mudpots!

Contrary to what I've been posting so far, Iceland isn't entirely coastline. (Just mostly.)

Fifth Day: Reykjanes

Icelandic fog is still fog.

Fourth day: Snaefellsnes


Today it rained. All day.

Viðey

Third day: Walkabout on Viðey

halfway to Europe

I was going to write this whole post about how this summer was really fun, but also really hot, and how I am not really a heat-loving, beach-going sort of girl. Then I was going to tell you how this summer has caused me to dream about colder climates, and then I was going to wrap up the whole story by telling you that I was going to go to Iceland.

Except then I got behind, as I normally do, and things got really busy, as they normally are, and now I'm actually in Iceland, so all I can give you is the belated news and a few pictures from the past two days.

It's been 15 degrees here, in the sun, by the way. It's like heaven. But with sleet.

First day: whale-watching


Yeah, they all kind of look like waves.

Second day: glacier hiking (and some ice climbing)




And now, in the courtyard below our hotel window, there are a bunch of inebriated people singing "We are the Champions" in Icelandic accents. A few minutes ago some of them were doing the wave. I really have no clue what's going, but apparently it's hilarious to all involved (even us eavesdroppers).

Photoblog: Valley of Fire

Rainbow Vista in the Valley of Fire.

The Valley of Fire was the main reason I was excited about going to Las Vegas. (I know. I'm lame. But I don't gamble, I barely drink, spas bore me, and American Coke tastes weirdly different — it's the high-fructose corn syrup — so it's not that surprising. Which is not to say that everyone who enjoys Vegas should be an alcoholic, caffeine- and gambling addict with a penchant for massages, although I'm sure it would help.)

It really is spectacularly beautiful, though. (Speaking of which — you'll want to click on the picture above and see it in its original size in Flickr. Trust me.)


The long and winding road into the park




The trail known as the Mouse's Tank


Mouse's Tank is also known for its Anasazi petroglyphs.








We entered the park via the Valley of Fire highway off of I-15, drove through the park, and exited on Northshore Road (the so-called scenic route) to head back to Vegas. It turned out, though, that the road was being re-asphalted, a section at a time, so we had to wait for a pilot car to guide us through, which we found amusing.


My Docs, which used to be black, but now ... aren't. A souvenir, I suppose.