Trip to Iceland Post #11: Glaumbaer Museum

On our third full day in Iceland we stopped at the Glaumbaer Museum along the north side of the island. Glaumbaer is an old turf farmhouse that has been maintained to illustrate the history of the region.

It was a great look at how Icelanders lived in the 18th and early 19th century. My kids had a great time going from room to room inside and seeing how the rooms were used. It showed them that life was very different over 200 years ago! No one had internet connected devices back then.

There is a fee to enter the farmhouse, but it's reasonable and kids under 17 are free. Definitely stop here if you are looking for a bit of Icelandic history.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

This summer my 11 year old read The Giver by Lois Lowry for the first time. This was a book I read back in high school, but that was 20+ years ago! When she finished reading it I read it.

It's a book that gets you thinking which is great for those critical thinking skills. At first glance it is hard to imagine our society reaching the point of the society in the book, but then I look at all the things that have happened over the last few years and it's not all that far fetched to think the Giver could become reality. I won't give anything away, but there are awful things this society does that no one, except for two people, bat an eye at. 

My daughter thought it was a good book that "talked about things that don't happen today, but could happen." That was without me prompting her so it definitely got her thinking. 

The Giver is also the first in a series of four books. Having read this in high school, I had no idea until this summer this was a multi-book series, so we've added those books to our summer (or fall since summer is almost over) reading list!

I encourage reading all books that promote critical thinking, so definitely suggest The Giver to your child if they are looking for something to read.

This Blog's History: Toothpick Bridge Time

For This Friday in This Blog's History I point you back to an oldie, but a goodie. It's a post I wrote recapping the toothpick bridge experiment I used to do with high school students when I regularly taught physics. The record is a bridge that held 89 pounds before breaking!

Toothpick Bridge Time

Trip to Iceland Post #10: Godafoss Waterfall

Following our wonderful whale watching experience, we took a drive to the Godafoss Waterfall, which isn't too far from Akureyri, Iceland. Another beautiful waterfall that is well worth the visit, even if you have a 2 hour drive back home as we did.

This isn't the tallest waterfall in Iceland, but there's a tremendous amount of water falling over the edge. There's parking on both sides of the waterfall, but if you go to the side that has more parking (side away from Akureyri), there are pathways that take you to the bottom. You can't walk behind the falls, but you can get close and when you do there are some amazing photo opportunities.

This waterfall was quite a drive for us and made for a very long day, but again, well worth the drive and long day. The falls are simply amazing. The pictures don't do this justice. You really have to be there experiencing the falls to get the full effect of their beauty.

Trip to Iceland Post #9: Whale Watching Hauganes

On our second full, non-travel day, in Iceland, we drove over to Akureyri, Iceland, the second largest city in Iceland with a population of about 19,000 people. There's much to do in this area, including whale watching, with several companies offering whale watching tours. We decided to fork over the money for an official tour and it was well worth it. The company we went with was Whale Watching Hauganes, which is in the town of Hauganes, a relatively short drive north of Akureyri. They advertise seeing whales in just 16 minutes and can go farther out to sea or farther in depending on where the whales are located. On our trip the whales were farther in and it was probably close to 40-45 minutes before we saw whales, but the wait was DEFINITELY worth it!!!

The pictures don't really do this justice. We probably saw 10-12 different whales, all in the same area. At one point there where four whales all coming up at the same time right next to each other! The boat got right up next to the whales so they were right there next to us! I wasn't able to snap a picture in time, but a couple of times a whale rose at the right angle to see the long rows of teeth! Amazing!

Not to knock other whale tours in Iceland, but I will say that I can't see how it's possible to beat Whale Watching Hauganes. The guides were very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. After we were done watching whales they took us to an area to catch fish for a few minutes where my 7 year old caught a fish! Based on the smile on her face, catching the fish might have been her favorite Iceland experience! LOL!

The boat trip was about 2 hrs and 45 minutes and although expensive, it was worth every penny given our experience! Oh, and it was raining too and we simply did not care. That's how amazing the experience was!

