Trip to Germany

First, let’s talk about the food
My favorite meal was Asparagus cream soup, followed closely by Maultaschen… For those of you near me, we’ll be planning a German culinary evening to see if i remember anything from my cooking lesson for Spaetzle and German Potato Salad – i’ll also take a stab at Maultaschen. Let me know if you’re interested in coming over for some German cuisine.

Stuttgart

After waiting FOREVER at the airport for my parents and aunt/uncle (delayed due to weather, then missed connecting flight in Paris… then Air France lost their luggage), we FINALLY arrived in Stuttgart – tired and hungry.  Though not my favorite city I visited, Stuttgart does offer a lot of charm in the ’suburbs’.  My personal favorites were the neighborhoods of Hedelfingen and Ulbach – so quaint, easy to get to, and just beautiful.  what struck me the most was how dog friendly every place was – not something i particularly remember from 13 years ago… i LOVED that i had to climb over a huge swiss mountain dog to go to dinner.

Medieval Times…

Esslingen, small town east of Stuttgart.  BEAUTIFUL town to walk around.  Got to spend the weekend with my good friend Jess (field hockey teammate from Mary Baldwin College), while she is stationed in Germany – and we met up here after touring around Stuttgart for a few hours.

Friends, castles, and dialects
What a great day! Surprised by one of my German sisters, Britta, and got lots of history (prehistoric museum to see fossils, an incredible monastary, and an intimidating castle), and BEAUTIFUL scenery throughout the Schwaebischen Alb area of southern Germany. It was so great to catch up with friends!

Relaxing on the Neckar

After so much touring in the Schwaebischen Alb area, we relaxed with a riverboat cruise up the Neckar river to Marbach – hometown of Schiller (famous German playwright).

Crazy Train
Crazy day – started in Stuttgart, went to Lake Constance (German side at Friedrichshafen), Basel Switzerland, Freiburg (in the black forrest), Train ride through the forrest, mishap catching trains and getting stranded in Rottweil (home of the Rottweiler, and near the hometown of the man that the movie Valkyrie is based off of)… which leads me to think – why can’t the US have such a great train system? (seriously – 25 euros for 5 people to go WHEREVER in Baden Wurttemberg?). OH, and we got to experience the ICE train (fast train) after missing the first one, which caused our little hiccup later trying to get back to Stuttgart – but still… very nice train systems overall.

Where to stay in Stuttgart
Just some pics of where we stayed… it was like living in an art gallery! Thanks to Werner Greuling for being such a fabulous host!

The Hills Are Alive… with the sound of… Ashley cursing at the rain
Mozart’s birth city… beautiful town, though very touristy. Not sure I could ever see myself living here, but loved the history and the culture all the same. Started with great weather, ended up with lots of rain, and a very tired family.

Munich.  Again.  Been there, done that.  But great to see a friend.
Rain, and more rain… but worth it to meet up with a friend I kept in touch with when I lived in Germany as an exchange student! My picture taking was pretty much non-existent except the obligatory shots of Marienplatz, and of me and Charlotte.

The last stop on the tour…
What a way to wrap up a trip! Reunited with Christina – my other German sister – who I actually lived with in Bavaria for a couple of months. Amazing that so much time can pass, and it seems as if we just talked yesterday. Thanks to Christina and Inge for showing my family around Mainz! My family ended up leaving after walking around, while I stayed the night and spent time with Christina and Inge, then had breakfast along the Rhein river and watched some smart people ride the farris wheel in lightning.

Cruise America (well, Cruise Utah)…

Utah… land of deserts, mountains, canyons… the most breathtaking landscapes.  How does one go about this the best way possible, you ask?  Why, in an RV of course!   The decision to rent an RV was so amusing to me, as all I could picture was Cousin Eddie (from Christmas Vacation) standing there, in a bathroom, drinking a beer, emptying the black water into the sewer… but you know what?  It was GREAT!  This trip was the first time husband and I vacationed with another couple – and it really made for a fantastic time.   Somehow, we all got along and no one got on eachother’s nerves (as far as i could tell, anyway).  That alone seems like a feat worthy of mentioning – 4 full grown adults in a 30 ft. long living space?  that sounded like a recipe for disaster for me.  But mix in good company, great hiking, and memories to last a lifetime, and you get one incredible journey.   Below are some highlights from the trip:

Zion National Park (March 29, 2009)

So begins our first hike of the trip.  We chose to do the Emerald Pools hike, and it was a great choice for us to warm up to the hiking – not too strenuous, great views, and an outstanding spot for lunch at the upper pool.  If you are looking for an easy hike, I recommend this – if it’s warm outside, you’ll get to cool off a little bit from the spray of water every now and then from the occasional water falls forming the pools.  I hope to go back one day and do some more hiking in the park.   Another highlight was driving through Zion to the north exit, so that we could continue on to Bryce Canyon.  Harrowing is probably the best word to describe that… taking an RV through tight switchbacks was… interesting… but it was such an amazing drive – I have never seen anything like it.  If you aren’t up for hiking, I recommend at least taking this drive through Zion.

Bryce Canyon (March 30, 2009)

By far, my absolute favorite day of this trip.  After a beautiful drive through Red Canyon in Dixie National Forest, and waiting for the snow to slow down a bit while eating a hearty breakfast at Ruby’s Inn just outside of Bryce – we went on to see what is now my favorite place in America: Bryce Canyon National Park.  After talking to one of the rangers, we decided to catch a geology class held at the top of the amphitheater, and to take the Navajo Loop.  The park ranger class was great – probably meant more for kids, but informative and entertaining all the same.  Bryce (made up of hoodoos) was actually formed from plates shifting, creating columns – which then took on the hoodoo formations due to erosion.  The Navajo Loop was perfect:  a good degree of exertion (possibly due to snow, wind, cold, and the fact that i was feeling sick), and the best scenery I have ever experienced in the US.   We were extremely lucky to have had snow just before going on the hike, as it added to the beauty of it all.  Some highlights on the hike include Wall Street, and Thor’s Hammer. 

Arches National Park

Arches is probably one of the more well-known national parks… and I was extremely excited to see it.  While it was nice – it was not my favorite spot on the trip.  This may have something to do with the fact that my sinus infection was so bad, I was 7 weeks pregnant, and just felt like crud.  That being said, I still think it’s a must to see the landscape – it’s like right out of the movies. Some other tips – the main attractions are not difficult hikes – if you’re sick, or just want to go on a stroll, this is a good park to enjoy… not necessarily great for strollers or wheelchairs, but it is accessible in some places (like to go see Delicate Arch or Balanced Rock – even if just from a distance).

Canyonlands National Park

coming soon… (sorry trying to catch up on a trip that took place months ago!)

I know, I know…

Yes, this is getting ridiculous.  I’ve been back from Utah for nearly 2 months and yet to post about my trip… and in two weeks I’m off to Germany!  I SWEAR I will have something up by the end of the week.