LAVA COME DOWN SOFT AND HOT!!!!!

 LAVA COME DOWN SOFT AND HOT!!!

We were not early breakfast and the hotel breakfast area was just a bit calmer. 

We are excited as I have been checking the Iceland Fagradalsfjall Geldingadalir (DON’T EVEN ASK HOW IT IS PRONOUNCED) Volcano forecast and web cams. IT IS ACTIVE!!!! LETS GO.

We have our backpacks filled with water, food, extra clothes, 1st aid kits, camera gear and more. The intrepid volcano searchers head out to find lunch before the 1300hrs meeting time. I figure a hot dog is the way to go for fortitude. 



We had arranged a volcano tour with Reykjavik Excursions. I was a bit worried it would be a large group which had to stick together. It was not, it was a bus ride with a guide to the volcano parking lot. The ride out and back were narrated with info on the sights we were seeing along the route. 

Once at the parking lot it was time to hit the trail.  

 There were trails A and B until a recent lava flow closed  one of them. Currently the view of the cone is best from Trail C. Suggested times for the various sections of Trail C were as follows - 40 minutes will get you to end of the current lava fields. It is abut 1:45 min to the observation ridge where you can see the crater. The first part to the lava field terminal is relatively flat. The hike up the ridge to the observation points will take 1:30. 

Yes, it is steep and there is a lot of loose rock on the trail. Limited switchbacks.  On the way down I slipped onto my butt twice and Lynn did the same once. Hiking poles are advised. 

We had plenty of supplies and clothes etc. We could have consumed more water but were OK. The wind did pick up and I would say was blowing at 35-45 MPH. (Hey we are from Wyoming and we know our wind speeds)



When we reached the observation ridge, the volcano was tossing out lava, stopping for an occasional 5 min break before starting up again. Yes you can hear and smell the eruption. 

We pulled out our wind gear and warm hats before we started to click pictures. Glad we had that gear for sure. 

During our time there observing, the clouds started to lower and the wind picked up. Smoke started to fill the higher areas of activity. 

We had not stopped at the lava field terminal so made our way there. Really interesting Lava is. 

There was a SAR vehicle there ready to go rescue the fools who were walking on the lava fields. Ugh, as bad as petting a buffalo. O Well. 



At the parking lot there is a food trailer offering Lamb Stew, Fish and Chips, and yes, hot dogs. We had a couple of hot dogs before getting to our bus for the return trip.

Back in town we made our way back to the hotel to clean up and plan a bit of tomorrow. 

It was an amazing experience to see the lava erupting, here are just a few pictures of the route, eruption, lava field, etc etc.  Lynn gets the photo credit for the video and better trail picture.  Sorry for now the video Lynn took is to large to upload. 

By far the most abundant volcanic gas is water vapor, which is harmless. However, significant amounts of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen halides can also be emitted from volcanoes.

The Rangers and SAR folks continuously monitor the gas levels. Should the wind direction be unfavorable they will close the trail. 

 

Day 2 in Reykjavik Nice Museum Visit and Swim

 Reykjavik Day 2 - Here We Go!

The Center Hotel Plaza is located in the Old Town area of Reykjavik, on the Ingólfur Square where the steam pillars are located. This is also the Old Main Street of Reykjavik and the oldest house in Reykjavik is located just 1/2 a block away on main street.

Amazingly we slept to 0600, much longer than expected.

We are up early and have coffee in the room and then off to breakfast. A very nice breakfast was had with eggs, fruit, meats and cheese, coffee and much more, It was nicely done. The breakfast area was rather active but the buffet service was smooth.

We thought about rebooking our volcano hike but given weather forecast etc etc we will go with the original plan. The weather forecast  10/7/2021 is for clearing skies and warmer temperatures. The volcanic activity has picked up a bit. We will see what we will see.

We headed to the Open Air Museum known as Árbæjarsafn. This is the historical museum of the city of Reykjavik. Its purpose is to give the public an insight into the living conditions, work and recreational activities of the people of Reykjavík in earlier times. This is very well done as the have houses displays depicting various times and social levels. 

I very much enjoyed the farm house.

A fun and interesting museum for sure, worth a visit to get a feel for life in early Reykjavik.


After visiting the museum we walked about 1.5K to the Árbæjarlaug city swimming pool, where we had a nice swim. 

We then took the bus back to the city and had a hot dog, at the famous stand.

We decided to just walkabout Reykjavik and revisit some of the more popular sites. 


 

                                        SOLFAR

                             Videy Island, will visit later

                                Rescue  Boat Playing

               WORLDS LARGEST HOP SCOTCH GAME

 

We ended at the Drunk Rabbit Irish Pub for happy hour and ended up chatting with some other visitors who are now in love with Iceland.

