Category: Travel Adventures

We must reignite our spark and spread it

On By Alethea KehasIn Reflections, Travel Adventures, Warriors of Light11 Comments
Reflecting on our collective history and what it means to move forward through this chaotic time
Newgrange, Ireland

I was born in the year of Roe V. Wade at the tail end of the Vietnam War. It was a time of peaceful protests infused with the idea of free love. The tide in America surged towards inclusivity and acceptance. The equal rights amendment had just been codified into law, and people were experimenting with ways to return their connection to the land, and to a spiritual force that moves beyond the structure of religion.

The wave of free love ebbed when the ’80s rolled in with the Reagan era. A war on drugs commenced, never to be won, and conservatism washed across the country. I am no historian, but I am interested in our collective stories and how we move through time informing each other. I am interested in the driving forces of opposition and polarity; the struggle for power and control when freedom and love take hold. When I turn through the half-century of my life thus far on Earth, I observe this rise and fall of tides, noticing the contraction that follows expansion, as I wonder about the years ahead yet to be formed.

Never before have I felt such instability in our collective movement. In this time of conservatism that attempts to throw us back to a time long before my birth, I feel all that precedes it in a rise of our chaos. How much unease can the individual and shared body endure?

We are wise enough to know this is a tactic, but yet we are ignorant enough to think (in part) that somehow lies are truth. That equality is a ruse when a would-be-king who is an adjudicated criminal, a rapist, a heartless narcissist, and the very antithesis of all that Jesus Christ stood for, could in fact be our savior. Even though all evidence points against this. Why do we hold fast to illusions? What pulls us into the blind path of sycophants? Why do we turn outward for security, instead of inward, especially when the prophet cares not for the lambs who follow him?

Will we ever learn? Is this our moment of reckoning? This apocalypse playing out in rapid time before us, overwhelming all sense of stability and connection will either lead to a cycle of dystopia or an opportunity to return to our origins.

Because I like to follow history back before it was history, I favor the theory of the goddess cultures as a time of harmony and true connection. As an empath, I find home among the ancient sacred landscapes that honor the Mother as divine, not without the father, per se, but elevated to the status of holy ground. Inside these holy grounds, these mother-wombs, I find my sense of connection to the self as part of a whole. I feel the light threading through life in a web, now severed, but repairable.

It is this knowing that propels me towards hope. Sometimes we must cleanse a system of its debris before we can get its parts working again. I use this metaphor, that feels like truth, in my Warriors of Light series. When the warriors follow the broken lines of light in Earth’s body they arrive at the heart of a giant named Albion, only to discover that his heart is also the heart of Earth. They are one and the same. He is the yang to her yin. One cannot exist without the other to be whole.

I am not sure why we have collectively resisted the divine feminine energy that threads through all of us, and why we have tried to dominate (and thus destroy it) in our shared mother, Earth, for so long, but it has become painfully clear at this present moment we are destroying ourselves. If we continue along this path, we will not thrive. It’s likely, if we survive, it will be just barely, and only a select few. One man’s quest for kingdom is not about sustainability and mutual thriving. Instead, it can only lead to a further severing of our connection from all that makes us whole.

This is a time of reckoning. It’s a time to reflect upon the self and the role you individually play in this life that is shared. In this time of climate crisis and political upheaval, we must, if we are to endure, dig deep into the debris and spark the light back to life. We must thread it back to a place of unity so that we can, collectively, begin to repair what we have torn apart.

The Story of a Water Dragon, a Fire Dragon and a Circle of Stones #dragonlines #dragons #leylines #alchemy #arborlow #fantasyseries

On By Alethea KehasIn A Better World of Books, Travel Adventures, Warriors of Light5 Comments

On the front cover of my metaphysical fantasy book Keys to the Heart, a fire dragon descends to meet a rising water dragon over a hexagram filled with the alchemy of their union.

The front cover of Keys to the Heart, designed by Sierra Wheeler

On the back cover of the book, a blurb appears inside a circle of stones. The stones, if you look closely, resemble the heads of dragons. Out of the circle, the tails of the water and fire dragons emerge. The scene wrapping the book tells its origin story.

The back cover of Keys to the Heart, designed by Sierra Wheeler

A story inspired, in many ways, by my visit to Arbor Low in Derbyshire, England nearly seven years ago with Sue, Stuart, Deb, and Nick during a Silent Eye outing. Arbor low is a Neolithic henge monument complete with a crown of stones that sits atop a hill that is now owned by a farmer. I sometimes wonder if the caretaker, who charges a mere one pound/person to visit the ancient site, knows how lucky he is to live amongst the dragon stones.