Summer Science Camp Day #3: Bridge Building

Day three of my summer science camp for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders was a day of fun building bridges out of toothpicks and popsicle sticks. Students were giving the task of building a bridge about 25 cm in length out of toothpicks and popsicle sticks, using glue to hold them together. The goal was to build a bridge that held as much weight as possible before breaking.

We waited a day for the glue to dry and then started adding weight to the bridges. The best bridge held 18 pounds, which is pretty good for kids this age. At the high school level students are given more time to build their bridges and will usually build ones that hold more weight. Although I don't teach physics on a regular basis anymore, when I did, I routinely had bridges hold 50+ pounds. The record is 89 pounds! The catch when building a toothpick bridge for older students, is I set a maximum weight the bridge can be, adding to the difficult and really working those critical thinking skills.

This is easily an activity you can do at home. Just buy some toothpicks, popsicle sticks, and glue and you are ready to go. A five gallon bucket you hang on the bridge is perfect for adding weight until the bridge breaks.

Trip to Iceland Post #8: Kolugljufur Waterfall

We had a long day driving through Hvammstangi, Iceland and the peninsula. We ended the day by visiting the Koluglijufur Waterfall, a beautiful waterfall that is not nearly as packed with tourists as some of the waterfalls on the south coast of Iceland. Nothing against those waterfalls in the south. They are amazing too, but there is definitely a large crowd of tourists at those. Just a few people at this waterfall, making it much easier to walk around and good photo opportunities.

If you are in north Iceland, it would be a travesty to skip out on this waterfall. There are several paths down from the main road that allow you to get a closer look at the waterfall. As always, be very cautious. It is safe, but watch your feet and be smart about how close you get to the cliff edge. You will likely see some sheep resting, as we did! This was the perfect ending to a perfect day in Iceland. If you are into photography, this is a wonderful place to spend some time taking photos, both of the waterfall, and downriver.

This Blog's History: Icelandic Seal Center

In case you missed it last time, for This Friday in This Blog's History, I point you back to the post I wrote on our visit to the Icelandic Seal Center. Extremely informative and very helpful at helping us find seals in their natural habitat without having to pay for a boat tour.

Icelandic Seal Center

Trip to Iceland Post #7: Hamarsrétt

Just north of Hvammstangi, Iceland is a sheep rhett called Hamarsrétt. Sheep are everywhere in Iceland and this is a large rhett along the coast, making it particularly interesting to stop and view.

There are numerous birds along the beach as well as interesting land formations, making this a very worthwhile stop on your drive along the peninsula.

See what I mean? Beautiful, yet very windy, so wear proper outerwear to protect you from the wind and possible rain. I highly encourage you to take the walking path down to the beach and walk along the coast for a big. Simply breath-taking!

Trip to Iceland Post #6: Hvítserkur Rock Formation

If driving the peninsula that Hvammstangi, Iceland is located, definitely check out the
Hvítserkur Rock Formation. It's a good area for seal watching, although we saw seals on the other side of the peninsula before high tide rolled in. Even if there are no seals, the rock formation itself makes the visit worth it. You can't see the rock formation from the road because you are driving up along a cliff. There's a short walking path that takes you to an overlook to see the formation, and there's worn path down to the beach, although this path might be a bit dangerous. We saw quite a few people walking down but chose to stay up top ourselves.

The legend states a large troll was upset at some church bells tolling and went off to destroy them, but the sun rose and the troll was petrified before completing the task. LOL! A nice legend to go with a nice rock formation along the coast. Beautiful views, but that's the norm in Iceland. Again, I recommend dressing warmly with waterproof outwear in case it is raining and/or windy. You won't want to let a little rain cause you to miss this beautiful landmark.

JWST Delayed...Again

Ug. The James Webb Space Telescope is delayed yet again. This marks the second (or is it the third time) in just the last year the launch date was pushed back. Originally scheduled to launch in 2007, the new proposed launch date (yeah, right) is now set for 2021. Sigh. This will be an amazing telescope when operational, but the ever increasing costs and continued delay are sucking NASA resources that could be used elsewhere on smaller astronomy related projects.

