West Iceland is the region of Iceland north of the capital. It is basically the Snæfellsnes peninsula.
Snæfellsbær is comprised of the towns Ólafsvík, Rif, Hellissandur, Arnarstapi and Hellnar. The towns are located around Snæfellsjökull glacier at the tip of the peninsula. Snæfellsbær has a population of 1.699 (October 2007)
Grundarfjörður is located on the north side of Snæfellsnes peninsula and has a population of 912.
Stykkishólmur is as well located on the north side of the peninsula with a population of 1.100. Many buildings in the center are Danish and Norwegian colonial houses, but Stykkishólmur was one of the main commercial towns in the 18th and 19th centuries.
During the summer, Ólafsvík, Hellissandur, Grundarfjörður and Stykkishólmur all have their independent town festivals. Ask around for excact dates.
Snæfellsjökull volcano (extinct) and glacier. Lysholl horse farm Westernmost point in Iceland Hellnar church and visitor's center Budir
The best way to get there is by renting a car in Reykjavik. We did see some buses coming through the area very infrequently but once you get there you pretty much would have no way of getting around on your own, though hiking and camping would appear to be feasible (and we saw one guys doing that).
There is a road which hugs the coast all around the peninsula. In most areas it is paved but in the far west portion it is gravel. There also is a road which cuts over Snæfellsjökull which is the large extinct volcano on the west part of the peninsula. This road is steep and somewhat dangerous if you aren't careful. Also, there is a very narrow winding road that heads out to the westernmost point of Iceland. Make sure your vehicle ...
Visit West Iceland
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Seattle is at the top of my list of US destinations
More >> Posted by 74.66.68.45
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Kind of expensive, but worth it
More >> Posted by 67.193.161.35
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If you're into Thai food, then look up the hole in the wall places like Wok In... very good.
More >> Posted by 67.193.161.35
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Never been but I've heard it's nice
More >> Posted by 67.193.161.35
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Never been but I've heard it's nice
More >> Posted by 67.193.161.35
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More >> Posted by 85.198.21.90
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Iceland....what a fantastic place. As soon as you land you feel as if you stepped onto another planet. The terrain is volcanic. My understanding is they used certain parts of Iceland near the town of Grindavik to practice with the Lunar Rover. In any event, Iceland is a must-do for world travelers.
Getting there. The times I flew into Iceland it was always into the airport at Keflavik. This airport was formerly shared with a US military base but has been on its own for the last few years as the agreement with the US military for use of that facility was severed by the US. It used to be that only Icelandair flew into Keflavik and this may still be the case but it's been a couple of years since I was there so it may have changed. I doubt it though.
Must to-do's in Iceland:
Thingvillir - Ancient meeting site for Iceland's version of Parliament. Awesome views.
Gullfloss - Spectacular waterfall that you can walk right up to.
Geysir - Just what it says. A bunch of geysers that you can walk right up to. Awesome.
Blue Lagoon - Beautiful spa 20 min from the airport
Continental Divide - Where the North American and European plates meet.
Oh....did I mention you can do this all in one day! It would be a long day but we did it. Drove from the Northern Lights Inn (near the Blue Lagoon) to Thingvillir, then to Geysir, then Gullfloss. On the way back passed by the Continental Divide, had dinner at the Northern Lights Inn, then relaxed in the Blue Lagoon.
We had a rental car but be forewarned, the roads to these places are oftentimes NOT PAVED. Be careful. All of those sites are free with the exception of the Blue Lagoon which if I recall correctly, was 60 Kroner....or about $10.
I've only stayed at the Northern Lights Inn and I love it but there are a couple of drawbacks. It is across the street from a geo-thermal plant so there is the smell of sulfur in the air when outside. This is actually a plus for me as it adds to the aura. It is outside of town (closest town is Grindavik...about 10 min away) so you have to drive to get to places. Pluses are that....it is out of town. It is walking distance from the Blue Lagoon. Kristian (not sure if that is the way she spells it), the owner, is awesome and will go wayyyyyyy out of her way to help you. Breakfast is included. On some rates dinner is included. Ask her about it.
Ok, time for dinner...More on Iceland later.
More >> Posted by TallTowerMan
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Well, this is my first post here but I'll give it a go and see how things work out.
Okinawa is a fairly small Island in the Ryuku chain of islands. It is a province of Japan. It is well known for it's unique culture (distinct from the mainland), tropical climate, diving, and US military presence.
The island is accessible through Naha International airport which is serviced by all major Japanese carriers via Osaka (my preferred airport), Tokyo, and other major mainland Japan airports. As of April 2008, there was free WiFi at Naha International.
The airport is new, multistory, and with many shops common in Japanese airports these days. There is a large parking structure right at the airport and getting in and out of Naha is very easy. The rates to park are very reasonable. I have never parked long-term so not sure exactly how the overnight rates compare.
Naha is a typical medium-sized Japanese city with lots to do...and lots of traffic. They are building an express way to the airport that connects the existing express way that goes from Naha to the north of the island...but until that is completed, be prepared for traffic just getting out of the airport. It could be worse as the streets were laid out by the US Army Corp of Engineers so they are fairly wide by Japanese standards.
Well, time to make dinner but I will leave you with one last note....Okinawa has a world-class Aquarium with at least 3 whale sharks on display. Cannot be missed.
Cheers,
TTM
More >> Posted by TallTowerMan
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