Hi there and welcome to my blog Bucket Lists and Life Stories. My name is Kim, let me tell you a bit about myself. I just turned 60 a few weeks ago. Certain birthdays hit me in different ways. Most of the time, I celebrate with friends and family and it’s all good! This year is different. I feel like I want to make a mark. You know? Not the shout out and change the world kind of thing, but a whisper. A little voice that is saying throw caution to the wind and have fun with it! You’ve done this before. Yes, that’s right, this isn’t my first blog. Several years back I wrote a blog called Life in the Sandwich Generation. At the time, my only child was in middle school and I thought I would have “all the time in the world” to write a blog. But, as they say, life got in the way. I also was full of writers block. As with all wanna be writers, we agonize over what to say, how to say it etc. The reality is, nobody cares. Yup, that’s right! You just have to try and find your voice. That’s what will make you happy and therefore, successful.
Back to explaining who I am. I am a daughter, wife, aunt, mother and friend. I also own a small shop, Walton Creek Boutique (www.waltoncreekboutique.com) and a home based hand dyed clothing & material business/Etsy shop, Kim’s Peaceful Colors (KimsPeacefulColors@Etsy.com). Yes, I am busy. But am I full-filled?? I have this crazy creative streak that runs amok. So, I try different things and see what comes of it. I will be sharing that in the blog along the way. I grew up in Bright, Indiana. About 30 miles outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, where I currently live. My household consists of my hubby Lee, our 21 year old son, Jake, my Mom & Dad, & our dog Lily. Lee and I have been married for 35 years. Lee is thinking about retiring in a few years, so the Bucket List has started. Jake is a senior at the College of Wooster, in Wooster Ohio. Next May he will graduate and be off the payroll. I mean, a functioning adult with a job. (Hopefully) Mom & Dad moved in with us in 2005. They are 86 & 89 respectively, and are in pretty good shape. Lily Dog is a mini Golden-Doodle who basically runs the household. I have been fortunate to have traveled locally and globally. I have lived in Indiana, Ohio, Virginia and Guam. It’s amazing what you learn about yourself and others when you leave your backyard. I hope that you will tag along on an adventure or sit back and enjoy a story or two! Take Care!
July 30th, 1959 I entered the world at Bethesda Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. I was greeted by my parents and older brother. I was taken home to Bright, Indiana where I would stay for the next 21 years!
Growing up in Bright. Bright, Indiana, is a small place located about 30 miles outside of Cincinnati. Not very far, but a world away! The Bright I grew up in had gravel roads, farm land, two general stores, one with gas pumps, one grade school, three churches and one stop sign. I rode bikes, played in fields, knew all the neighbors and knew that if I did something wrong my parents would know before I got home. It was a great childhood, but I always liked to go “to the city”. It was big, and loud, and different.
My first apartment really wasn’t that far away, it was in Lawrenceburg, Indiana or “down the hill”. Actually down and up on another hill. I had a good job, a good social life, and things were really going well. At 24, I got married and moved “away” to Dayton, OH. That was the beginning of my world exploration. Although Dayton was only 1.5 hrs away from where I had grown up, people felt I spoke with an accent. I sounded “country”. This baffled me, but I’m sure it was true. After a few years in Dayton I moved to Virginia Beach, Va. If people in Dayton thought that I sounded country they must never have been to Virginia! Vacations were spent going back “home” for a visit. I met many people from all over the US because we were military. Everyone seemed to be from someplace else. I learned the good and bad of living close to the ocean. Enjoyed the milder climate, and learned more about US history than I probably needed. After Va. Beach, we moved to the island of Guam. Once on the other side of the world, there were no vacations home for the next two years. We went to places like Bali, Singapore, Saipan, and Hong Kong. I was exposed to authentic Chinese food, Hindu culture and saw my world open up at an open market in Singapore. What we called pets, they called food. In Bali as we woke in the morning, there would be a banana leaf outside our door with a piece of fruit, a flower, and sandalwood incense. This was an offering to God for a good day and good health. I found out living on an island is not romantic at all. My milk was flown in from Australia, fresh fruit was not always available and the meat of choice was chicken because it was readily available. I learned to scuba dive and saw the wonders that lay beneath the sea. Again I made wonderful friends from all over the US. At this point I had lived away from the Cincinnati area for 10 years. We decided it would be better to live there, than vacation there. Coming home I was a different person. Not just because of the passing decade, but because I had seen how different the world was. Once we returned home, Bright had also changed. There were more neighborhoods and less farmland. A small supermarket replaced the general store. A traffic light instead of a stop sign. Another church was added. Progress.
