The Huston Family: South Shore Tour, Part 1

The Golden Circle Tour (GCT) is the most popular tour in Iceland, but I would have gladly traded in my Golden Circle Ticket for a second day on the South Shore Tour. Even Charlie would have gladly traded in his Golden Ticket if he knew what awaited him on the South Shore. (name that movie!)

One day on the south shore tour was not nearly long enough. We've been to Niagara Falls and Yellowstone National Park, so we've seen huge waterfalls and large geysers erupt before (like you see on the GCT). But nothing could have prepared me for the incredible beauty and wonder that we saw on our South Shore Tour.

Guys. Seriously. I cried. CRIED!! Cried while staring in awe of the beauty of the south shore of Iceland. MUST SEE. Put it on your bucket list. I waited patiently while touring on the Golden Circle bus. I wanted to turn a corner and see a huge waterfall in someone's backyard. I heard it could happen. I wanted to see it. But I was let down. The GCT was good, but not what I was expecting.

Then we climbed aboard the bus for the South Shore Tour. A few hours into our travels, it happened. We turned a corner and there it was. A waterfall in someone's back yard. Seriously. A waterfall and white sheep that speckled the luscious green fields that surrounded the little farms. I could have stayed there and not returned to my smoggy D.C. suburb. Ever! Just ship my children to me via UPS and we're good. I'll just pop my tent up right here. Thank you. (excuse the glare on the photo....I took it out the bus window)

The South Shore Tour takes you along the south coast of Iceland, one of the country´s most scenic regions, as far as Vík, a charming village surrounded by high beautiful bird cliffs. Along the way we stopped at the gorgeous Seljalandsfoss waterfall, which you can walk behind and through to the other side. We also stopped at the majestic and much-photographed Skógafoss waterfall, with its impressive 196 ft. drop. We visited Skógar Folk Museum and got a taste of how Icelanders lived in past centuries. All this took place while looking at glaciers, black sand coastline and impressive rock formations.

So without further ado, the South Shore...

Seljalandsfoss waterfall...here we come!!

Under the waterfall!!

Smaller waterfall right beside the larger one...

If you turned around and had the waterfall to your back, this little cottage was just a few hundred feet away.

And then we got back on the bus and turned a few more corners and spotted this little piece of heaven on earth...

This farm that the bus stopped at became famous because the first picture of one of the more recent volcano eruptions occurred here (from 2010). The people living at the farm took the picture, which became a photo that was in high demand from the media. Check out the blown-up version of the photo (second pic below) that is on a plague at the entrance to this farm. The farm was barely unharmed by the lava that flowed right beside it!

A (not-so-great) picture from out my window again, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to capture this little house/cave covered in grass! The sheep and the horses....oh my word. Just too precious for words, my friends.

Next stop...Skógafoss waterfall (196 feet drop). This was the tear-jerker. Our tour guide only stopped here for 20 minutes. TWENTY MINUTES!!! That was barely enough time for us to bolt (literally) up the million steps to the top of the waterfall, cry some tears, snap some pics, and bolt back down to the bus. You can camp at the bottom of this waterfall, too. If only. If only. Next time!

See the small trail up the mountain to the right? Those are tiny stairs that we climbed in 10 minutes. No. Joke. I kept muttering, "Shawn T would be proud of me. Shawn T would be proud."