Iceland

 

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Top 3 New Year’s Travel Resolutions for 2010 | January 1, 2010

Top 3 New Year’s Travel Resolutions for 2010

2009 has been a great year! Rich and I got to jet set to some fantastic places including Buenos Aires, Argentina-Punta Del Este, Uruguay-Prague, Czech Republic- and Reykjavik, Iceland. We are now working on our destination list for 2010 which I hope will be as exciting. With the new year almost here, I thought I’d share my Top 3 personal Travel Resolutions for 2010. My mantra is still the same- “travel more, but be smart about it!”

1- Travel to more “Off-the-Beaten Path” Destinations: It’s always great jet setting to a big city, but sometimes it’s cooler staying in a smaller … Read More »

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Aurora Borealis | December 4, 2009

Aurora Borealis

I’m sure by now, by my abundance of posts about Iceland, you can tell that I have fallen in love! The people are warm and welcoming, the country is absolutely beautiful, and it’s so close. I cannot wait to return, and I have a perfect reason…to see the Aurora Borealis.

The Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is created when particles are electrically charged by the sun. Supposedly, you can see the Northern Lights on cold, crisp nights between September and April.

We thought that a trip in November would have been the perfect time to see the Aurora Borealis, … Read More »

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Iceland Equals Safeland | December 2, 2009

Iceland Equals Safeland

In this crazy world we live in, safety is of the utmost importance to me when I travel. I have to say that when I was in Iceland, I felt very safe. In fact, Iceland has a relatively low crime rate according to the U.S. Department of State.

One thing that reassured me of this when I was there was the abundance of baby carriages with babies inside of them outside of restaurants, coffee shops and stores. This is pretty typical in Scandinavia from what I’ve heard and read. Mothers and fathers will leave their … Read More »

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Blue Lagoon | November 27, 2009

Blue Lagoon

No visit to Iceland would be complete without a dip in the Blue Lagoon. The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa that is filled with hot water (38*C) fed from the adjacent geothermal plant.

Believe it or not, the silver plant towers are your backdrop as you sit in the hot steam and cover yourself in white silica mud. The lagoon is filled with hot pots, and the algae and minerals condition and exfoliate your skin- you come out feeling as soft as a newborn baby. You should know that like the other geothermal pools … Read More »

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Hot Shopping in Iceland | November 25, 2009

Hot Shopping in Iceland

You quickly realize in Iceland, that if men and women take the time to dress up (not in jeans) to head to the bars for the Runtur when it’s cold outside, then obviously fashion is important to Icelanders. Shopping is incredibly expensive in Iceland, but it’s worth shelling out the extra krona (ISK) for local designers’ stuff…their creations are unique and fashion forward.

RYK, owned by Kristin Kristjansdottir, off of Laugavegar in downtown Reykjavik, is a store that I absolutely fell in love with and wanted to transport back to the U.S. Kristin is a designer who … Read More »

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Iceland Glacier Hike and Runtur Hike | November 20, 2009

Iceland Glacier Hike and Runtur Hike

You know the saying “When in Rome…do as the Romans?” Well, the same goes for Iceland, “When in Iceland…do a glacier hike!” My friend Laura is definitely the adventurous type and suggested that we go on a glacier hike in Iceland. I agreed thinking, how hard could it be, right? She told me it would be a 2 out of a 5…boy, was I in for a shock! In the end, I’m glad we did it, but only because I made it down unscathed!.Our day started at 9:30am. We signed up to go with a tour group called Arctic Adventures. … Read More »

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Geothermal And Circle- A Golden Combination | November 19, 2009

Geothermal And Circle- A Golden Combination

For every destination, there is always a to-do list of things you should see and experience while jet setting. In Iceland, two of those things include an outdoor bath at one of Reykjavik’s geothermal pools, and a drive to the Golden Circle. That’s how we planned to spend our second day in this beautiful country. We hired a local taxi to drive us around for eight hours. Since there were four of us, the cost was about $200USD per couple.11AM- We headed to Laugardalslaug Pool- Reykjavik’s biggest pool, and also the largest pool in Iceland. The price to get in … Read More »

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Eating Our Way Through Iceland on Day 1 | November 15, 2009

Eating Our Way Through Iceland on Day 1

Icelandic cuisine is fresh and delicious – locally caught fish and free roaming lamb are common dishes that are always great. You can also find interesting delicacies like puffin, wild goose and rotten shark. But Icelanders like their fast food too – so you can definitely get your fix of hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza. Our first meal was at Prikid Restaurant on Laugevegar- the main shopping and culture street.Inside, it looks like a bar downstairs, and in fact at night that’s exactly what it turns into.Just head upstairs for a table and you will be sitting right … Read More »

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