Hit the ground running!

We know our time here is limited, so we're taking every opportunity to see what we can when we can.
And so far, Europe has NOT disappointed!

One of my favorite places - so far - has been Partnach Gorge, just outside of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
It.is.beautiful!

We parked at the old stadium left from the 1936 Olympic Games.
It once looked like this;

Now this is all that's left;

There's about a 25 minute walk from the stadium to the entrance of the gorge. You follow the Partnach River the whole way.

Once you come to the mountain, you follow the cut-out trail either on an outer ledge, or through a cave in the gorge.

Apparently, this is the trail that was originally used by lumberjacks and hunters.

The walls were over 260 ft. and the water was crystal clear. We loved it!

Some of the pics aren't the best, but we were weaving in and out of dark caves and bright sunlight.
I needed you, Aunt Peggy!

Couldn't tell you the name of this saint. But these small "chapels" are all over the place in Germany.

We just knew we'd end up in Narnia!






















It was cold, and wet, and wonderful!

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We also headed to the Zugspitze, the highest point in Germany.
Not quite as high as Pikes Peak, but absolutely breathtaking!

Enjoyed the view until it got a little too cold and windy, then ducked inside one of the toasty-warm restaurants for lunch before heading back down the mountain.

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The girls are getting a bit tired of hotels, but they love the traveling.

We had some excitement at this last place.
The Edelweiss Lodge and Resort is a recreational hotel owned by the DoD. Great location. Great amenities.

But even the greats have a glitch now and then.
We were sleeping soundly at O'dark-thirty, when the most annoying fire alarm I've ever heard started blaring! No one was moving too quickly at first. We just weren't sure what was up.
But when we realized it was a full resort evacuation, we grabbed coats, threw on boots, and headed for the stairs.
The air outside did more to wake us than the alarm had. It was frigid!

When we were safely away, I took a little inventory.
Joey had grabbed his wallet.
I had grabbed my iPad.
Shelby had grabbed her iPad.
Maddie...had grabbed her ipad, purse, two stuffed animals, and three books!
She just grinned at me and said, "What? In a crisis situation you should always prioritize!"
Smarty-pants.

It wasn't too long before they discovered the whole thing had been a false alarm.
Thank goodness.
As we headed back to our room, I started thinking maybe I should reevaluate my priorities.
Maybe I should have grabbed the passports and ID's instead of my iPad?

Naaah!!!


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