We then called it a day and did some preparation for the volcano hike tomorrow.













Hot Dog, Swim and try and Stay AWAKE

 Day 1 - Flight and Arrival Day

 

As I mentioned we flew UAL to KEF and all went relatively well. The route took us via ORD to KEF from DEN. We plan our flights with plenty of wiggle room when it comes to layovers.

Before we boarded I spoke the the First Officer on our flight. One thing I asked was if he thought UAL would keep KEF as a destination. We both agreed they would if they were making a profit. He felt once the initial newness of the route wears off and Newark (EWR) gets construction done the flights to KEF will be via EWR. Icelandic Airways serves DEN with nonstop flights. 

We both felt the nonstop flight was less tiring. Yet, the UAL Club Room at ORD was nice, will have to see what future fares will be. The First Officer thought the fares would be going up on UAL.

Arriving at KEF our gate was on the tarmac and we were bussed into the terminal. They crammed us in like any Asian metro system at rush hour.

Entry into Iceland was efficient. First is passport control, the baggage claim, then your passport, vaccine record, and entry form are checked. Baggage claim and out through Customs with nothing to declare. 

The airport was very very busy, as several flights must have arrived at about the same time. The rental car counters were jammed with people in long lines. 

Out the door and onto the fly bus with many visitors having questions about how to get into Reykjavik. We knew the drill and all went smoothly. 

When arriving the KEF, we usually use the Fly Bus for transport. We book and pre pay on line, show the nice lady your voucher and off we go.  

Here is what confuses first time visitors who use Fly Bus.  The Fly Bus route takes you from KEF to the main bus station called BSI. At BSI you transfer to a smaller bus which can navigate the narrow city streets. You have to transfer your own luggage to the smaller bus. The small bus may take you directly to your lodging, or drop you off at a nearby city bus stop. Today we were dropped at Bus Stop #1 City Hall, then we had a two block walk to our hotel. 

Our hotel on this trip is Center Hotel Plaza. We were very happy to learn our room was ready. Center Hotel Plaza is located in the Old Town area of Reykjavik, on the Ingólfur Square where the steam pillars are located.  Yes, located in Ingólfur Square is a place where one can get a hot dog. LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION!!!

By European Standards our room is large, very large. Bed and sitting area with lots of room to spread out. We like it. 

 

 

We unpack and head out to get a hot dog. The young man working the nearby stand was not busy and we chatted a bit. He was surprised to hear we had visited Iceland so many times. He was also very glad to see people returning to Iceland. 

We then made our way to the 10-11 store (think Mini Mart) to get a book of bus tickets and an Appelsin drink, Iceland orange soda. 

Next stop was a bookshop for a post card, and then to the What’s On Iceland tourist info location at Laugavegur 5, 101 Reykjavík. Here we get some additional information for our stay. 

While much is the same from our previous visits, there have been some changes. One change is the downtown post office has been closed. The book shop does sell postage.  

Next we head to the City Pool at Laugardalslaug. This is our favorite city pool. The hot pools are very relaxing and at Laugardalslaug there is a salt water pool, here ocean water is mixed with the natural thermal waters. 

We decide we better keep moving so we do not fall asleep and gab another hot dog at the stand outside of the pool near the bus stop.

 

 

 

  

We then take the Bus to the Bonus Store in the Old Marina Area of Reykjavik. Here we pick up some supplies for meals. Local bread, cookies, cheese, and licorice. Licorice is very popular and they have some interesting varieties. We like the chocolate covered licorice. 

Back at the room we plan our days and are overcome with the need for sleep, so we did crash.  




 

 

 

 

 I DON’T KNOW…..I DON’T KNOW
WHERE I’ma GONNA GO, WHEN THE VOLCANO BLOWS!!

Well Yes I do!!…. ICELAND 

 Photo credit R. L. Hopkins, Nat Geo, sorry we missed seeing you there.

Strong seismic events began in the area near Fagradalsfjall since late Feb 2021, interpreted as intrusion of magma at shallow depth. This led to the first historic eruption of the volcano on 19 March 2021.

In an effort to jump start their tourism business, Iceland is safely open and COVID entry requirements are easy for those with full vaccinations. WTG ICELAND!!

There are several good hotel rates available. We found a most excellent rate at  Center Hotel Plaza with breakfast included.  Center Hotel Plaza is located in the Old Town area of Reykjavik, on the Ingólfur Square where the steam pillars are located.  Yes, located in Ingólfur Square is a place where one can get a hot dog. LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION!!!

Have I ever mentioned how good the hot dogs are in Iceland?