NASA’s next flagship space telescope is delayed again

Big projects, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, can vastly increase our knowledge of the cosmos, but so can many smaller projects. It's hard to say if the JWST was a mistake, but the longer it is delayed and the greater the costs, the more it will come across as a mistake. Then again, when Hubble was initially launched and had a focus problem, it was declared a massive failure. No sane person today would call Hubble a massive failure, so the JWST, when launched, and when data is received, could provide just as much knowledge, if not more, than Hubble. Until then, we must continue to wait. Hopefully my kids won't be in college when it finally launches and hopefully I won't be 50 when it launches, although that's not out of the realm of the possible right now!

Summer Science Camp Day #2: Egg Drop Ships

On day two of my summer science camp for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders, we set out to make egg drop ships. The goal is simple, build a ship that will safely transport an egg from some height down to the ground. The catch is you only have specific supplies to use to make your ship. I've done this activity many times in the past, including with high school students and I've written about the egg drop experiment several times on this blog, starting with this post several years ago:

Egg Drop Experiment

It's a project that is both fun and frustrating, but also one that really pushes those critical thinking skills. Here's an example of the ships these kids built this year.

Egg drop ships built by third, fourth, and fifth graders.

Very cool! Once outside we dropped them from a nearby parking garage and had one of the ships survive the fall from the top (fourth) floor! Excellent!

If your kids are looking for something to do, or you need a good school activity to test those critical thinking skills, the egg drop experiment is perfect. Check the link above for the specifics on the supplies I used for high school students. For younger kids I usually add more cotton balls to provide extra padding.

This Blog's History: Hraunfossar

In case you missed it last time, for This Friday in This Blog's History, I point you back to the post I wrote on one of our first stops in Iceland (June 2018), to visit the waterfall Hraunfossar. For details and pictures, check out the original post below. 

Iceland Waterfall Hraunfossar

Trip to Iceland Post #5 - Borgarvirki

After seeing seals north of Hvammstangi, we continued on the road that wraps around this peninsula and came across a volcano plug named Borgarvirki. A volcano plug occurs when magma hardens over a volcanic vent, potentially leading to a great pressure build up and eruption. This particular plug appears to be the top of a mountain in Iceland and was used as a fort in the past.

Kids and I walking inside the plug.

View from the top of the plug.

View from the top of the plug.

It's an interesting drive to the top with some steep inclines and declines, but overall, not a difficult drive. From the parking area, it is a short walk, with modern stairs to help, to the plug. Once inside the plug, you can climb on the wide rim and walk around. Again, be prepared for very high winds up here, so be careful when walking around.

I've read some reviews that this is just a pile of rocks and not worth a visit, but I find that completely misleading. There's the history of the fort behind this structure, and it is incredibly impressive. If you can't find beauty in driving to this volcano plug and walking around it, I'm not sure where you can find beauty in the world.

7 Wonders

The second new strategy based board game we tried out this summer as a family was 7 Wonders. Let me start by saying this is a fun game with a ton of strategy needed to ensure victory. We've played a couple of times and I'm still trying to figure out the best plan of attack. The goal is simple. Earn the most victory points as you build your civilization. Doing so, however, is not so easy.

7 Wonders in action, but not by us. Random googled picture.

You earn victory points by winning battles, building wonders, earning money, and building various structures in your city. The route you take in building all depends on the cards you receive each round. We've played 3 and 4 player games and we quickly learned that a 4 player game was more difficult as we found ourselves discarding cards in exchange for money as we had no cards we could actually play!

If you're looking for a good strategy based board game to play with your kids, 7 Wonders is a good one! Haven't looked into it too much yet, but it appears there are several expansion packs you can purchase to go along with the original 7 Wonders! What fun!

Appalachia Trip #10: The Great Smoky Mountains

Our last full day in Appalachia, as part of a high school field trip experience, we toured the Great Smoky Mountains. Once in the park we took the long drive down to Cades Cove where we saw a few black bears roaming around.

