there were some hiking trails, but nothing seemed too exciting.

Hwy 2 toward Stevens Pass - Highway 2 follows the river. I think it’s the Tye river. There are many places to pull out, but most of them were on the river side of the road. I decided to head north from Leavenworth for several miles and then turn around so the pull offs were on my right. There were 3 pull outs that I liked the most. The first one was beside a walking bridge that went over the river. The pull out was very small. It’s pretty easy to get from the road to the walking bridge and on down to the river if you choose. I was by myself and so I was being cautious.

The next place had a larger pull out and allowed easy access to the river and also a nice view of the bridge from a distance. I suspect that this would be a good spot to photograph kayakers. I spotted 3 kayaks when I was there and the weather was crummy.

My favorite pull out was just outside of Leavenworth. Looking toward Leavenworth, you can see the 20 mph sign. It had a very nice sized pull out, it was higher than the river and had not trees or shrubbery blocking the view of the river. There is a nice set of rapids there. I saw the same kayakers taking these rapids. I think it would be a fun place to photograph under better weather conditions. There is a great view of the river running through the mountain pass.

Road to Amtrak – This road has some lovely views of the mountains and the river. Head northerly (toward Cashmere/away from Stevens Pass) on Front Street, turn left of Chumstick Highway, and right on North Road. North road eventually leads to the small town of Peshastin. The pull out just passed the Amtrak station parking lot has a nice view of the mountains. My favorite pull out is directly across from Icicle ??? Winery. If you walk over to the edge of the drop off, there is a great view of the river, the railroad tracks, and the mountains. I’d love to photograph a train on the tracks here.

Day 4 – heading home

The sky was so nice that I decided to head out to some of my favorite places to get some better photos. My first stop was Stevens Pass. I just went to the first pull out because I had my parents with me and they were wanting breakfast.

Breakfast at Louis Café – Highly recommend this place. The prices and the food were great. It’s nice American home cooking. http://www.louiescafeleavenworth.com/

It’s an easy walk for most persons to the Waterfront Park from Louis Café. I walked down and grabbed a few more photos while my parents drank a second cup of coffee. The walk to the park is too strenuous for them, and there is no place to park there. If an elderly person really wants to walk in the park, there is a pull-out that can be used for loading and unloading passengers. The park area itself is fairly level other than the entry/exit itself. It’s not too much of a slope.

We took some time to pack up and vacate our hotel before heading out of town. I decided to travel on North road so that I could get a better description of some of my favorite pull-outs plus, it’s a prettier drive.

I meant to go into Winatchee, but my gps didn’t work as planned. I traveled 97 and 82 toward Toppenish. I was curious about a deep gorge that I saw near a rest area, so I pulled off to see if it had any nice photo ops. Looking back at the bridge was alright, but there were cautionary signs about rattle snakes so I didn’t walk around very much. The road over the mountain has many nice places to pull out and photograph the valley below. I’ve taken them previously, but didn’t this time because of having my parents with me. They don’t do very well for long periods of time in the car.

We wanted to eat in downtown Toppenish so I took the second Toppenish exit (I believe it was exit 50). Toppenish is known for its murals painted on the sides of historic buildings. They paint a new mural every year, and they are beautiful. https://www.visittoppenish.com/blank The first Saturday in June is the day that the murals are painted.

I asked a local for a good spot to eat that was something unique to their town. I was told hands down that I needed to eat a hamburger at Dad’s – so, we did. We just got the classic cheeseburgers. They were good. I’d order it again, but I’d share it with someone.

The town has several nice parks with playgrounds and some cute shops in the historic district. In the newer part of town there is a Safeway and several fast food chain restaurants. I was hoping to find a restaurant in the more historic part of town, but I didn’t find anything.

My next stop was at Stonehenge. The winds had picked up and the clouds were covering Mt. Hood so I just took a few shots before leaving. The town of Maryhill sits at the base of the river. It’s a very picturesque from the view above. Dave and I have spent some time exploring the town. There are several very interesting places to visit. I also love the orchards and the fruit stands when things are in season.

Our next stop was at Starbucks in Hood River; exit 64 off I-84. There is a nice restaurant with a river view in the Best Western Plus Hotel beside Starbucks. There is also a McDonalds at this exit.

Check for pass conditions. The passes crossed from Biggs to Leavenworth are: Snoqualmie Pass and/or Blewett pass. Apparently the bridge at Biggs Junction between I-84 and Highway 14 over the Columbia is closed in the winter. Please check if chains are required.

Bucket List:

Spend some time in Cashmere

Spend more time exploring the area in Stevens Pass

Go across the bridge in Stevens Pass and hike a bit along the river

Come to Leavenworth in the Fall and again in the winter

Explore Lake Wenatchee area and Fish Lake

Hike up Saur Mountain to get sunset photo

Find nature reserve in Peshastin to take sunset photo

Go see a mural painted in Toppenish – first Saturday in June every year

November 06, 2017

Iceland with a kid

November 06, 2017/ David Ober

The Overview

Things you need to know:

https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/individuals/travelling/travellers-leaving-eu/guide-vat-refund-visitors-eu_en

If you want to go to Blue Lagoon (which you should), book it as soon as you book your airfare.

Cars travel on the same side of the road as the USA. It's very easy to drive in Iceland. The hardest thing about driving in Iceland is reading the road signs.

Most Icelanders speak English.

Be cautious about going onto farmland (especially where animals have been grazing). You will be asked about this at customs in the USA.

When bringing a grandchild, or other child that isn't yours, have a notarized letter that contains both parents signature giving you permission to travel abroad with the child. Also be sure to have the child's passport.