As soon as I exited the car in the lot below the mound, I felt the pull of the stones even though I could not yet see them. Deb and I helped Nick up the crest of the hill, but when we reached the top, I released him to Sue and Stuart. Sue understood how the energy magic consumes me when I visit the ancient landscapes, and here, before me, was a scene of absolute wonder. On the edge of the mound, I stood at the gateway, letting it fill my cells with memories as time slipped through space.

The stones at Arbor low are arranged in a recumbent circle, with two recumbent stones in the center. Some people think the stones once stood, and I saw the center stones as pillars; a doorway to the stars, while the ones on the ring rose up from the mound watching, protecting. The heads like dragons in wait for the Fire and Water to reunite to seed light back into the sacred womb of Earth.

I chose my path by the pull of my cells, taking each turn between the stones as though I were walking through time. “Like a clock.” When I completed the circle of the face, I was filled with a vision of magic that felt so alive I could not contain it. I felt like a lost soul finding home, once again, in the vast sea of the universe.

It was here, in Arbor Low, where I found the essence of the narrative that had been weaving its labyrinth inside of me.

As a writer, I am often asked about my process. Usually I keep the answer simple, “I am not a plotter, I let the story guide me.” The truth is, quite often I cannot explain what I write until I experience it for myself. Images and names will come to me, and sometimes entire scenes, and I will put them on the page only to discover later, why.

Standing at Arbor Low, nearly seven years ago, my body was re-awakened to the alchemical energy of the universe. Here, I experienced the magic of natural forces concentrated in the land. An energy so strong it transcended time and space. Arbor Low, like other ancient sacred sites, is a place where the complex theories of physics and math make sense. It is a place where magic is tangible and achievable without fantasy.

By the end of the day, I understood why I was so driven to write a story about six thirteen-year-olds who were drawn into a mysterious hexagram filled with broken lines of light to save a broken planet and a broken mother. By the end of the day, during which I visited three ancient sites with the Silent Eye group, I felt the wholeness of reunion in away I had never experienced in this lifetime. Inside of me joy danced with sorrow like I had finally come home.

So while I may have written two books, with a third in process, that are in the genre of fantasy, their essence is the magic of life through the lens of my own experiences. I have a feeling this is how many stories arise through us. We may doubt their origins, but the seeds they sow thread truth in an attempt to bring us home to ourselves.

The Mystical Mysterious Connection of Dragon Lines of Energy #connection #dragonlines

On By Alethea KehasIn Reflections, Travel Adventures15 Comments
Sue, Larissa and Ani standing on the body of the dragon in Uffington with its wing spread out behind them.

I am not one to question death. Nor do I, anymore, question the eternal presence of the soul. I’ve had too many experiences that have made me a believer. It is, I believe, something our ancient ancestors also knew to be truth. The mysteries passed down teach of the eternal presence of the soul, as do the ancient sites still lingering in our landscapes.

I love nothing more than immersing myself in the ancient sites of the land. My body’s cells rekindle with memory and I feel a wholeness that is difficult for me to find in our modern world. Here, in the ancient lands, magic stirs to those who open to it. Memories embedded in Earth’s stones whisper their history and lines of energy can be felt beneath one’s feet.

Some people call these lines of energy “dragon lines.” Others, “ley lines.” To me, they are akin to the meridians in the human body. Energy that feeds our organs and tissues, and spread lines of life through our cells. We are living beings made from the body of a living planet. It makes sense to me that we would both have pathways of energy that feed us life.

Sue knew of my fascination with, and connection to, the dragon lines in Earth. She often nudged me into understanding and exploration in subtle ways, stepping back to observe as I explored the energy running through Earth in wonder. When Sue passed, I found myself not only lamenting the loss of a wonderful woman, but also the loss of her guiding presence in the ancient landscapes we visited together. I thought, more than once, I am not ready for your absence.

Until, a short while after her passing, I found a post had appeared on my email feed. It was an older blog written from Sue. I clicked it open to see a painting of the figure of a man in angelic form lifting his foot as though to crush the body of a dragon. As I studied the painting, the brightness on my computer screen increased. I have a scroll bar above my keyboard that shows the levels of light when it is being adjusted, and for several seconds, I watched the bar go back and forth, seemingly of its own accord. My hands on my lap, my body filled with awe.