I’ve lived in Cincinnati now since 1992. In my neighborhood, since 1993. I have traveled to many countries. I’ve made it to Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North & South America with trips to Africa, Arctic Circle and Australia already planned. I’ve seen many other cultures, tried many different foods, and learned about many different cultures. I’ve traveled the world by plane, train, boat, and automobile. I feel grateful that I have been able to see so much of the world. As I look back over the last 64 rotations around the sun I am grateful. Grateful for Bright, Indiana and where I came from. Grateful for moving away, and coming back, and the person I have become. Grateful to have been bitten by the travel bug. Grateful that I have learned how others live. Grateful for all the people I have met along the way. Looking forward to my next rotation around the sun and the adventures it will bring!
December 31, 2021 my husband, Lee and I semi retired. Lee hit that magic number of 65 and we decided it was time for a “lifestyle change”. We got the blessing from our financial advisor that we could manage on the money we have saved and took the plunge. What we did right, and wrong, in the past year and a half.
As I am writing this, it is May 7, 2023. I am sitting in a hotel in Lyon, France watching it rain and waiting on the rest of my party (Lee and our son Jake) to get ready to go to lunch. I was reflecting on our past travels and what we did right and wrong. First, in 2022, our first year of retirement, we did some major things. The year went like this. Jan-Feb: 5 weeks in Hawaii. April: 4 week trip started in Florida, cruised the Panama Canal and ended in Cabo, Mexico. May: Family Party in Norfolk, Va. June: Family Wedding in Hawaii. September: Vegas for a Family Birthday. October: Wine Trip to Oregon. December: Cruise to Southern Caribbean. The year went flying by and so did our budget. Right out the window. We had failed at our first year of retirement. We had planned on still working part time, and it’s a good thing we did. We need to “ease into” a fixed income. It also allows us to plan the big trips and do extra experiences that we enjoy doing. We just didn’t think about how many we were doing in one year. The upside is it was exciting and fun. The downside is we never felt like we settled into a routine. We still haven’t, but that’s another post.
We decided that 2023 would be different. We had already planned a few “bucket list” trips, so we are building around that. We began the year with a 5 week trip to Argentina which included 3 weeks touring around the country and 2 weeks on an Antarctica cruise. Late April -May we are in France for 3 weeks for a wine tour then our son Jake will graduate from the Burgundy School of Business with his Master’s Degree in Wine Management. So this was a trip we couldn’t miss!
Now for what I have learned about budgeting for travel. It depends on three things. 1) Why 2) Who 3)How
The why is the beginning. Is this a once in a lifetime trip? A trip to the beach done annually? A getaway weekend? Once the importance of the trip is set, we move onto who is going. Is this a trip where it’s just you or you and your partner? A trip where the entire family will be there? The more people the more planning, and the more money, is needed. Now to the how. How are we going to move about during our trip. Getting there, plane, train, car? Once there, how are we getting around? Are we staying in a hotel, Airbnb, VRBO, Bed & Breakfast, tent/camper? All these questions is what makes planning a trip, and staying within budget, harder.
I am what I call a semi-planner. I research places to stay, where to go, and what to see before I book anything. Once we have decided why we are going, we look at what we need to do and see and what we would like to do and see. I try not to book a trip totally with no extra time. There is always something to do or see that you didn’t realize was there, or a day to just relax and have a coffee or glass of wine in a beautiful setting. You can’t do that if you are booked solid!
Where to stay! Lodging is all about personal preference. At some point I suggest you plan outside your usual preference and turn one or two nights into an experience. It’s nice to be in the 5 star hotel with lots of amenities, but it also can be a great time in an small house on a cliff overlooking the ocean. If you stay in a condo or house, you have places to get away from each other. You can cook some meals, bring home those left overs from a great restaurant, or a baguette from the bakery. Popping open a bottle of wine is nice to do if you have a patio, balcony or porch with a view. If you like the Five Star treatment with an in house Spa, then check out that wonderful hotel. It’s nice to be pampered! Getting back to nature is easy in a camper, tent or cottage in the woods. Take a look at everything available in the area you plan to visit!
Plane travel! To check a bag or carry on only. The stories of lost luggage will make you never want to leave your house. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, in 2021 carriers handled approximately 393 million bags. They lost over 2 million of those bags. The chances increase of a lost bag over the Holiday season. Personally, my husband or myself have never had a lost bag. Our son has once. Consider where you are starting and finishing. If you have a direct flight, chances are much lower that your bag will be lost! Not impossible, but lower. If you are connecting, is it a major international airport or a small regional one? If you do connect, make sure your carry on has a few essentials, extra clothes, medications, etc. in case they do lose your bag. Also, if you are heading to a cruise, it is always a great idea to fly into the port city the day before the cruise if at all possible. This will make things go a lot more smoothly. Lastly, pack a collapsible duffle. This is an invaluable item that can be used to carry all the extras you’ve bought and can be checked on the way home.
