Life on the Inside

With the parents arriving in a few hours, we decided it would be best to revisit Oktoberfest! Might as well get all the mischief out while the parents are blissfully unaware. Ha!

Just kidding! The sun was shining, and we were engulfed in the massive tidal wave of people flowing to the festival grounds. We really had no choice except to ride the wave. We couldn't fight the flow!

By day 3, the jet lag had worn off, and we had been schooled by the locals on Oktoberfest. So, we approached the outing with a true game plan on which tents we'd like to explore. First, the Armbrustschutzen tent known for it's crossbow competition. Really? Drunken patrons with crossbows? I wasn't too disappointed to discover we weren't visiting during a scheduled competition.

Then, there's Hippodrom which is where all the beautiful people go! Kelly promptly declared this was were she was meant to be. Of course! Hippodrom has a club-like feel and is tent that most celebrities flock to.

Each tent has different look as well as vibe. With more time, you'd eventually find one that suited your personality. Every local has their favorite. Your favorite tent for dining might not necessarily be your favorite tent for drinking, and of course, there's lots of smack-talking about the competition. "Don't go there unless you're wearing lederhosen and looking to meet someone in lederhosen!" Gotcha!

Eventually, we followed the advice of multiple locals and made our way to the Hacker-Pschorr tent for lunch and our first liter of beer for the day. All I can say is trust the locals! They will not steer you wrong!

The Winzerer-Fahndl tent is known for it's authentic Bavarian decor and is another spot the celebrities frequent.

The Lowenbrau tent is especially popular with Munich soccer fans. Not surprising when you consider that they are The Lions!

Needing a break from the tents (beer), we decided to ride the ferris wheel for a bird's eye view of the insanity that is Oktoberfest. Wow! What an eye-opening experience! Sure, the view was incredible and from that vantage point you really could see the massive crowd that ebbed & flowed along the midway.  However, the actual process of waiting our turn to board the ferris wheel was what truly stands out in my memory. There were no barricades to shuffle through like you would find here at U.S. theme parks. No, it was an orderly flow of people. People were respectful of when everyone entered the holding area. We recognized who entered before us and after us, and everyone else did the same. There was no pushing or shoving or otherwise rude behavior. Can you imagine?! If rides were set up like that here, I can guarantee you that someone would end up shanked! I love the German mentality. They're all Type-A like me! I found my little utopia on the planet! Ha!

With the dinner hour & the parents' plane approaching, we concluded our Oktoberfest experience. Auf wiedersehen, Oktoberfest! We will be back!!!

Munchen

We arrived in Munich a few days ahead of my parents which gave us a head start on the sightseeing.  Our first stop was Marienplatz, the city's main square, to see the Glockenspiel, the town hall with an animated facade that comes to life several times throughout the day to entertain the crowds below. It's like a elaborate coo coo clock!

This historic district of Munich features beautiful architecture, and it's easy to waste away an entire day shopping. We did our best to stay focused on exploring the city rather than the stores.

We were able to get our shopping fix at the Viktualienmarkt. I love visiting street markets when we travel abroad. The produce is beautifully displayed like works of art in a museum, and the dining options are plentiful. In my opinion, edibles make the best souvenirs and gifts for loved ones back home. It's like bringing home a little piece of the culture.  Gourmet coffees, artisan breads & pastries, chocolates, condiments, and of course wine weigh down my luggage on the route home.

I'm not going to lie. It was hard to leave the market, but eventually, we did pry ourselves away. The grandeur of the Nymphenburg Palace was calling our name. The Nymphenburg Palace could by compared to the Palace of Versailles outside Paris. Both palaces were built as vacation homes for the ruling powers of the period. Life was good as a Royal!

The palace grounds are overwhelming in scale. Truly larger than life! They rent bicycles and golf carts to visitors which improves the likelihood of seeing everything. We weren't that ambitious. We were completely content strolling the meandering paths while admiring the Fall color.

Of course, after all that strolling, a little refreshment break was certainly in order. We toasted to another amazing day!

Prost

If there's something we lack in life, it's spontaneity. We are not a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants family. Mainly, because I'm the family travel agent, and I'm a Type-A perfectionist. That means I plan. I like planning. Planning is my thing. Ha! So, typically by the time we're actually enjoying a vacation, I've been planning it for almost year, and find it quite hard to believe that we're finally on the trip! This vacation has to be the most extreme case yet because I feel as if I've been planning this trip since my childhood, and all as a result of the stories from my father's childhood.

As a "military brat," my dad was born in Germany and spent a large chunk of his childhood exploring Bavaria on family vacations. My brother, sister, and I grew up hearing these stories. Quite often, the stories were shared as we traveled on our own little family adventures.  I always thought it would be fun to plan a trip back to Germany with my dad. I wanted to see if the country really lived up to his perception. For example, when we took my parents to Disney World a few years ago, we spent a day at EPCOT's World Showcase. Once we made it to "Germany" which is towards the beginning of the circuit, my dad refused to leave! I'm so not kidding! Well, in a nutshell, Germany does live up to my father's hype. I'm far from a world traveler, but I have been to few countries. Bavaria is hands down the only place I've visited where I can actually imagine living. It suits my Type-A personality perfectly! It would seem I have my dad to thank for those genes!

So, when planning a trip to Munich and Bavaria, what immediately comes to mind? Oktoberfest!!! Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! The Germans know how to celebrate!

I don't think any of us knew what to expect besides large tents filled with beer-guzzling Germans. I can honestly say, I did not expect the carnival. I'm not sure who thought it was a good idea to combine patrons drinking massive steins (Yes, multiple steins!) of beer with dizzying carnival rides, but somehow it works. I didn't personally see the negative side effects, but I'm certain they were suffered by many.

As first-timers, we preferred to explore the numerous tents. Each has it's own unique feel. Anyone is welcome to enter, but you can only eat & drink if you are seated at a table. You can make reservations (a year in advance) with a group of 10 or more, but we had no problem finding a seat when we arrived before Noon. That's around the time the party gets started, but things don't truly get "lively" until much later in the evening. Still, the tables were far from deserted! Hundreds of people were already enjoying the festivities & beer. Maybe they were actually late partiers from the night before?!

It was also a bit of a surprise to discover that Oktoberfest is not only for adults. It's really more of a family affair. It's very similar to our State or County fairs just with massive, and I do mean MASSIVE consumption of beer. It's SUPERB! I, personally, have zero plans to take my children. At least, not for another 2 decades!

After wandering the midway and tents for hours, we succumbed to our jet lag, and made our way back towards our hotel. Our hotel was ideally situated across from the Hauptbahnhof, central train station. We knew that would make day trips throughout the region easy. What we didn't realize was the Hauptbahnhof was the sight of the Oktoberfest "after party." People travel from all over the region to participate in the daily festivities. The Hauptbahnhof was buzzing with energy at all hours. Not only because of the many trains and passengers, but also because of the incredible food court. I'm not exaggerating when I say we all looked forward to dining at the train station!!!

Sure, we enjoyed dining at the various restaurants and taverns as well, but I don't think anything topped the train station. Yes, I realize how ridiculous that sounds, but it's true! There were so many options. My dad discovered what would become his favorite sausage stand. Anh, Kelly, and I discovered the Donner sandwich which I still think about almost daily. There was even a Vietnamese restaurant! I'm telling you, it was foodie heaven. I miss it so much!

The excitement of the first day was a bit of a surprise. I knew the trip would be meaningful because it was a true family adventure. I don't think I expected to enjoy the city as much as we did. What a fabulous surprise!