Yep, those black dots are the best I got. You'll have to trust me those are black bears. They weren't exactly close to us. :-)

The drive down to Cades Cove is worth it, but just be aware it will be a long drive and the drive through Cades Cove is very slow. There is a lot of traffic and everything comes to a complete stop when an animal is spotted. The speed limit through the cove is 20 mph, but you probably average much less than that given the slow moving and heavy traffic.

This post concludes my series on our trip to Appalachia. There's so much more to do in the area near the Great Smoky Mountains, including the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge areas just north of the park, but we didn't stay in these areas other than to drive through one day. Given the proximity to a large population on the east coast, the Great Smoky Mountains are the highest populated national park by tourist numbers. Great scenery and much to do, but be prepared for large crowds wherever you go. That doesn't mean you shouldn't go, but just be prepared that you won't be in the woods by yourself. If you're looking for a quiet, secluded vacation, this is not it.

Trip to Iceland Post #4 - Iceland Seal Center

On our first full day in Iceland we visited the Iceland Seal Center in Hvammstangi. It's a small museum but does a great job informing the public of seals and the type of seals that nest in Iceland. The employee there at the time spent time explaining to us where we can find seals if we didn't want to pay for an official seal watching tour. She marked out a few places on the map north of Hvammstangi where seals will often rest along the shore of the peninsula. The catch though was low tide had past an hour ago and once high tide starts to come in, the land the seals rest on drops below the water level and the seals head elsewhere. So we hopped in the car and headed north, not overly optimistic we were going to see any seals. But we did!

It was super cool seeing the seals from the shore and as the high tide came in and the water level slowly inched upward, the seals slipped into the water and off they went! Our kids had a blast watching the seals and climbing around on the rock formations along the shore.

In an earlier post I wrote on the importance of having water proof outwear. Also make sure you have a stocking hat and hood on your coat as it can get very windy along the shore. The wind was incredible out here while watching the seals, but with proper outwear, it was bearable and we walked away happy having seen seals in their natural habitat.

This Blog's History: Trip to Iceland 2018

In case you missed it earlier in the week, I'm starting a series on our recent family trip to Iceland. Here's the first post in the series that offers a brief introduction to the many amazing things you can do and need to know when visiting Iceland.

Trip to Iceland Post #1: Introduction

King of Tokyo

At the start of this summer I purchased a few strategy based board games to add to our collection. One of the new purchases is King of Tokyo which we've now played several times this summer.

King of Tokyo in action.

The goal of the game is simple. You either kill off your opponents or you are the first to reach 20 victory points. A typical game takes 30 minutes or less, but is filled with strategy. Much of this strategy focuses on whether you should stay or leave Tokyo. You can score more victory points when in Tokyo, but you also lose more health. It's a trade off and if you lose too much health, you die and are out of the game.

My kids LOVE this game and it's fun playing with them. It's also a great strategy game if you're not looking for a multi-hour marathon of a game. Sometimes it's fun playing multi-hour games, but other times a 30 minute game is just what is needed and King of Tokyo satisfies this need.

You can play up to 6 players, but we've only played 3 and 4 player games. I will tell you that the strategy of the game changes drastically when you add that 4th player! Staying in Tokyo becomes more difficult and it's much more likely a player is killed off before the game is won.

Trip to Iceland Post #3: Staying at Hof

For lodging accommodations in Iceland, we decided to go with two houses we found on Airbnb. The first place, in northern Iceland, was called Hof and was located several kilometers down a beautiful country road.

Hof, alongside our rental car.

That's our house above. Our daughters called it our igloo, which is fitting given the shape. This was the guesthouse on the farm and everyday we were greeted to horses and many sheep. My kids loved the sheep as they roamed all up and down the country road and often we were stopped to allow sheep to cross, as you can see in the pictures below.

