Wish You Were Here: Icelandic adventures in Westfjords
Our intrepid readers have embarked on all kinds of treks this year, from hikes in Nepal to a cooking class in Barcelona and adventures in California’s Desolation Wilderness. And once they return home, they’ve shared their stories and helpful travel tips with us.
Read on for the Icelandic adventures of a South Bay couple, then find more reader travel inspiration at www.mercurynews.com/tag/wish-you-were-here/.
Wish You Were Here
ICELAND: Campbell residents Ardis Young and Jim Heck did a 15-day self-drive tour around Iceland in September. The trip, Ardis says, “included three days on the Westfjords peninsula, where we made a stop at Dynjandi — meaning thunderous or resounding — waterfall which cascades 328 feet, is 98 feet wide at the top and 196 feet wide at the bottom.
“There are so many beautiful waterfalls in Iceland, but this one stood out. As you hike up approximately 650 feet to this location, you are rewarded by passing by six other smaller waterfalls along the way. September is a great time to visit Iceland. It’s less crowded, the Fall colors are outstanding and you have a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights, which we did.”
TRAVEL TIPS: “We would highly recommend Hidden Iceland tour company. They booked all of our logistics — car, hotels, some specific activities we had requested. They provided a downloadable overview of each day; a day by day itinerary with planned and optional stops along the driving route, including a link to Google maps for each; restaurant recommendations, gas station locations, details on our hotels and so much more.
“Opt for the premium vehicle rental coverage — covers everything. It’s well worth the peace of mind, since a lot of the roads in the lesser traveled West, North and Eastern portions of Iceland are gravel, not paved.”
Join the fun! Send a photo of yourself on your latest adventures — local, domestic or international — to jburrell@bayareanewsgroup.com. Tell us where you are, who everyone is and where they’re from, and share a travel tip or two to help fellow readers go there, too.