Train travel! Although not a usual way to go here in the US, other countries have train travel down to a science. However, unlike in the movies where the nice man in the fun uniform is there to help with your bags, he is not going to help you. It’s all on you! I love to travel by train. To sit and watch the countryside glide by is magical. It usually is cheaper than flying. Even if your car rental seems cheaper, take into consideration all the costs. My advice on train travel. 1 suitcase and 1 backpack. 50 lbs max for a large suitcase. You need to be able to grab and go!
Let’s Drive! If you are driving in the US you can pack the car and off you go! It’s easy to go from sea to shining sea! But if you are looking at car travel in another country it can be a different experience. We did a car trip around Iceland. It was wonderful. We could go at our own pace and had everything we needed. Iceland does not have mass transit outside of Reykjavik. They don’t have much traffic, mostly sheep standing in the road, and the scenery is breathtaking. Directions can get a bit trying as we did tend to lose signal at times. If you are traveling in Europe it’s a whole different story. Roads are very narrow. Depending on the country, depends on the side of the road you are driving on. Gas is expensive. Parking is also costly and not necessarily near your accommodation. We had a car in Strasbourg and the parking garage was 6 blocks from the hotel. The rules of the road may not be the same as you are used to. If you are in a city, chances are you will be able to walk, take a taxi, catch a bus, train, or tram to wherever you need to go. You can always hire a driver for a day if you need to go further out.
Last but not least, let’s talk about travel tips! There are many, many travel bloggers, vloggers, etc. out there. Everyone has an opinion on how to travel. The best advice I believe I can give is, be comfortable. Wear what you look good in. Go to the places that make you happy. Eat local foods at least once. Talk with a local. See not just how pretty a place is, but get to know how the people live. A perfect trip is one that leaves a great memory! One last thing to pack, an open mind.
In December 2022 my hubby Lee and I decided to have an adventure in honor of his December 1st birthday. So on December 2nd we boarded the Celebrity Edge in Ft. Lauderdale Florida. We were booked on the 10 night Ultimate Southern Caribbean cruise. We had heard so much about the new series of ships we were excited to be on The Edge. This was only our second cruise on Celebrity, the first being on the Millennium. The Edge is the first in the newest class of Celebrity ships. The Edge was launched in January of 2018, with 15 decks that holds 2,918 passengers. You may have heard of the first Captain of the Edge. Her name is Kate McCue, fondly called Captain Kate. She moved on to the Celebrity Beyond last year, so our Captain was Tasos Kafetzis. Captain Tasos was very funny. He would make his announcements with humor, even on those days when the waves were hitting 20 feet! Even though the ship is 5 years old, to me she still looked shiny and new. The Edge is a very different style than the other Celebrity ships. It is very modern with a lot of silver, gray, black with touches of yellow and lots of greenery. There are roof top bars, green spaces, lots of art through out the ship. We took the art tour of the ship and found it very interesting. The ship has a very contemporary feel. I found the ship very pretty with plenty of places to hang out, listen to music, listen to a talk about an upcoming port or cruise and see the entertainment. The casino is also of good size. Although this can be a family cruise ship, it seems to be geared towards adults.
Our accommodations. On this cruise, we decided to be in a Sky Suite. The Sky Suite is the smallest of the suites, but still offers most of the benefits of the larger suites. We had a butler, room attendant, pre paid gratuities, access to the Retreat lounge, Luminae restaurant, and the suite only pool with pool bar/restaurant. If you wanted to have specialty dining, there is an extra charge. Our bed was converted to a king, looking out onto our balcony. We had two nice sitting chairs and a small table. It was nice to sit outside during cruise days and enjoy looking out over the ocean. There is a window that looks out from the double sink in the bathroom across the room to an ocean view. There were sliding doors to close this view off and have some privacy while using the bathroom facilities. There is a nice size shower in the Sky Suite. We found lots of storage for all of our needs. My one complaint, is there was only access to charging things on one side of the bed.
Dinning! The food on the Edge is top notch. We found ourselves just going to Luminia and looking back, I wish we had branched out more and tried more of the specialty dining options. The specialty restaurant’s were the Eden for dinner, La Petite Chef, Fine Cut Steakhouse, Le Grand Bistro, Raw on 5, Dinner on the Edge (on the Magic Carpet top deck) and Roof Top Garden. We did have dinner at the Eden and it was lovely. We also paid for the Chef’s Dinner with wine pairing by Danial Bouard. We have done this dinner before and we highly recommend doing this at least once. I would also like to recommend the La Petite Chef experience. We did not do this only because Lee wasn’t fond of the menu, but it is a show not to be missed. Of course there is always the pool bars, Ocean View Buffet and four main complimentary restaurants, Normandie, Tuscan, Cyprus and Cosmopolitan.
