Snow Angels, Sledding and Spas in the Snow

The average temperature in Reykjavik, Iceland in December is 33 degrees Fahrenheit -- the same as Wisconsin. However, when Alex celebrated the New Year, the mercury peaked at 4 degrees on January 1, 2010 in Madison. The cold air didn't stop Alex from making snow angels and sledding -- well, for at least a few minutes. Definitely a California kid, he put on his snowsuit, threw a few snowballs at his cousin and enjoyed the free ride in the sled up the mini-hill pulled by his uncle before declaring it was much too cold for outdoor fun. He was right!

Meanwhile, back in Iceland.....back in August....the Blue Lagoon is a spa relaxing guests with geothermal sea water. Iceland's busiest spot, more than 400,000 folks bathe in hot volcanic water with secret medicinal powers that's been cooled to 92 degrees. The lifeguards wear snow suits and serve drinks along the pool's edge, just like in tropical resorts. Alex refused to take the plunge, but stood outside...screaming at the cold. He was right! The snowsuit would have been nice.

Chillin' in Iceland in the Summer

At 66 degrees latitude, the northern most point in Iceland just grazes the Arctic Circle. This August, Alex ended his summer of fun with a trip to this cold, but beautiful country of Vikings, trolls and volcanoes.

There are roughly 310,000 Icelanders and most of them live in the Capital City of Reykjavik, but another million people visit the county annually. At any given time during the summer months, tourists are likely to outnumber the locals. By August, fall has set in and the summer temperatures that had soared to the low 60s have turned chilly with windy and rainy days.

Geologically, Iceland is undergoing processes now that the rest of planet Earth underwent 10 million years ago. About a tenth of island is permanently covered in ice with many of its highest mountains active volcanoes capped by glaciers. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge actually runs right through the middle of the country and divides the country into two continents. So while Iceland is the westernmost country in Europe, Alex ran across the bridge connecting the two ridges with one foot in North America and the other in Europe. The ridge is separating at 2 cm annually.

Reykjavik Excursions will charge you premium prices, but a day’s drive from city will bring you to the gorgeous Gullfoss waterfall, 10,000 year-old rock lava formations, craters now filled with water to form small lakes, boiling mud pools and bursting geysers.