The words in Iceland are really phrases. If you know a few key words, it will help you find some places you might like to see.

Key words for tourists and photographers:

Foss - Waterfall

Jökull - Glacier

Lónið - Lagoon

Götu - Street

Vegur - Road

Bakarí - Bakery

Kaffi - Coffee

Lakkris - Licorice (they put it in chocolate candy)

https://www.bonus.is/

Shop at HAGKUP FOR UPSCALE GROCERIES, CLOTHES, MAKE UP, TOILETRIES, TOYS, BAKERY, READY TO EAT FOOD.

https://www.hagkaup.is/

THE HANDKNITTING ASSOCIATION OF ICELAND located in Reykjavic is the best place to buy yarn.

https://handknit.is/

Favorite Places:

Hallgrímskirkja Church - pay the money to ride the elevator to the top.

BRAUÐ & CO - Dave's favorite bakery. Everything there was delicious.

Reykjavik Zoo - It's mostly farm animals, but there are a few wild animals there.

Glacier Lagoon/Diamond Beach - You can walk from one to the other.

Icelandic Fish and Chips - The fried fish was excellent. https://www.fishandchips.is/

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur - Amazing hot dogs. https://www.facebook.com/baejarinsbeztupylsur/

Fjallsárlón Glacial Lagoon - Between Foss Glacier Lagoon Hotel and Diamond Beach/Glacier Lagoon.

Foss Glacier Lagoon Hotel - This hotel was very nice and the breakfast was the best food we ate in Iceland (or ever). http://www.fosshotel.is/hotels/fosshotel-in-the-south-east/fosshotel-glacier-lagoon/

Gullfoss - An amazing waterfall with two drops. http://gullfoss.is/

Iceland - day by day

This trip has not been as pleasant or easy as the one five years ago. We were all set to sleep on the plane. Well crying babies and loud people sitting around us didn’t help us overcome the uncomfortable seats on our IcelandAir plane. I swear there is no cushion left in those seats. The staff on the plane were wonderful though. Our grandson was given a fun little back pack filled with goodies including a nice seat of ear phones to use on the plane. We were all given a bottle of cold water as we boarded the plane. Every seat has built in television screens with entertainment options. Our grandson was disappointed that his screen wasn’t working, but the staff provided him with an Ipad loaded with movies and games. For us it really didn’t matter because we were planning on sleeping anyway. Shortly after we reached altitude a flight attendant came and gave our grandson a wonderful packet of food. He was quite pleased. All other food must be purchased. They didn’t even give out complimentary pretzels or cookies. We were provided with the typical assortments of beverages at no charge. I think our flight crew were quite tired by the end of the flight. They were not near as friendly as we left the plane.

We decided to rent our car from the airport. We had to wait in blustery/cold conditions for the bus to the rental car agency. It seemed to take quite a bit of time for it to arrive. There is not place other than the seats for luggage on the bus. When we dropped our car off (in the daylight), we found that the rental car companies are just across the parking lot – an easy walk from the airport. A good tip, have one person go get the rental car and come back to the airport to pick up the luggage and the others.

We were excited to stay again at Hotel Natura. The staff was wonderful and the facilities were equally so. They upgraded us to a larger room since we were traveling with our 8-year-old grandson this time. There was no extra charge to us for this upgrade. In any case, our room was not ready when we arrived from our long flight. We were planning on sleeping for a bit before we started our day. We ended up trying to sleep in the car. That was about as successful as sleeping on the plane for Dave and I. Our grandson, however, was able to sleep for a few hours. Once we got to our room, we were quite pleased. It was wonderful. It overlooked the airport and the water. It was simply beautiful and very comfortable. The beds and pillows in the hotel were in nice condition. I found them very comfortable. Don’t bother bringing lotions, shampoos and conditioners, or soap if you stay at this hotel. They provide plenty of high quality product in the rooms.

One thing that was a disappointment had to do with the mineral pool and hot tub. They are no longer available to all the guests and the hours of operation, if you pay the extra money to be able to use the facilities, are limited. If we come to Iceland again, we will consider finding a different hotel. Also, the buffet breakfast in now up to $30 up from $20 five years ago.

Day 1 – Saturday: We were starving so we ventured to downtown Reykjavik to find some food. We found a coffee (kaffe) shop named “C is for Cookie” that served sandwiches as well as a variety of desserts. I ordered us ham and cheese sandwiches on rolls. Oh my goodness! What a lucky find. The roll was incredible! It was a whole grain roll with lots of pumpkin seeds on the top. It cost 750 ISK (roughly $6 at the current rate of exchange). It was worth every ISK. (find address and insert here along with photo of roll)

Our grandson was really excited to begin shopping for gifts for his family and school friends and so we made a trip to a local grocery store (Bonus) to see what they had to offer. We found quite a few items that made nice gifts. They had nice candy bars as well as packages of smaller candy bars at a much better price than the downtown tourist gift shops. Specialty salts are another item seen all over in the gift shops that are much better priced at the supermarket.

It’s a good idea to get familiar with the markets. Food in Iceland is quite expensive. A good way to stretch the food dollar is to get food for breakfast to eat at the hotel, make sack lunches and supplement dinner by having plenty of snacks and drinks throughout the day. I brought quite a bit of food from home to have for lunches in Iceland. We bought the local yogurt (skyr) to eat for breakfast. We brought a box of cereal for our grandson to have for breakfast. We bought milk at the grocery store in Iceland for him. Milk, juice, and produce is very affordable in Iceland.

