How to do Iceland on a Budget... Kinda

Iceland was not really on the bucket list. Not even sure it was on the Top 20 list but it ended up being our most recent vacation and because we went without any expectations we found out: IT'S AWESOME!

But let's think about why we ended up there and how the Icelandic lore you in!

First, Iceland Air. You are going to Europe but it's not the sometimes grueling 8+ hour flight (from the eastern US) It's less than 6 so yay! It's also about half the fare of a ticket to Europe in the summer. Big bonus.

We usually take 8-10+ days when we go away so we had 9 days this trip and when I looked at hotel options, ummm... well let's just say we'd have only been staying 4 at those prices. (which is why lots of people go short term on Icelandic Air packages) Airbnb.com to the rescue! There were tons of flats available and at much more reasonable prices. We landed a 2 bedroom flat that backed up to embassy row three blocks from the center of Reykjavik at $117US/night. Score!

Now being east coasters, we usually fly into wherever and find the cab stand. Well thanks to our Airbnb hosts they schooled us on the FlyBus. $15US/pp  vs. $100+ cab fare. FlyBus is the way to get into Reykjavik. It will drop you at the BSI bus terminal and you can pay additional to go elsewhere by a smaller bus or you can grab a cab and then pay a more reasonable rate to your final destination. This worked out perfectly.  Oh and FlyBus will always be there, even if your flight comes in late. They run round the clock!

So now here we are and what to do. Thankfully I had some forethought beyond just flights and accommodations to rent us a car for 4 of our 9 days. But the first part of the trip we were on our feet. The downtown area is easy urban hiking. We walked to:

Hallgrimskirkja - the big church

The national museum

The Harbor

The hot dog stand

Around "the pond"

And since we had a few days to read our travel guides, we realized that all the 'must see' stuff in Iceland is a day trip from Reykjavik and it's all FREE entrance (Except the Blue Lagoon) So if you are more than two people and don't mind driving on really nice roads without any road rage idiots, where everyone obeys the speed limits and stop signs, then by all means, rent a car!

The Golden Circle, Black Sand beaches and all the sights along the way are 100% free. Some are on private property and have a donation box out but you can visit all these places for the cost of your rental.  Much more economical than the tour buses.

So the other big advantage of having your own flat is the ability to eat in. This is a huge savings because being an island, everything is imported and consequently you can spend a lot of money just on food. And wouldn't you rather have a nice Icelandic sweater or sheep skin to take home instead of a few extra pounds? 

The woman at the tourist bureau who arranged the one 'organized' activity we did told us to shop at Bonus, when she realized we had our own flat. She said it was the least expensive of the three chains. She was totally right - love Bonus!

And we saw the Northern Lights one night from the balcony of our flat. Totally free!

15 Things to LOVE About Iceland

1. It's clean. Really clean. Do.Not.Litter. Ever!
2. It's safe - unless it's payday, in a bar and you're being an asshole, then you might get beat up. (Yes, that was printed in a local guide book)
3. Unlimited supply of hot water. Which makes it a great place to raise teenagers or have a long shower after a day of hiking.
4. Hot Dogs, Pizza and Lamb - oh my! Who knew? Hot Dogs are a thing. So is pizza. Lamb and fish are the foundations of the diet with both being very plentiful and tasty.
   
5. Trolls. Yes, they believe in them. 
   
6. They are environmentally friendly. Because they are acutely aware of the impact:
1.  being an island with limited 'dump' space and  
2. having glaciers disappearing and a quick pace. Giant recycle bins shaped like bottles are all over. Disposables are made from corn so they are biodegradable. Garbage is separated and recycled. It's a good thing.
7. Heated streets. Reykjavik gets snow (but not the amounts you might think), so to control the need to de-ice and sand the roads constantly, they have geothermic water lines underneath that help keep the roads clear.
8. Outdoor pools. They are all over the capital region. Open from early morning to late at night all year long. Did I mention they are also geothermically heated? So winter, spring, summer, fall, you can swim outdoors and the Icelandic do. Many important decisions are made in a hot pot!
   
9. Their sense of humor. It's wicked and cynical. If you are (or know someone) from the NE US you'll get it.

   

   Front door of a bar

   

   Chalice made from a coconut. Go Figure?

   

   Icelandic Food Truck

   

   These are not bands appearing but actual things.

   
   

   

   Eat, Drink, Sleep

   
   

   

   Only one in the world

   
   
10. 90kph speed limit. Makes it easy to drive. Also the fact that there are only about 330,000 people on the island which is slightly larger than Ohio means there are not a lot of people on the road. But the roads are well maintained and people don't speed.
11. Foul weather gear is your friend. In fact, North Face and 66North constitutes formal wear. If you plan on visiting you will definitely need water repellent outerwear. Wellies go with anything and you wear them all day, every day.
    
    
12. They are super efficient at the stuff that matters. Energy, hot water, exploiting their limited natural resources in an environmentally conscience way and airport check-in. 
13. Outdoor art. It's everywhere, parks, streets, municipal buildings and in ponds. Then there's the art inside the museums.
    

    

    Mermaid in "The Pond"

    
    

    

    Rainbow street with art exhibit

14. It's the only place in the world you can go Inside the Volcano. Really! You hike 3km (45 minutes) over a lava field to be geared up and dropped 120M (= 2 statue of Libertys) down a magma shaft into an extinct volcano chamber.

    

    Window washing elevator lowers you inside

15.  The natural beauty

Blue Lagoon

Geysir

Gullfoss

On the road to Gullfoss

Seljalandsfoss

Lava field

Random Viking Sheep!