There are many layers of symbolism embedded in this moment, which I believe was orchestrated by Sue’s energy. And, since it occurred, I turn back to it from time to time to remind myself of this contract she and I continue to play out together.

Since Sue passed away, I haven’t visited the ancient landscapes of England. The timing has not yet been right. This past October, I went on an adventure (dragging my husband along for the ride 😉) to explore some of the ancient lands of Ireland. We concentrated on the northern portion of the country, with a brief hop into Northern Ireland. This area of the world, I learned while there, is filled with earthen mounds. It is a land that was once filled with people who, in my opinion, were deeply connected to and revered Mother Earth. It is rich with goddess energy that was eventually dampened or attempted to be stomped out (recall the painting referenced above) when history began to move towards the domineering masculine energy of power and control.

Newgrange, Ireland

Despite this, though, one can still feel the stirrings of the divine feminine in many of these sites. One of these places is the famous mound at Newgrange where visitors are allowed to walk the ancient passage into the chamber that was aligned to the winter solstice sun, and experience the darkness of being encased inside the mound before the return the light. It is, if you are open to it, akin to a rebirth. One walks back into the womb of the Mother (Earth) to be rebirthed anew. For me, it was a reawakening to the wonder and magic I experienced in the ancient lands with Sue.

It was here that I felt Sue’s presence with me return. We were not in England, and she was not in physical form, but I had little doubt she was beside me. Her presence as subtle and strong as it was in life, returned in another form, which might be called the pure essence of connection. It is this energy of pure connection that threads through the body of Earth when one seeks to find and open to it. The lines of life that feed the body and nurture it.

I believe the biggest downfall of humanity is our separation from this state of connection. We have incorporated disbelief of what is not easy to see or interpret into our mindsets through the conditioning of religious and other dogma. These beliefs are centered around control and limitation, and serve to cut us off from true connection to ourselves and the sources of life that feed and nurture us. I find it both astounding and devastating that we can portend to worship a divine presence, while neglecting to acknowledge the divine light that spreads through all life.

In posts to follow I’ll write more about how this connection relates to dragons and dragon lines.

A Cathedral at Sunset #arizona #sedona #cathedralrock

On By Alethea KehasIn Travel Adventures32 Comments

It was with some reluctance that we drove away from the Grand Canyon to make our way back to Sedona. We had been lucky to beat the rainstorm, which we were not prepared for, and we were still determined to take in a Sedona sunset before we flew home. As it was, we chose the perfect spot.

Sunset near Cathedral Rock, Sedona, Arizona

After getting some tacos to-go, we drove to the famous Cathedral Rock formation in Sedona. It was a site we had passed often during our travels, and we did not want to miss seeing it close-up before we left for home.

Cathedral Rock is magnificent to behold at any time of day, but offers a special magic at sunset.

The climb up Cathedral rock is considered short, but difficult, and we soon discovered why. Had we been better prepared and more rested, we may have made it to the top of the trail, but after venturing up the lower portion of the rather slippery rocks, we decided it wasn’t worth the risk of injury.

It’s a steep and rather treacherous climb to the top of Cathedral, but many people attempt it.

We were not disappointed, though. The entire natural monument is stunning, from all sides and depths.

Cathedral Rock in Sedona is considered to reside on one of the famous vortexes. It is a wonder to behold and feels both majestic and sacred.

And, it is especially magnificent at sunset when the light illuminates the red rocks and brings depth to its shadows. Faces and forms appear and one gets the sense you are in the presence of ancestral spirits lingering in the stone, watching…

Cathedral Rock and its spirits in stone

Instead of climbing to the summit, we walked around the base of Cathedral walk, following the trail of the setting sun. It was magical.

It was a long day filled with wonders that far surpassed the imagination, as well as many moments of deep gratitude for this beautiful and wondrous Earth we reside upon.

The path back to the parking lot, surrounded by wonders

Arizona Adventures Day 3: Peering into the Belly of the Goddess at the Grand Canyon South Rim #Wonder #GrandCanyon

On By Alethea KehasIn Travel Adventures15 Comments

It was Monday, my husband’s conference was over, and we had reserved the day for the Grand Canyon. A place I could have happily explored this wonder for a month, but we were only there for a few hours. And, even though our visit was brief, I am still trying to integrate such a profound experience.

