The morning started on the gorgeous Diamond Beach. While the sunrise was another overcast day, the spot was still amazing to see. It earned its name due to the Jökulárlón Glacier that calves into a nearby lagoon. The smaller chunks of ice float down river into the ocean where the currents wash them back up onto the black sand beaches. Normally the sand makes for an amazing backdrop for the ice, but it was also snowing while we were there. Still, I won’t complain! It was an amazing spot and I still got some phenomenal photos while there!
After the beach and the lagoon, we doubled back to pick up our wayward companions. Rejoined by my dad and stepmom, the tour continued on. We went back to the glacier, stopping at an ice cave our guide had scouted for us. At the leading tongue of the glacier, these caves can form and vanish again as the weather changes. Standing under layers of ice, that had been formed thousands of years ago, was just an incredible moment.
We followed that by stopping at the glacier lagoon, to see the chunks of ice waiting their turn to head out to the ocean. That was supposed to be the sunset stop. A slight theme of the trip was overcast skies, but nothing detracts from the breathtaking views we were able to see.
In the morning we continued along the southern side of the Ring Road, heading east. Our first stop was the Vestrahorn Mountain. The spot includes windswept black sand dunes with a dusting of snow and the mountains rising in the distance. There was the remains of a Viking Village too, though less exciting as it was a movie set, not an actual historical landmark.
Next was to drive around the mountains to the east side, and we saw some reindeer along the side of the road. The mountains were just stunning, and then one night along this stage we stayed at the town of Hofn. It was an adorable little fishing village, and I had some delicious langoustines for dinner at the little inn we stayed at.
In the morning we turned north, continuing along the Ring Road and our quest for amazing pictures and the northern lights.
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