We Go With Kids!

Tag: glacier

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon With Kids
Jökulsárlón is a glacier lagoon in southeast Iceland, filled with chunks of glacial ice and one of Iceland’s most popular attractions. When booking our trip last November, the first thing Catherine mentioned when suggesting must-see destinations was Jökulsárlón and taking a glacial boat ride quickly became the excursion that I built the rest of our trip around. Here are my tips for experiencing Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon with kids!

On Saturday morning, our first full day in Iceland, I woke up ready for our long scheduled glacial boat ride at Jökulsárlón. I had reserved our tickets in March (2+ months prior to our arrival) and the plan was to make the 2.5 hour drive from our cottage on Reynisfjara with plenty of time to take in a number of stops along the way. Our boat ride was scheduled for 1:10pm and I had long since planned on an early departure to allow us plenty of time to meander and check out the sites, which included Eldhraun Lavafield, Fjaðrárgljúfur, and Vatnajökull.

Unfortunately, overnight, the rains had poured in so it was extremely dreary outside. So dreary in fact that we could not even see the beach from our rental cottage located less than 5 minutes walking distance from the beach. My son looked at me with heavy anticipation, clearly inquiring as to what our game plan would be. Having grown up in Los Angeles, rain is my absolute least favorite weather, so I wasn’t too keen on making a bunch of stops along the way and ending up damp and wet for the long day in the car. I also wasn’t necessarily looking forward to a boat ride on a glacial lagoon, but since I had already pre-booked our tickets (which were no longer refundable), I decided to push back our departure time and skip the various pre-planned stops along the way, in the hopes that the weather would be tolerable for our boat ride.

Our 2.5 hour drive went pretty much according to plan. The intensity of the rain varied throughout our drive such that at times, it was so violent I could hardly see despite having our windshield wipers on high. On other occasions, the rain seemed to stop and/or barely sprinkle down, so I was hopeful that our boat ride might still take place.

Glacier Lagoon Cafe

At around 11:45, we arrived at Glacier Lagoon, an outfitter that provides amphibian boat tours. I quickly parked and walked to the ticket book located immediately to the left of the dining room/cafe. I confirmed our reservation for 1:10pm, but then inquired as to whether there were any earlier scheduled tours with availability. Fortunately, there just happened to be two spots left for the 12:40pm boat ride, which I happily exchanged our 1:10pm reservations for.

With less than an hour to kill, we decided to grab a quick bite to eat inside the Glacier Lagoon cafe.

The self-help counter at the Glacier Lagoon Cafe.

Not fancy by any stretch of the imagination, the Glacier Lagoon cafe contains pre-made sandwiches, two soup offerings, a few other pre-packaged/pre-prepared food items, and your choice of beverages. I picked up a ham sandwich for my son and chose to try one of the soup offerings for myself. Our two items cost just over $20 ($13 for the soup and bread, $10 for the sandwich). Not fancy by any stretch of the imagination and certainly costing well more than they were worth, the fact that we were actually able to get something to eat was not lost on me as I’m not sure where the nearest restaurant alternative would have been.

After finishing up our simple meal and using the restroom, we went back to wait in the car. By then, the rain had slowed to a mist. Considering the deluge we had woke up to, this was really the best of all possible circumstances.

Five minutes prior to our scheduled tour, I saw the amphibian boat pull up to the free-standing stairway and we walked over to line up. An attendant checked our tickets, handed us life vests and we were quickly off. It took less than 2 minutes to get from the boarding area into the water and a short 15 minute boat ride later, we were well surrounded by floating glaciers. My son really enjoyed taking pictures on the journey out and once stopped, a john boat that was following behind us approached and handed the tour guide a large chunk of glacial ice.

The ice hand off.

The guide’s explanation of lagoon formation and ice transitions.

The guide explained that the lagoon was formed by glacial melting and that the lagoon gets bigger every year as the glaciers continue to melt. The different colors of the ice are typically a result of how long the ice has been floating in the water and how much of that ice has been exposed to direct sunlight. The guide cut off pieces of glacial ice for everyone to taste and also handed out a large chunk for people to hold and pose for photos with.

The guide, handing my son his own small chunk of ice.

My son really enjoyed getting to touch the large chunk of ice and getting to taste the small chunk of ice that the guide cut off. After about 10-15 minutes, the boat started up again and we returned to shore. The entire experience lasted approximately 40 minutes.

While the weather on the day of our visit was not ideal, Catherine and her family got a better view of the surrounding area, and particularly, Vatnajökull, Iceland’s largest icecap, on their trip to Jökulsárlón last year. They also saw icebergs washed up on the shore of the black sand beach located on the other side of the Ring Road.

Pro-Tips:
- Our one adult/one child ticket cost $77. While there is no discount for advance purchase, you are subject to availability if you show up the day of. I didn’t want to run the risk of not being able to take a boat ride, thus, I purchased our tickets well in advance of our trip.
- Individuals must be seated while the boat is driving, but once the boat is in the water, passengers are free to get up and walk around.
- We each wore thermals with rain pants layered over our thermals. We also wore heavy duty fleece and rain jackets as our outer layer. Unfortunately, we did not pack gloves, which I sorely missed, although for the short time we were out on the water, it was fine. There were many individuals there who were very poorly dressed and clearly freezing and/or getting drenched. Although the rain was mild (nothing more than a slight drizzle), it was cold enough that being damp was unpleasant.
After our boat ride, we simply turned around and drove back to our cottage. It may seem slightly insane to drive 5+ hours for a 40 minute boat ride, but it was well worth it. I’m glad we didn’t let the rain deter us (it helped that we didn’t have anything else planned) and I was glad that the rain seemed to be more mild down near Jökulsárlón than near Reynisfjara. On the way home, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up spaghetti supplies just to have handy. I’m glad I did as the rain picked up and after having showered and put on dry and warm clothes, we had no desire to make even the short 5 minute walk or 1 minute drive down to Black Sand Restaurant for dinner. Our spaghetti supples (sauce, noodles, and ground beef) cost less than $12 total, so it was a cheap and satisfying way to end our day.

Planning your own trip to Iceland with kids? Continue reading Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: Solheimasandur Beach, and be sure to check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland.
May 30, 2018
Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: Getting to Iceland and the First 18 hours

When I decided to take a trip to Iceland with kids, I never imagined that the opportunity would present itself for my older son and I to take a solo mommy-son trip. We were super excited for our trip to Iceland as it was really a stolen weekend of sorts. My 3.5 year old was spending the week with his grandparents and this really gave me and my eight year old an opportunity to bond and enjoy each other’s company.

Our Wow Airlines Flight from Baltimore to Keflavik:

The night before our departure, I eagerly logged on at exactly 23 hours and 59 minutes to check in for our flight. I was prompted to enter our passport information and within seconds, confirmed that we were checked in and seated next to one another. Wow did not give us the option of changing seats or even seeing the seat map to ascertain how full the flight was. But, I was pleased to have been seated next to my son (in a window and aisle seat – our preferred and default seating arrangement when traveling just the two of us).

The drive from our home in Alexandria, VA to Baltimore Airport took nearly 90 minutes, so I was very glad to have left with plenty of time to accommodate the heavy traffic. Upon entering the airport, we quickly dropped off our one checked bag and made our way over to The Club BWI, which I was able to enter for free using the Priority Pass membership that comes with my Chase Sapphire Reserve Card.

