Good morning!!
Nothing makes my day better than waking up to seeing one of my pieces in the Huffington Post travel section!!
15 Ways to Save Money While Traveling
My First Ashiatsu Massage
I am not the type of person that lets someone walk all over me, but I am so glad I did! I’ve had a good amount of massages and I’m becoming pickier about them each time. One type of massage I’ve always wondered about was ashiatsu, where you are literally paying someone to “walk all over you.” I was so excited when I booked it, but as my appointment got closer I started to freak out over it. Complete panic! So many questions were running through my mind.
Northern Light Inn, Iceland
On our last night in Iceland we decided to stay somewhere that was close to the Blue Lagoon, our final activity before catching our flight. The Northern Lights Inn is the perfect location to stay since it is located directly next door to the lagoon and is only a 5-minute walk. We chose the inn based on location, but we were pleasantly surprised by how nice it was. Located 20 minutes from Keflavik Airport and 45 minutes from Reykjavik, it is a wonderful starting point or final destination to get your barring before setting out to explore Iceland. The dramatic landscape surrounding the inn is amazing!
Jokulsarlon, the Iceberg Lagoon, Iceland
Jokulsarlon, which translates to “glacier river lagoon” is one of the most breathtaking sights I’ve ever seen. The icebergs originate in Vatnajokull National Park, where huge pieces of icebergs break free and linger in this lagoon until they drift off into the sea. My whole family consider this to be one of our coolest days in Iceland. (No pun intended!) Here’s my plan for a fun day at Jokulsarlon:
Windjammer Days Boothbay Harbor, Maine
55th Annual Windjammer Days
June 25- July 1, 2017
Windjammer Days is the official kickoff to summer in Boothbay, a charming coastal Maine town. It is a week-long celebration of maritime history, and it focuses on the sense of community in this quaint town.
What exactly is a windjammer? They are grand merchant ships that have between three and five masts that were used to carry cargo for long distances in the 19th and early 20th century. Looking at them will make you feel like you’ve traveled back in time.
Hotel Klettur
Our first stop on our family trip to Iceland was the Hotel Klettur, in Reykjavik. After an overnight flight, in which I never fell asleep, my head was dying to hit the pillow and this hotel provided a wonderful spot to do it. Cozy beds, Moscow mules, and soccer… read here to read all about our stay.
Puffin Boat Tour, Reykjavik, Iceland
Before we went to Iceland, we talked about our top “must-do” activities and my daughters chose to see some adorable, colorful puffins up close. Their colorful beaks and speedy wings make them such interesting birds. Little did we know that each year about 30,000 puffins come to a tiny island was only a 15-minute boat ride from the city. We decided to use Special Tours , since it is the original puffin tour out of Reykjavik.
Hotel Selfoss
We approached this modern building and it was not what I expected from what I’d read about Iceland. The grey color and vast windows made this elegant building stand out in the countryside. The hotel is in a great location, close to the southern coast. It is a good driving distance to the Blue Lagoon, the Golden Circle, and Vik. The hotel is only a 40-minute drive from Reykjavik and the drive from there is unforgettable as you pass endless fields of lava rock and moss.
Click here to read all about our experience at Hotel Selfoss…
Lake Opechee Inn and Spa
My kids are so fun to travel with, but every once in a while, it’s nice to be alone to relax. Since the end of the school year is full of obligations, I thought this would be a great time to rejuvenate before the final stretch of school, and the Lake Opechee Inn and Spa was the perfect place to go. I couldn’t have imagined how relaxed I would feel when I left.
Hotel Laki, Iceland
Since this was our first trip to Iceland we decided to move around southern Iceland and exploring the area around each hotel. Hotel Laki is a wonderful place to call home if you would like to be in an area close to Jökulsárlón (the iceberg lagoon), since it is only about an hour and a half to get there. It is also a great location to explore the black sand beaches of Vik and the amazing waterfalls around the southeast coast.