The entertainment was really very good. I am always reluctant to see some of the entertainment on a ship. At the end of the day, there is usually a book calling my name. I decided that I wanted to experience the entertainment this time. We didn’t go every night, but we did see some really good shows! We also spent and lost, money in the casino, and played Deal or No Deal twice.
The ports! We had five ports on this cruise. St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. George, Grenada, and St Maarten. They are all beautiful places to visit. Having been to a lot of Caribbean islands, they do have the same story. My favorite island was St. Maarten. Half Dutch owned half French owned. Each side is very different, and both representative of their heritage. Since we were in the West Indies, the spice islands, I came away with packets of spices, vanilla, honey, hot cocoa and rum!
The people! Everyone we met on the cruise was friendly and helpful. One of the things about traveling is meeting new people. I want to give a shout out to our new friends. When we met Kimmie & John we found out that they live about 20 min. from our house. We really enjoyed spending time and have met up recently for dinner. This will be a lasting friendship. Also a shout out to Robin & Lee. We have so much in common it’s scary! Truly Kindred Spirits. We hope to catch up in the Big Apple later this year!
We did enjoy our time on the Edge, so much so, that we booked three future cruises. In July of 2024, we will be on the Apex for a 12 night Norwegian Fjords & Arctic Circle and in March of 2025, we’ll be back on the Edge for back to back cruises the first a 9 night Australian Wine Cruise March 3-12 and then 13 night New Zealand Cruise March 12-25. If you can, come join us!
I hope that you can follow along and maybe meet up along the way! Take Care, Kim
:), <3, ttyl, np, LOL, ROFL, @, BTW, WTH, TBH, and the list goes on and on. It’s interesting for me when I text. I am of the age that I write everything out. Oh, I will sometimes put thru instead of through, but usually it’s the whole word. I also write in cursive, but that’s a story for another day.
When and where did these strange symbols become words? SMS, Short Message Service, came into style in the late 1990’s early 2000s. But we can look further back, to the short hand class I took in the mid 70’s! All kinds of weird signs or symbols were supposed to mean words. I’m not sure how it all went, I dropped that class. However, it was the beginning of shortening the written word. Humans seem to always be in a hurry. We want to say it and be done with it. With the popularity of cell phones, the act of communication has become quick and easy. Don’t even bother to call, text! So as these new “words and sentences” started to cross my screen, I was a bit confused. The first one I thought I had right, I was wrong. In my 1977 yearbook, several people signed with LOL. They weren’t laughing out loud. They were wishing me lot’s of love. Some text speak goes out of style. I have been told that in 2023 YOLO (you only live once) is outdated! I mean everyone has one life, so you probably don’t need to point that out. For my age group we replaced YOLO with BLT, Bucket List Trip. Which brings me to a post I read about STC or Senior Texting Codes. While the general public looks at BTW as By the Way. Senior code is Bring the Wheelchair. FYI – Found your insulin. LOL – Little Old Lady
The art of communication is ever evolving. Just remember, a quick look on the screen cannot replace a quick look around the room. Sending a heart emoji isn’t the same as hearing someone say I love you. Staring at a screen, isn’t the same as staring in a persons eyes. Don’t replace a nice face to face conversation with emojis and acronyms. Sometimes you need that personal touch.
We are a few days into the New Year and there is still an air of anticipation of what will happen. What disaster is lurking around the corner. A pandemic? Global warming? War? We have become cautious over the last several years. Families fighting both verbally and physically over political choices. Gone are the days where people lived their lives without a need to convince people that they know best for everyone. That their way of thinking is the right and only way to think. People now question the medical community and the reason to simply take a flu shot. Before, you either took one, or not. No big speech about why to take one, and why you shouldn’t. It makes me sad. I like to live in what my family calls my “Hallmark World”. Even Hallmark is under attack these days. It’s hard to look forward and put the Happy in the New Year.
No matter what, the Sun will come up in the East and set in the West. Actually, that’s not really true. The Sun only rises due East and due West twice a year, the Spring and Fall equinoxes, so it’s Eastish and Westish, but it is always there. Unless you are up North where it goes away for months at a time and, well, you get the picture. But the day always starts, no matter what. Therefore, I have 365 chances to start a new day. 365 new beginnings. The question is how will I use these 365 chances?
In January and February, it’s easy, we have all of these days we can “accomplish” something. We plan to do about 475 days worth of stuff in the New Year. It feels like we have all the time in the world. We buy boxes to organize our lives. We have plans, so many plans! It’s a time for life to slow down and do projects we like to do. Read a book, binge watch something, cook more at home, exercise! Our lives are in a routine. We then look back and realize that we really haven’t accomplished anything at all! But we still have 298 days left! March is our first “do over”.
