My first solo camping trip!

Part of the series: Experiencing Saskatchewan, The Great Saskatchewan Bucket List

I have been camping my entire life. When I was younger, my family went at least once every year, and then when I got older and moved away from home, we still went together as a family, but once a year my siblings and a few friends would get together and rent a couple of sites at some park we'd never been to before for a weekend. The weather is always hit-and-miss (one year we actually went to the nearest Tim Horton's to get a break from the rain) but the memories are second-to-none.

Since moving to Saskatchewan, I've had new camping companions, and we've been slowly trying new parks every year. We started in Cypress Hills, and the next year we were at Sask Landing, last year we went to Rowan's Ravine, and this year we were feeling very adventurous and booked three weekends of camping at three parks: Rowan's Ravine, Echo Valley, and Buffalo Pound.

As it turned out however, our plans changed unexpectedly and very rapidly. We had a great weekend in June at Rowan's Ravine, and two weeks later, Doug had a job and was living in Edmonton while Anita packed and listed their house and she and Hayden were moved before the end of July, which was our next planned camping trip.

Blue Moon, July 31, 2015

I bought out the campsites, and when all of my potential companions were unable to join me, decided to experiment and see if I would be okay spending a weekend alone at a campground. I've been hesitant to do this for a few reasons (I'm very nervous about using an axe) but decided to "Just Do It."

I solved the axe-wielding problem by bringing pre-cut kindling in the form of left-over cedar shingle scraps from a co-worker's newly re-done roof, bought myself a camp stove and dining shelter, and off I went. I also bought fire-starter, just in case. (Didn't need the firestarter... #winningatlife)

I left Regina at 8:30 Friday night, and arrived at Echo Valley campground around 9:20. There was a blue moon in the sky, and it was just coming up, pale yellow and hanging so close in the sky it looked like you could almost touch it. I'm sure that was the kind of moon that inspired the nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle". I tried to get a picture of it, but my camera did not see the same thing my eyes did, plus I was driving while trying to take the picture, and so what I got is a slightly out-of-focus, completely crooked picture of a small moon in the sky. Sometimes, the lies our eyes tell us are so much better than what a camera can see... or I need to get better at using a camera.

My Iceland Itinerary(ies)

The picture that started it all: National Geographic Photo of the Day
September 4, 2012 - Litlanesfoss, Iceland
Photograph by Wild Wonders of Europe

I have spent some time researching and refining my tour(s) of Iceland, and have determined that if necessary due to time and budget constraints, my tour of Iceland can be broken up into 3 or 4 trips, each doable in 4-10 days.

Here are a few options that I think would work for touring Iceland:

Part 1: Reykjavik and the Golden Circle (4 days)
Day 1: Arrive in Reykjavik, check into hotel, wander around the city (if desired)
Day 2: Walking tour of Reykjavik, covering the Harbor, Lighthouse (Grotto), National Museum, and Hallgriskirche (samples only)
Day 3: Golden Circle Tour and then spend the night at Blue Lagoon Spa
Day 4: Fly home

Part 2: Westfjords (7 days)
Day 1: Fly into Reykjavik, then fly to Ísafjörður. Pick up rental car, check into hotel.
Day 2: Drive to Látrabjarg, spend the night in Breiðavík.
Day 3: Drive back to Ísafjörður, stopping to hike the Dynjandi walking trail and see the waterfall on the way.
Day 4: Ferry across to Hornstradir Nature Reserve, hike for the day, ferry back to Ísafjörður
Day 5: Kayak around the bay, explore the area - find a hot spring
Day 6: Day trip from Ísafjörður, explore the area... maybe check out the glacier??
Day 7: Fly home