Flight to America

The day I have been dreading has arrived... our flight home to America. My inner child was throwing a tantrum in the terminal because I did not want to leave Germany. The past 4 years in Europe have been amazing and I did not want it to end. We got to see and experience so much and I am going to miss it all. 

We checked in early at the Ramsetin PAX terminal and checked A LOT of bags. We had some time to kill before our flight so walked over to the KMCC (Kaiserslautern Military Community Center), a HUGE AAFES mall to kill some time. We grabbed some lunch and did some shopping before heading back to the terminal. On the 2nd floor of the terminal is a Family Lounge room for kids 5 and under. They have a large room full of toys and seating along with a restroom, a nursery with cribs and a nursing room. The family lounge also contains a small kitchen with a fridge, microwave, sink and bottle warmer.

Besides having to wait for HOURS to board our flight, it went pretty well. We flew a huge double-deck aircraft that was a Patriot Express flight.  Rand even napped for a few hours! We arrived late at night at BWI and stayed at a nearby hotel. Rob had to catch a flight early the next morning but Rand and I stayed at the hotel to wait for my family to pick us up.

Our first morning in the USA, Rand learned a new word "air conditioner." While I was getting ready for the day, I heard Rand laughing hysterically. So of course I grab my camera and peak around the corner to find him laughing at the air conditioner. 

Welcome to America Rand!

Landstuhl Spring Festival

When we found out Landstuhl was having a small festival we jumped on the train to spend the evening eating candy and currywurst. 

I think we just use any excuse for train travel these days.

Rand got to try his first cotton candy and go on a bumper car. He loved the "roller coaster" rides too. 

The top right pic of Rand cracks me up... 

"Go on the ride, they said. It will be fun, they said."

 Rand was so funny. That night he prayed and thanked Jesus for bumper cars, roller coaster, cotton candy and train ride. He is too cute!

Bärenloch (Kindsbach Park)

The village nearby ours has an adorable park called Bärenloch (or Bears Hole). This park has a lot to offer and has quickly become one of our favorite parks. 

Rand's favorite is the slide built into a hill with old tires- nice way to integrate play elements into the environment!

If you get hungry, nearby is the Kahnhaus next to the lake. It serves German snacks and hefeweizen. 

You will find a Fußball (soccer) field and many hiking trails. Also, a great swimming lake for the summer time.

Address:

Talstrasse 18, 66862 Kindsbach

Last trip to Garmisch

In the middle of getting ready to pack up and move we decided to run away to the alps for a quick getaway. It ended up being a disaster of a trip... we took a route that ended up having an avalanche so we had to turn back around to go another way. While we backed up to turn around Rand threw up everywhere. As soon as we pulled over to clean it all up, Rob got a phone call that the movers were coming in 4 days to pack! We were originally told it would be another week at least! If we weren't 40 minutes away from our destination we would had probably just gone back home. Thank goodness the views were worth the crazy drive. 

While driving to Garmisch, Germany, part of our route was through Austria. We decided to take a bit of a detour and go through a different route to pass by Plansee. Shortly after is where we had to turn around because of an avalanche. 

We finally arrived at our apartment I found on AirBnB after dinner time. It was a long day and we were all ready to hit the sack. Unfortunately Rand still had some motion sickness and got sick again that night. It was a long night of washing sheets and towels in the bathroom.

 The next morning Rand was acting good as new. We hung around the apartment for a good part of the day to make sure he was feeling much better before heading out to hike and explore. 

We headed out to Leutascher Geisterklamm (Spirit of the Gorge). Finding the place was a bit challenging but it is right across from a bus stop and near some outdoor hanging obstacle course.  We followed the Mountain Spirit Gorge Trail (Schanz) in a loop since the Waterfall trail (in Mittenwald) was closed. 

 I was standing right on the border of Germany and Austria!

Since Rand was feeling great we decided to check out another hiking stop and drove into Mittenwald. 

The next morning we headed out to Mittenwald to do a bit more hiking before we headed back home. We decided to end our trip early and head back home to get ready for the packers. 

We parked near the tennis courts and hiked towards the gorge. Unfortunately it was closed due to maintenance but the fresh fallen snow was a stunning sight on our hike.

So we have traveled to this area... um maybe 3 times (here and here) since we have lived in Germany. We love this area for many reasons. For Rob it is the views. I love them too but I LOVE the food! This area has some of the BEST German food! 

Erlebnispark Teufelstisch "Devil's Table"

I have been wanting to check out Erlebnispark Teufelstisch and go hiking through the Palatine Forest. It is only 40 minutes from the KMC area and makes a great day with the kids. The park is surrounded by dozens of hiking trails and but the main attraction is the Teufekstisch "Devil's Table" that looks over the children's park. 

The Teufekstisch is a 14 meter high red sandstone rock formation, reminiscent of a legged table. The name - quite obviously - has its roots in a legend. It tells the story how the devil, looking for a place to rest and eat in a stormy night, cannot find anything nearby. So he picks up a few rocks to pile up his table. After refreshing himself he leaves the site and the storm passes. The next day everybody is frightened except for one: he claims to sit and eat at the same table the following night. Does so but at midnight a horrible cry is heard and the next day our daredevil is found dead.

