Has anybody been to Iceland?

Emily went a few years ago, she said it was fantastic. 

It seems to be the place to go these days, I know about 50 people who have been in the last 2 years

Never been, but it's on my short list (saw it from the air coming back from Europe this summer).   My brother has been a couple times and loved it.  He camped every night each time.  Apparently, ever little town has a campground near the hot springs, which are the center of community life.  There are also little cabins scattered around the island that anyone can stay at for free.  Direct flights from here are pretty reasonable and quick as they head there as the crow flies over the arctic.

Yes had a short trip you must go to Blue Lagoon! Wonderful hiking there obviously too. Went in the summer when there was lots of daylight and 55 degree temps

Have not. The fiancé and I would really love to though. Heard nothing but good things from anyone who’s been there and the pictures on the instagrams look wonderful.

Go. Went last October for Airwaves music / art festival.  First festival I've been to in a long while with absolutely zero jam band music.  I'll try an post some pics. 

Besides everything else about it, one thing I'm certain about..... all those yahoos in America who think the white race is in danger of becoming extinct --- they've obviously never been to Iceland. That genetic code is just fine. Some beautiful people up there. 

Safe travels.

I'll go if you are still trying to decide who to take.

Have a great time and take lots of pictures.  That Blue Lagoon seems like an amazing place to visit.

Just remember - only 6.5 hours of daylight right now, and it's going fast.

Iceland is really popular right now.

Have a Blast in Iceland !!

Now, onto 'Why Disco Stu would be the fellow to accompany Jen to Aruba..."

1)  Speaks fluent Arubian
2)  Has good Passport
3)  Never been kicked off a plane
4)  Enjoys oceanic sports:  swimming,  snorkeling,  driftwood,  boats.
5)  Likes Seafood

Heck yeah,  take me !!  Just give me a week to pick the right Dog-Sitter.  The last great one moved to WA state.

As mentioned, I went last Oct for a music festival called AirWaves.  .... I felt like an anthropologist exploring a strange music culture but enjoyed every moment of the festival, the host city (Reykjavik) and the countryside.

Tip 1: Buy your booze at the duty free shop at the airport when you land. Stock up, if needed.  It ain't like California where you can buy any  kind of alcohol anywhere. They have a surprisingly diverse selection at the airport and the cheapest price in the Country.

Tip 2: Change your money at the airport for fair exchange and convenience. But you will probably use a charge card eveywhere. 

Tip 3: Expect to spend lots of money. Since everything is imported, things cost more than in the States. You don't have to spend a lot to do stuff, but you will spend more on meals and drinks.

First thing that struck me was how civilized things were - for instance at the airport everyone gets their own private bathroom -- there are dozens of them. And people actually keep them clean. (Wouldn't see that in the States.) Overall, things are very clean and orderly everywhere. People are polite, if not downright friendly. Nothing seemed threatening.

Geographically, it's a fairly barren landscape...either sparse or rugged with a lot less trees than in the States. Volcanic features.

Yes, bring a swinsuit and go to the Blue Lagoon. There are indoor and outdoor hot springs all over the country, but this place is a trip.

A tourist trap, but a unique one. Acres of soft warm water surrounded by a Disney-like luner landscapre. It is not a natural hotspring..it it actually cooling wastewater from a smelting plant or something, but it feels great.

When the air is chilly, it develops it's own weather. And you are hanging with people from all over the world -- everyone is smiling and relaxed.  There is a swim up bar and a fancy restaurant on premises. The whole thing is a little mind-altering. I went first thing in the morning right from the plane/ car rental place (after we arrived at 5am). Highly recommended way to start your trip.

Due to the scarcity of native construction materials on a windswept, volcanic island, there are a lot of concrete "Eastern-European" style, plain blocky buildings. To decorate, the residents take graffiti to a new level.  Art is literally everywhere.

In the center of Reykjavík, up on a hill, is the main church - Hallgrímskirkja (Icelandic pronunciation: ​[ˈhatl̥krimsˌcʰɪrca], church of Hallgrímur). It is a landmark of the city and among the tallest structures in Iceland. You can't miss it. Worth checking out.

In the church there is an incredible pipe organ. Try and time your visit to a service or mass when it's being used.

Careful if you are near this volcano, it may erupt soon.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/iceland-volcano-ready-erupt/story?id...

Wow. The church looks unreal.

Too bad you can't go for New Years. I hear they shoot off more fireworks than all of Europe combined. 

On a random night, we ran across a movie set in front of the church where they were staging a NYE scene. Thankfully, we were in the right frame of mind to especially enjoy it.

It may be true -- just found this on the UToob:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC6QyuomJOg

Oh, and another tip - 

Tip 5: Wherever you stay, write the address down and carry it with you. It's easy to get lost. Most everyone there speaks English, but hardy anyone understood our attempts at Icelandic pronunciation. Especially after a few drinks. (Google Maps couldn't always be relied upon due to the amount of construction going on everywhere.)

For instance, the address of where we stayed (Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Centre) was: Smiðjustígur 4, 101 Reykjavík.

I mean, how does one pronounce "Smiðjustígur" ? Not like it reads.

There’s creepy Stu again creeping on a stranger and wanting a free trip to top it off. Unreal!

Worth it to get out of the city, if weather allows. From Reykjavik you can easily drive to the geothermal spots around the southern part of the island. -- hotsprings, geysers and cauldrons. The ones we visited were like a cross between the ones in Northern Ca and Yellowstone. Nothing spectacular, but cool to see. The surrounding landscape was pretty trippy.

It takes about an entire day to do the local "circle drive" including some stops and quick hiking. (There is another circle drive around the entire island.)  Most of what we saw was rugged pastureland and wetlands dissected by creeks and rivers. There are some waterfalls, too.  Every so often there would be a bunch of really lit up buildings in the distance -- it was greenhouses run with geothermal energy. 

But plan for weather delays in the winter and traffic delays in the summer -- there are no big multi-lane Interstates like in the States...just regular highways connecting towns. And not a lot of infrastructure like highway signs, road lights, and rest areas. They don't even paint lane divider lines down the center of some "major" roads. Take maps and directions, as cell phone reception can get spotty.

Looking back, a bus trip for tourists may have been the thing to do, as the fog can get reeeealllly thick. And at night all the tourist drivers are out driving around looking up at the sky for the Northern Lights, so there are a lot of accidents. Bus tours are readily available, but I read it's best to book in advance.