Although The Club was very full, we were able to secure two adjacent seats and I was more than willing to take advantage of the complimentary beverages, including not one, but two manhattans (it was a long drive up there after all)! After about 30 minutes at The Club, we made our way over to the boarding gate, noting, along the way, a few extremely family friendly features about the Baltimore airport: playground and nursing pods, like the ones they had at Kidspace in Pasadena.

The kids’ playspace at BWI

Once on board, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was ample leg room and available charging ports. A lot of people complain about the fact that Wow doesn’t provide free beverages but I just picked up a bottle of water at a shop on my way to the gate. I also planned to purchase a meal for my son as it was essentially our dinner time, and the $15.99 WOW Deal was perfect.

I appreciated that for $15.99 my son could get a pizza, drink, and a candy bar (which we shared) and to my surprise, the flight attendants did not heat up the pizza until after we ordered, so it was basically as fresh as it could be given that we were up in the air.

The only negative thing I can think of to say about Wow is that the boarding and deplaning process was extremely slow. I’m not sure what the issue was, but on both legs of our flights, there was a lot of waiting on the boarding bridge and then a lot of sitting after the plane doors opened before we could get off the flight. Nevertheless, given that I went into the Wow experience with bated breath, I was pleasantly surprised by just how enjoyable the experience was. In fact, the standard seat we were assigned seemed just as roomy if not roomier than some of the most recently revamped American and United flights I’ve been on.

Our arrival at Keflavik Airport and Viking World:

Everyone gushes about how amazingly beautiful Iceland is, but I certainly did not expect to be greeted with an arrival rainbow.

Our arrival rainbow at KEF

The customs experience and baggage retrieval was standard and within an hour of our arrival, we found ourselves in a shuttle on our way to the rental car. Picking up the rental car was a seamless process. They quickly found our reservation and went over the terms of the agreement with me. I was moderately perturbed by the excessive bolded warnings that damage from wind, hail, and gravel was not included in the provided insurance as… well, Iceland is the land of wind, hail, and gravel. I was also surprised when the rental agent recommended that I take photos documenting the car prior to leaving the agency and then again on my return back. I had read before that Iceland takes its rental cars very seriously and this was clearly the case.

I really enjoyed driving an X1 around, despite the heartburn over every possible flying rock that might hit the car and cause me to incur additional liability.

My rental came with a broken rear view mirror, which I documented heavily prior to departure.

Once I had taken about 100 photos of the rental car, we made the 10-15 minute drive over to Viking World, which has an exact replica of a famous Viking ship as well a Viking millennium exhibition produced by the Smithsonian Institute called Vikings: the North Atlantic Saga. Importantly, Viking World also opens at 7am and has a cafe. Having not slept, at all, on the red eye flight, I desperately needed something other than a 2.5 hour drive down to Reynisfjara to wake up a bit.

Knowing that I needed something to eat, I signed my son and I up for the Breakfast Buffet, which includes museum admission. For a total of ~$32USD, we spent the next hour snacking and wandering around the museum.

The breakfast buffet that I was thrilled to nibble from.

My son’s favorite part of the museum was, as expected, the replica ship that we could actually walk on to and explore.

On board the Icelander.

Personally, I loved the Settlement of Iceland exhibit, which deals with archaeological findings from the Suðurnes/Reykjanes region, including remains from the oldest occupation on Reykjanes peninsula from the ninth century.

icelandic burial at sea?

After spending about an hour indoors, we went to check out the traditional Icelandic settlement located just outside the museum’s doors. Unfortunately, it was so bitter cold that we really could not stand to spend much time outside. I’ll also note that there did not seem to be much by way of explanatory information, so we were clueless as to what we were looking at.

The outdoor viking settlement.

Our drive from Keflavik to Reynisfjara:

After nearly freezing our tails off exploring the outdoor settlement, we piled back into the car and began the journey down to Reynisfjara. I knew that it would be a long drive with multiple stops along the way, but I was not really prepared to find that most of the attractions were on the second portion of the drive. In other words, although the scenery was beautiful, it was a long hour to 1.5 hours before we hit the first item on our list: Seljalandsfoss Waterfall.

My son quickly fell asleep in the backseat of the car and I had to pull over a full times and step outside just to wake myself up and get some air. Luckily the scenery was so gorgeous that I didn’t mind the detours and stops.

Taken on one of my many “fresh air” stops.

By the time we reached Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, I was tired enough that I knew we weren’t going to be able to get out and explore every item on our original list of things to do. I parked and took a quick peek at the waterfall and was happy enough that my son stirred enough to go “oooooo…waterfall!” In other words, despite Seljalandsfoss being one of the waterfalls that you can walk behind, we did not actually walk to the falls. We just enjoyed it from the parking area and were happy to continue on our journey.

Despite the novelty of walking behind a waterfall, I also really did not want to get wet, so opted to just enjoy the waterfall from the parking area.

The next stop on my list, Eyjafjnallajokull, the site of a major 2010 volcanic eruption that required the evacuation of 800 people living in the town immediately below the volcano. Although there used to be a Visitor’s Center, which featured artifacts and a 20 minute video of the eruption, the Visitor’s Center is now closed, with no signs of reopening. We were only able to enjoy the information signs located outside the Visitor’s Center, which is located across the road from Eyjafjnallajokull.

View of Eyjafjnallajokull from the now shuttered Visitor’s Center.

View of the area surrounding Eyjafjnallajokull.

From Eyjafjnallajokull, my next intended stop was Gljufrabui Waterfall, which is partially hidden by a large rock wall. With my son happily snoring in the backseat, I had no desire to wake him up and go searching for a waterfall (which I was previously told required wellies to discover). I simply continued on driving to Skogafoss waterfall where we again admired the waterfall from a distance. My original intention was to walk the path leading to each and every waterfall (after all, when in Iceland…), but I don’t regret that we did not. We were literally so tired that my goal was just simply to get to our cottage in Reynisfjara in one piece.

View of land around Skogafoss.

As you can see, the country is so beautiful that simply being there and taking in the entire surroundings was plenty. From Skogafoss, I stopped quickly at Solheimasandur Beach to take a look at the walk and signs, knowing that the walk to the US navy plane wreckage would have to take place on our return journey, if at all.

After Solheimasandur, I decided that it was really time to get to Reynisfjara. Although it was only 1pm, that was a good 8 hours after our arrival at Keflavik airport after not having slept at all on the plane. Although the drive from Reykjavik to Vik is billed as 2.5 hours, the numerous stops and detours we had taken quickly added to the driving time and thus the late hour. Our cottage check in was not until 4pm, however, so my son and I spent a few minutes on Reynisfjara after locating our cottage, which was located just above the beach. In fact, I was thrilled to see that our cottage was one of three cottages that are the closest accommodations you could secure to Reynisfjara beach and would highly recommend it to anyone looking.

Our two nights at Reynisfjara were spent at the middle cottage.

basalt columns at Reynisfjara

At the beach, I noted the existence of Black Beach Restaurant and filed it away as a possibility for the next night, our second night at the cottage.

Black Beach Restaurant, located within walking distance from our rental cottage and literally on the beach.

Given that we had some time to kill before we could check in, we ventured into Vik for lunch and some groceries.