We did find some nice places for dinner that were fairly affordable. The first night we ate Italian food at Piccolo Italia Ristorante located at Frakkastígur 12, 101 Reykjavík . The food was delicious with dinners costing between 1999 ISK and 2500 ISK. It’s a very cozy place with an authentic Italian feel to it.

After our dinner, we walked up to the church, Allgrimskirkja, in the middle of the town. They were projecting lights depicting a volcano erupting. Our grandson thought that was super amazing. We took a few pictures, but decided that we’d go back another evening because we didn’t take our tripods with us. They didn’t show the lights any other night during our stay.

Day 2 – Sunday: Golden Circle Tour with Reykjavik Excursions

The tour bus comes to the hotel to pick you up 30 minutes prior to your departure time. You are allowed to eat and drink (non-alcoholic I’m sure about) on the bus. Your guide spends the travel time telling you the history of Iceland and interesting facts about the place you are about to visit.

First stop – Þingvellir (In Icelandic it begins with a P with a funny mark on it. That particular letter sound is a TH) National Park. It is a place where the continental plates are pushing apart from each other. It’s pretty, and I’m sure if you are a scientist studying geology it would be even more exciting. Our grandson was excited because he thought it was so cool to go to Europe. There is a bridge that goes across the ravine. We had him jump on it so he could tell his friends he jumped from North America to Europe.

Second stop – Geyzir (pronounced gayz sure in Icelandic). Strokkur is one active geyzir that erupts about every 5 minutes. If you watch carefully, you can get a picture of the gorgeous blue bubble the precedes the huge eruption. Set your camera on continuous shots to get a great combination of shots.

Third stop – Gulfoss – an epic waterfall. This is the second largest waterfall in Iceland. It’s amazing. Be sure to bring cloths to wipe your lens dry. It shoots off a lot of spray that isn’t very noticible through the camera lens, but boy does it ever show up on your computer screen and prints. Those water spots are very tedious to photoshop out too.

There are bathrooms and gift shops at all three stops, and food at Geyzir. We were on the express tour. We left our hotel at about 10:30 am and arrived back at around 5:30 pm. Our hotel was last to be picked up and last to be dropped off. We almost drove ourselves over to the bus station. As I mentioned earlier, food is expensive in Iceland. We saved quite a lot of money by packing our lunches and eating them on the bus between stops. We were glad we did because we got more time for photography. The stops were only 30 minutes, 1 hour, and 45 minutes. Be ready to do quite a bit of walking and stair climbing. I highly recommend taking a rental car and doing a self-guided tour. We didn’t get to do all we wanted and now either miss out or take time away from another day to go back. Our grandson liked the destinations, especially the geyser, but didn’t enjoy the bus ride very much.

For dinner, we went to Icelandic Fish and Chips. Overall, it’s fairly affordable. All the food is ordered Al a carte including the ketchup and tater sauce. The fried fish was delicious. I had the baked cod with a tomato topping that neither Dave nor I liked. They serve oven fried potatoes instead of French fries. We found them to be over cooked and tough. Our grandson gave a thumbs up to his kids plate of fried fish and oven fried potatoes. He also loved the onion rings that we ordered for him. (insert address and photos here)

Day 3 – Monday: Today we wanted to do things that would knew our grandson would really enjoy. We gave him a list of options (zoo, swimming, shopping, and more photography) and the zoo won first place. He really wanted to see an Artic Fox and this zoo had one.

The Reykjavic Zoo itself is very small by most American Zoo standards. There were reindeer, Icelandic horses, various birds that most would consider farm animals and none of them being exotic unless you consider parakeets exotic, rabbits, cows, goats, sheep that looked like goats (they might have been goats for all I know), plenty of fish, lizards, and bugs. The zoo allows you to pet the animals if they come to you. Fortunately, the animals that can do harm have barriers keeping them from the public. Our grandson had the most fun with the cows. They seemed to love the interaction as much as our grandson. All in all, the zoo was a big hit, both with entertainment and the pocketbook. The entrance for adults was 800 kr and children 5 to 12 600 kr. A few rides are available in the summer, but the prices are higher as well.

Next on the agenda was shopping and dinner. LOOK AT THE RECEIPTS TO SEE WHERE WE ATE DINNER

We ended the day heading out on our Northern Lights tour. It was supposed to take place on a boat, but because of the high winds the boats weren’t safe on the water and so we went on a bus. The ride out to the lights took about 30 minutes. Along the way, Pier, our tour guide entertained us with folklore tales, singing songs from his youth, and filling us in on more history of Iceland. We were driven to a coffee shop on the coastline. The coffee shop is very accommodating to these tours. They stay open late allowing the groups to order drinks and small pastries while waiting for the lights to show. The guides stay outside and watch for the lights and inform the guests when the lights show up. It’s quite nice to be able to stay in out of the cold while waiting.

Day 4 – Tuesday: Laugardalslaug Swimming Pool, The Handknitting Association of Iceland, Mokkaffi, Fire and Ice

Our grandson was really wanting to go swimming. The pool at Natura is only for adults except for two hours of the morning and so we checked out one of the many local pools in Reykjavik. We chose this one because of the long tube slide. The day we went was cold and blustery, but the water was pretty warm. They use the waste water leftover from the geothermal heating from their homes. The water is perfectly clean, it’s just had the steam captured from it. They use the steam to run the generators to heat their homes. The water also has the natural minerals in it because it’s from the geothermal fields. It’s a win win situation. Anyway, I would have loved the water to have been a bit warmer in the pool, but the hot tub was great. Kids are allowed in the hot tubs btw. Anyway, for the sake of my grandson, I ventured into the pool to be in the water near him when he emerged from the slide. The slide was a huge hit with him. The inside of the slide was very dark, but was decorated with glow in the dark slides and really fun light strips. It’s hard to describe, but it was pretty fun. I know because I was talked into trying it out myself. You need to bring your own towels to the pools here. The signs are not in English, but it’s pretty easy to figure out what you are required to do. They provide very nice lockers free of charge. The locker rooms are very clean with water continually runs across the shower floors to drains in the center of the room. They have private toilets and shower stalls.