Where I live, March through May shows us the first season change as Winter and Spring collide and make up some very crazy weather. January and February are usually cold. Then March comes with a new label. Spring Break! Not the school break one, but the time when flowers and trees are starting to show themselves. That time when the air turns a bit warmer and you find yourself looking to go outside. You make plans. BIG plans! You are going to reinvent yourself for the summer season, see yourself thinner and hanging at the pool! Having cookouts with friends and family! Your home will be perfect for entertaining and your yard will be award winning. After all, we have 206 days left.
Our next “do over” comes in June. We’re almost half way through the year. We look back and see what we have, and have not accomplished. By now, we have abandoned the plans from the first half of the year, and now have a whole new set of plans! This time will be different! We will have “the best summer ever”. We plan vacations, camps, outings, then before you know it, Labor Day has arrived. We still have 114 days left.
Our next “do over” comes in September. We are looking toward the beginning of the Holiday season. Lot’s of family, fun and stress. We have promised ourselves that we will not over do it, we will get things done sooner, rather than later, we will make this Holiday Season the best, not only for others, but ourselves as well! Then it happens. The count down. The ball is about to drop and the biggest “do over” is about to begin. A New Year. 365 new chances.
For me, I hope to do things differently this year. I want to enjoy the moments. Have experiences. At the age of 63, it’s time to look at my 365 chances in a whole new light. I realize that when I get together with family and friends, they want to enjoy each others company, that’s all. Good Friends equal Good Times. I now have time for more travel and have made plans to do so. I realize what is good for me, isn’t always good for someone else. We may all be in the same storm, we just are in different boats.
Use your 365 chances to the fullest. And if it doesn’t work out. There is always a “do over.”
“As I get older, the years seem to run into each other.” That is a statement I hear much too often from family and friends. Yet there is nothing we can do about the passage of time. Another decade has started!
I have always looked at the beginning of January as a chapter in my book of life. Each decade begins a new addition of the book. I was born in 1959, so the 60’s were my childhood. Some high points were lost because I was so young. When JFK was assassinated, I was 4 years old. What I remember is the picture on TV of the horse drawn carriage with the flag draped casket. That is also when The Beatles first came to America. I was almost 10 when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, I remember sitting on the floor watching our black & white TV. Listening to the famous phrase “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind”. I was in my teens when the Vietnam War ended, President Richard Nixon was impeached and The Beatles broke up. I voted in my first presidential election. In my 20’s, I got married and moved to another city, twice, The Challenger Exploded, and I ended the decade by moving to Guam. My 30’s brought the Persian Gulf Conflicts, moving back home and having a child. My 40’s were filled with raising a small child, the planes flying into the World Trade Center, changes. A fleeting look back and realizing that the world would never be the same. In my 50’s, life goes on. Raising a teenager, spending time with family & friends and starting to travel more.
Now my 60’s and 2020 are about to begin. I’m not sure what will happen. We have some wonderful trips planned, our son is about to graduate college, we will look to “down size” in a few years. Things will change, and life will go on. Wishing everyone a wonderful new decade. May it be filled with joy, love and happiness! Happy New Year!
About a month ago, we took our only child to start his last year of college. I never thought about it much at the time. It wasn’t until we were on the way home that it hit me. This is the beginning of the end.
I couldn’t help but think about his first day of summer camp when he was 5. It was a day camp that was a week long at the school he would be attending for the next 13 years. We got out of the van and walked up to the registration table. Got his name tag and the teacher pointed out the playground where she would gather the kids for his camp. He turned and said “Bye Mom” and walked away. It was the first time he called me Mom, not Mommy. I just made in back inside the van and down the street before I had to pull over and cry. I will never forget that day. The pain of letting him go, and the joy of seeing him walk away without hesitation. My 5 year old little boy!
Lower school was grades K-5 and there were two hallways. One side was the little kids, the other side the big kids. The library was in the middle, playground, science and arts buildings in the back. The campus actually contained the middle and high school, but our little corner of the world was compact and perfect. I spent days helping out in the classroom, library, meeting other moms for coffee or lunch. My day seemed so full and he was growing taller and taller. He shared his day on the ride home from school. When I would drop him off in the morning he would call back Bye Mom Love You! My 10 year old boy!
By Middle school, grades 6-8, he was taller then me, shy at times, and out going other times. Had his first crush, attended school dances, played sports, preformed in theater and hung out with friends playing video games. My day changed to allowing me time to get things done at home and work part time. It was busy as I juggled practice schedules, school projects and home. He was more confident and talked about his class choices. On the occasion I was in the school he would smile and wave. My 13 year old boy!
By High School he was just at 6′, seeing the world thru the lens of a camera. He was creative and sweet. Couldn’t wait to get his license and buy his first car, have his first summer job and his first girlfriend. My day changed again. This time it wasn’t so busy and easier to plan time with friends, dinners out, and time for myself. I thought this is great! He did college tours and applications, proms and planned for graduation. After performances or sports games he would always come and find us. My 18 year old teenage boy!