Our cottage was only a short 15-20 minutes drive to Vik and just prior to entering the village, I spotted a sign indicating the existence of a brewpub, Smiojan Brugghus. A burger, fries, and a beer was just what the doctor ordered.

The service was great, with the servers offering me samples of their various brews before having me commit to one. My son devoured his burger and I relished very bite of mine. I ordered the combo meal, which included burger, fries, and a non-alcoholic drink and my son had the kid’s burger which came with fries. In addition, I ordered a beer (giving my soft drink to my son) and the total for our meal was approximately $45 USD. A tad steep for two burgers, fries, and a beer, but the quality was good.

After lunch, we stopped at the grocery store, Kronan, where we picked up a few essentials: milk, salami, crackers, and yogurt, before returning to Reynisfjara where we were luckily able to check in about 90 minutes prior to the stated 4pm check in. The cabin was small, but included everything we needed: a small kitchen, microwave, private bath, and wifi! My son was pretty energetic, having slept most of the journey down to Reynisfjara, but I really needed a nap, so I set him up on his iPad and took a very glorious 2 hour nap.

Upon waking up, we briefly contemplated what we wanted to do for the rest of the afternoon/evening, before deciding that we really just wanted to enjoy the quiet. Having had a large, late lunch, we decided to just snack on salami and crackers (luckily, I had a bottle of wine I picked up from the duty free shop on our way out of the airport).

Photo taken at 11pm at night – it never got dark!

Our evening at the cottage was peaceful and just what we needed. From our front window, we could gaze out at Reynisfjara beach and eventually, we noticed that sheep were wandering over and all around. That night, we slept with one window open and could hear the crashing waves and the sheep baa-ing well into the night.

Although there was a lot that I had hoped to accomplish on our first day but did not actually accomplish, I was so thankful to get us down to our cottage in one piece. Everything had worked out smoothly, I simply decided to just make up what we missed on Day Three, during our drive back up to Reykjavik. Fortunately, my son is pretty easy going and was perfectly content to be along for the ride. The fast wifi was definitely a bonus and he had no trouble hanging out and relaxing in the cottage with me.

Planning your own trip to Iceland with kids? Continue reading about our Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: Our Rainy Day Journey to Jökulsárlón, and be sure to check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland.

May 29, 2018
New Zealand: Cruising With Kids!
Guest Blogger: Crisel, her husband, and her two year old daughter are Australian expats, currently living in the Soloman Islands, a sovereign country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania. They are planning a world tour beginning in 2019, but in the meantime, are traveling to as many of the Soloman Islands and countries in the Pacific as they can. They can be found on Instagram.

photo credit

Our family decided to look into a cruise after a recent international flight that involved a screaming two-year-old. Our goals were simple: less plane, less car and less time stuck in a hotel. My husband and I love to travel as much as we can and explore different places, but as our daughter has moved past the infant stage into the terrible twos, it has become more difficult. The idea of boarding a cruise ship and having everything within reach – pool, restaurants, cafés, entertainment area, kids’ area, and spa – was intriguing. And on top of that, we would wake up with a new place to explore every morning!

The cruise we booked was the Golden Princess Cruise Ship to New Zealand. Since we were traveling during the school year, the theme of the cruise was targeted to adults, but that didn’t deter us and, as an added bonus, our daughter got so much attention from the cruise staff because there were so few children on board. Our main goal was to have a relaxing holiday, which we did.

Waving goodbye to Sydney Harbor.

Our cruise to New Zealand began in Sydney with two days of straight sailing to Fiordland National Park. Once there, we spent a full day cruising along Milfound Sound and Doubtful Sound, where we experienced the most magnificent views of our lives. From the ship, we saw endless mountains and breathtaking waterfalls, including Mount Tutoko, the highest peak in Fiordland National Park. Mount Tutoko was surrounded by glaciers, which were stunning.

Mount Tutoko

Fiordland National Park

After a day spent cruising along Fiordland National Park, we arrived at our first stop: Dunedin. Getting off the ship for the first time was very exciting and there was a shuttle bus that took us to the city center where we discovered shops, cafes, and local markets. The short bus ride to town was my daughter’s favorite activity and our first stop was at a local café to get our daily dose of caffeine.

After getting our fill of caffeine, we took a short walk to the Town Hall. My daughter took advantage of a small park in front of a church to chase and feed pigeons. We also went to the Cadbury Chocolate Factory while stopping, along the way, to play at a little maze garden in front of Dunedin’s historic railway station.

Playing in the maze outside Dunedin Railway Station.

From Dunedin, we re-boarded the ship and stopped at five other places: Akaroa, Wellington, Auckland, Tauranga and Bay of Islands. Each morning, we would wake up and have a new place to explore. At every stop, we would visit the parks, markets, cafes, beaches, and generally look for places where our daughter could run around freely. We did make an effort to avoid touristy areas and shopping centers as our time was limited.

Feeding and chasing pigeons in Auckland.

Our favorite stop was Paihia, Bay of Islands. The beach was stunning, and there was an awesome kids’ park nearby where we spent quite a bit of time. The cruise ship did offer a shuttle bus ride from the ship to the center of Paihia, but we elected to walk to town instead, as that would give my daughter time to run around and also so that we could spend more time at the park and the beach. When my daughter got tired, I carried her on my back, and we continued to explore. While in Paihia, we enjoyed fish and chips at a local restaurant and ice cream for dessert. We also visited a local art market that had a lot of unique art from local artisans, including wood crafts, underwater creatures made of metal, and clothing made from organic cotton.

Paihia Beach

Carrying my daughter on my back after she got tired of walking!

Our second favorite place was Tauranga. Unfortunately, my daughter did not feel well that day, so my husband and I took turns exploring Tauranga while the other stayed on the ship with my daughter. Tauranga was my personal favorite stop because the place is beautiful – white beach, boutique shops, funky cafes, and friendly locals. I also had the opportunity to climb Mount Maunganui, which, at 232 meters above sea level, took me about an hour to accomplish. There were many families with kids climbing the mountain at the same time and I would have loved to have experienced it with my daughter as the view from the top was superb.

The cruise line offered day excursions and tours that we could pay extra to experience, but we decided even before we booked the cruise that we would not do any extra excursions because of our two-year-old. Although it would have been fun to experience some of the offered excursions, such as the glow worm caves and The Lord of the Rings film set, it would have been too much for our daughter. Instead, we had a great time exploring each stop at a leisurely pace with our daughter and, after a day of exploring, we simply went back on board the cruise ship to relax either by the pool, or by watching a movie in the room. The best part about the cruise was that we did not rush around and plan every single minute of our time, like we usually do, we just went with the flow.

My daughter enjoyed the onboard activities.