Next on the agenda was more shopping/photography. We went back to the downtown area to get wool yarn at the Handknitting Association of Iceland store located at Skólavörðustígur 19, 101 Reykjavík. They have the best price on Icelandic wool yarn. They also have colors that are dyed only for their store. They also sell handknitted items, but expect to pay a pretty penny (or ISK) for them. When you are at this store, be sure to look up the street at the church. It’s a good location for a great photo.

Just down the street (away from the church) is Fire and Ice Crepes. They offer sweet and savory crepes made with organic spelt flour and a good variety of ice cream. The prices are quite affordable by Icelandic standards.

Day 5 – Wednesday: We were supposed to leave early in the morning and head east toward Glacier Lagoon. Unfortunately, a huge storm closed down the roads and we were forced to stay near Reykjavik. The wind and the rain kept us mostly inside for the day. We spent a relaxing day sleeping in and working on our photos.

We went on a drive to find a few local waterfalls. We had to venture off the paved road onto a gravel road, which is typical in Iceland. However, when we were met with a bolder and extremely deep ruts in the road, we decided that we were finished with that particular adventure. We would have walked the rest of the way, but it was extremely windy and cold. Eli wasn’t up for that challenge. We did get a few nice shots of the mountains with some pretty foreground.

On the way back to town we stopped to photograph a church that had really interesting architecture. Dave was happy because we’d seen this church on our last trip to Iceland, and he didn’t take photos of it. He wasn’t sure we’d find it this trip. We did and we’ll be sure to tell you how to find it too.

Once we were back in town our little shopper of a grandson was itching to buy more gifts for his family and friends. We’d heard of a new 3 story mall in Reykjavik, Kringlan, and so we set out to find it. Turns out it was very near our hotel. It is a mall quite similar to Clackamas Town Center (only nicer and newer). One store I highly recommend for nice souvenirs is there. The name is Islandia Kringlunni. It’s very similar to our Made in Oregon stores. There’s some nice jewelry, mugs, pens, key chains, t-shirts, items made with wool, etc. One thing we learned is to make your purchases at one time to get over the 6000 ISK amount needed to get your tax free form at check out. You simply fill out the form and turn it in at the airport. They will credit back the taxes to your account. You will not get a form for purchases under 6000 ISK. Taxes in Iceland are 24% on general merchandise and 11% on books and food. You only get credited on items that you are taking home with you. We took a lot of candy home with us, but none of our purchases were over 6000 ISK so I don’t know how they would have dealt with that.

Day 6 – Headed to the east side of Iceland

It’s a 4 hour drive to Glacier Lagoon from Reykjavik and that’s with no stops. I knew there were at least 2 waterfalls that we wanted to see so we set our early for our trip.

Our first stop was in the town of Selfoss. Dave and I had been to a little coffee house here on our prior visit and we were hoping to find it again. We did. It’s called Kaffi Krus located at Austurvegur 7, Selfoss 800, Iceland http://www.kaffikrus.is/. It’s on the main road heading to Glacier Lagoon so it’s easy to spot. I’d love to be there in the summer to enjoy their outside patio seating. They have a great selection of pastries. Their hamburger was delicious as well as their specialty coffees.

Velkomin ao Urrioafossi (keep in mind I don’t have an Icelandic keyboard) – This waterfall is just outside of Selfoss. We hadn’t heard of it, but decided to drive back in there and check it out. It’s worth the time. It’s a small park not visible from the main road, although there is a sign on the road so you know where to turn. The road is just before crossing a small river, so if you go across the river after Selfoss, you’ve gone too far. (this is assuming that you are heading toward Glacier Lagoon and not Reykjavik) There is a nice path leading to some great views of the falls. This waterfall is not a big tourist attraction so if you want a unique photo, this is a good stop.

We made it to Foss Hotel Glacier Lagoon in the early evening. We were pretty wiped out. Dave drove to a small gas station that had a deli and brought some soup back to our hotel room. We were ready to get some sleep after the long days drive.

Day 7 - Glacier Lagoon/Diamond Beach

After we ate the most amazing breakfast buffet at Foss Glacier Lagoon Hotel, we headed out to find the icebergs in the lagoon. Vatnajokull, the name of the glacier, is visible from the road. It's huge. We saw a body of water at the base of the glacier and thought it might be Glacier Lagoon, but it wasn't. It was Fjallsárlón Glacial Lagoon. It was actually more beautiful than Glacier Lagoon. We might have just gotten lucky on the day we were there, but the reflections were amazing. Everything about that place was beautiful.

We finally got back into the car and set out once again to Glacier Lagoon. The lagoon is beautiful. It is connected by a short river that flows into the ocean. Icebergs from the lagoon float from the lagoon to the ocean where the waves wash chunks of ice onto the black sand. These chunks resemble diamonds, hence the name Diamond Beach. Be certain to watch out while near the shore. Very large chunks of ice have been known to land on people trapping them under water. Eli had so much fun at this beach.