All the buildings in the pictures above are part of the Hof farm. If traveling to visit Iceland in the north, I highly recommend staying at Hof. Here is the Airbnb listing:

Hof Guesthouse

As I said, we woke up to horses and sheep nearby everyday and the drive down the country road was lovely with mountains bordered on both sides. Our host was very friendly and answered all of our questions about Iceland. She offered (at a reasonable cost) to take us on a Jeep ride up the mountain to visit several difficult to reach waterfalls. We took her up on this offer, but unfortunately it rained hard the night before and it was too wet and muddy to do the trip. Bummer, but our stay at Hof was nonetheless great.

There's plenty to do in northern Iceland, and Hof offers a great location to reach many of these places without having to switch houses every night. And they have a hot tub, which was fantastic! It was weird sitting in an outdoor hot tub in 40 deg F weather, but it was very relaxing and refreshing. Great after a day of lots of driving.

I recommend visiting northern Iceland and if in need of a house to stay, Hof is excellent.

Trip to Iceland Post #2: Hraunfossar

One of the very few negatives when visiting Iceland is that direct flights from the U.S. to Iceland are overnight flights. The flights are relatively short, at about 6 hrs from Chicago to Reykjavik, but I feel I'm forced to try to sleep to get some rest, but airplane sleep is about the worst kind of sleep you can get. Thus I arrived in Iceland feeling exhausted. On top of that, you arrive in Iceland at 6-7 AM and can't check into your place until the mid-afternoon at earliest. Thus there are several hours before rest is even an option.

On our trip to Iceland in June 2018, we stayed for 4 nights up on the north side of Iceland and then 4 nights on the south side of Iceland. We drove up north first, so I loaded myself with expensive Icelandic coffee to stay awake for the 3.5 hr drive to the north. Along the way we stopped at one waterfall not too far off the main road (Highway 1). It's about all we could handle before falling to exhaustion! The waterfall we visited was Hraunfossar.

Not the tallest nor the most powerful waterfall in Iceland, but a beautiful waterfall nonetheless and one I highly recommend you visit. There are nice walking paths that give you different views of the falls. I find waterfalls amazing. They are simple in structure, with water simply falling some height, but they are beautiful and powerful at the same time. Plus you can often see how water has carved out paths in the rock over millions of years! This particular waterfall has a lesser crowd than some of the more famous waterfalls in Iceland which can have hundreds, if not a thousand or more people viewing the falls at the same time. I kid you not! 

To conclude, if you're heading to northern Iceland along Highway 1, take a short detour and visit Hraunfossar. You will not be disappointed by this waterfall!

Trip to Iceland Post #1: Introduction

Our family vacation this year was a trip to Iceland! My wife and I visited Iceland back in 2014 and we've always wanted to go back with our kids. We didn't anticipate it this year, but once we saw direct flight international tickets to Iceland were exactly $500 a piece, we jumped at the chance. That's a cheap price for an international flight and one you are rarely, if ever, going to beat. So Iceland it was.  I'll be writing several posts over the next several weeks detailing our experiences, but here's a recap.

1. Where else can you go and see glaciers, mountains, volcano craters, whales, puffins, seals, waterfalls, and eat delicious seafood?

2. Iceland is very expensive. A typical, 'cheaper' meal in Iceland ran us about $70 for a family of four. Yikes! So save up ahead of time so you're not worrying about how much you are spending on food. Even a standard hot dog and coke ran about $7. 

3. Swimming pools are everywhere in Iceland, so spend an afternoon at one. They are naturally heated due to geological activity under the surface. We were at an outdoor pool when the outside temp was 45 degrees F, but the water temperature was nice and warm.

4. The people in Iceland are kind, wonderful, and amazingly helpful.

5. There is so much to do! So much!

6. Purchase waterproof shoes, pants, and a jacket. This is pricey, but well worth it. It rains all the time and even getting near some waterfalls will get you wet. Bring weather appropriate clothes and you can continue your day without stopping for the rain. We did a lot of walking in the rain, but it was no big deal because we stayed dry underneath our waterproof outerwear.

So that's just a brief introduction on our trip to Iceland, with many more posts to come. Iceland is a wonderful nation and I can tell you we'll be back for a third (or more!) visit! Oh...and sheep. Lots of sheep!

Sheep crossing the road we are on, staring us down. :-)