What we liked about the cruise:
- Everything is on board. Pretty much everything we needed and wanted was on the ship. Although we booked an ocean view room, we were upgraded to a room with a balcony that gave us a little bit more room, especially with a toddler. We spent most of our time outside and away from our room, but it was nice to have the extra space.
- Food was amazing. There were so many food options onboard. There was buffet, a la cart, or fine dining. We loved fine dining every night and tried so many different and delicious dishes. We chose anytime dining option that allowed us to have dinner whenever our daughter was ready. The staff was very accommodating and provided both kids’ menus and kids’ activity packs at meals.
- Waking up in a different place every morning. Yes! You sleep in one city and wake up to a different one. This was great because we did not need to pack and unpack our luggage.
- Everyone is so friendly. From housekeeping staff to waitresses to entertainers to guests. Everyone was so friendly.
What we did not like about the cruise:
- Entertainment shows took place every night after dinner, but because my daughter had to go to bed, we were unable to all attend. My husband was kind enough to let me watch entertainment shows every night while he put our daughter to sleep, but it would have been nice to enjoy as a family. The shows included stand-up comedy, concerts, and international talent shows. All shows were appropriate for children, so I would have taken my daughter if they had offered the shows during the day.
- The Kids’ Club was for kids ages three and up. Because my daughter was not three, we could not use the Kids’ Club, and babysitting was also not available, so we had no date nights.
- We gained a lot of weight on the cruise!
- Our cruise had to end after 2 weeks!
Additional Thoughts:
- My daughter still naps once a day, so we usually walked her around in the pram or I carried her on my back until she fell asleep. Her naptimes provided my husband and me with an opportunity to recharge and unwind, either at a café or by continuing to explore quietly until she woke up.
- Because we were traveling with a toddler, a full day (7-8 hours) of exploring the city was enough for us. We would definitely return to the Bay of Islands and Tauranga again for a family holiday if given the opportunity, but the cruise was a great opportunity to visit and get a sense of the location.
- My daughter loved the cruise life! She enjoyed the elevators, the buffet breakfasts, and the opportunity to break up our day by visiting and exploring new places, playgrounds, parks, shops and cafes. My daughter also loved the entertainment on the ship, in particular dancing to the music that played in the Piazza.
- I would absolutely recommend a cruise for families with toddlers as it is an easy way to have a relaxing holiday while exploring many different places. I suggest checking to make sure that the cruise you are interested in caters to families with children and would also check to make sure that you can take advantage of the Kids’ Club and the minimum age (most cruise lines offer Kids’ Club for ages 3+).
Happy Cruising!

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November 29, 2017
Kids’ Blog: Iceland

Guest Author: Our kid blogger, Messi Jr., is a nine year old fourth grader who loves travel and soccer.

My Iceland trip was awesome.

Iceland Day 1

On day one, as soon as my family and I got to the Icelandic airport, everyone was wide awake because we slept the whole flight. When we got out of the airport, it was very cold and rainy. My family and I got on the bus that would take us to a place that we would get a rental car.

On the bus, I saw two strange things. The first thing that was strange was that out of the window I saw rocks. Some were the size of pebbles and others were the size of cars. The rocks were all different shapes, but many were the size of backpacks. There seemed to be millions. And, there were planes and planes of them. But, they were covered in something. I didn’t know what it was so I asked my dad what it was, and he said it was moss. I thought it was very strange, but I could believe it when I saw it. The other thing I wondered about was the rocks. When I looked closely, there were many holes. I recognized it as a lava rock. I wasn’t surprised since I knew from a book I had read about Iceland that it said that Iceland was formed by volcanos.

Once we got off the bus, we went to a place where we rented a 4×4 car, which meant it can drive through harsh conditions. With the car, we drove to the convenience store and bought some food that we ate at the shop for breakfast. At the store, the Cool One and I both found coins. The Cool One found a 1 krona coin, and I found a 2 krona coin. Next, we went to Costco. At Costco, we bought squeezies for my sister, water bottles for the car, Nutella to put on our bread for breakfast, and rotisserie chicken for our sandwiches.

Before we ate lunch, we went to the lava tunnel, but the noon tour was full. For lunch, we went to a nearby town and picked up some very yummy pizza, which we ate in the car heading toward the lava tunnel. In the lava tunnel, we had to wear headlamps so we could see around the tunnel. We learned that before headlamps and flashlights, all people saw in the tunnel was pitch black. The only way you could see was from small holes on the roof. We also learned that lava once rushed through the tunnel. My sister was the youngest person to ever go in the tunnel.

The next thing that we did was we drove, well we tried to drive to Kerid crater, but we drove into another crater. In that crater, there were many lava rocks. We could also see all the layers of the crater.

The next stop was Kerid crater. The cool thing about Kerid is that the deep crater has a lake at the bottom of it. My dad also said that Kerid was formed 6,500 years ago. On our way to the apartment, my brother, sister and I took a nap in the car. I thought that I had slept for the whole night! We watched some TV, but it was only in Icelandic, so we didn’t understand a thing. We tried to take a shower, but the drain was plugged, so that made it pretty challenging. The day ended with everyone having a good night sleep.

Iceland Day 2

Once everyone had woken up and dressed up, we went to Seljalandfoss, which is a famous waterfall because you can walk behind it. Seljalandfoss is a very tall waterfall. When my family and I walked behind it, we got soaked, but it was worth it because it was amazing.

As we were driving to Skogafoss, we saw Eyjafalljokul, which is a volcano that erupted a few days after my brother was born, which delayed my grandma from flying back to England.

Once we were at Skogafoss, we saw a huge waterfall, and when the water hit the river it had been forming, mist shot up and formed a huge circle.

We also saw a huge glacier that turned out to be the biggest glacier outside of the North and South Poles.

In a bird sanctuary, we saw a few puffins.

At Renisjfara beach, the sand was black! It wasn’t just normal sand, it was volcanic sand! We also saw a lot of basalt rocks. There were also strong waves. My brother, my dad, and I were standing about 2 yards away from where the waves end, then suddenly, a huge wave came and everyone started running, but I tripped over a big rock. I fell down and before the wave went back in, my dad pulled me out. I was wet, so I had to change all of my clothes.

As we drove, we passed the beautiful city of Vik, but we didn’t stop. The next place we went was Vatnajokull, which is the biggest ice cap (other than the North and South poles). It was a very beautiful sight.

The next stop was Jokulsaron. One of the reasons Dad wanted to come to Iceland was to see this site. Jokulsaron is a lake with icebergs. The icebergs and lake come from a glacier that was constantly melting. The ice on the beach was my favorite sight of Iceland. On the beach, when Dad was taking a picture of my brother and me near the iceberg, as he walked backward to get a good shot of us, he tripped over ice and fell backward. When he put his hand down to save himself, he went down so hard he broke the thick ice and hurt his hand a lot.

We went as fast as we could to Hofn hoping to get to Hofn before the guesthouse closed. hoped that we would make it in time so we wouldn’t have to sleep in the car. Luckily, we just made it in time. For dinner, we had pasta with rotisserie chicken. Even though we tried our best to keep my sister quiet, she was still very loud. We eventually got her quiet watching Netflix. We had a good night of sleep.

Iceland Day 3

We woke up in the morning to nice blue skies, which ended up to be a nice, blue, dry, and sunny day. We woke up so late that by the time my family woke up, everyone else in the apartment had left for the day. My mom lost her ring that she was very sad about, but it was a good thing she found it later in the trip. As we drove to Netto, we had an amazing view of a glacier.

For lunch, we stopped on the side of the road where we saw a bench that overlooked the ocean. We ate some of the food we bought at Netto. My sister made a rock collection, which she loved and added to during the trip. We stopped in a tourist office, and we got even more maps! Next, we stopped on the side of the road where we saw a stream, and there was a wonderful view of everything around us. My brother and I skipped a few rocks into the stream.

