Page 48 - AAA Magazine – AAA Ohio Auto Club – May 2019

Continued from page 45
Just a minute away from the museum is the largest waterfall in Iceland, Skógafoss. It’s impressive 200-foot falls and 49-foot width has made it popular with visitors and Hollywood. It was featured in scenes in the 2013 version of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” and Marvel Studios’ blockbuster, “Thor: The Dark World.” From there it is off to Reynisfjara, a black-sand beach that has been ranked among the top 10 most beautiful non-tropical beaches in the world. Neighboring the beach are the natural rock formations of Dyrhólaey and the basalt sea stacks named Reynisdrangar. There are legends about how the stacks came to be, but you can make your determination once you see them. The cliffs of the area are peppered with caves which allows a variety of birds to make their home there. On your visit you might catch a glimpse of black guillemots, fulmars, gannet and razorbills, as well as various seagulls.
After dinner, you will have yet another chance to look for the aurora borealis, which have no set schedule, but the best time of year is from September through March.
Your journey is far from over so make sure you have a hearty breakfast before heading out on a full day. Your first stop will be at the Jökulsárlón glacial
lake to see floating icebergs as they break off the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier. As the
glacier continues to break off, the lake becomes more prominent
and is considered to be one of the deepest lakes in Iceland. This also
is a popular filming location as “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,” “Batman Begins” and two James Bond films, “A View to a Kill” and “Die Another Day,” have used this site.
You will then head south to Skaftafell, home to the Vatnajökull National Park, the second-largest national park in Europe and home to Europe’s largest glacier and Iceland’s tallest mountains. The glacier, for
photo: iStock/Reed Ingram Weir
Jökulsárlón Lake with the Northern Lights
which the park is named after, is estimated to be more than 3,000 feet thick in some places, covering peaks, valleys and some active volcanoes.
Following this big day, you will head back for your final night in Vik and more aurora borealis hunting.
As your journey nears the end, you need time to relax and the Blue Lagoon in the Reykjanes Peninsula is the perfect solution. Besides more breathtaking views of the Icelandic landscape, lava fields and hot springs, you will get a chance to take a dip in the geothermal spa, which runs around 100-degrees Fahrenheit and is full of minerals.
And now it’s time to say goodbye with a farewell meal in Reykjavik before your flight home leaves the next morning.
Besides all the scenic landscape and flora and fauna, hopefully, the aurora borealis made an appearance on your odyssey.
John T. Garcia is managing editor of AAA Magazine.
The Blue Lagoon
photo: Shutterstock/ Puripat Lertpunyaroj
46 | AAA MAGAZINE
To find out more about AAA’s Iceland’s Magical Northern Lights tour, call your AAA Travel Agent or visit AAA.com/travel.