Standing at the edge of infinity, the effect of the Grand Canyon

But let’s start at the break of day, or rather before the sun crested the red hills to bring light to the morning. It’s 3 am, and my husband has decided to seize a chance to see the stars with minimal light pollution. As you may recall, we are sharing a pullout sofa in the living room/dining room/kitchen of our hotel room. He gets up quietly, leaves, and returns about 15 minutes later, but I have woken with the artificial light that streams in through the hallway. Soon I am wide awake. There’s no way I’m falling back into slumber, and I’m now way beyond sleep deprived if you take into account the combined total number of hours I’ve managed to accumulate over the past four nights. I’m telling you this because that numinous state of not being wholly present in one’s body likely helped create the dream-like quality of the day and my experience of witnessing the Grand Canyon for the first time.

I don’t think it’s possible to capture the sensation in a photograph. One step beyond the edge leads to a mile drop, and before you is an infinite expanse of a layered palette that is over-worldly and surreal.

I thought about napping in the car during the two-hour drive to the the South Rim of the Grand Canyon from Sedona, but we were due for a family talk, and I didn’t want to miss seeing any part of a landscape I had never experienced before. We took the fasted route, which I have been told is less scenic than the one that winds through the mountains. There was a whole lot of uniformity during that drive, in rows of perfectly planted pine trees, making me wonder what the area looked like before the touch of man.

It’s also a land where the deer and the antelope roam freely

As it was still early in the season, there was just a short queue to get our day’s pass at the entrance to the park. Inside the park, the vegetation is allowed to be mostly wild, and about two minutes before we reached the parking lot, after seeing a couple of herds of antelopes (new to us), my daughter announced she thought she saw a moose. In all the years we’ve lived in New England (my children and husband were born here, and I moved to New Hampshire when I was 4.5 yrs. old) not one of us had seen a moose in the wild.

We did not get a photo of the “moose,” but this raven looking over the “Isis Temple” made me think of Sue, who seems to show up in magical moments of wonder.

We debated walking back in the direction of the where my daughter saw the mystery creature after we parked the car, but our eagerness to see the canyon won over the unlikely chance that it would still be there. A quick check on Google revealed that moose are not native to Arizona, but on a rare occasion have been known to venture over from Colorado. Could one of those rare moments be now, we wondered as we overheard another visitor, a boy of about the age of 11, talking with his family about the moose they had just seen…

Carefully arranged rock slabs and vegetation serve to block the view of the canyon until you are near the edge, adding to the stunning effect of it opening before you in one moment of distilled time.

When one approaches the South Rim of the Grand Canyon from the parking lot, you are among a sea of visitors milling about, going to the bathroom, looking at maps, and trying to orient themselves for their visit. The area is filled with concrete paths that weave through parking lots, informational structures, and a fair bit of wildlife in the form of rather tame squirrels begging for food.

The railings provide security while peering into the staggering depths below.

For first time visitors, especially those deprived of sleep, the experience can be slightly over-whelming as you make your way to one of the main viewing points. I highly recommend finding a location with a railing for your first glimpse of the canyon so as to safely take in its breadth and depth. There are many points along the rim that do not have railings. And, nothing can prepare you for the experience that opens before you when you step beyond the trees and bushes and the canyon drops down and out without a visible ending. It is impossible to fathom the utter magnificence of creation contained in such a vast canvas of exquisite beauty that has existed, untarnished for five million years.

It is so still, and vast, so layered and other-worldly, one feels as though you are standing on the edge of Earth and peering into another world. The effect is surreal and dream-like.

When I stepped to the rim, and tried to take in the vision of the Grand Canyon, I was wholly and completely overcome. The rules of logic and physics play with the senses as they try to comprehend such an extreme of space and depth layered in a canvas of exquisite beauty that is, quite literally, the belly of Earth. One feels as though you are peering into the body of the Goddess. Gaia opens before you in all her raw splendor and power, and you suddenly feel both insignificant and vulnerable; filled with humility and awe. One step beyond the edge and death is certain. You stand upon the precipice of Life itself and realize you are the only one holding onto it. It is an experience unlike anything else. Photos and stories cannot prepare you for that moment, nor should they. You are there to be transformed, and you will be, if you open fully to the wonder before you.

I believe this is the formation “The Temple of Isis.” It was my favorite, and drew my attention often during my visit.