As we kept driving, near a farm we passed, we saw amazing hovering birds. My dad took a few photos of them hovering and trying to find food.

As we kept driving along, we went into two tunnels. One tunnel was 5 km, and the second tunnel was 6 km! We stopped at Kronan where we got fish, fish stew, and French fries. We spent the night in the fishing village of Eskijfordur. We stayed in a very nice apartment. For dinner, we had the fish and fish stew with the French fries, and we also had peas, and for dessert, we had ice cream. But, that still wasn’t the end of the day!

At 9:30, there was great weather as we were driving to the mine that was famous because it had the most spar crystals in the world. We saw many animals running across the road. Some were so close, the car could have ran over them. Once we got to the walking path, we walked up a big hill seeing thousands and thousands of spar crystals. The mine shaft was blocked off by the rocks, but there were still many spar crystals. My sister, brother, and I made a huge spar crystal collection and left it on a rock.

As we headed to our apartment, we saw the most amazing midnight sun we had seen on the whole vacation. At end the day, we had a good night sleep.

Iceland Day 4

We woke up in the morning and had a quick breakfast. We had a very quick breakfast because we wanted the maximum time at our first hot pot in Iceland. It was a very cold day, which is the best pool weather in Iceland because every single pool is heated by natural magma and lava. My family and I were the only people in the pool. We all had fun on the slides, and when it was time to go, my sister didn’t want to get out. The rest of the day all my sister wanted to do was go back in the pool.

We had lunch in the apartment. It was raining very heavily, and the sky was very ugly white and gray. It was still raining, but we drove to Dettifoss, which is a popular waterfall. On the way, we got gas and looked for reindeer, but we didn’t see a single reindeer. Dettifoss was one of the best sites we saw in Iceland. It is amazing how much water comes down. My sister nearly walked the whole hike by herself to the waterfall.

The first four days in Iceland were lots of fun.

November 10, 2017
The Final Frontier Part III: Wrangell-St.Elias With Kids!

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is the largest area managed by the Park Service with an area totaling over 13,000,000 acres. It is 25% bigger than the entire country of Switzerland and can encompass six Yellowstone National Parks. The second tallest mountain in the United States is Mount St. Elias and Mount Wrangell is an active volcano. The Park also has a number of glacial features. Source.

Although it was initially on the radar as a possible place to visit, after a neighbor, who had recently returned from a trip to Alaska, identified Wrangell-St. Elias as a must visit, it quickly shot up the list and became a priority. My husband, son, and my in-laws ended up spending two nights in Wrangell-St. Elias and, by all accounts, it exceeded expectations.

How did they get there?

The night before Wrangell, they stayed in Tok, Alaska at an RV camp. It wasn’t the nicest of places, but it was sufficient and they were able to get in a long bike ride on the way to dinner – a nice break from riding in the RV.

biking to dinner in Tok, AK

The next day, it was a four hour drive from Tok to Chitina, where they boarded a small air taxi for a 20 minute flight to Kennicott Glacier Lodge. The decision to fly into Wrangell was made entirely due to the fact that there are only two roads into Wrangell-St. Elias and both are dirt/gravel roads maintained by the state of Alaska, not the Park Service. There are no fuel options within the Park or services along either road, so the decision was made to leave the RV parked in Chitina and fly into Wrangell, instead of possibly risking a vehicle incident that would impact the rest of the trip. The road that they would have taken into Wrangell is only about 60 miles, but would have taken hours had they driven the RV.

Both my husband and my father-in-law loved the flight into Wrangell. The views from the air were incredible and had my husband, who was a private pilot in a former pre-kid life, dreaming of giving up the nine-to-five workday for a bush pilot gig in Alaska. Predictably, my son slept through most of the flight and my mother-in-law, who is not a fan of flying in general, said it was “tolerable.”

“The flight in is spectacular, giving you a great view of the Wrangell Mountains and views of Mt. Blackburn and the Kennecott Glacier as well as big horn sheep and the occasional moose wading in small ponds.” – Charles

Where did they stay?

Kennicott Glacier Lodge, located right in the middle of Wrangell-St.Elias was their home for three days and two nights. Due to the remoteness of the location (and thus, lack of competing options), the decision was made to book one of the special packages that included three meals a day, lodging, and the flights in and out of Wrangell. The Lodge itself was nice, but unremarkable. The views, however, were incredible. The lodge sits several hundred feet above the valley floor and my father-in-law recommends getting a glacier facing room with private bath. He also recommends the meal plan as there is not anywhere else to eat in Kennicott.

What did they do?

There are two vendors that provide guided activities in Wrangell – St. Elias Alpine Guides and Kennicott Guides. Both outfitters offer similar activities and my father-in-law decided to sign my husband up for a day of ice climbing while he, my mother-in-law, and my son went on a half day hike on Root Glacier with St. Elias Alpine Guides. Since the ice climbing was also taking place on Root Glacier, my son was able to see his dad hang on the ice both coming and going from his hike. All activities were booked and confirmed via the internet well before their arrival. Unless you are experienced in ice hiking yourself, my father-in-law would not recommend going on the ice without a guide. The guides make it easy and safe to explore with kids.

chatting with the guide about glacial ice

Crampons on and ready to go!

my ice-climbing husband

My husband really enjoyed his ice climbing experience and the hike on Root Glacier was a great experience for my son. They provided him with (the required) crampons to walk safely on the ice and he managed the approximately 5 mile hike without incident. The guide was also nice and enjoyed conversing with my son, instead of dismissing him as “just” a kid. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience for everyone’s full day in Wrangell-St. Elias.

What did they eat?

All dining took place at the Lodge as they had booked the plane ride + lodging + food package. The food itself was unremarkable. It was perfectly suitable but as my husband reports, “you weren’t there for the food.” The meals were served largely buffet/family style and one night was salmon, the other night was steak. Although my son is not the most adventurous eater, my husband was able to get enough to accommodate his taste buds.

Is Wrangell-St. Elias a good experience for kids?

My son really enjoyed hiking on the glacier with crampons. The guide did a really good job of engaging with him and he was just old enough to experience, remember, and enjoy it. My husband also enjoyed his ice climbing experience. The days they spent in Wrangell-St. Elias ended up being unseasonably warm, so they found themselves quite hot, despite being surrounded by ice. Nonetheless, the views and the experiences made the trip into Wrangell-St. Elias worthwhile and my husband can’t wait to go back. He’s already said, however, that he would like to wait until the boys are older so we can do some back country hiking and camping – which may very well mean that it will be a guys’ trip!

Return to The Final Frontier Part I: Five Days in Seward, Alaska

Return to The Final Frontier Part II: Talkeetna and Denali National/State Park

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September 20, 2017
Denali With Kids

Following our stay in Seward, we headed off to Talkeetna, our home base for exploring Denali with kids!

Why Denali?

Denali is the tallest mountain peak in North America and so there was no question as to whether or not we would visit. I had the good fortune of having a neighbor return from a 2 week vacation to Alaska the fall before we were slated to go and had the foresight to meet her for coffee one afternoon to discuss her trip and highlights. She ended up providing us with the most insightful piece of advice I could have received – skip Denali National Park in favor of Denali State Park and visit Wrangell St. Elias instead if we had time.

