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| Jack and Henry setting up their tent |
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| Sunset over the Puget Sound |
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Camping at Fort Flagler
In mid-September, we took a ferry across the Puget Sound to the Olympic Peninsula to camp at Fort Flagler State Park. The Fort, which is still standing, was built in the late 1890s/early 1900s to protect the Puget Sound from naval attacks. The boys had a lot of fun playing in the abandoned bunkers and passageways. The campground overlooks the water and we were able to watch the sunset.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Switzerland !
In August, we all took our first big international journey ... to Switzerland for eight days. We flew into Geneva, and from there took the wonderful Swiss trains all around the country - to Zermatt (where the Matterhorn is), Lugano (a smallish city very close to the Italian Border), Wengen (deep in the Alps where we stayed for three days), Gruyeres (very French), and then back to Geneva to fly home.
We took four hikes through some of the most amazing scenery we'd seen. We also got to (try to) speak three different languages - French, Italian, and German. We ate some quintessential Swiss foods and drinks (cheese of course, in particular fondue; also lots of Swiss Chocolate, and also Rivella, the "Coke of Switzerland"). Over the course of our week we took 20 trains, 6 cable cars, and 2 taxis, plus one bus when we needed to take a detour because part of our train line was under construction.
We all voted on our favorite activities at the end of the trip. The top few were:
1. Hiking. The best two were the two through the mountains near Wengen: Mannlichen-to-Kleine Scheidegg where we walked along a ridge for about two hours before ending at the foot of the Eiger and taking the train back; and First-to-Bort where we took three cable cars and hiked for about four miles through a valley to get to a cable car station to get back home.
2. The Gruyeres Castle - a classic medieval town with one street leading up to a castle on a hill. Very unlike anything in the U.S.
3. Ziplining in Zermatt. We all strapped on harnesses and helmets and then sped along about fifty feet in the air, all in the shadow of the Matterhorn.
4. Waterfalls in Lauterbrunnen Valley. The valley is surrounded by sheer rock walls about 1500 feet tall. There are 72 waterfalls, including one we walked along, which you took an elevator through a rock to ten different viewing platforms.
5. Chocolate Factory Tour in Broc. While a bit more crowded and touristy than the rest of the trip, we were able to see Swiss chocolate being made, taste lots of free samples, and then buy some in the gift shop.
Everyone's favorite dinner was the very authentic Italian restaurant in Lugano, the town on the border with Italy. Nearly everyone's favorite breakfast was some chocolate croissants we got at the train station in Geneva. The hotel in Zermatt was everyone's #1 or #2 choice; the hotel in Wengen was a close second for most.
To see the top pictures from our trip: click here. (Flickr has changed their interface - you can see captions on the bottom left of your screen under the picture, and you can just press the right arrow key to scroll through the pictures).
We took four hikes through some of the most amazing scenery we'd seen. We also got to (try to) speak three different languages - French, Italian, and German. We ate some quintessential Swiss foods and drinks (cheese of course, in particular fondue; also lots of Swiss Chocolate, and also Rivella, the "Coke of Switzerland"). Over the course of our week we took 20 trains, 6 cable cars, and 2 taxis, plus one bus when we needed to take a detour because part of our train line was under construction.
We all voted on our favorite activities at the end of the trip. The top few were:
1. Hiking. The best two were the two through the mountains near Wengen: Mannlichen-to-Kleine Scheidegg where we walked along a ridge for about two hours before ending at the foot of the Eiger and taking the train back; and First-to-Bort where we took three cable cars and hiked for about four miles through a valley to get to a cable car station to get back home.
2. The Gruyeres Castle - a classic medieval town with one street leading up to a castle on a hill. Very unlike anything in the U.S.
3. Ziplining in Zermatt. We all strapped on harnesses and helmets and then sped along about fifty feet in the air, all in the shadow of the Matterhorn.
4. Waterfalls in Lauterbrunnen Valley. The valley is surrounded by sheer rock walls about 1500 feet tall. There are 72 waterfalls, including one we walked along, which you took an elevator through a rock to ten different viewing platforms.
5. Chocolate Factory Tour in Broc. While a bit more crowded and touristy than the rest of the trip, we were able to see Swiss chocolate being made, taste lots of free samples, and then buy some in the gift shop.
Everyone's favorite dinner was the very authentic Italian restaurant in Lugano, the town on the border with Italy. Nearly everyone's favorite breakfast was some chocolate croissants we got at the train station in Geneva. The hotel in Zermatt was everyone's #1 or #2 choice; the hotel in Wengen was a close second for most.
To see the top pictures from our trip: click here. (Flickr has changed their interface - you can see captions on the bottom left of your screen under the picture, and you can just press the right arrow key to scroll through the pictures).
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