Day02-01 Our first and only full day in Iceland was beautiful.  We were up early to head out along the Golden Circle, a route that takes visitors along some of the prominent natural wonders of Iceland.  Our first stop was for the picture above, not really a location along the route, but the sunrise was beautiful.  I couldn't resist.

Day02-10 Next we headed to Thingvellir, a location that was home to the first meeting place of the various clan and city representatives.  Essentially the first government of Iceland.  It was a beautiful location.  The falls above Thingvellir were a stunning blue.  Silfra, the gap between the Eurasian and North American plates is there.  There was even a group of brave souls ready to scuba dive along the divide.  That water looked way too cold for my comfort, but I'm sure they had an amazing time.

Day02-16 Day02-19 All along the Golden Circle are fields where the Icelandic horses are grazing.  At one such field, we stopped to pet the horses.  Seriously, they are one of the softest creatures I've ever touched!!  Their fluffy winter coats are downy soft.  My girls had a blast petting them, though my youngest got a little freaked out when they started searching her hands for treats.  I have the feeling these horses get a lot of goodies from the tourists who travel though.

Day02-25 Day02-31 We may look a little jet-lagged, but we're smiling!  Here we are at Geysir Hot Springs.  The origin Geysir has been dormant for quite some time, but Strokkur (another geyser there) still erupts every 8-10 minutes.  It was fun watching my girls as they waited for it to erupt.  They were so excited!!  

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Day02-34 Day02-42 Our final Golden Circle was the magnificent waterfall that is Gullfoss, which means golden waterfall in Icelandic.  The bright blue waters and the rainbow in the mist were gorgeous.  It was huge!  

Day02-43 On our way south, towards the ocean, we stopped by an extinct volcano.  It is now essentially a lake at the bottom of a huge crater. 

Day02-45 Day02-48 We made it to the ocean as the sun was setting.  The daylight in March is pretty short, so I'm glad we made it in time to catch the last light of the day.  My girls found a Viking ship silhouette and of course needed a picture.  It was a long day of seeing all the amazing natural beauty of Iceland, but they were still smiling at the end. 

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Check back soon for more from our adventure!