Now he unloaded the boxes in his dorm room one last time. This year he has a single, all to himself. With his mini fridge, his favorite pillow and blanket. He talked about what his subject matter would be for his senior Independent Study, his study abroad he did this past summer, and signing up for job fairs and trying to get interviews. We set up what we would do on Graduation weekend and over the summer. He is in his cousins wedding in June, we have a family vacation planned in July and then it’s over. On May 11, 2020, my son will graduate from college. Hopefully, he will have a job and be ready to spread his wings and fly. Just like we have encouraged him to do. I get a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. His girlfriend is there and they have plans. My 21 year old young man.
In August 2019 my family, Jake (adult son), Lee (Hubby) & Myself went on an epic family vacation to Iceland. Everyone has been talking about Iceland and it seems to be a go to vacation. It all started when WOW airlines came in my hometown of Cincinnati and started a discounted fare from here to there. Sadly, by the time I got around to planning our vacation WOW was no more.
There are no words to describe the beauty of Iceland. Not only the landscapes, but the people are outstanding. However, there are words to describe the cost. This is one expensive place!
I used travel company called Nordic Visitor. I told them what trip we wanted to take, the Ring Road, 10 day self driving tour. I opted for the “middle” lodging which was 3 star hotels & Guesthouses. I told them where we wanted to add a few extra days, they provided transfers to and from the airport, booked all hotels and excursions we did. It was a very easy way to plan, but not the cheapest. I could have rented a camper. That would be the cheapest way, and really, a fun way to see Iceland. Campers of all shapes and sizes were every where. Some with kitchenettes and some were tents with hot plates. This would help with both the cost of lodging and cost of food.
Food is expensive. There is no getting around it. I had been told this. I read about going to the grocery and buying food. Researched which grocery was the “cheapest” and made a list of what we would need. Here’s how that went. We went to Bonus in Reykjavik. I had read that it was the best one for quality and cost. It also said to make sure to go to the grocery in Reykjavik, as once outside the city grocery stores become more expensive and harder to find. Bonus had most of what we would need for lunches, bread, deli meat, cheese, snacks. The fresh fruit and produce were limited and expensive. I had brought a small packable cooler with me. We packed up the car and headed out! When lunch time came around was my first indication I might have made a mistake. We pulled off the road at a stop where there was a picnic table. I had read about these picnic stops in all the books. There was A picnic table, and a line of people waiting to get to said table. Our car was small, and it was a bit uncomfortable eating in the car. Besides the fact that there was no place to actually sit and eat, except on the ground, the weather was not cooperating. It was sunny, it was August, but it was windy and between 45*-55*. I hadn’t really thought about it, but in the land of fire and ice, it’s cold outside the city in the summer time. We ended up eating at gas stations, or eating a larger breakfast and having an early dinner.
I would love to go back to Iceland, but I’m not sure that will happen. It was expensive, and it is growing. In 2019, it still has that innocence about it. On the Oceanfront in the city of Reykjavik, there is building going on for large hotel chains. That will change the island. One way I might like to revisit it is by ship. That way my food and lodging would be provided.
One thing to note: I LOVE family vacations. Having my family together is a wonderful thing and something I really cherish. However, rethink bringing the whole family to Iceland if you are going to be traveling and staying outside of the city. If you are there for a week and driving around the island kids will get bored very quickly. There really isn’t anything for them to do. The scenery is beautiful, but I heard more than once the tears of little ones just wanting to go home. Save the cost of bringing them along and plan a different, family based vacation. This is a great vacation for adventure seekers and empty nesters. I hope you get a chance to visit the land of Fire & Ice.
Everyone is talking about Iceland! This was a bucket list trip for us. We have talked about going to Iceland for the past few years. With my 60th Birthday hitting this year, we decided to go. So we made it a family trip, my husband, myself and our 21 year old son. We bought a package through Nordic Visitor for a 10 day driving tour with a few added days in Reykjavic. Our package was the “middle one”. We drove a Nissan SUV and stayed in 3 star hotels or guesthouses. Each room was private with its own bath.
Iceland opened its doors to tourism after the 2008 financial crisis. There are about 350,000 residents of Iceland with a third of those people living in Reykjavik. There are about 2.5 million visitors to Iceland per year. And more coming every year! You’ll see many more tourist than native Icelanders. We visited during August, which is the “end of the summer season”. Things were beginning to slow down, though it seemed pretty crowded to me. According to several people we met along the way, August slows down and October – March it picks up for the Northern Light seekers. May – July is the summer visitors. We really only met a few native Icelanders. During the summer months the island is full of “seasonal workers” manning the restaurants, hotels, & bars. I wanted to hear the local Icelandic language, since I have no idea how to pronounce all those letters. But sadly, I heard mostly English. It didn’t really matter what country you were from, you were greeted in English. The TV’s were set to English speaking stations and the menus were in English as well.