We hated to leave, but we had a long drive back to Reykjavik. I could spend days over on this side of the island.

Day 8 - Departure day

Our flight didn't leave until late in the day and so we spent a bit more time in Reykjavik. We had to go get one last hot dog at our favorite place. We also went and got our last pastry at the bakery. Eli enjoyed feeding the swans and the ducks at the lake in town before we headed to Keflavik Airport. Dave dropped Eli and I as well as our luggage off at the airport and returned the rental car. That's the best way to do it.

Inside the airport is where you turn in your receipts to file for your tax refund. Be sure to do this before you check your luggage. They can ask to see your purchases.

Going through customs - We've never made any large purchases so going through customs has been pretty painless. In Seattle, there were kiosks where we scanned our passports and answered some questions prior to speaking with an agent.

November 06, 2017

Touring Southern Oregon

November 06, 2017/ David Ober

From the city of Bend, travel out to some beautifully scenic small towns with hidden treasures of their own.

November 06, 2017

Columbia Gorge Day trip

November 06, 2017/ David Ober

First stop: Memaloose Overlook

Overview:

Amazing opportunity to take wildflower photos in the spring

Great view of the Columbia River and Mt. Hood

Travel right beside the windmills

Play by play:

Take the Mosier exit off I-84 and head south. Stay on that road (highway 30) as it travels through the city and goes up a winding hill. Just before a 90 degree turn that is lined by a white wooden fence there is a small parking area at a pull-out named Memaloose Overlook. Directly across the street is a small trail that heads out to Memaloose hills.

We arrived at the trailhead a little later than what we wanted especially considering we woke up at 3:30 am, but we did stumble around the house in the morning to pack up plenty of drinks and snacks (most of which remained un-eaten). We also had to go to a drive through a 24 hour Starbucks (Oregon City at I-205) and a McDonalds in Hood River for a breakfast sandwich and a bathroom. However, it was still fairly dark when we started the hike to the ridge where we were heading so we were thankful for our flashlights. It took us right at 30 minutes to reach the hill at the end of the trail.

From this location you can see the Columbia River (facing NE) and Mount Hood (facing SW). There might be times in the year that the sunrises over the river, but for us it rose over another hill. It was a marvelous location for sunrise photos, and the golden light really lit up the beautiful wild flowers. A large number of flowers were blooming, but we were just a touch early for the lupine and paint brushes to be in bloom.

Things to take:

flashlight and extra batteries
wide angle lens
tri-pod

Things we’d do differently – pack the night before.

We’d possibly wait another week before going so more of the flowers would be in bloom.

Next stop: Columbia Hills State park with a quick detour to the bridge at The Dalles (Washington side)

Next planned stop for the day – after a quick bathroom break at Starbucks in Hood River was to head toward Columbia Hills State Park in Washington. We went over Bridge of the gods in Hood River. The toll is $1.00 so don’t be like us and have absolutely no cash on hand. We had to stop at the gas station to buy a candy bar and get cash back.

After you get across the river, head east (go right) on highway 14 until you reach Dalles Mountain Road.

It will be on the left. Now we got distracted and took a little side trip down to the bridge the crosses over the The Dalles (highway 197). I’m so glad we did this. At the base of the bridge, while still in Washington, there is a place you can pull off the road. Actually, if you are brave there is a road that you can drive on that follows the river. I would not take that road if it was raining or wet. I’d be afraid I’d slip off the cliff and fall on the railroad tracks. Since our day was dry we braved the road and were rewarded with some nice photos of the bridge, Mt. Hood, and the Columbia River.

Back to highway 14 and Dalles Mountain Road, this is a long high winding gravel road that leads you to the peak of the hills and eventually to the windmills. There are so many beautiful places to photograph along this road, especially if the wildflowers are blooming. Be sure to keep watch in your rear view mirror because the best shots are behind you.

Things to take:

water and snacks
Cash for the toll bridge

Things to see:

Great views of Mt. Hood
The Columbia River
beautiful meadows and rolling hills
small waterfall (no guarantee that it will be there in the summer)
wild flowers
sometimes the cattle are out

There is also a museum with antique farm equipment, barns, and a house if you choose to stop and take those photos. It costs $10 if you choose to stop at the museum.

Things we’d do differently – I can’t think of anything I’d do differently here. We stopped and took photos anytime we wanted. We didn’t spend much time at any of the stops knowing that we were going to see more pretty places ahead.

We chose not to go up to the windmills because the sky was pretty washed out the day we were there. We’ve been on that road before and we HIGHLY recommend taking it if you’ve never been or if the sky is interested or at least a nice shade of blue.

Next stop: Goldendale, Washington

When we planned our trip we didn’t make plans past the ranch because we were planning on going on to the windmills. Since the sky wasn’t pretty or interesting for the windmills, we decided to head to

Yakima and head home from there, but on the way over the mountain we saw Mt. Adams (and Mt. Rainier too). Since Mt. Adams was closer, we thought we’d head that direction to see what we could photograph.

We had no cell coverage so we couldn’t get Google or Waze to direct us to the mountain and so we stopped at a town named Goldendale to buy a map, yes, a real paper map. We talked to some of the locals about Mt. Adams and asked if there was a resort or any place similar to Timberline lodge on the mountain. No one at the store knew of any place but they suggested we go to the forest rangers place.

To get there, we were told to head toward Trout Lake. We were told to be sure and stop along the way at Glenwood for a Huckleberry shake.