Oakland as a Destination?

Whenever you think of the Bay Area you think of San Francisco, right? Well what I never realized in more trips than I can count to San Francisco is how much more there is beyond SF, like Oakland, Berkeley and the whole other side of the bay.

Oakland is about an hour from SFO on BART (usually cheapest place to fly into.)  Public transit in the Bay Area is pretty good so unless you're trekking to northern wine country i.e. Napa/Sonoma you don't need a car to get around. (But there IS wine country in Livermore! Go visit my friend's family winery!)

You can also fly to OAK and take a bus to BART (~$3/pp) and make you way to downtown Oakland. BART also makes it easy to get to other farther away spots in the bay area, like Freemont, Walnut Creek, Berkeley and of course San Francisco. I guess the warning is that BART, unlike a most subway systems does not have a lot of stops that are close together. They can be towns apart so be sure you know where you are going first.

The first great thing about Oakland is the hotels are about half the price of SanFran. Your basic Marriott Courtyard is under $200 most nights unless there is a NFL game. Oakland fans infiltrate downtown and take over the hotels on Saturday night for Sunday games.

Never let it be said that Oakland was not the start of a lot of grass-roots movements! I took these during the Oakland 99% movement (aka Occupy Oakland) on Ogawa Plaza in November 2011.  A lot of organizations got their start in and around Oakland. It's always been one of those places that incubates causes. Check out one of my favorites TransForm, which promotes walkable communities in California, among other initiatives, including climate change.

One of the things I love about Fridays in Oakland? The Friday Organic Market at 9th & Broadway. Great produce, awesome street food (love the chicken and rosemary potatoes guy!) Soaps and bath stuff and yes, there is even a lady who has a live fish tank truck who will filet the fish you select!

Friday organic Farmer's Market at 9th & Broadway

The downtown of Oakland is business-y BUT a very short walk puts you into Asia-town. You can find cheap Asian eats all over this area, along with markets and shops.

Asia town

One of the other things I love about Oakland is the tea shops. Granted you have to like tea, but you can find varieties of tea in Asia town you just don't find in your run-of-the-mill grocery store or Americanized tea shops. My favorite is Golden Tea Shop where there is always something interesting brewing!

Asia town - Best pedestrian crosswalk ever!

Also in the downtown area is the Oakland Museum of California, it is dedicated to all mediums of art, history and natural science.  I have seen some very cool exhibits here - the kind you become part of not just view.
The museum also has very cool gardens where you can just hang out with free wi-fi :) 





So next time you want to head to the Bay Area, give Oakland a try if you want funky, city, foodie, grass-roots and culture.

St Croix, Gem of an Island

St Croix is the largest of the US Virgin Islands and one of the least traveled. Every cruise ship in the Caribbean stops across the way at the over touristy St Thomas. So if you like shopping and crowds etc. then that's your place to go. But if you want a more island feel, try St Croix.

While technically you don't need a passport to get to/from the island it is certainly recommended in case of the errant thunderstorm forces you to land on another island. But don't think this is a US location, it's not. It is much more island than you might think.

Renaissance Carambola Resort

There are a number of hotel options but the Marriott Renaissance Carambola Resort is probably the best choice.

1) rooms all have at least a mini kitchen so you can prepare food and not spend $100+ for dinner every night.

Sleeping porch

2) rooms all have wonderful sleeping porches that come with cushions and are screened in. You can move a table out there(some units have round patio tables) and dine out there to the sound of waves.

3) it has an awesome dive shop on location - Sweet Bottom Dive Center.

4) all the other amenities you expect at a resort, pool, bar, gift shop with wine, beer and snacks, spa beautiful grounds and one of the nicest beaches available year round.
5) Friday night free entertainment with the Fire Gypsys and Moko Jumbies (who apparently make the rounds of the hotels on the island)

Ok since I mentioned the dive shop let's talk about that first. Sweet Bottom is the #1 ranked shop on the island. They have awesome instructors who work with the absolute novice and get them open water certified in a week. (Child got her scuba cert here) they can also run you through advanced specialties and take you on night dives. The reef is 100yards off shore, no boat, no long trip to get to a dive site, just gear up and go!

Child off to get her scuba cert!

It's a big island. It has a dry eastern side, a rainforest in the hills and spectacular views all over. You can drive around It in a day if you don't stop at every opportunity.  And if you're staying more than a few days I would totally recommend a car.

Old sugar mill

There are lots of old sugar mills you can stop and visit in fields >>
You can also visit Point Udall the eastern most point in the US. The views are spectacular! Buck Island Reef National Monument is also a fun half day visit by boat.

One of the absolute don't miss places is Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge. It is a 15-20 minute drive on a *small* sandy road, through mangroves and other fauna that scrapes the side of the car to get to the beach.   But once you get there it is stunning! If you've ever seen the Shawshank Redemption you will immediately recognize this as the beach scene at the end of the film. The water is clear, fish are visible and the beach is long, white and pristine.  The Refuge is only open limited months during the year due to turtle nesting, and only on weekends from 10-4. Be sure to take your own food/drinks and gear because there are no concessions and also very little shade.

Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge beach aka Zihuatanejo

St Croix also has two small cities Christiansted and Frederikstad that have historical forts that you can visit.  St Croix belonged to Denmark until the early 1900's - who knew? But it's passed through many countries ownership over time, including France, England, Spain eventually becoming a US territory.

Christiansted Fort

Frederikstad Fort

Just be warned, if you fly United and change planes in Puerto Rico, this is the ride to St Croix!
(You can also get there on JetBlue, American and Delta :)