Iceland Adventures
February 27, 2011
Iceland Unlimited was founded by Jon Gunnar Benjaminsson, a young guide and travel agent, who suffered a severe spinal cord injury in a car accident. Since then, he’s continued his work in the tourism industry, with a special focus on travel arrangements in Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands for people with disabilities. He takes great pride in his work.
Imagine yourself riding through spectacular glaciers, volcanic scenery and unusual moonscapes, or bathing in outdoor thermal springs. I asked Jon to share ideas for an active nature trip in the dramatic and starkly beautiful Icelandic interior and a short trip to revitalize body and spirit. Jon came back to me with the following:
I. Quad Biking Through the Icelandic Wilderness
Day 1
When you arrive in Reykjavik, you’ll be met by a chauffeur. On the way to your hotel, you’ll stop at an ATV store and be properly fitted for a new helmet. After checking in, you’ll explore the vibrant capital at your own pace.
Day 2
After an early breakfast we’ll take you on a plane to Egilsstadir. There, we’ll be picked up and driven to the Fljotsdalur Valley for a short lesson and safety drill on the use of the bikes. You’ll drive past Iceland’s largest dam and continue to the Laugarvalladalur Valley, where you’ll be able to take a shower under a geo-thermal waterfall. Overnight you’ll stay in a high-quality mountain lodge.
Day 3
After breakfast, you’ll explore the Askja area on your ATV and see the Askja Crater firsthand. You’ll cross vast sand dunes with shallow steams, which are incredible fun to cross via ATV. Afterwards, you’ll stop to look at the Vatnajokull Glacier, driving over huge lava fields with sharp stones toward the mountain hut where we’ll stop that night.
Day 4
We’ll head toward the Ljotipollur Crater, a spectacular site surrounded by red gravel walls. We can drive right up the edge of the crater and look directly down into the lake. The day will end with a bath in a totally natural pool by the edge of a black lava field followed by a gourmet dinner. (Another option: whale- watching from Husavik).
Day 5
The next day you’ll head back toward civilization through a spectacular moonscape. By the afternoon you’ll arrive at the fantastic country resort hotel Ranga, where you can relax in outdoor Jacuzzis or simply gaze up at the open sky and see the Northern Lights. At the hotel will be another gourmet meal and the use of the hotel’s conference room to show slides and swap stories.
Day 6
The tour will culminate in a trip to the now world-famous but virtually unpronounceable Eyjafjallajokull Glacier, traveling through an area covered in mud and ash by the eruption and flooding. Then you’ll head back to Reykjavik, where the trusty bikes will be picked up and together we’ll all celebrate a job well done!
Day 7
Departure. (Upon request, we can visit the Blue Lagoon on the way to the airport).
Note: This is an all-inclusive trip with the exception of flights to and from Iceland, travel insurance (recommended) and alcoholic beverages.
II. The Perfect Mix
Reykjavik is a city that has so much to offer. Enjoy the city’s vibrant culture and take the opportunity to visit some of Iceland’s most spectacular natural wonders, a mere few hours away. In the evening you can relax at one of the city’s many spas or follow the locals to an outdoor geothermal pool. Finish the day with a good dinner in one of Reykjavik’s great restaurants or cafes before exploring the buzzing night life.
Day 1 Arrival
Upon your arrival at Keflavik Airport, you’ll pick up your rental car. The drive to your hotel in Reykjavík takes about 45 minutes and passes through a rugged but beautiful lava field (complete with its own nine hole golf course). After checking into your hotel, explore your surroundings. Be sure to visit the beautiful old city center where a numerous fine restaurants, museums, art galleries and shops are to be found.
Day 2
Today you’ll take the Golden Circle drive, a very popular route covering about 300 kilometers. The drive takes takes you out of Reykjavík through south central Iceland and back. The three primary stops along the way include the beautiful national park Þingvellir (a UNESCO World Heritage site), the waterfall Gullfoss (which means “golden falls” and provides the route with its name) and the Haukadalur geothermal area, which contains the Geysir and Strokkur geysers. Optional stops include the Kerið volcano crater, the Hveragerði greenhouse village and the Skálholt church
Day 3
Go shopping, swimming or take an optional excursion such as whale watching. Visit a museum, art gallery or simply relax at a nice café in downtown Reykjavík. You can even try to do it all in one day if you’re feeling especially energetic, but that would mean waking up very early! In the evening the gourmet restaurants of Reykjavík welcome you with their fresh ingredients and friendly staff.
Day 4
It’s time to say goodbye for now. Today you will drive along the Reykjanes Peninsula towards the Airport. But this time you’ll take a different route, visiting the sizzling active geothermal area of Seltún (Krýsuvík Cove) with its boiling pools of mud. Note that extra care should be taken when exploring Seltún: do not stray off the walkways at any time.
Make your way to the world -renowned Blue Lagoon and take a bath in the six million liters of geothermal seawater (renewed every 40 hours), If you book it in advance, you can also enjoy an in-water massage. It’s the perfect way to prepare for your flight home.
For further information, please visit Jon’s site www.icelandunlimited.is or his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/icelandunlimited
Eliminate Barriers for Wounded Vets and their Families
February 18, 2011
Imagine you’re a soldier seriously wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan and you’re receiving medical care at a military hospital or a VA Medical Center. Wouldn’t it be a comfort if your family or close friends could visit you while you’re being treated? After all, a family’s love is always good medicine.
And if your family needed financial assistance to fly across the country to see you, wouldn’t they be grateful if they could receive free round trip tickets? Through the Fisher House Foundation’s Hero Miles program, which provides a way for passengers of participating airlines to donate their unused frequent-flier miles to reunite military men and women undergoing treatment with their families, you can help make this a reality.
To date, the program has provided more than 21,000 airline tickets -– valued at more than $27 million — to combat veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families.
What we like about this program is that it exhibits the “Can Do” spirit of our website. It eliminates barriers, which is what our website aims to do for people with disabilities. I admire the generosity of people who donate their miles to support the program and I suspect that each of us with a disability can relate to the challenges facing our wounded veterans and might well want to help them.
This Memorial Day weekend the Fisher House Foundation also plans to offer airline tickets so grieving families needing assistance can fly to Washington, D.C., to participate in a Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors seminar, Foundation President Dave Coker told us.
The conference, to run from May 27-30, offers a camp for children, a workshop for adults and comfort for families whose military member died in service to the nation, regardless of the cause. Hero Miles will be used to bring in any families that need assistance, and eliminate the cost of getting to D.C. as a barrier.
Coker said: ”For as little as $5, or more typically, $10, the program can provide free airline tickets to service members or families that otherwise might cost them about $1,400. This is a tremendous way that we can have a huge impact.”
For more information, visit http://www.fisherhouse.org/
