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. 

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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.

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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. 

Click here to read all about our experience… 

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. 

Click here to read all about our experience…

Hotel Ranga

Hotel Ranga is a gorgeous countryside hotel that is the only 4-star hotel in southern Iceland.  It is an hour from Reykjavik and is close to some of the most impressive waterfalls we saw in Iceland.  It was a great location to call our home base as we did the Golden Circle.  We all fell in love with this hotel and were so sad to leave it.  Click here to read all about our experience at Hotel Ranga…

Hestheimar Guesthouse & Icelandic Horses

Surrounded by glaciers and beautiful wonders of nature such as Hekla and Eyjafjallajökull, the views surrounding the Hestheimar Guesthouse will leave you in awe.  When we approached the guesthouses we all kept saying how pretty the area around it was and that we felt like we were in a postcard.  The Icelandic horses peering at you from the fences, the mountains in the distance, and the sun starting to turn the sky a lovely shade of pink, made the experience seem surreal.  Read on to hear about our experience at the Hestheimar Guesthouse…

What I’ve Packed for Iceland

The land of ice and fire…talk about a packing nightmare.  Since we were hopping from six hotels this week my husband told me packing light was a must.  How in the world can I pack light when Iceland can have all four seasons in one hour?  As a chronic over-packer, this was going to be a challenge.  In addition to all the usual travel items, these were some extras I needed to bring:

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GullWing Beach Resort

There are some resorts that we will never forget, and the GullWing Beach Resort on Fort Myers Beach, Florida is one of them.  When staying at a hotel, I don’t often know much about the accommodations I will be given, so I usually prepare for the worst but keep fingers crossed for a room that has some space for my family to spread out.  I had no idea what to expect and I can honestly say I was absolutely shocked when we walked into the suite.  It was breathtaking and I couldn’t believe we were lucky enough to be spending the entire week here!  The most nerve-wracking moment is when you place your key in the door and give it a turn.  You never know what to expect.  Well…this is what welcomed us as we walked in…

Click here to read all about our experience