Now you might be asking – why would you end up in Alaska only to skip Denali National Park? As the National Park Service website notes:

Denali has just one road, and private vehicles can only drive a short portion of it in summer. Most sightseeing in Denali is done by bus (either a narrated tour bus or a non-narrated shuttle bus).

My neighbor reported that her experience in Denali National Park was an 8 hour shuttle bus with pre-planned stops at pre-designated areas swarming with other tourists and buses. Knowing that I was traveling with two kids, one under 2, I had no interest in boarding a shuttle bus for the day and having no flexibility in terms of scheduling or stopping. My husband and his parents are also avid “do it yourself-ers!” and so this quickly became a nonstarter for them as well.

Where did we stay?

Having decided that we would not attempt Denali National Park ourselves, we decided to stay in Talkeetna, an adorable Alaskan town bustling with food, shops, and things to do. Again, we rented a house via VRBO as our designated home base and decided to just take our time in Talkeetna easy, just simply exploring the town and enjoying each other’s company. The house was the perfect setting for it as we did not see any major hotel chains, just a few small B&B type residences. The rental house provided us with a nice yard and garden for exploring and was a block and a half off the main road, so although we were close to the activity, we never felt like we were being crowded by the foot traffic.

As an added bonus, the house was located squarely between town and the Talkeetna Riverfront Park:

Where else can you walk to the end of Main Street and find yourself at the confluence of three wild rivers, overlooking a 20,000-foot peak? Close to downtown, this large, river-centered park offers wide open, untouched spaces, along with great panoramic view of the Alaska Range.

Come here to see the mingling of 3 swift glacial rivers: the Talkeetna, Susitna, and Chulitna join to form the “Big Susitna River.” Walk right to water’s edge, or just take a romantic stroll on the gravelly, scenic sand bars. You might see people enjoying a campfire while sitting on huge, fallen cottonwood trees; rafters floating by after a day on the river; or jet boat drivers speeding by in the broad expanse of water.

We took advantage of our proximity to the riverfront and took many walks down to see the various shades of Denali throughout stay.

view of Denali from Riverfront Park on our first night in Talkeetna

How did we get to Talkeetna?

We drove, of course! It is approximately 240 miles from Seward to Talkeetna so if you happen to find yourself making the drive from Seward to Talkeetna, I highly recommend a road trip via Whittier, Alaska. I had been looking for things to do and easy stops we could take to give the kids a break from riding in the car and happened across the Whittier Tunnel. My father-in-law is a land surveyor, so I knew a 2.5 mile one-way tunnel through a mountain would be something even the adults appreciated!

our ride to Whittier took us past Portage Glacier and lots and lots of floating ice in water

Our drive from Seward to Whittier happened to take place on a brutally miserable day. It was cold, dark, and rainy. But, we made it!

The weather was unpleasant and so all we did in Whittier was take a quick walk down the pier for lunch. I don’t remember the name of the lunch place, but they had outstanding crab soup that even my 7 year old enjoyed. While we were there, we saw a cruise ship docked in the sound – but otherwise, the entire town seemed quiet. As we were leaving Whittier, I happened to google “where do people live in Whittier, AK” and happened across a number of articles about The Alaskan Town Under One Roof. Although I was thrilled to have visited, I instantly regretted that the weather had not been better and that we did not have a chance to explore the town, including Begich Towers, the high rise building where everyone lives and also contains a grocery store, post office, and the local government offices.

Since the weather had been so uncooperative in Whittier, we attempted to stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. The rain did let up while we were there, but the walking paths were all mud, so it was an extremely messy walk through the conversation. Nevertheless, we did appreciate getting to stretch our legs, and my toddler enjoyed seeing some of the animals there.

What we did:

The only pre-planned activity for Talkeetna was a flight on the Talkeetna Air Taxi for my husband, son, and father in law. They had been on a small flight to Wrangell St. Elias a few weeks prior, and my husband said it was spectacular. Knowing that this would likely be the only way to see the mountain range, I had booked the three of them for the Grand Denali Tour, complete with glacier landing! At $395/person, this was not cheap, however, I did appreciate that they refunded the difference between my son’s original adult fare for a child fare on the day of the trip, since I had just booked three full priced tickets online.

snowball fight on the glacier

The morning of the scheduled flight, we received a call from Talkeetna Air Taxi saying that the weather was absolutely gorgeous and clear, but that it would be getting turbulent later, during our scheduled flight time. So they asked if we could be ready to go in 30 minutes! Exactly 26 minutes later, my guys arrived to take off, and they absolutely loved the flight. If this is something you are able to do, I encourage you to do so!

While the guys were taking the flight, my mother-in-law, I, and my toddler were enjoying the sights of Talkeetna, which had a decidedly artsy/hippy bent.

Talkeetna, an artist’s paradise

Denali State Park:

Just because we weren’t planning on visiting Denali National Park, that didn’t stop us from driving up to Denali State Park for a hike! Denali State Park is only an hour north of Talkeetna and my neighbor had said it was a low key park – easy to drive through and hike on your own.

heading off on Little Coal Creek Trail

Denali State Park

We picked a short, manageable hike on Little Coal Creek Trail, which was perfectly manageable with two kids. We did spy a bear or two off in the distance, so beware – if this is something you’re not comfortable with, definitely join a tour group or hire a guide!

We enjoyed our short stay in Talkeetna, and I’m glad that we were able to experience it with a toddler in our party. Although many with young children tend to limit their vacations to strictly kid-centered places (read: Disney World), I’m a big fan of introducing my kids to all that the world has to offer. Although we have visited Disney our fair share of times, I’m grateful to have shared Alaska with them at such a young age. Moreover, having experienced Alaska once now, I can safely say it is a state that we would like to visit time and time again. The fact that it’s “only” a short 3-hour flight from Seattle makes it much more desirable than many international locations, and let’s be honest, the fact that I don’t have to worry about keeping track of passports, exotic immunizations, and international data plans makes it all the more palatable!

Continue to The Final Frontier Part III: Wrangell-St. Elias

September 6, 2017
Seward, Alaska With Kids!

Why Alaska with Kids?

In July of 2016, my family of four, along with my in-laws, traveled to Alaska in celebration of my father-in-law’s milestone birthday and to cross off my husband’s 50th state with his parents! The 49th state was Hawaii, which we visited with my in-laws in September 2013. Although some might wonder whether a multi-generational trip to Alaska makes sense, it turns out traveling to Alaska with kids and grandparents was perfect as there was always something for everyone to do! Our favorite spot in Alaska was Seward and even now, years later, I have fond memories of our time in Seward. For those on the fence, definitely consider visiting Seward, Alaska with kids!

How Did We Get to Alaska With Kids?

My husband and then-seven year old drove to Alaska with his parents in an RV. Yes – you heard right – my husband and son flew from DC to Ohio, where my in-laws picked them up and proceeded to drive to Alaska! Over the course of 10 (leisurely) days, they camped throughout the eastern United States and Canada before 10 crossing back into Alaska and exploring Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Homer, Alaska.

Since our youngest was only 18 months at the time, I opted out of the RV ride and flew with my toddler to Anchorage, where we joined the rest of the family for the second portion of the trip: Seward and Talkeetna (our home base for exploring Denali).

Although it was my toddler’s first long flight (over five hours), he did great. Having traveled extensively with my oldest, I was prepared for just about everything including breaking out the diaper hats when everything else had lost its entertainment value.

