
We chose counterclockwise. Opposite of how the commentary was laid out in the Lonely Planet guide, we elected to drive the ring road of Iceland the other way. After our climb of Hvannadalshnúkur, as we headed out Route One toward the glacial lagoon of Jökulsárlón, I remarked to Marian, "We are turning left for the next 1000 or so kilometers." Iceland's Ring Road (Route One) was completed in 1974 with a bridge (Iceland's Longest) over the Skeiðará River to celebrate 1100 years of habitation. This meant the coastal communities of Iceland were all connected via road. The 1339-kilometer road is mostly paved with asphalt but there are still a few sections with gravel tops (in reality, some of the finest gravel roads I've ever driven on). Route One has countless bridges, mostly one-laned, as well as a tunnel that passes under the sea. In what turned out to be "way not enough time" in our opinion, we circled Iceland and mostly stared out on its beauty from behind our windshield glass. We knew going in that this trip was an "appetizer trip" that would likely fuel a desire for future exploration and we were right. To truly be able to explore in the way we like to (with protracted stops for lots of hiking, paddling, and backpacking), we likely needed eight or ten weeks (we had one). But what a week it was! Iceland and Newfoundland are so alike (and so different at the same time). Around every corner, we found some connection to home and the familiar barren beauty moved us to snap <b>...</b>
Iceland
Ring Road
Route One
Drive