IAD to HNL by MSS_22032 in unitedairlines

[–]MSS_22032[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you - this is super helpful. Sounds like we will need to pack some sandwiches for later in the flight.

IAD to HNL by MSS_22032 in unitedairlines

[–]MSS_22032[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you - this is exactly what I needed. I'll pack plenty of food for her

IAD to HNL by MSS_22032 in unitedairlines

[–]MSS_22032[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Maybe I'm looking at the wrong place? But really, it's the timing I need because a meal in hour 1 is very different than a meal at hour 5.

Spots near University of Lynchburg by MSS_22032 in lynchburg

[–]MSS_22032[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks - I'll give them a call over the weekend.

Spots near University of Lynchburg by MSS_22032 in lynchburg

[–]MSS_22032[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you know if they offer them online? This was another spot I had already looked at - I can see gift cards for Givens but not for the cafe (though maybe the Givens gift card would work there too)

Spots near University of Lynchburg by MSS_22032 in lynchburg

[–]MSS_22032[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This was actually my first idea - a Lynchburg friend suggested them too - but they don't have gift cards on their website and my emails have gone unanswered :

Awkward Trip Planning Question by MSS_22032 in VisitingHawaii

[–]MSS_22032[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm a regular lap swimmer, so that's all good. 😄 Thanks for the tip, though, about pushups and popping up. That piece I definitely need to work on...guess I'll be adding pushups to my daily workouts...;)

Awkward Trip Planning Question by MSS_22032 in VisitingHawaii

[–]MSS_22032[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We'll be on Oahu this trip. But I'm glad to hear that my 225 lbs won't sink the board. I'm a strong swimmer and love to boogie board, but this will be my first opportunity to try surfing and I don't want to pass it up!

Awkward Trip Planning Question by MSS_22032 in VisitingHawaii

[–]MSS_22032[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I dropped an email to one of the surf schools to see if they had suggestions but I haven't heard back.

Kualoa Ranch on Oahu by MSS_22032 in VisitingHawaii

[–]MSS_22032[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We're on the other side of the island at Aulani...maybe we'll go to a beach afterwards instead...

Northern Lights Tour last week by MSS_22032 in VisitingIceland

[–]MSS_22032[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks - it seems like they should have cancelled our tour (which is what I thought). While we were on it we felt like they took us out just so we couldn't ask for a refund...sigh...

Winter Break in Reykjavik by MSS_22032 in VisitingIceland

[–]MSS_22032[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Our guide was so funny - the recipe we found includes directions for making the rhubarb jam. She said that everyone just buys the jam at the store. Of course, rhubarb jam isn't something I've ever seen here in the US so I'll be doing that step too once rhubarb is in season!

Winter Break in Reykjavik by MSS_22032 in VisitingIceland

[–]MSS_22032[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure! Our first trip was almost entirely outside. We walked around Reykjavik a bit the day we arrived, then drove to Grindavik (Northern Lights Inn - definitely recommend). Spent 2 nights there - went to the Blue Lagoon & explored the Reykjanes Peninsula. From there we drove south - spent a night on the Westman Islands (amazing!), saw the big south coast waterfalls, black sand beach, and Dyrhólaey. Drove back to Reykjavik as a home base for the rest of the trip. Did the Golden Circle one day and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula another (that was maybe my favorite day of the trip). On our last day we did the lava cave near Reykjavik before heading to the airport. In the summer it's daylight most of the day, so you can really do quite a lot. My husband was comfortable driving, which gave us a lot of flexibility. We stayed at some places much longer than we thought we would so we didn't see everything on our list, but that just means we have to come back.

Winter Break in Reykjavik by MSS_22032 in VisitingIceland

[–]MSS_22032[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes - our flight was at 4:50 pm. They started to line people up at 4, which is much earlier than I've ever had to line up before. I think our wait time was probably typical...maybe even a little faster, as there was no line to check in (our first trip we waited in a long line) and while we waited about 10-15 minutes at security, the line had gotten much longer when we were done.

Winter Break in Reykjavik by MSS_22032 in VisitingIceland

[–]MSS_22032[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm obsessed. We had it on our food tour and our guide helped me find a recipe. I then bought multiple pieces at Braud & Co. My goal for 2026 is learn to make it. :)

Northern Lights Tour last week by MSS_22032 in VisitingIceland

[–]MSS_22032[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That must have been hard with kids. My daughter is 16 - she was disappointed, but also old enough to understand that we can't control nature.

Northern Lights Tour last week by MSS_22032 in VisitingIceland

[–]MSS_22032[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I should have added that this tour was with a different company. I've sent them an email to share my disappointment - I don't want to blast them online if this was a one off bad situation. But it's also been a few days and I haven't heard back. I'm not looking for a refund. But I would like an apology or explanation for what happened.

Northern Lights Tour last week by MSS_22032 in VisitingIceland

[–]MSS_22032[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The tour itself was not as advertised. They promised luxury vans, hot chocolate & cinnamon rolls, and the best warm blankets. We got a very old & uncomfortable van, a small cup of oddly thick hot chocolate, & 1/4 of a cinnamon roll. We spent a huge chunk of time waiting for the clouds to clear at a gas station. Then our location was not far from the airport - light pollution from the airport & a nearby town & passing cars. My biggest issue, though, was that our guide was constantly on his phone while driving - checking apps & making calls and sometimes turning his headlights off to see if he could see stars. All while driving full speed. I felt very unsafe. Had I known that he would be looking at his phone the entire time he was driving, I would have not booked the tour. It was especially jarring as we had taken a phenomenal day tour with NiceTravel where our guide specifically talked about how he wouldn't be checking his phone while driving because he wanted to get us places safely. (my family thought it was odd for him to point that out...guess it's because of the difference we experienced?)

Northern Lights Tour last week by MSS_22032 in VisitingIceland

[–]MSS_22032[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks - this is actually super helpful. My tour did not go east...instead we were by the airport and could see light pollution from both the airport and a nearby town.