Brevard College Geology Professor Dr. Jim Reynolds will lead an 11-day excursion to Iceland this summer for Smithsonian Journeys, the Smithsonian Institution’s Travel Program.
The July 19-28 tour is specially designed for small groups of 16 to 24 Smithsonian travelers.
Dr. Reynolds, who has taught at Brevard College since 1999, has led eight previous trips to Iceland, including excursions on behalf of Brevard College, Smithsonian Journeys, the Geological Society of America and Utrecht University in the Netherlands. He is a recipient of two Fulbright Scholarships to Argentina and is a Geological Society of America Fellow. Dr. Reynolds received his doctorate from Dartmouth College.
July’s trip will take participants to Iceland’s massive glaciers, rumbling volcanoes, spouting hot springs, lava fields, powerful waterfalls, and beaches on the north and south coasts. Participants will experience Iceland’s geological wonders, gracious hospitality, and relaxed pace while traveling in a comfortable chartered bus, staying in top-rated hotels, and eating in some of Iceland’s best restaurants. Numerous cultural activities are planned in addition to the scientific itinerary.
Highlights of the trip will include visits to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, where the explorers in Jules Verne’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth” descended into the Snaefellsjökull volcano and to Myvatn, a large lake in northeastern Iceland that is surrounded by numerous volcanoes.
Another excursion will feature the phenomenal national park that boasts Europe’s most powerful waterfall, Dettifoss and a visit to Husavík, a charming fishing village on Iceland’s north coast, less than half a degree from the Arctic Circle. In South Iceland, the travelers will explore the hot springs of Geysir, the popular Gullfoss, the “golden waterfall”, and ocean cliffs teaming with various bird species, but especially puffins. No visit to Iceland is complete without spending time at Thingvellir National Park, where the world’s oldest parliament was established in A.D. 930, and the village of Skogar, home to one of Iceland’s best museums. There will also be time to explore the capital, Reykjavik, and to enjoy this sophisticated urban center and its soothing geothermal baths.
For more information, visit www.smithsonianjourneys.org/tours/iceland/