🎙️ Episode 42 – Chasing the Midnight Sun
Guests: Poppy, GT, and Robert
Host: Mike Ruhl
Length: ~90 minutes
Recorded in: Reykjavik, Iceland & Tromsø, Norway
In this jam-packed kickoff to the "Norway Adventure" trilogy, Mike, his son Robert, Poppy, and GT set off on a multi-generational journey across Iceland and Norway in pursuit of puffins, pastries, and (eventually) halibut.
🛫 TRIP ORIGINS:
GT and Mike's group fly from Santa Fe to Denver, then direct to Reykjavik
Poppy flies from Pennsylvania to Reykjavik via BWI
The crew reunites, loads into a diesel Toyota Land Cruiser, and starts their Icelandic road trip
🏔️ ICELAND HIGHLIGHTS:
Whale Museum in Reykjavik
The Hallgrímskirkja church and top-tier seafood dinners
Waterfalls you can walk behind
Puffin spotting on the Westman Islands
Black Sand Beach and tern attacks (ask Poppy)
Secret Lagoon hot springs (shhh!)
Geysir and tectonic plate hikes
Several bakeries – one was life-changing
🍲 ROBERT’S RANKINGS:
Robert (age 6) offers a full list of favorites and not-so-favorites, including:
🥇 Secret Lagoon
🥈 Second bakery
🥉 Whale museum and mussels dinner
🥄 Least favorite: not being allowed to ride a scooter 😆
🔥 SPECIAL ICELANDIC MOMENT:
On the drive to the airport, the crew unexpectedly witnesses a volcano eruption near the Blue Lagoon — a surreal farewell from Iceland.
✈️ ONWARD TO NORWAY:
Flight from Reykjavik to Oslo
Chaos at baggage claim delays their escape from the Oslo airport
They discover the Oslo Pass, which unlocks a packed itinerary of museums, ferries, and public transport
🏛️ OSLO MUSEUM BLITZ:
Fram Museum
Kon-Tiki Museum
Nobel Peace Center
Munch Museum (yes, The Scream)
Norway’s Maritime & Natural History Museums
🌊 ROBERT SWIMS AGAIN:
Swims in the Oslo harbor near the opera house
Later, tricks GT into letting him swim in a fountain
🥵 DOWNSIDE:
Oslo was hot, with no A/C in their 7th floor Airbnb
Also, tiny coffee cups
📈 GT’s FISH-SHIPPING COST METER:
A running joke/theme emerges: how much will it ultimately cost GT to bring fish back to New Mexico?
Current tally: $230 and counting...
🌄 TROMSØ ARRIVAL:
The group flies to Tromsø, 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle
Reindeer roam the beaches while Norwegians swim in the icy water
Mountains rise from sea level, and the setting stuns the entire group
🎣 FISHING ANTICIPATION:
The whole crew, especially Robert, is ready to fish
But they haven’t even started yet…
💬 Quotes of the Episode:
“It’s a sheep in wolf’s clothing!” – Mike
“No, it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” – GT
“I think he chafed his nipples on the bottom of the fountain.” – Mike
“The biggest problem in Iceland? Tiny coffee cups.” – GT
📍Where We’ve Been (So Far):
Reykjavik
Secret Lagoon
Westman Islands
Oslo
Tromsø
📦 Next Up in Episode 43:
The crew finally arrives in Hasvik, Norway for Camp Halibut and the fishing adventure begins! Expect big catches, late-night fileting, and the most expensive fish per pound you’ve ever heard of.
📲 Follow along on Instagram and Facebook: @OutdoorRuhls
📬 Got comments or a verdict on the sheep/wolf debate? Email us: [email protected]
