treehuggintravel - travel-articles by Tracy Hayes

Home

Travel Articles

Pricey Big Macs and Crunchy Hair in Iceland

Contributed by: Tracy Hayes

Blue Lagoon If you're heading to Iceland anytime soon, be sure to bring a few extra bucks to get you through your trip. Depending on which source you're referencing, Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, is considered one of the priciest cities in the world. USA Today rates it in the Top Ten Most Expensive Cities in the World and BBC places it at the number three spot right behind Oslo in first and Tokyo in second.

Let's use McDonald's as an example. Not that I recommend you eat fast food on your vacation, or ever for that matter, but it'll give you an idea just how expensive this place is. The Big Mac at the McDonald's near Wrigley Field in Chicago including tax is $2.95. The same exact Big Mac in Reykajvik is $7.60! Yes, that's more than double! In my one stop at McDonalds in Iceland, I got fries, a drink and a burger and it came to $13.00! I'm sure you're saying that's absurd, and really, it is. So the lesson here is to save up your pennies before visiting this country, okay?

Since Iceland is way up in the Northern Atlantic Ocean and just south of the Arctic Circle, you ought to double check what time of year you plan to visit unless of course you like it pitch dark and freezing. In September there's still a good amount of daylight, but it's fairly damp and chilly. Besides the obvious wet weather gear, I'd also recommend a good pair of hiking boots that will keep your feet dry because chances are you're going to get 'em soaked while checking out some of the awesome sites.

Though, one excursion where all you need is a bathing suit and $20 is a definite must see in Iceland: The Blue Lagoon, in Icelandic, "Bláa Lónið", is a geothermal spa located about 10 miles from the airport and also a good place to begin or end your journey. I opted for the lagoon to finish my journey and the day we went, the air temperature was about 30 degrees Fahrenheit and luckily one of the sunnier days of the trip. The water in the lagoon is a milky turquoise, which is caused by blue-green algae and it's piping hot like a Jacuzzi. Water temperatures usually hover around 105 degrees Fahrenheit year round and I'll tell you what, the contrast of the hot spring and cold arctic air feels incredible!

There's a variety of spa treatments you can receive while at the lagoon, which as you might guess, are pretty expensive. I opted for the free do-it-yourself facial like the guy pictured here. Apparently this white, gritty silica mud is used for the treatment of skin problems such as psoriasis and eczema. My skin felt so, so soft and silky after scrubbing this stuff all over my body and I think I went back for more mud a good five or six times!

Whatever you do, do not put your hair in the water unless you're planning on shaving it off; the longer the hair the worse the problem. Had someone warned me ahead of time, I would have put a bathing cap on or smothered my hair in conditioner beforehand because after exiting the lagoon and showering, my hair felt like dead straw and was impossible to comb. I must've put an entire bottle of conditioner in my hair and spent nearly 45 minutes just trying to get a comb through it. My poor little noggin of straw was so sore by the time I had to leave for the airport.

Despite the crunchy hair, this is definitely one of the more unique places I’ve been in the world and one trip I highly recommend to anyone looking for something a little different.

If you need directions or more info, check out their website: www.bluelagoon.com

South Padre Island Not Just For Spring Breakers

Contributed by: Tracy Hayes

If you’re looking for a quick, domestic trip with a little R&R, reasonably priced accommodation, and a beach you might be interested in checking out South Padre Island in Texas. I will forewarn you; unless you’re under the age of 25 I’d steer clear of visiting during spring break season for obvious reasons. While South Padre (or SPI as the locals refer to it) is a hotspot for the young and adventurous during spring break time, you might be surprised how much there is to keep you and your family busy after all the crazy young kids leave.

Since SPI is located at the southern most tip of Texas and barely ten miles away from Mexico, the temperature is warm and inviting year round ranging from the mid 60s in the winter to the high 80s in the summer. Surrounded by the ocean surf of the Gulf of Mexico to the east and the warm, shallow waters of the Laguna Madre Bay to the west the water is crystal clear and warm enough to take a dip in almost all year long.

Alright, now we’re done going over the nitty gritty, let’s get down to what to do while you’re there. I was pretty amazed at how many things there were to do down there ranging from wind and kite surfing for you adventurous folks to turtle hatching to golfing and fishing or even sandcastle building classes. Yes, there is such a thing! For a small fee you’ll learn simple techniques from packing wet sand and building stairs to even creating a full masterpiece with a little guidance along the way.

Along the lines of doing something a little different, between April and July you may be lucky enough to catch baby sea turtles hatching on the beach and making their way into the surrounding waters. Sea turtles generally lay well over 50 eggs in April and the eggs hatch in June. If you’ve never had the opportunity to see baby turtles hatching, I’d highly recommend tracking down a nesting site through Sea Turtle, Inc in order to watch the little buggers hatch and just start running for the water. Very cool to experience it.