We walked along a fair amount of the South Rim pathway as the clouds began to roll in, just avoiding the rain shower that followed us back to the parking lot. The skies were glorious before they turned gray, and we stopped often to take photographs of this unforgettable experience:

And, in case you were still wondering about the moose…we spotted it in the woods on our way out of the Grand Canyon. And, although we can’t be 100 percent sure it was a moose, we’re sticking to our story 😉

Arizona Adventures Day 2 Continued: In Search of Cathedrals and Sunset #Sedona #ChapeloftheHolyCross

On By Alethea KehasIn Travel Adventures8 Comments

After our long hike through Boynton Canyon and the Subway, we loaded our tired and very thirsty bodies into the car and began searching for a refreshing lunch. We found it in the form of an acai bowl cafe not too far down the road. Inside the air conditioned eatery, I inhaled my frozen tropical treat in record time and sat shivering from the shock of cold until we made our way back into the sunshine.

The Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona is nestled into the surrounding landscape without feeling obtrusive

Our day, though, was not finished. We had passed by the famous Chapel of the Holy Cross on the way to Boynton Canyon, and decided we would make a stop on the way back to our hotel. The chapel, nestled into the red hills of Sedona is open to the public during daylight hours and offers stunning views of the surrounding landscape. Unlike urban sprawl below it, it almost feels like it belongs.

The views from the chapel are stunning and well-worth the short trek to take them in.

It is said that the chapel, like Boynton Canyon, is situated on one of Sedona’s famous vortexes. Even if one doesn’t feel a surge of energy here, it is undeniably a peaceful and beautiful place as you will see in the slide show below:

After spending some time admiring the chapel and its surrounding landscape, we returned to the hotel to relax and hose off. As we were determined to take in a Sedona sunset, we chose a nearby, albeit over-priced restaurant to have dinner before we got in the car for one more adventure. Our destination, the famous Airport Mesa, which is also reported to be a vortex site.

A trail towards the setting sun

We passed by the natural stone mesa to park our car, and began walking along a trail towards the setting sun. In retrospect, I would have preferred standing atop the red rocks, but we had thought we might get a better view from the trail. As it was, the sunset was not as magnificent as we had hoped, but one can never really complain about the views in Sedona.

Our sunset view

It had been a long day filled with lots of walking, and we were all quite tired, but instead of driving home, we made our way up to the top of the Airport Mesa road where there is a large parking lot and viewing area to see the stars come out. We didn’t last long.

Arizona Adventure Day 2: Boynton Canyon Plus The Subway #boyntoncanyon #sedonahikes

On By Alethea KehasIn Travel Adventures7 Comments

We had an early start to our day two adventures in Arizona as my husband’s conference ended at 9:30 am. Ava and I were up early to take a sunrise (6:30 am) yoga class by the pool. It was everything I envisioned in a Sedona yoga class. And, you couldn’t beat the view.

The four of us decided on Boynton Canyon for the main adventure of the day, a choice that we may have made differently in retrospect. Arizona sunshine in June is more intense than one might expect, and the dry heat is difficult for the unaccustomed skin and airways. Our Boynton hike adventure took us eight long hours of walking through the dusty landscape with enough snacks and sunscreen, but not quite enough water.

The hike, aside from the Subway portion, is considered easy, albeit long. The red trail winds along the canyon floor with views of the red rocks and pockets of welcome shade.

The trail to the end of the main loop of Boynton Canyon is about three miles long. We saw several butterflies along the way, a few lizards, some beautiful wildflowers, and spectacular views of the cliffs.

At the end of the three miles, the trail steepens until it culminates at the mouth of the canyon where smooth red rocks rise into the cliffs. It’s a nice place to stop for photos and refresh the body before turning around.

Although we were already feeling a bit tired and eager for a cold beverage, we were determined to find the hidden Subway trail on our way back. After inquiring about it with everyone we passed along the way, and getting an idea of the general location, we took a gander off the beaten path. Winding our way through a very narrow trail filled with bushes, we encountered a friendly group of individuals who were making their way down from the Subway viewing points. They too had, inadvertently ventured off the unmarked Subway trail, and as luck would have it, they offered to walk back with us to the main trail and point out the entrance we were meant to take, which was ambiguously marked by a sandy inlet with a couple of branches shaped into a rough looking arrow.