Next stop: Glenwood, Washington

Glenwood is a very small town very near Mt. Adams. Other than a post office, the café, and a bunch of pretty cows grazing with a beautiful view of the mountain behind, I didn’t see much else. The huckleberry shake was quite good and worth the $4.50. The cows humored me and let me take their photo.

Next stop: Somewhere along the way to the forest ranger station

The signage wasn’t the best and we were fading fast from getting up at 3:30 am so we decided to be satisfied with our photos from the base of Mt. Adams. There were some very nice places to stop and photograph the mountain between Glenwood and the forest ranger station.

Next stop: home

If you have younger bodies than ours, there are a great many places to stop and wait out the sunset along the Columbia River. We headed down highway 141 toward White Salmon eventually crossing Bridge of the gods at Hood River ($1 toll) and then headed home via I-84.

November 06, 2017

Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival

November 06, 2017/ David Ober

Since this location is just a few miles from my home, we just take part of a day to do this trip.

There are so many great times to visit the fields. Often there is stormy weather in late March and April.

The beautiful tulip colors in front of a stormy backdrop makes for very dramatic photos. If you are lucky, you can even catch a rainbow over the fields. http://www.woodenshoe.com/

Another great time to visit is at sunrise. They rotate fields, but there is one field that gives a great view of Mt. Hood behind the tulips. Also, be checking their website to see if the hot air balloons are going to be lifting off. The balloons only lift off when the weather is good and usually only Fridays through Sundays. The balloons begin setting up at sunrise, so don’t be late to the fields.

We have gone to the fields for sunset. The golden hour is nice, but this isn’t my favorite time to be at the fields. The tulips need sunlight to make the colors glow.

I love going when the sky is a beautiful blue and the sun is shining. I catch the tulips with the light glowing through them. They just glow.

On the weekends the vendor’s booths are open. Trust me, get some of the sausage. It’s delicious. Dave and I go down there just for lunch. It does cost to go to the fields. You can buy a season pass for a discount in March. The season pass allows you onto the fields before and after closing. You can get a free day pass for the next season if you order tulips. If you make an $80 order, you get a season pass for the next season. This various from season to season, so be sure to check before you order.

If you want to make a day of it, there are many other beautiful locations to photograph. Silvercreek Falls are close by. There are several trails, walking bridges, streams, and waterfalls (duh) to enjoy. There’s even a great waterfall that you can walk behind. http://oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=151

Another area nearby is the Oregon Gardens http://www.oregongarden.org/. They have manicured flower beds including a really fun area set up to attract the native birds and a large Koi pond. The city of Silverton is a very picturesque town full of cute shops and eateries.

On the way to Silvercreek Falls or Oregon Gardens, take highway 213 to see the wildflower fields. Silver Falls Seed Company has many fields where they grow wildflowers for seed. I would call to see where the fields are in bloom. https://silverfallsseed.com/

Abiqua Creek Falls is also nearby and the falls are beautiful. http://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide/Abiqua_Falls_Hike

The Abby in Mt. Angel is a beautiful building and the town itself is quite charming. There is a great German restaurant named Glockenspiel (190 E Charles Street). It's a very charming city with plenty to photograph. They host an amazing Oktoberfest that shouldn't be missed. http://www.oktoberfest.org/

November 06, 2017

San Diego

November 06, 2017/ David Ober

Overview

San Diego

Things you need to know:

Plan your day trips to avoid peak traffic times.

Hit the farmers Markets.

Check Groupon for whale watching trips and other activities. https://www.groupon.com/local/san-diego

Favorite Places:

Windansea Beach at Sunset

Mt. Soledad

USS Midway Museum

Coronado Island - photos of the cityscape

Ocean Beach Farmers Market

Scripps Pier Beach - amazing photo opportunities and a fun beach to play on

San Diego - day by day

Day 1 – Sunday

We arrived at San Diego in the early afternoon. We first went to our hotel to unload our rental car not wanting to tempt any thievery. Next we decided to get the lay of the land and our first meal in the city and headed out to Seaport Village.

It was extremely windy as this was the day of the huge windstorm. It felt like a typical spring day at the Oregon Coast so we weren’t too put off by the weather. At Seaport Village we found a nice little place to enjoy some fish tacos. (insert photo here) They were pretty good, but we were sure there must be better ones in the city where they were created. A slight walk around the corner brought us to a cupcake shop which boasts winning Food Networks Cupcake Wars. (insert photo here)

We enjoyed walking along the promenade taking a few photos (well more than a few). The wind was really kicking up and so we decided to go on out to the Children’s Pool at La Jolla because it’s a great place to take photos of waves breaking against a sea wall.

After a short drive north, we made it to the sea wall where we discovered that we weren’t the only one with this idea. We were met with a beautiful rainbow, lovely light, and nice big waves. (insert photos here) One thing that we’ve learned since is that the largest waves don’t come at high tide. There is too much water to get a good spray. The best splash action comes mid-tide.

Seaport Village –

Food – ranging from nicer restaurants to smaller cafes

Photos – Water front, sculptures, people, naval ship, pier, boats.

Day 2 - Monday

Our first full day in town, we decided to check out Balboa Park. We’d already decided to not go to the famous zoo on this trip, but we wanted a taste of the famous park. Our first stop was to check out the Botanical Garden. An orchid show was on display. The flowers were quite beautiful. There is a wonderful water garden complete with a family of ducks in front of the Botanical building. Later in the morning the local musicians arrived to play for the crowds.