Although I had packed two spare outfits for the 13 hours of travel time, I still found myself dressing my little one in a zip up jacket after running through three separate sets of clothes. You can never pack enough spare clothes and having extra is always preferable to not enough.

my three guys, together again

Where did we stay?

Upon arrival in Anchorage, we were quickly and happily reunited with my husband and older son, whom we hadn’t seen in over two weeks. We then went to our hotel for the night, the Sheraton Anchorage. The Sheraton Anchorage was a decent accommodation for our stay in Anchorage, but I was disappointed that although they confirmed our reservation for two adjoining rooms, we were told, at check in, that adjoining rooms were not available. My in-laws were thus on a different floor than us, although that ended up not being an issue as we were three for less than 24 hours and I was just happy to have to let my toddler run around and also to spread out and take a much needed rest!

The next morning, we headed off early for Seward. At the time, the McHugh fire was spreading near the Seward Highway, and we were worried they were going to close the road and thus, our only means of getting down to Seward. The trip itself is roughly 120 miles, however, the time it takes to make the trip varies greatly depending on road conditions as it is a two lane highway.

Seward Highway, one of the most beautiful roads in America

photo credit

view of the McHugh fire snaking its way down to the Seward Highway

We stopped to pick up the RV on our way down to Seward, so of course my toddler had to test out the driver’s seat!

We rented a place in Seward through Seward Vacation Properties to accommodate our group of four adults and two children, and it ended up being spectacular due to its proximity to town, furnishings, and gorgeous view of Resurrection Bay. The house was well equipped with a master suite that looked directly out at Resurrection Bay and its own washer/dryer set (!), and also had a large living room space for my toddler to stretch his legs. My favorite thing about the house, however, was the front deck with high plastic guard rail that overlooked Resurrection Bay. It was the perfect place to relax and the first time I felt truly like I was truly “on vacation” since my toddler was born 18 months ago!

We made many amazing meals in Seward, purchasing almost all of our seafood from Captain Jack’s Seafood Locker

Relaxing with my toddler on the deck of our rental house

What did we do?

We spent five days and four nights in Seward, and it was action packed. I absolutely loved visiting Seward with kids and can highly recommend all families pay it a visit. It has been nearly three years since we visited Seward and I am itching to go back, knowing that there are abundant opportunities for family fun in Seward.

Kayak Adventures Worldwide:

I recommend, without reservation, Kayak Adventures Worldwide. We did two trips with them, the first to Aialik Glacier with just my husband and myself, and a second private half-day kayaking adventure with our then-7 year old in Resurrection Bay. I was able to correspond with them before hand to ensure that they were able and willing to accommodate a 7 year old, and the guides we had on both trips were outstanding. The best part was that there is no up-charge for a private trip, they only ask that a minimum of 3 people book. Since there were three adults and one child that planned to take the trip, we had no problems reserving a private tour and had a great experience.

The full day trip to Aialik Glacier is not something I would recommend with pre-teen children. It is a long, cold day in a relatively small boat, and there is no option to turn back or quit since you are with a group of other people. Another family with two teenage children seemed absolutely miserable on the trip – likely due to the freezing cold rain and choppy waters the entire three hour boat ride to our kayak starting point. Although the weather cleared up considerably and it ended up being a gorgeous day for kayaking, I felt sorry for that family who clearly wished they were somewhere other than kayaking in Aialik Bay. Tip: kayaking in Alaska is not like any other place I have been kayaking before. It is not the sunny, gorgeous open air kayaking you may have experienced in Hawaii. It’s cold, you wear a lot of gear, and the water can be extremely choppy. In fact, the colder and gloomier the weather, the less choppy the water. Had it been a gorgeous sunny day to start, it likely would have been too rough to kayak safely.

my husband and I, triumphant at having reached Aialik Glacier

My 7 year old and my father-in-law, kayaking in Resurrection Bay.

snack break during our half-day Resurrection Bay kayak trip

During our half-day kayak trip on Resurrection Bay, we found ourselves suddenly kayaking in the middle of a pod of Dall’s porpoises.

A few weeks later, a kayaker had a close encounter with a killer whale in the same area in which we had been kayaking! Suffice it to say, please be careful and listen to your guide!

my son enjoyed walking the shore and collecting shells during our rest stop

The Alaska Sealife Center:

The mainstay of our trip to Seward was the Alaska Sealife Center. We all had a great experience touring the facility, which was an easy walk from our rental house and included plenty of sights for our toddler and our 7-year old. The main event, however, was the Puffin Encounter, which I booked for my in-laws, my husband, and our 7-year old. Since the website indicates a minimum age of 10, I inquired with the Sealife Center prior to our trip and was essentially advised that if I booked all of the spots, it would be “fine.” Since we had four planning to attend, I booked the appropriate time slot and crossed my fingers that there would be no issues.

feeding the puffins during the private puffin encounter

There were none. My husband reports that no one asked my son’s age and my son reports that he had a great experience. I highly recommend exploring the Alaska Sealife Center and if you have any hesitations, reach out before hand and speak with a live person.

Seavey’s IdidaRide & Exit Glacier:

As a big fan of creative uses of miles and points, I am a big fan of MommyPoints. Inspired by her trip to Seward and experience with Seavey’s, I inquired with the booking agent at our vacation rental, who said

Seavey‘s is a blast, I take my little one every year. They do offer a ‘Real Alaska Tour’ where they do the dog sledding, a historic tour of Seward, and a hike to Exit Glacier.

Booking through our vacation rental helped save us a few $$ and also helped alleviate some of the logistics for me. So, on the day of our scheduled reservation, we simply showed up and enjoyed the experience.

The tour began with a 20 minute introduction by Dallas Seavey, son of Mitch Seavey, the oldest musher to win the Ididarod! We learned about how the dogs are kept, daily care and basic maintenance, and the dogs’ exercise needs.

Afterwards, we got to ride the slide! We shared our sled with another couple and, although the sled had ribbon rails on the side, there were no seat belts or other straps. My 7-year old was able to ride in the sled safely by himself, but I tucked my toddler into the Tula carrier just to be safe.

After the sled ride, we met the new puppies and checked out the indoor training facilities! I cannot recommend Seavey’s enough. Although I was distracted by the toddler, my 7-year old seemed to really enjoy himself, and the other three adults in our group loved learning about the science and technology behind mushing. I am now a follower of the IdidaRide and think about the Seavey’s come race time! It turns out dog sledding with kids is a perfect Seward activity!

Exit Glacier:

Having booked the full day Real Alaska Day Tour, we went from Seavey’s to Resurrection Roadhouse, where we enjoyed a fine dinner before departing to Exit Glacier for our hike. Our tour guide ended up being our shuttle bus driver and he was outstanding – from explaining local scenery and highlights, to stopping off to see salmon spawning, he was a friendly, native Alaskan who was eager to show us the sights.

our poor toddler was completely pooped at this time, but happy to sleep in his Deuter Carrier

The hike to Exit Glacier was an easy walk – the first portion of it is easily wheelchair or stroller accessible, but the second portion is an actual hike up a path and thus, I would not recommend a stroller. Note also that the wheelchair accessible portion was extremely buggy while we were there in mid-July – lots of flies in our face. I ended up covering my head in my sweater hood, but wished I had an overhead bug cover instead!