I was amazed as we walked, how many people find the deliberately obscure trail and make their way to the most spectacular spot in the Canyon. In fact, many don’t bother with the main trail at all, and just head straight to the Subway. We could understand why when we got there…

Both Boynton Canyon loop and the Subway offshoot are well-worth the trek if you have the time and are prepared with plenty of (cold) water, snacks, sunscreen and appropriate attire. Only my daughter ventured up into the steep crevice of the canyon when we got there, but we all made it to the caves.

Arizona Day 1: Deadman’s Pass by ATV #sedona #travel

On By Alethea KehasIn Travel Adventures19 Comments

It turned out to be one of those experiences you check off the list. Done. Never again. Well, at least for me. Probably. One can never say for sure, but less than half-way through our ATV adventure in Sedona, Arizona I was quite sure I would not need to repeat it. But, let me start at the beginning.

We had four days in Arizona, less than that if you count the attempts to sleep after a red-eye and travel to and from the airport. My husband signed up for a CME conference in Sedona, which began the day after our son graduated from high school. Somehow we had all agreed to it, even though we must have known we would have been exhausted before our trip even began. Never mind that, we are used to pushing ourselves to extremes when we travel. It’s par for the course.

What we saw after dawn rose our first day

We didn’t play golf, even though the resort had a lovely course that ran beneath the red rocks with a sprawling green lawn nearly as brilliant as the blue sky that graced each of our days. The New Hampshire we had left behind was experiencing a rather damp and gray beginning to summer, and the shock of the intense, dry Arizona sunshine was welcoming, at first.

The Famous “Bell Rock,” which we drove by several times but never climbed is eye-catching. It’s one of Sedona’s “Vortex” sites

After flying through thunderstorms across the entire United States, we landed in Phoenix in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Only my daughter and husband slept (some) on the plane, and the four of us staggered out of the plane and made our way through the passageways that led to the shuttle to pick up our rental car. Two hours later, we loaded into a car that was not the one we had reserved, but it was close enough, only to be halted about ten minutes into our drive by an accident.

I can’t tell you much about the 2.5 hour drive to our hotel, because I drifted in and out of consciousness in the passenger seat. My daughter, who when I glanced back at her during the drive appeared to be fast asleep, slumped against the window, swears she saw the Milky Way at some point along the way. Maybe. It was the right time of night, and anyone who’s taken the drive from Phoenix to Sedona knows there’s a vast landscape of “nothing” for quite a while. Just a lot of desert.

Our Room’s View (if you walked over the balcony and onto the roof, which I did, often)

It was still dark when we arrived at the hotel, 2 am local time to be precise (5 am EST) and I wasn’t thinking about stars, I was thinking only of a bed to sink into. Somehow my husband made it to his 7:30 am conference, while the rest of our slept. The morning passed with sleep, breakfast, and a visit to the adult pool. By the time my husband’s conference was over, we were all ready to give a proper greeting to Sedona.

“What should we do?”

We debated the possibilities until we settled on an ATV adventure, totally unprepared for what awaited us. Deadman’s Pass could not had been a more fitting name.

The vehicle was built for the terrain, but I’m not sure we were. We rumbled along the highway, my son at the driver’s seat, until we got to the turnoff. It took several more minutes to find the dirt road, and during that time I was thinking, “this isn’t so bad.”

Before I knew it, the red dust of Sedona was flying into my nostrils and mouth, and I was gripping the metal bar in front of me as I realized I was experiencing a ride worse than a rollercoaster. The fear of tipping over and staying there stayed with me for most of the two-hour torture ride, and when it finally ended and I told myself “never again.” But in all seriousness, despite the steep drops and turns filled with gullies and rocks, it was a memorable experience. We were hot, filthy, hungry, and very thirsty by the time we were through, but we did see some spectacular views that I managed to capture with my phone while tipping out the open window.

I hope you enjoy these shots from Deadman’s Pass despite being unable to ride along with us 😉

The Volcano, the Vikings, and the Sea: Our last stops along the Reykjanes Peninsula #Iceland #travel

On By Alethea KehasIn Travel Adventures24 Comments

After leaving the Seltun Geothermal Field, we headed up the road to visit the Fagradalsfjall’s 2021 Eruption site. Had we know we would have had more time to spare, we would likely have made our trip into more of a hike. Instead, we parked at the lot below the volcano’s base, scanned the QR code to pay, and headed out to explore the still-steaming lava field.

Even at the base of the lava field, the landscape is unstable and there are signs warning visitors not to step on the lava least they fall through or get burned. You can see areas where the surface has caved in and there are still mini steam vents.