Also, United Airlines started service to KEF. This gives us loyalty rewards and club access. Bummer, not a direct flight from DEN so we will go through ORD. The airfare was very reasonable. Flying via ORD means a #2 hotdog and some Garrett's Pop Corn.

Recently, the volcanic activity has been intermittent to steady and as such no one knows when the activity might stop. 

The current eruption is located on the Reykjanes Peninsula.  The Reykjanes Peninsula is the peninsula west of Reykjavik,  If you have flown into KEF and driven to Reykjavik you have been on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

The lava has been flowing to the south and SSW,  and there are hiking trail to observation locations. These have changed due to lava flow. We will see what it will be when we get there. There are SAR teams in the area monitoring the gasses from the eruption. 

 

So trip goals are as follows:
 1. To experience and photo the volcano
 2, Visit the Arbaer Open Air Museum
 3. A day of hiking and birding on Videy Island.
 4. Maybe a Volcano Flight
 5. Maybe a whale watching trip.
 6. Eat lots of the best hot dogs in the WORLD!
 7. Get in several swims and soaks in the Public Pools.
 8. Who know what else.

Should be a fun trip.

Will be posting so you can tag along. 

 

 

 

A bit of Roadside Americana

We left Cheyenne in the early morning hours and drove to Mormon Island State Recreation Area. Located just off I-80 it makes a great overnight camp location. This a well maintained facility providing electricity and a dump station. The wash houses are clean and have showers. Named for the winter stopover used by Mormon emigrants heading westward.

Our meals for this trip are made from from leftovers we saved over the summer and froze. Things like soups, casseroles, chili etc. same with breakfast mostly breakfast sandwiches. Lunch is made up of sandwiches and fruit and veggies.

On the morning of October 5 we traveled south from Mormon Island on Rt 281 to Hastings, Nebraska. It is a very little known fact that Kool-Aid was invented in Hastings, NE.

 

In 1927, Edwin Perkins invented and began to manufacture Kool-Aid at Perkins Products Company in Hastings. The Original Kool-Aid Factory, the original home of Perkins Products Company, at 516 West 1st Street.  He had a dream of being a self-employed businesses success was backed by hard work and some ingenious marketing. While he developed many products, Kool-Aid was certainly the most famous and has gone on to impact popular culture through the decades.

The outside of the building is a colorful tribute to Perkins products, but mostly Kool-Aid.

I found Hastings to be a classic midwest town with brick streets and a vibrant down town shopping area. One could spend a good bit of time walking the main street area window-shopping and visiting one of the many coffee shops.

As we continued South on 281 into Kansas to a spot one mile North of Lebanon, Kansas. Here one find a nice little park and the Geographic Center of the 48 Contiguous States.

                      

 

                
                    

 
It was in 1898 a government geodetic survey determined that the geographical center of the 48 continental states was located at 39 degrees latitude and 98 degrees longitude.

Here is a stone monument which was erected on the exact spot, and officially dedicated on June 29, 1941. There is a nice shelter where one could have a picnic.

There is also a little chapel where travelers can take a moment to reflect and pray for safe travels.

Souvenirs can be found at Ladow’s Market in Lebanon, Kansas. This is a classic market from mid west days gone by. Carrying the essential items to create great meals. There is also a butcher counter in the back of the store. I had learned they make a very good pork sausage, so I had to pick up a couple packages. In talking to the owner I learned the sausage recipe was created by his father who used to have the Ludow Packing House across the way.  He told me the sausage was made with simple ingredients, such as salt pepper, red pepper, sage etc. Local hogs are the source of the meat. 

At Ludlow’s Market, so we supported the local economy and bought a few things. I feel places like this must stay alive to preserve a bit of the essence of our country. There is a lot to be said about these bucolic bits of Americana.

Attached to the market is a cafe, and I wish I had taken a look at their menu. I just have the feeling the cafe would get busy at noon filled with farmers in for lunch, mixing with the banker and various shop keepers. 

I did get a post card to send to a friend and went across the street to the post office to purchase a stamp. Interestingly they did not have any postcard stamps. I kinda thought post cards would be a hot item in the Center of the USA.

Next to the  Market is a city park where the jail was located. There are two cells there at Kenai and Koda were temporary residents.


We left Lebanon driving South a couple miles to US Rt 36 and head east. This area here is part of the Pony Express route from St. Joseph to Sacramento.

We did stop in Marysville for diesel fuel as the price was right at $1.94 a gallon. In Marysville they have these big squirrel statues all over the town.

So tomorrow we make our way to my parents house in Bucklin, MO. 

"I have miles and miles ahead of me, tales to listen to, time to spend/ Up ahead, the road is bending; wonder what's around the bend."