One activity that can also turn into a later dining experience is a little deep sea fishing out in the gulf for Marlin and Wahoo. I’ve always gotten a little bored fishing for small fish, but holy cow it is an awesome thrill reeling in a huge fish yourself. I caught a 110-lb sailfish and my shoulders and arms were sore for days! Speaking of seafood and dinner, one great laid back place for fresh fish is Dorado’s Baja Bar and Grill on South Padre Blvd. The wait staff is friendly and efficient and will deliver to even the pickiest of eaters (I won’t mention any names) and you’ve got to try the mango mojito, too. The bartender wasn’t thrilled about making this fufu time consuming drink, but the wait and his wise attitude was well worth it.

So maybe reeling in a huge fish isn’t your thing, but perhaps a round of golf at the gorgeous bay side South Padre Golf Club is. Or perhaps spending a few hours at the luxurious and relaxing Bamboo Day Spa for a massage or body treatment. For just a little bit extra, they’ll even make house and ‘beach calls’, too!

Whether you’re in need of an adventurous vacation or some serenity and relaxing instead, you might be pleasantly impressed at the range of activities found on South Padre Island to make your getaway well worth the trip. Just remember my earlier forewarning of avoiding spring break and you may come back a master sand castle artist or the new parent of an adopted baby sea turtle!

You can find all of these activities and loads of travel information at www.sopadre.com

Green Business Traveling in Costa Rica

The 1st in a series on sustainable tourism in Costa Rica

Contributed by: Tracy Hayes

As I’m sure you already know there’s a growing trend in all things green or put another way, sustainable living. I’m guessing you may not know it’s possible to be green on vacation while still enjoying yourself so I’m here to show you it is not only possible, but also very surprising how luxurious sustainable travel can be.

These next few articles are in the green travel series venturing through Costa Rica since it seems to be a country with a plethora of sustainable resorts. Let me first add that just because I’m writing a series on green travel, doesn’t mean I’m a tree-hugger. In fact, I don’t even recycle. I came into this exploration rather skeptical because I’m one of those people who prefers a little bit of pampering and a lot of convenience while on vacation. I thought sustainable traveling meant sacrificing indulgences and ease; boy was I wrong, in fact I was very wrong and for the first time in a while, pleased to have had the opportunity to be proven wrong.

I began my journey at Parque del Lago (www.parquedellago.com), Costa Rica’s first and only green business hotel just a hop, skip, and a jump from San Jose International airport. The first aspect I liked most about this hotel is its proximity to the airport and the fact they have wireless internet in each hotel room. As a writer, the last thing I want to do is sit in the hotel lobby on an old desktop computer and type away until they kick you out at 10 PM.

This hotel has been granted 4 leaves (out of five) through Costa Rica’s free government run Certification in Sustainable Tourism (CST) program. What does this mean anyway? The CST program is one of the most elite and stringent sustainable tourism certification programs in the world, so as a business hotel in the city I was impressed with Parque del Lago’s level of participation given the constraints it has to work with. The hotel has a gated entrance with a lobby currently undergoing a remodel, even though it already looks very fresh. They are remodeling the lobby to adhere to sustainability standards such as using energy efficient light bulbs, which will require them to completely redo the ceiling lighting above the front desk. The rooms aren’t anything to write home about, but are clean, beds are fairly comfortable, the A/C is cold, and it starts pumping out cold air as soon as you turn it on. If traveling without a laptop there’s a fairly new desktop on every floor for guests to use free of charge and an eager staff to assist with other business matters such as copying and faxing.

Sounds like your average commuter hotel, right? It is, but with a savvy spin to help cut down the negative environmental effects a traditional business hotel might have. All of the products used for cleaning and as guest amenities are biodegradable, plus this is cool, instead of leaving individual sized bottles they have fancy looking dispensers in each bathroom to cut down on trash. Other efforts by Parque del Lago to help keep their carbon footprint diminutive are printing marketing material on recycled paper, buying in bulk, and using energy efficient light bulbs throughout the hotel. One final aspect of the CST program that impresses me the most is their commitment to giving back to the community by hiring locally and also supporting a local women’s shelter. I imagine this endeavor is inevitably very rewarding for the women and their children as well as the employees and guests contributing.

The next time you’re in San Jose and you’re looking for a hotel located in the heart of the city with modern amenities, you should absolutely check out Parque del Lago not just for it’s convenience, but for their commitment to the environment and community. I never thought I’d feel good after a hotel stay, especially one in a major city, but after learning about their dedication to sustainable tourism I was impressed and hopeful for other urban hotels to follow suit in the near future.

Geo Visitors

Total Visitors

Random Blog Post

Most Popular

Best Job Application