There are no words to express the beauty of this country. Its landscape is both beautiful and unforgiving. The sheer depth of the cliffs and the deep, blue coldness of the North Atlantic as you look out to an unending horizon was amazing. When in the mountains, you see glaciers, lakes and waterfalls. On the coasts, the black sand beaches reach out from basalt columns, waterfalls, and cliffs of rock formations made from cooled lava from a volcano that erupted hundreds of years ago. Once you are away from the city, mostly all you see is beautiful landscape. You can picture a Viking ship heading into a cove for protection or to hide.
The food is interesting and expensive. There isn’t a lot that grows here, so veggies like tomatoes, red peppers, and cucumbers are grown in green houses. You will also find these on every breakfast buffet. They also grow potatoes and some lettuces. Your “salad” will consist of lettuce with some local berries that are a type of blueberry or pomegranate seeds. Iceland is very fond of Skyr. You can find it here in some of the local grocery stores. Our Kroger has it. I bought some before we left and found it bitter. In Iceland, they mix in other things, like oats, chocolate chips etc. They LOVE Skyr. They eat it for breakfast, put it in soups & cakes, and basically think it’s the best thing ever. Sheep wander around unattended all summer. They stand in the road and watch you, like a game of chicken before running away at the last min. They are also on every menu for dinner and the hot dogs are made of lamb. There is also a staple called meat soup. The meat being mostly lamb and “other”. It was good, even though I’m not sure what the “other” was. If you like Cod, you are in luck. It is fresh, large and delicious. We spoke with a couple from Williamsburg VA who did a fishing excursion. They caught 20 cod each. The biggest they had ever seen. They wished they could have kept them, but with no way of preserving them or getting them home, they were all thrown back. The Captain of the boat said he was already all stocked up on Cod for the winter. Apparently a side benefit of running a fishing boat for tourist is he gets to keep what they can’t and has his pick of fish without the work! Puffin will sometimes be on the menu. Usually on the appetizer side. They are very tiny birds and don’t make a large portion. Minky whale is another popular appetizer. We tried the puffin and the whale. The puffin has a unique taste that I really can’t describe. It was good. The whale was served rare (not my favorite way of eating meat) and came with a delicious ginger soy sauce. One menu item that caught me off guard was horse. There are a lot of horses here and they are beautiful. When the run, they have an extra step that is fascinating to watch. There are many signs to “rent a horse here”. Not sure if it’s an hourly rental or just a tour. Lee & Jake decided to try the horse steak. They loved it! I took a bite and it was ok. Not sure if I feel that way because it was horse and that kind of freaked me out, or that is was rare. Horse was on the menu in the North country, where the land is rolling and we saw farms. There are some cattle here, but mostly the farms were grain or horse with some sheep. But as I mentioned, most of the sheep are turned out onto the land to roam as they will. They do have ear tags to let people know who they belong to. Maybe the fenced in ones were for dinner. Food is not cheap in Iceland. It will be one of the most costly things you pay for. We had intended to cut some costs, but buying food at the grocery and picnicking. Here’s how that went. Our trip to Bonus was eye opening. There are few fruits & vegetables. It’s an island that doesn’t grow a whole lot of it’s own food. Everything is imported. There wasn’t a large selection of anything. Think of a small town general store. The “cold” section of the grocery was just that. A cold room. You went into this cold room and the meats, cheese, milk etc. was lined up on shelves. The bread and canned goods were in the middle of the store and the fruit and vegetables were off to one side. We bought basics, bread, lunch meat & cheese. Potato chips, a few apples, and paper towels. I thought this is great! Here is the reality of this. There are pull offs to park and hike, take pictures and even sit and eat at the picnic table. The problem is there is one maybe two picnic tables and a ton of people with that same idea. Add to that, that in August it was still 48* high. It was cold and there was no place to sit and eat. After eating in the car, we decided that the gas stations were our best bet. The larger gas stations were service centers. They had gas pumps, restrooms, restaurants and gift shops. Some had groceries as well. Most had a combo meal. This meal would include a hamburger or lamb hot dog, fries and a drink. It cost $20.00-$25.00 US, per person. It was the cheapest way to buy lunch. Now there were a lot of days that we had breakfast and then snacked on junk food and ate a nice dinner. No matter what, plan your meals with the knowledge that it will be costly for food. At dinner, we had wine. Most places don’t sell by the glass, you have to buy the bottle.
