Gas stations not so rare

The smallest N1 station I saw.

There are many gas stations along the 830-mile Ring Road. The most popular are N1 stations. The picture to the side is the smallest one I saw. It was pretty much all by itself in the countryside. I believe it was automated -- insert your credit card and pump. Many stations operate this way. I don't think I was ever 60 miles from a gas station.

Grocery store at an N1 station

The N1 stations in towns -- and by towns I mean any place with 100 residents or more -- has a grocery store and a cafe. I was told before I left on my trip that they all had free WiFi, but I never found it.

An average sized N1 station

The stations offer a surprisingly good selection of groceries including fruits and veggies -- plus sundries, auto supplies, stationary, beer and wine, bug sprays, toys, clothing, even shoes. For folks who shop there it's the only place to buy anything for perhaps 50 to 100 miles. The N1's cafes offer hamburgers, hot dogs, coffee and whatever you can buy on the store shelves (a microwave and small electric grill is usually available to heat up sandwiches) and may be the only restaurant for miles around. They can be hoppin' places with locals seeking an evening on the town.

The stores accept cash, but credit cards are probably used more in Iceland than in the United States. When I was there (Sept. 2011), the price of gasoline and diesel was about $7.50 a gallon.