PHOTO: A landscape discovered on a road trip through Iceland on Route 1. (all photos by Barry Kaufman unless otherwise noted) So you’re headed to Iceland for one of those 24-hour layovers we’ve heard so much about. Maybe you’re staying longer. Maybe you’ve booked a car and are heading out onto the open road to check out the famed Golden Circle.There’s nothing wrong with that. At 186 miles, the Golden Circle makes for a nice short trip—one where you’ll encounter geysers, Kerid Crater Lake and no shortage of otherworldly Icelandic scenery. There’s a reason it’s popular with tourists: It’s bite-size, giving you plenty of time to look around while minimizing the amount of driving you have to do while seeing a few cool sites.But there are two things you should know about taking a road trip in Iceland.The roads are nowhere near as treacherous as you’ve been told. Sure, they may not be up to the standards of most metropolitan highways you’re used to, but if you live in the rural South as I do, there’s not going to be much here you can’t handle.But to hear Iceland tell it, a road trip through their fair country is akin to a suicide mission through Mad Max territory. Just check out this educational video / animated acid trip that Icelandair uses to warn visitors of the dangers ahead:[embedded content]If you chose not to watch the full 9 minutes, the carnage really begins at the five-minute mark. Having driven in Iceland, I can assure you it’s not that dangerous (and at no point will an elf in an off-brand Metallica shirt materialize in your car).Secondly, the Golden Circle is not your only road trip option. If you have a day to spare (we did the following in around 15 hours, but that includes stops for lunch and dinner), there’s way more to see along Iceland’s South Coast. (For the record, full credit for the planning and execution of this trip goes to my wife Meghan. I was just along for the ride.)We started our trip in Grindavik, where we stayed at the Geohotel. Our first leg on 427 traveled through some pretty barren terrain over to Route 1, which would take us down to Skogafoss Falls in around 2.5 hours. (Hindsight being 20/20, taking 43 up to 41 would have passed us by Reykjavik, which would have only added 15 minutes, but would have been better scenery.)Skogafoss FallsOne of the largest falls in Iceland, Skogafoss actually used to mark the edge of the island. When the water levels receded to its current spot, what used to be a sea wall is now just one hell of a place to take a selfie.It’s also a great place to test your endurance, as you make your way up steep stairs winding along an adjacent hillside to the top, giving you a mesmerizing view of the Icelandic lowlands stretching away to the sea.(PRO TIP: For whatever reason, the stairs do not have a full set of handrails all the way up. Sometimes you have one on the left, sometimes you have one on the right. If you’re not confident in your balance, it’s probably best to just stay at the bottom and wait for that double rainbow selfie.)Reynisfjara BeachFor a short day trip, this is probably as far as you want to go, unless you want to keep on Route 1 into Vik to gas up or grab some supplies.(PRO TIP: Icelandic chocolate bars are worth the extra drive to a gas station. Also, as long as you’re hitting up the gas station for snacks, grab some Cool Ranch Doritos. They’re called “Cool American” Doritos over there, which makes a great souvenir for any cool Americans back home.)You can spend hours just wandering this black sand beach, feeling like you’ve landed on another planet. The geography is insane, from the tufa towers of rock just off shore to the vast caverns carved out of towering basalt columns. These columns hold up massive cliffs overlooking the beach while creating a natural spot for a great family portrait.You can also let the kids burn off some energy making black sand angels since the thick pebbles don’t tend to stick like beach sand. Grab a bite at the nearby café, then we’re headed back west on Route 1.Solheimajokull GlacierIf you ever wanted a chance to actually touch a glacier, here it is. (And depending on who you ask and whether they are a climate scientist, you’d probably better check this one off the bucket list quick.) As a word of caution, this stop on our road trip is going to take some walking. While the parking area is just off Route 1 on the road back to Grindavik, the trail that winds up and away from there ends abruptly at a sign warning you that it is dangerous to go on ahead.Depending on the time of year, the glacier could be calving, which means large chunks of what you’re walking on could possibly go floating off to sea.We cannot advise you to go past this sign. However, dozens of visitors were blithely ignoring it, heading down a long, icy path that eventually lets you stand in awe of nature’s frozen majesty so you can tell future generations what they used to look like.Eyjafjallajokull VolcanoAs you head back Route 1, you’ll notice a farmhouse off in the distance to your right, with a small parking area and signage just off the road.This is your photo op to check out Eyjafjallajokull, the volcano that famously erupted in 2010, screwing up air traffic for weeks. Hop out, stretch your legs and grab a photo. If you’re lucky, the folks still trying to work a running farm in what has become an odd tourist attraction will come out and attempt to completely ignore you, as they did during our visit. Can’t say as I blame them.Seljalandsfoss FallsOur final stop before heading back takes you to a stunning narrow waterfall, but one with a unique twist. Dual sets of stairs let you actually go behind the waterfall, clambering along a narrow rock path to give a unique perspective on the cascading water.As another word of caution: the staircases leading up are not terribly well-maintained, so expect to have to leap across a few deep puddles of mud. There is also the chance that when you reach the top of the stairs, the rest of the way behind the falls will be blocked by caution tape.We’re not saying you should go beyond this point. We’re just saying that everyone else was doing it.Photo by Meghan KaufmanThis small stretch of Route 1 between Grindavik and Vik may not have the cultural cache or the tourism cred of the more famous Golden Circle, but one trip there and back, and you’ll have seen some of Iceland’s most gorgeous terrain.The author would once again like to give full credit for this itinerary to his wife, who pored over maps for months.Follow KaufmanCopy