Each museum has its own building. These buildings are beautiful reminding me of what I’ve seen in Europe. There is beauty in all of the details. I loved the covered walkways with ornate lighting throughout. Each museum seems to have its own unique feature from large tolling bells that play songs as well as alert you to the time of day it is, towers, water gardens, indoor atriums, and interesting sculptures. In the center of the square is a gorgeous water fountain. One thing we learned is that several of the museums aren’t open on Mondays.

Balboa Park –

Food – ranging from nice restaurants to smaller cafes and coffee shops

Photos – Buildings, water features, flowers, people, sculptures, Japanese Garden, art, and the zoo if you have the extra money.

Mt. Soledad –

We stumbled across this beautiful monument built on a scenic hillside. There are beautiful views of the city and the coastline. The walls surrounding the base of the cross are covered with beautiful memories to our veterans.

Food – only what you bring

Photos – city view, coastal view, great reflection photos, people, flag, cross.

Scripps Pier – Institute of Oceanography 8622 Kennel Way, La Jolla, CA

We were intending to go on the beach at Scripps Pier, but the sunset was quickly approaching, and we couldn’t find it. Later in the week we learned our error. Our mistake paid off though because we were able to capture some nice sunset photos from a place above the pier. When you pull in the parking lot it looks like it is only for school use, but if you turn left and drive down the hill you will find a parking lot. There are several nice places to walk into and capture some nice photos.

Food – only what you bring

Photos – nice flowers and plant life, ocean views, palm trees

Day 3 – Tuesday

USS Midway Museum

This museum is filled with planes and military artifacts displayed in very realistic conditions. It’s also extremely interesting. The lighting is low unless you are up on the flight deck. It was definitely worth the money. ($18)

Food – there is a café on board

Photos – planes, military items, water views, city views, people

Whale Watching Tour – tours leave from the dock beside the Midway Museum. You can park in the parking lot that at the museum and leave your car for 12 hours. It’s a pretty reasonable charge.

We chose to go on the Adventure Hornblower tour. I was able to get a 2 for 1 price groupon. I appreciated the larger boat because I tend to get seasick. I was surprised at how far down the coastline the boat traveled. We did see whales, but they were pretty far away. We did get a nice tail shot though. I will add that if you get seasick, be prepared. When the spot a while, they gun the engine and turn the boat.

There were other whale watching boats that were able to get closer to the whales because they were smaller. The ones I remember were catamarans. I think I would go out of one of those if I were to go again.

Food – there was a snack bar on the boat

Photos – Well, pretty well everywhere you looked was something pretty to photograph. There were some amazing views of the city scape from out in the boat.

Bob Hope Memorial Park

This park is located beside the Midway Museum. There is a giant statue of a sailor kissing a nurse. There is also a very moving tribute to Bob Hope and the military. By default, we stayed for the sunset. It was a decent place for sunset photos.

Food – There is a nice restaurant in the parking lot.

Photos – Midway, Memorial, water, boats, people, sunset.

South of the airport off of Harbor Drive there is a parking lot that follows the water. We parked in this lot and found a small dock to walk out on so we could take some night time photos.

Day 4 – Wednesday

Cesar Chavez Park – This park is at the base of the Coronado Bridge on the San Diego side. There is a long pier that goes way out into the water allowing some nice shots of whatever ships are docked nearby and of the bridge. The park itself has a playground for any kiddos that might be traveling with you. Other than this, there isn’t much around the park.

Coronado Island – We drove to the island the first time we visited it. We stopped at a park right after we crossed the bridge. It was a nice place to take some interesting shots of the architecture of the bridge as well as some boat shots by the water.

I talked to a local about a good place to get coffee and lunch. He recommended a coffee shop in town. It was a winner. The town is really nice and filled with interesting shops and eateries.

Of course, no visit is complete without a walk around the iconic Coronado Hotel. It looks like it was fit into Hawaii quite easily. I loved all the palm trees and the beautiful blue water surrounding the grounds. We mistakenly skipped going to the beach while there. I would definitely do that if I had a do over. There are plenty of great shops and cafes on the hotel grounds.

Point Loma – There is a park that is on a high point allowing nice views of the channel, ocean, naval base, and the city. The park itself is full of history of the area. There is a lighthouse open for self-guided tours. There is a day use fee, but it’s not too much.

Food – only what you bring

Photos – great shots from up high, lighthouse, plant life, water and ocean, city, naval base

Ocean Beach Farmers Market – A great place for good food and people/dog photos. We loved walking out on the pier. Also, the sunset was fabulous setting under the pier. We highly recommend the BBQ brisket parfaits. It’s a bit of a party atmosphere, complete with band.

Food – plenty to choose from

Photos – beach, pier, ocean, people, dogs

Sunset Cliffs – If you plan on going to sunset cliffs, be sure to go there in the late afternoon because that’s when the sun hits the cliffs and gives some nice colors. These were kind of a letdown for us because in Oregon we have so many nice cliffs. I think we’d skip this place if we had a do over. The cliffs are pretty enough in the right light, but the sunset opportunities are kind of boring. There’s not much in the foreground to make a photo interesting.

Food – there is a town nearby with plenty of places to eat

Photos – beach, cliffs, people

Day 5 – Thursday

Maritime Museum – We didn’t pay the money to tour the boats, be we got some nice shots from the waterfront. Next time, we will pay to tour the boats and pay the extra for a harbor tour.

Food – plenty of places along the waterfront, but we chose Anthony’s

Photos – water, boats, people

Anthony’s for lunch – it’s on the waterfront near the Maritime museum. There are great seats outside and you get a nice view of the boats that are part of the Maritime museum.

