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Abstract

no other safeguards to keep Darwin from claiming another victim.</p><figure id="a853"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*9aae6tZziY1YEp01RNEU9A.jpeg"><figcaption>One of just a few warning signs (Photo by <a href="undefined">John Culver</a>)</figcaption></figure><p id="e7b0">How close could you get to the lava flow? If I had a pack of hot dogs and a stick, I could have sold some hot dogs (an Icelandic favorite food). I’m not joking:</p><figure id="1f14"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*aM38_Q635iiqz6ON077Ivw.jpeg"><figcaption>Massive flow of lava in Iceland (Photo by <a href="undefined">John Culver</a>)</figcaption></figure><p id="91d1">I’m not going to lie, but not unlike a ten year old boy, I grabbed a few small rocks and tossed them into the lava. Like spitting off a cliff, I just had to do it. Watching the rock disappear into a orange blob was glorious. Oh yeah, I threw several rocks. Listening to the popping and sizzling was a treat for the auditory senses.</p><p id="f184">The smell from the various fumes was not horribly unpleasant, but after a while, you could tell that you needed to get up to a little higher altitude. Imagine the smell of fireworks on a warm and heavy night. Now multiply that by ten and that’s what it smells like.</p><h2 id="1306">How does it get better than this??</h2><p id="55df

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">The best part of this whole experience? It was about two hours after we had landed in Iceland. After getting our Covid tests, picking up our vehicle, and driving the distance between Keflavik Airport and the Fagradalsfjall parking area, we were starting our Icelandic road trip adventure on a pure rush of adrenaline and awe at the force of nature. I mean, just look at the glow on Coye’s face:</p><figure id="884b"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*bSwexlMnMbc87Iejj4huNw.jpeg"><figcaption>Maybe she was just warm…(Photo by <a href="undefined">John Culver</a>)</figcaption></figure><h2 id="cb90">My Final Advice</h2><p id="a517">Keep an eye on the news coming out of Iceland. They’ve had thousands of earthquakes that indicate another eruption could be upcoming. If that happens, book your flight, book your car rental, and GO!</p><p id="32ff">I don’t know if I’ll ever get to witness something as spectacular as what we saw in June of 2021 again. But, if the land of ice starts spewing fire again, it’s going to be hard to keep me from tossing a few rocks…</p><h2 id="14a1">Safe Travels!!</h2><p id="5b1a"><i>Thank you for following along. This will be the warmup to an upcoming article about our 2021 road trip around Iceland! As always, if you have any questions or comments about our travels, leave a note or drop me an email.</i></p></article></body>

Fire and Ice: Road Trip Warmup

Will we have another Icelandic Volcanic Eruption?

Fagradalsfjall Volcano in Iceland (Photo by John Culver)

With the recent news of Iceland detecting thousands of small earthquakes (which may indicate another eruption) I sent my wife the following text message:

“I’d fly back to Iceland just to go to the Volcano again…”

Her response: “Same. 100%. I’d go tomorrow.”

Of everything I’ve experienced during my travels, that raw, real, natural phenomenon was absolutely epic.

Standing there and listening to, and witnessing, the ground spew molten rock into the hazy sky, you can’t help but think “Should I be standing here? Is this safe? I shouldn’t be here seeing this.”

On your own

The best part of this experience: You’re on your own. No guardrails to keep you from falling off a cliff. No attendants, security, park rangers, or gates. This was pure, unbridled nature, and you had unlimited access to it. Other than a few signs, that I can only summarize as: “Don’t touch the lava or you’ll die”, there were no other safeguards to keep Darwin from claiming another victim.

One of just a few warning signs (Photo by John Culver)

How close could you get to the lava flow? If I had a pack of hot dogs and a stick, I could have sold some hot dogs (an Icelandic favorite food). I’m not joking:

Massive flow of lava in Iceland (Photo by John Culver)

I’m not going to lie, but not unlike a ten year old boy, I grabbed a few small rocks and tossed them into the lava. Like spitting off a cliff, I just had to do it. Watching the rock disappear into a orange blob was glorious. Oh yeah, I threw several rocks. Listening to the popping and sizzling was a treat for the auditory senses.

The smell from the various fumes was not horribly unpleasant, but after a while, you could tell that you needed to get up to a little higher altitude. Imagine the smell of fireworks on a warm and heavy night. Now multiply that by ten and that’s what it smells like.

How does it get better than this??

The best part of this whole experience? It was about two hours after we had landed in Iceland. After getting our Covid tests, picking up our vehicle, and driving the distance between Keflavik Airport and the Fagradalsfjall parking area, we were starting our Icelandic road trip adventure on a pure rush of adrenaline and awe at the force of nature. I mean, just look at the glow on Coye’s face:

Maybe she was just warm…(Photo by John Culver)

My Final Advice

Keep an eye on the news coming out of Iceland. They’ve had thousands of earthquakes that indicate another eruption could be upcoming. If that happens, book your flight, book your car rental, and GO!

I don’t know if I’ll ever get to witness something as spectacular as what we saw in June of 2021 again. But, if the land of ice starts spewing fire again, it’s going to be hard to keep me from tossing a few rocks…

Safe Travels!!

Thank you for following along. This will be the warmup to an upcoming article about our 2021 road trip around Iceland! As always, if you have any questions or comments about our travels, leave a note or drop me an email.