AARP Hearing Center
Planning a trip to see the sights is great. Combining it with a hobby can make it even better. Hobbies force you to take time for yourself. They help you focus and unwind, which can lead to better overall health. Enjoying a hobby is also a great way to stay productive and meet new people. Overall, hobbies can make you happier. Here are four hobbies that take you across the globe with a goal in mind.
Knitting
Knitting keeps your hands busy and your mind occupied as you count stitches and follow patterns to make beautiful clothing and blankets. One country where you can enhance your knitting skills, and also see the sites, is Iceland.
Rowan Tree Travel & Fibercraft offers trips to Iceland where travelers can learn about the history of lopapeysa, the iconic sweater of Iceland. Visitors tour local museums and farms, learn about the history of Iceland’s settlement, meet with local textile artisans, visit glaciers, waterfalls and fjords, and soak in geothermal pools. The tours offered cover nine days and eight nights, and range from $5,000-$6,000, which includes all transportation once the tour begins, activities and most meals. Travelers are generally women ages 40-80 who bring a non-knitting spouse or friend.
Hélène Magnússon, a knit designer in Iceland, offers various tours where travelers can knit under the Northern Lights, hike mountains and/or knit with puffins as Magnússon explains the history of Icelandic knitting. Prices start around $2,600 for one week and include food, lodging and classes. There is a waiting list for the tours, which are good for beginners as well as advanced knitters.
Let’s Travel also organizes knitting tours to Iceland. The group provides airport pickup on a private bus, six nights in a Viking hotel, several meals and day trips to the Golden Circle, a famous scenic route in Iceland where you can view waterfalls, geysers and national parks. Let’s Travel also provides private knitting time with professional knitter Maria Hrafnsdóttir. Prices start around $3,150 per person for single occupancy, $2,600 for double occupancy.
While certain areas in Iceland were evacuated because of a potential volcanic eruption, travel to the country has not yet been restricted. Monitor the news before booking your trip.