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Ship ME Out | E5 - 'Full Wild Blue Golden Circle'

Could two lands with unique cultures and wild landscapes help each other confront 21st century challenges?

Watch all five episodes of Ship ME Out at shipmeout.com

"Ship ME Out" tells the story of the people from around the world who get Maine wild blueberries from the barrens of downeast Maine to stores in Iceland, after they’re processed into jam and sailed across the Atlantic on a container ship. This five-part series is an economics story that shows how Maine's multi-million dollar investment connects the state to other countries and new neighbors.

It’s a modern-day Viking saga about business, sea captains, CEOs and wicked good blueberry pie.

NEWS CENTER Maine reporter Dustin Wlodkowski and photojournalist Kirk Cratty are the connective tissue binding together the characters you’ll meet on this journey for the first time on video. You can find the full series at shipmeout.com and on NEWS CENTER Maine's YouTube page.

Episode 5 - 'Full Wild Blue Golden Circle'

In this episode Dustin and Kirk take a trip out into Iceland’s wilderness. They visit some of the most popular outdoor parks and sites in the country, many along the popular Golden Circle route. They then return to downeast Maine for a special reunion of sorts.

Can I visit all the scenic locations Dustin and Kirk went to in this show?

Credit: NEWS CENTER Maine

Yes! All of the places Dustin and Kirk filmed at are listed below. Almost all the locations they went to are the most popular in Iceland and are no more than two hours from Reykjavik.

You may notice Dustin and Kirk filmed parts of the show in Iceland using a drone. They made sure to check local rules first. You aren’t allowed to fly drones without prior permission at certain sites.

Why is this episode called Full Blue Wild Golden Circle? 

Credit: NEWS CENTER Maine

There’s a lot of meaning built into this title. The Golden Circle is a tourist travel route through popular outdoor sites in Iceland. This includes national parks, parks, natural sites, resorts, waterfalls, and much more. The specific places Dustin and Kirk went to are outlined in the “Places” section in this article. The “blue” part of the title is an allusion to the color of the ocean, which makes an appearance throughout the show. When combined with the word “wild” it becomes an allusion to wild Maine blueberries and Stonewall Kitchen’s wild Maine blueberry jam. Finally, the “full” part of the circle, alludes to a reunion of two characters from Ship ME Out. Dustin and Kirk go back to Helen’s in Machias to bring wild blueberry farmer Wayne Hanscom and Stonewall Kitchen customer, Petur Guðmundsson together via an internet video chat.

Where will Episode 5 take me? 📍

Thingvellir National Park (Thingvellir, Iceland)

Black Sands Beach (Vik, Iceland)

Geysir (Iceland)

Gulfoss (Iceland)

Mosfellsbakari, Mosfellsbaer, Iceland

Helen’s Restaurant (Machias, ME)

Quoddy Head State Park (Lubec, ME)

Who will I meet in this episode? 🤝

Haflið Ragnarsson - Owner, Mosfellsbakari

Mosfellsbakari is a bakery in a suburb of Reykjavik that sells wild Maine blueberry jam. "I admire people doing this great work. Invite me to pick some blueberries!"

Credit: NEWS CENTER Maine
Haflið Ragnarsson

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