 Teufelsfels has only a few routes, all of which are short but demanding. When we arrived we took the trail towards the back of the parking lot, near the map. We hiked up to the Teufelsfels and then took the slide down. 

We spent an hour or two chasing Rand around the large playground. They have a smaller slide, water playground, zipline, sandpit area, swings, miniture golf and much more! A restaurant is right next door which also has a play area so you can eat outside and look over your kids playing. Use of the park is free (except for miniature golfing) but parking is 1euro for 2 hours.

Address:

Im Handschuhteich 31

D-66999 Hinterweidenthal

Idar Oberstein

Many years ago when Rob and I first moved to Germany, we ventured out to Idar Oberstein to find a castle I saw on Pinterest. After driving around for an hour or so we gave up and headed back home. This time I came prepared with addresses and numerous locations of interesting sites.

Idar Oberstein is about 45 minutes away from the KMC area and is a great place to spend a day and hunt for some gems. Idar Oberstein is known for its gemstones and you can tour and go mining at Eedelstein Minen or visit the Mineralien Museum. The town also has two castles; Burg Bosselstein and Schloss Oberstein. Another main attraction is the Felsenkirche (church in the rocks), a church that was built into the side of a mountain. You can access the path up to the church by following the signs from the wallplatz area. You will walk up a flight of stairs, turn the corner past the locked gate in front on the church and walk into a tunnel with more stairs. To enter the church, it is 2€ adults for adults and ,50 for kids. Be sure to walk up to the bell tower and look out over the city.

After hiking up to the church, we got a bite to eat around the wallplatz and walked the streets to look into the many shops selling gems and polished rocks.

Next we visited Hangeseilbrucke Geierlay.

Hängeseilbrücke Geierlay "Hanging Bridge"

Today we took a day trip to visit Idar Oberstein and Hängeseilbrücke Geierlay.

Hängeseilbrücke Geierlay is only about an hour and 30 minutes away from the KMC area. We parked at the visitor center, Besucherzentrum. As soon as you enter Mörsdorf, you will see signs for parking on your right. Parking is 2euro for the day. Be sure to go into the visitor center to use the bathroom ahead of time. It is about a 20-25 min walk (1.8km) to the bridge. Leaving the visitor’s center you go to the right and follow the sign for "Geierlay." You will quickly cross the street and take the road on your left and continue on down to walk on the pathway through some farmland. Turn right and continue on that path till you come to a fork in the path and make a left. You will see the bridge up ahead. There is an easier (not as steep) path to get onto the bridge on the left side on the clearing and benches. 

 Hängeseilbrücke Geierlay was built in 2015 and is the longest suspension bridge in Germany at 360 meters (1,181 feet) long. This pedestrian rope bridge links the villages of Mörsdorf and Sosberg.

The area is full of hiking trails and I wish we had more day light to explore some of the paths. You can even walk down into the valley and look up at the bridge. 

Address:

Lahrer Strasse 10, Wörsdorf 56290

Tips for your trip to Hängeseilbrücke Geierlay:

-The Visitor center has a restaurant and a "to-go" window. The village of Mörsdorf does have a few restaurants so you might want to check those out too.

-If you decide to bring a stroller (I highly suggest using a carrier though), please leave it at the clearing and do not take it on the bridge.

-It is breezy on the bridge so just be prepared the bridge does sway and maybe bring a light jacket

-Don't look down ;)

Hiking in Potzberg

We woke up to a gorgeous sunny day in Germany and I knew we just had to take advantage of the weather and the fact that Rob had the day off. I have a list of small day trips I want to do before we move back to the USA this summer and I thought we would head out to Potzberg and hike around the Potzberg Wildpark. 

We parked in the parking lot of the wild park and could easily spot the hiking trails and maps. 

We came across a WWI memorial on the trail.

I sure am going to miss views like this.

Be prepared and bring some snacks... not only for yourself but for the animals. We had some carrots and the reindeer couldn't have enough. 

A couple bucks even had at it over a carrot and I caught it on camera!

During our hike we came up to a little playground in a nearby village. We let Rand out and go down the slide a few times and run around the playground before we headed back on the trail.

Address:

Am, Potzbergstraße 1, 66887 Föckelberg

Snow day in Germany

I am sad to say this winter has been kind of a bummer for me. I knew this was the last opportunity for Rand to enjoy some snow for a VERY long time. We will be moving to America soon to Alabama/ Georgia and it never snows there.

I was so excited to wake up to a blanket of fresh white snow on top of our German town this morning. 

I bundled Rand up in his winter gear and we headed out for a walk to visit the goats and give them some food. Rand was hysterical! He hated the snow and refused to touch it... he wouldn't even step on it. Here you can see him walking in the tire trail to avoid touching the snow. He was interested in the small snowman I made but again, wouldn't touch it, lol.