Exploring Iceland—South to Hvolsvollur

The next morning, we bid goodbye to our awesome apartment and set off to tackle (part of) the Golden Circle—a series of intriguing natural sights like craters and geysers—and end in our Airbnb for the night just south of Hvolsvollur. We grabbed some Skyr yogurts for the road (Islandic creamy yogurt similar to Greek yogurt)... Continue Reading →

Exploring Iceland—Blue Lagoon and Reykjavik Night #2

We had a super important plan for today—bathing the day away at the Blue Lagoon geothermal hot pools. Blue Lagoon has become somewhat of a tourist mecca, and probably pales in comparison to the dozens of natural hot springs that are sprinkled throughout the country. Despite this, we wanted to give it a shot and... Continue Reading →

Exploring Iceland—Reykjavik Bound

Iceland has been on Katie’s and my bucket list for a long time. We are road trip fiends and suckers for mountain views, so it was essentially a given. It has been a little hard to get excited for the trip though over the past week, with the gut-wrenching and highly personal tragedy that occurred... Continue Reading →

Dry-Rubbed Skirt Steak with Port Pomegranate Reduction

Being out of class for the summer has been extraordinary. I feel like I just emerged from a thick layer of endless fog that I had been blindly flailing inside of for the past few months. I remembered that I had actual friends. I remembered what it felt like to be free to make plans... Continue Reading →

Road Trip Alaska—Seward to Homer: From Whales to Tiny Houses

Waking up in Seward felt like I was truly in Alaska. I could hear birds outside and rain falling, with misty mountains and gravel streets. We grabbed some breakfast and walked up to the water’s edge to take it all in before leaving town. The mountains behind Resurrection Bay were so beautiful that it scared... Continue Reading →

Road Trip Alaska—Leaving the City for the Seward Highway

We had one more night in Anchorage before heading south towards Seward. We were fortunate to have one “lazy day” in town before we went, which is rare for us when we travel. We had an awesome breakfast at Snow City Café--bangin’ stuffed French toast with mandarin cream cheese and tangy raspberry butter. Afterward, we... Continue Reading →

Road Trip Alaska—Hiking the Matanuska Glacier

The next day we got up early for our Salmon Berry tour pickup to hike the Matanuska Glacier. Today was also Katie’s 30th birthday, and she informed me months ago that all she wanted to do on her birthday was hike on a glacier. We were pretty stoked. Our tour had about 4 others on... Continue Reading →

Road Trip Alaska—Tackling Anchorage in a Pickup

We woke up early in Anchorage and went to pick up our rental—a pickup truck. Katie is truck-obsessed, but they are normally one of the most expensive types of car that you can rent. Only in Alaska would they be the cheapest option—and only in Alaska did we feel it was absolutely nonnegotiable. The guy... Continue Reading →

Road Trip Alaska—Anchorage Bound & Katie’s 50th State

The next morning we were a bit rough for the wear. My body isn’t as resilient as it was when I was 21. We got a slow start and went for a walk in search of Mill Ruins Park, stopping for food at a place called La Belle Crepes. The reason we walked inside is... Continue Reading →

Road Trip Alaska—Scenic Route to Minneapolis

The first thing I noticed the next morning was the wind. When we had done our big road trip a few years back, I remembered the fierce nature of those high planes winds in South Dakota, especially by the Badlands. North Dakota bore a striking similarity, and our car teetered back and forth along the... Continue Reading →

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