To cut the cost of housing, a lot of people camp. You can rent a camper van, a pull trailer, a small motor home or a tent. Camp areas are everywhere. Even at the local attractions, there will be an area for you to pitch a tent, park your van etc. There may not be showers, but all of these areas have restroom facilities. The amount of hitch hikers caught me off guard. Never would I expect a young woman, traveling alone to be hitch hiking. But here there isn’t the fear we have in America. There are quite a few gravel & dirt roads and if you are doing the driving tour take my advice and get the full coverage, gravel protection. There were a few things not covered on our Nissan 4×4. 1)Your door being ripped off by wind. This is not so much a problem in the summer time, but is in the winter. 2) Rolling your car. This can happen anytime, but if you drive in the middle of the road and only pull off at the actually pull offs, or a flat spot, you should be good. 3) Under carriage. This is tricky. If you want to go to some of the sights, well, you’ll be driving over larger rocks. But the 4×4 did a great job and you need to drive slowly. 4) Off Roading. That is another tricky one. In my world, driving a path up a mountain with no paved road IS off roading. But here, they just don’t want you taking off over the lava field all Willy Nilly. In my opinion, driving Iceland is the way to see this wonderful country. If camping isn’t your thing, there are hotels, Air BnB, & Guesthouses (motel type). As I mentioned, our package was the “middle” package. I wanted my own bathroom and since we were booking two rooms because of Jake being with us, it was more cost efficient to do the middle package. All were very nice and really out in the middle of wide open space. Guesthouses ranged from a larger home converted to having 8-10 guest rooms. There would be a larger eating area where a table was set with breakfast and the owners would live there as well or next door. Or there would be a free standing building or cottages with a dining room. Only one Guesthouse that we stayed at did not serve dinner. In the Guesthoues, dinner would have a limited, but very good menu. In the larger hotels, the menu would be extensive.
We bought three excursions with our package. The first one was a zodiac boat ride on glacier lake. This is a lake that was formed by the melting of the glacier. It is a big, beautiful place with the glacier on one side, and large chunks of ever changing ice floating around until they finally work their way into the channel that leads to the ocean. The water here is brackish and is home to both salt water fish, such as cod and fresh water fish such as salmon. The lake is approx. 1000 feet deep. It was thrilling to ride in a low boat and glide across the water to within feet of the glacier. We had 10 people in our boat and we had to wear these large flotation suits in case we fell into the water. I believe it was something like to 10*. This was my favorite thing we did. The wind in your face, the beauty of looking at the wall of ice with icebergs floating nearby. It was magical to me! The second one was also a water based excursion. We took a large, wood boat out on the ocean to Puffin Island and also to an area in hopes of catching a glimpse of whales. Again, we were given the floatation suits in case something happened and we ended up in the water. First we went to Puffin Island. This is a privately owned island, so we didn’t go onto land. We didn’t need to. Once there, we saw hundreds of puffins flying around us and floating in the water. They are such fun birds and during the summer months they nest in Iceland. They are getting ready to fly away by the end of August. After a bit of time there, we headed further out to sea in search of whales. I don’t usually get sea sick and the water seemed to be somewhat calm when we started. As we headed out, white caps started and the boat was rocking. The motion got the best of Lee & Jake. We were about 1.5 hours into a 3 hr. trip. Once we got to the area where whales had been spotted earlier in the day, we slowed down and actually got to see a lone humpback whale. It was exciting to see, but as the boat turned toward the whale to follow it, the diesel smell hit and that was it for me. Once we made it back to shore, we headed back to the hotel and spent the rest of the afternoon napping and taking it easy. Our last excursion was in a cave. 600 meters beneath the surface in a lava tube. What an adventure that was! Unlike our limestone caves, these caves are smooth. Carved out by hot lava over the centuries. Amazing to see what can be created when the earth moves!
Summary: Our trip was wonderful! There is no words for the raw beauty of Iceland. The people we met were kind and helpful. It was fun to hear the stories from the few natives that we met. As well as the others that were working there from other countries had stories of their own. A lot of young people went for the summer job and met someone. Maybe not from Iceland, but they stayed to work for a few years. Some were making their way from working in the city to working in the guesthouses. Some had been there a few years and were ready to go back home. Iceland is virtually untouched right now. There are no large hotels blocking the views of the ocean from the city skyline. There is no graffiti on the walls of the cliffs or garbage slowly rolling across the fields with the sheep. It’s water is clean and clear. The sky is only dotted with birds and clouds. Mountains and waterfalls. But change is inevitable. Along the water in Reyjavik, ground has been broken for a 6 star Marriott hotel. I have no idea how many rooms it will have, but the view will be spectacular. And there will be more. 2.5 million people come to this island nation every year. There is bound to be change. The government is doing everything it can to be mindful of what makes this island so special. I would love to go back, but there are other places that I need to see. Maybe I will book a cruise with a few stops in Iceland. I hope that you can make a trip and see its beauty. I also hope that the visitors keep in mind that the beauty is what people come for. Take Care!
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