Iceland - Officially on my list!

Part of the series: Planning

I have been wanting to add Iceland to my list of places to go for a long time now, but never could quite figure out where to start.

I found it today. It's called the Ring Road, and it goes all the way around the island, with lots of scenery to see on the way.

• Reference: Where the Hell is Rory

Rory's Itinerary:

Days 1: Fly into Reykjavik. Walking tour(s) of city.
Day 2: Golden Circle Tour: Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfall, Haukadalur, Kerio Volcanic Crater
Day 3: Reykjavik to Vik: Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Eujafjallajokull volcano, Skogafoss falls (hike up above falls), glacier (unnamed)
Day 4: Vik to Hofn: Laufskalavarda, Fjadrargljufer gorge, Gigjukvisl Bridge, Skaftafell National Park (Jokull Glacier), Jokulsarlon (glacial lagoon), Glacial River Bridge (information office, boat tour through lagoon, black sand beach)
Day 5: Hofn to Myvatn: Drive through Fjords along coastline, Geothermal pools @ Myvatn
Day 6: Myvatn to Akureyri: Drive around Myvatn Lake, Skutustadagigar, Dimmuborgir (lots of hiking paths), Hverfell crater (hike to top for view), Grjotagja, Namafjall, Dettifoss falls, Halfragisfoss falls, Husavik (whale watching), Godafoss falls
Day 7: Akureyri to Reykjavik: Western coast of Iceland

More to come.

Egan Chutes Provincial Park

Part of the series: Bancroft - a destination, not a trip

When I was growing up, Egan Chutes was not a Provincial Park. It was one of those places that our family used to go to on a Sunday afternoon in the spring. Everyone had to wear rubber boots, and jump a creek or two, but the hike was well worth the view.

The Ontario Parks website describes Egan Chutes as:

A bend of the York River has become a wetland with an adjacent sand flat, where poplar, white birch, ash, buffaloberry, and purple flowering raspberry grow. Minerals found here include nepheline, sodalite, biotite, zircon, and blue corundum.

... a short walk along an unmaintained road will take visitors to three picturesque waterfalls within the nature reserve.

Mineral collecting and camping are prohibited.

The last time I was there was in the spring of 2008, with my brother Jonathan and his girlfriend (now wife) Wilma.

Click the image for more photos

If you plan on visiting Egan Chutes, I recommend going in the spring, just after the snow has melted. Once the runoff is over, the white water disappears, and there is barely a trickle to watch going over the rocks.