Food – great seafood of course

Photos – the seagulls will pose quite nicely for you, boats from the Maritime museum, water

Ferry to Coronado- a very inexpensive way to enjoy being on the water. There are two ferries that go to Coronado. You can leave on one and come back on the other. The price is the same and the tickets are good for either landing. We took the one from the southern landing, near the conference center. The other ferry landing is north of Anthony’s restaurant. The ferry’s run on a very regular schedule. You never have to wait very long- unless you miss the last one for the night.

Food – only what you bring

Photos – a cheap way to get shots from the water

Coronado – There is so much to do on Coronado Island. At the ferry landing, there are many little tourist shops and eateries. There are beaches with great views. We didn’t play in the water, but I suppose you could if you wanted to do so. At the base of the bridge is a great park that offers some interesting photo opportunities. If you have a car, you can drive into the town and enjoy a vast number of nice shops and eateries. We talked to a local and found a great breakfast/lunch place.

Food – plenty of places to choose from

Photos – water, city scape, boats, bridge, people, beautiful buildings and landscapes

San Diego city scape from Coronado – We took the ferry over for our daytime shots. When you get off the ferry walk northwesterly (away from the bridge). On the beach in front of some apartments/condos is a great beach that you can get the iconic photos of the San Diego skyline.

Seaport Village – bike taxi. We enjoyed a short bike ride from Anthony’s restaurant to the south ferry landing. Prices for the bike taxis are negotiable.

Ocean Beach sunset – Gorgeous! We went to the farmer’s market the night before, after being disappointed at Sunset Cliffs, and got there just in time to see what we missed. It was definitely worth the repeat visit to capture the sunset. Be sure to leave plenty of time to find a parking spot. Traffic gets pretty intense. There is a free lot right at the base of the bridge. If you get there early enough, you might get lucky enough to find a spot. The town itself is a bit on the dirty/party side. If you are into the bar scene, you will probably love it. After walking past a restaurant window that looked into the kitchen where I saw a worker eating off a plate that was getting ready to make its way to the diner, I chose to find another town to eat in.

Food – plenty of places, but not my cup of tea

Photos – tons! Pier, ocean, interesting people

Gaslamp Quarter– oh my word. I don’t know how long we drove around trying to find the iconic sign, but it was a long time. Of course it didn’t help that the town’s Marti Gras celebration was taking place the next day. We finally found the sign. BTW it’s on the corner of 5th and L Street, very close to Hard Rock Hotel. There is a triangle area in the road that makes a nice spot to take your photos. We went at night to try to get some long exposure shots. I still need practice at those. There is a Ghirardelli Chocolate shop that stays open late at night. We shared a sundae at 11 pm.

Food – loads and loads of places – most for over 21 only though

Photos – great place for slow shutter speed shots, nice buildings and architecture, people for sure

Day 6 – Friday

Del Mar – train photos

At this beach there is a train track that runs on a cliff beside the beach. We parked along 15th street and walked toward the beach. At this point you are on the cliff above the cliff that the train runs along. It’s a great point to get a shot of a train with the ocean in the background. We didn’t have our cameras ready when a train went past. We saw two more trains while we were there. I’d guess they run about every 20 or 30 minutes. We walked down to the cliffs where the train tracks were running, but stayed very clear of the tracks. I got the closest to a moving train as I care to be.

Scripps Pier – reflection photos

I had done my research and knew when low tide was happening. I planned to go here during the lowest tide of our trip. It sure paid off. The reflections were beautiful. Dave really enjoyed taking photos of the surfers as well. California was having record waves this year and the surfers were out in force. Lucky us.

Windansea – sunset

We ended our day at Windansea Beach for sunset photos. I’d read how to take a great portrait and couldn’t wait to try it on Dave and I. You put your subject (in our case Dave and I) between the camera and the sun. Set your shutter speed for the sunset colors and set your camera to force the flash. Obviously I was using a tri-pod and a timer as well. After a few tries, I got a photo I was satisfied with and I released Dave from my photoshoot.

This beach was fabulous. There was so much to photograph while waiting for the sun to set. The colors were incredible. It’s up on a cliff, but the rocks go out quite a way so you can look back to get the great golden light on them. There is a lot of green that just glows. Oh, so much to photograph. This was way up there for sunset shots.

Day 7 – Saturday

Our flight didn’t leave until the afternoon and so we had some time after we checked out of our hotel so we went back to Little Italy. We were very happy to find out that Saturday market was there. There were blocks and blocks of such interesting things to sample and see. I wanted to be sure to eat some gelato while there. What a disappointment that was. We have better gelato in Portland. I’ll for sure skip that next time. I also wanted to get some pizza, but we were too full after eating our favorite BBQ parfait from the Saturday market. That really is good. It was by far our favorite food in San Diego. Who knew.

Blog

Things you need to know:

Favorite Places:

Iceland - day by day

Overview:

Day by Day -

The Overview

Things you need to know:

Favorite Places:

Iceland - day by day

First stop: Memaloose Overlook

Overview:

Play by play:

Things to take:

flashlight and extra batteries

wide angle lens

tri-pod

Next stop: Columbia Hills State park with a quick detour to the bridge at The Dalles (Washington side)

Things to take:

water and snacks

Cash for the toll bridge

Things to see:

Great views of Mt. Hood

The Columbia River

beautiful meadows and rolling hills

small waterfall (no guarantee that it will be there in the summer)

wild flowers

sometimes the cattle are out

Next stop: Goldendale, Washington

Next stop: Glenwood, Washington

Next stop: Somewhere along the way to the forest ranger station

Next stop: home

Overview

Favorite Places:

Oberview Photography and Travel

Tell us about your trip.