My 7-year old loved the experience, and my toddler woke up just in time to wonder where he was and why there was a giant block of ice behind him!

Kenai Fjords National Park Tour:

The full-day Kenai Fjords National Park Tour was the major coup of our trip. Although our trip did not take place until July 2016, we started planning years in advance and on Black Friday 2015, I happened to notice that all tours were 40% off that day! I booked our six reservations that day for $573.12! Without the discount, our total would have been $860!

There are a number of tour options online, some half day, some full day, some including lunch / dinner stop over on Fox Island, a privately owned island in Resurrection Bay.

taking a much needed stretch break on Fox Island

my toddler, looking out over the railing at Aialik Glacier

My toddler is not a good napper on the go, so the last hour or so of the trip ended with him crying in the carrier while I attempted to soothe him just outside the main cabin. Although it was windy, I stayed outside in an attempt to drown out his cries and to prevent him from disturbing all the other guests. A number of other guests came outside and assured me that they wouldn’t mind his cries, which I thought remarkably nice!

Our group enjoyed the Kenai Fjords day tour, although I’ll admit, it was a long day with a toddler. For adults, it is the easiest way to see a number of glaciers, mountains, and all of the beautiful birds on the different islands. The boat itself is large and comfortable and sold light snacks, for those desiring. Strollers were not allowed on board, so I was happy to have my Tula baby carrier, which was the only way I could securely contain my toddler. Having said that, I’m not sure I would recommend the full day cruise for an older toddler/pre-schooler. My son, who is now 2.5, would be almost impossible to placate and contain if we were taking the same trip today. Although the boat is large enough to be relatively steady, it is still a boat and can jerk suddenly without warning. I can only imagine that my nerves would be completely frayed after a full day of attempting to keep a toddler from going overboard!

Potter Marsh Wildlife Viewing Boardwalk:

Although only about 20 minute south on Anchorage on the way to Seward (so not technically Seward), the Potter Marsh Wildlife viewing area ended up being a gem of a find. We saw signs indicating Potter Marsh bird viewing area just off the highway and decided to stop on a whim. It ended up being an ideal location for my two to burn off some energy prior to our long flight home.

watching for spawning salmon

abundant salmon visible throughout the park

my toddler loved the freedom he had to run the boardwalk and I loved the high rails which kept him safe

For over an hour, our entire party of five, ranging from 18 months to 62, enjoyed walking (or running) the boardwalk, gazing at the birds and abundant spawning salmon, and just enjoyed being outside in nature. My toddler loved having an open area that he could run around in and I loved the high rails which kept him safe. At one point, both boys were engaged in a vigorous game of army – perfect energy burning activity! This was a surprise discovery and I wish we had something like this close to home – we would be regular visitors, without a doubt!

I hope you enjoyed reading about our trip to Seward with kids. I had no idea that traveling to Alaska with kids would be so much fun and I can’t wait to plan our return visit! Continue to The Final Frontier P art II: Talkeetna and Denali National/State Park

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September 5, 2017
Iceland With Kids: Southeast Iceland
While many Iceland travelers do not make it farther east than Vík, the stretch of the Ring Road between Vík and Jökulsárlón is unbelievably beautiful and probably our favorite drive in the whole country. Because we were not able to spend the night in Vík, we had one incredibly long day on our second day in Iceland traveling from Seljalandfoss to Höfn. It was definitely a day packed with incredible beauty and very different landscapes, but we would have preferred to spend more time taking in each sight. We took full advantage of an early morning start and 24 hours of daylight during our June visit. Our host in Höfn said we needed to arrive before 10 pm, and we made it there with only a few minutes to spare. Here are our five favorite Southeast Iceland things to do:

#1: Eldhraun Iceland

Eldhraun Lava Field is located between Vík and Kirkjubæjarklaustur that is absolutely other worldly.
- Eldhraun Facts: This Lava field was created in 1783 to 1784 by the lava flow during the eruption of Lakagígar. The eruption that caused this lava field caused disease, crop failure and famine that lead to the death of approximately 20% of all people living in Iceland caused by the eruption.
#2: Fjaðrárgljúfur Iceland

Fjaðrárgljúfur is a canyon near Kirkjubæjarklaustur and not far off the Ring Road. The Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon hike around the rim is not strenuous and takes about 60 minutes, but we were short on time and enjoyed a quick visit hiking into the canyon only a few minutes from the parking lot.
- Fjadrargljufur Facts: The bedrock of Fjaðrárgljúfur was believed to be formed when a glacier retreated 9,000 years ago during the Ice Age.
- Fjadrargljufur Kid Moment: It is a quick walk from the parking lot to the river’s edge even for small children but truly an impressive view to see.
- Fjadrargljufur Coordinates: 63°46′16.5″N 18°10′19″W
#3: Vatnajökull Iceland

The Vatnajökull Glacier is the largest icecap between Arctic and Antarctic and covers 8% of Iceland. Vatnajökull National Park encompasses the glacier and the surrounding areas. The views from the Ring Road are unbelievably beautiful. While many tourists do not travel father east than Vík, we believe Vatnajökull should not be missed. Tours of Vatnajökull National Park, the largest European protected area, can be arranged through the Höfn’s Tourist Information Centre, but we did not have time to explore more thoroughly.
- Kid Facts: The ice is between 1,300 and 3,100 feet thick and covers active volcanos, mountains and valleys.
- Kid Moment: Several stops are required along as you pass Vatnajökull to get a proper view.
#4: Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach Iceland

Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon is a glacial lake that was so beautiful and different that we all agreed that our brief visit was a highlight of our trip. This lake is full of icebergs broken off Breiðamerkurjökull (an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull). There are several parking lots on the North side of the Ring Road to view the lake that are each worth a stop. Make sure to cross the road to find the ice washed up on the black sand beach. Find out more about the Jökulsárlón Boat Tour.
- Jokulsarlon Facts: Jökulsárlón means “glacial river lagoon” Because glacial ice melts so slowly, icebergs can stay in Jökulsárlón for up to five years. Breiðamerkurjökull reached almost to the ocean only 75 years ago, so Jökulsárlón is a relatively new lake.
- Jokulsarlon Kid Moments: Try to identify what each iceberg looks like. Look for moving icebergs seals, particularly by the dam in the water. Make sure to go to the South side of the Ring Road to check out the icebergs that wash up on the beach.
- Jokulsarlon Coordinates: 64°04′13″N 16°12′42″W
#5: Höfn Iceland

Höfn is a fishing town known for lobster located just off the Ring Road on a peninsula. From Höfn, there are beautiful views of Vatnajökull. With a population over 2,000, Höfn is the second largest town in Southeast Iceland and offers a number of options for accommodations.
- Hofn Facts: Höfn, which is surrounded by water on three sides, means “harbor.” Scenes from Die Another Day, A View to a Kill, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Batman Begins were all filmed nearby.
- Hofn Kid Moment: This is a great location for a short hike to view Vatnajökull. The Tourist Information Centre had several suggestions for routes.
Southeast Iceland was absolutely beautiful. We wish we made it to Laki Crater, which was about 40 km off the Ring Road on an unpaved road near Fjaðrárgljúfur. Unfortunately, we did not have time on this trip, but love to have a reason to come back!

Planning your own Icelandic adventure with kids? Continue Part VII – East Iceland, and be sure to check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland.

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August 3, 2017