Swanson School of Engineering

We’re back and it’s day 4 of Iceland!

Today we started off at Seljalandfoss! It was beautiful! We even saw a rainbow on our way to the gift shop!

Next, we made our way to Skogafoss. When we arrived, we were greeted by the most beautiful rainbow stretching across the waterfall. The sun had just come out, and the mist from the falls caught the light perfectly. The view in front of me honestly felt unreal, like something straight out of an AI-generated image. It almost didn’t look real, but it was even better seeing it in person.

After taking some photos from the bottom, we hiked up the long staircase alongside the waterfall to the top. Looking out over the landscape and seeing the river continue past the falls was incredible. It gave a whole new perspective of how powerful and massive the waterfall really is.

Next, we visited the Skogar Museum, and it was such an interesting place to explore. The museum is filled with artifacts that an Icelandic collector spent his life gathering from around the island to preserve the country’s history and culture. As we walked through the different buildings, I got to see so many items from Iceland’s past. There were traditional clothing pieces, old tools, fishing equipment, transportation artifacts, and even historic homes made from wood and turf.

After that, we visited the Solheimajokull glacier. It was incredible to see a glacier up close, especially because it was so accessible by foot. As we walked closer, you could clearly see the dark streaks running through the ice. These striations are made up of volcanic ash, dirt, and rocks that became trapped in the glacier as it formed and moved over time. It was really interesting to see how the volcanic activity in Iceland actually becomes embedded within the ice itself.

What stood out the most was learning how quickly the glacier has been receding. Due to climate change, Sólheimajökull has been shrinking. Standing there and looking at the massive wall of ice made it hard to imagine that it’s disappearing so quickly. It definitely made the experience feel more significant, knowing that the glacier is constantly changing and may look very different in the future.

Lastly, on our way home, we stopped in Vik to grab some food and snacks before continuing our trip. While we were there, we were able to see the Vikurfjara black sand beach. The beach immediately stood out because of its striking black sand, which forms from volcanic rock that has been broken down over time. Along the shoreline, there were incredible basalt rock formations and arches that made the landscape feel so dramatic.

After this, we were on our way home! (I also had my first iceland hotdog but didn’t have enought time to take a picture… I was too hungry).

PEACE OUT!