You can see the wisps of steam rising from the cooling lava in this video.


It’s worth a trip to the site of the eruption if you are exploring the peninsula. According to the travel guides, it’s at least a 45 minute hike to get a good view of the volcano, but clearly you could spend a good half-day here as there are tours offering 5-hour excursions. We didn’t want to sacrifice too much time, so we spent about a half-hour walking around its base and then followed the dragon line to the ocean.

The head of the dragon over-looks the ocean. There are warnings at its base not to walk along its neck, but people still do.

The coast along the peninsula is perhaps not as stunning as the more famous areas along the South Coast, but still quite beautiful. Please click through the slide show to see some of the views we experienced during our stop.

It was rather blustery and chilly during out visit to see the ocean, but we did spend some time walking around and taking it the splendor of the rugged rocks where seabirds make their nests, and watched the wave’s relentless massage of the land.

We knew the Viking World Museum would be closing soon after we finished our visit at the coast, so we made it our last stop before we turned in our car. We timed it just in time for a tour-bus, though. Because of this, we spent just as much time outside the museum as we did inside, but building sits nearby the harbor, offering beautiful views.

The museum itself is not large, most of its space is taken up by the viking ship, which is its main attraction. A half-hour is sufficient to walk through it, more time is worthwhile if you are a viking fan and want to read more about the history of the culture and the artifacts that are housed in the museum. There are some turf houses outside the museum, but their doors are locked. Only about a mile from the airport, the Viking World Museum is a logical stop before you depart from the Land of Fire and Ice. As it was, we had ample time to spare, and found ourselves wishing we had perhaps spent a little more time at the volcano.

Driving the Reykjanes Peninsula to Kleifarvatn Lake and the Seltun Geothermal Field #Iceland #travel

On By Alethea KehasIn Travel Adventures13 Comments

Since we had a late flight home, my husband and I decided to make the most out of our last day in Iceland by driving around the Reykjanes Peninsula, where Keflavik Airport is located. The drive is lovely, with the exception of the sulfur smell that pervades the air as you drive. At times it can be quite over-whelming. The peninsula is filled with geothermal activity and hosts the famous Blue Lagoon, the geothermal wastewater container turned major tourist attraction/spa.

We opted not to join the throngs of tourists at this man-made wonder, and instead we made our way south down Rt 42 from Reykjavik. It’s not a large peninsula, and it doesn’t take long to reach the first stop worth pulling over, Kleifarvatn Lake.

Kleifarvatn Lake is bordered by black sands and stunning volcanic hills.

The lake is stunning, and well-worth pulling over to take in its beauty, and capture a few memories in photographs. Although there is no formal road leading down to the water, there are cars that ignore the signs and drive down to the water’s edge. We pulled over with other tourists in one of the lots over-looking the lake to take our photos and selfie.

The contrasting colors and contours of the landscape make for a breath-taking spot.

Although our stay beside the lake was brief, we were glad we did not miss the splendor of this gem inside the peninsula.

Our selfie at the lake

After taking photographs from different angles to capture the lake’s beauty, we headed back down Rt 42 towards the Seltún geothermal field.

The Seltún Geothermal Field

The smell of sulfur greets you before you pull up to the parking lot at the Seltún Geothermal Field. The odor of the landscape, along with its colors and textures, gives you the feel that you are somewhere other than Earth.

The bubbling red-gray of the barren hillside of Seltún contrasts with its lush green surroundings.

To be quite honest, I found the area difficult to navigate, not due to the terrain, but because of the over-whelming odor of sulfur. If you are sensitive to the smell, you may want to consider wearing a mask. I found myself covering my nose with the sleeve of my coat as we walked through the smelliest areas. Aside from the odor, though, the area is quite intriguing and, in some ways, beautiful with its steaming pewter-colored steams meandering through red sands.

The other-worldly landscape of Seltún is worth at least a brief pause to take in before you continue your walk.

We followed the paths along the main area of the field up into the hillside, where you you can see some more geothermal vents as well as gorgeous views of the surrounding area. Click through for a glimpse of the rest of our visit to Seltún.

Do take care if you walk up the hillside. The terrain can be quite slippery and steep. We had plenty of its red clay stuck to our shoes afterwards, and saw some visitors cleaning it off theirs in the cool stream that descends from its summit. We opted to clap ours off as best we could before we got back into our car and headed towards our next stop, a still-steaming volcano…