Traveling Stuttgart: Pigs, Cars & History

The best way to travel, for me, is to give only passing attention to an area’s tourist attractions. They’re almost always disappointing after the build-up they get.

I will certainly go to see them , but the best times I have are spent with locals. Drive down the neighborhood streets. Notice schools and churches, eat at the local diner or pub. See those things that are the daily lives of the people who live where you are only passing by.

Our recent trip to Germany took us to half a dozen towns, villages and cities, where we accomplished just that. Lynda and I stayed with family on a US Army facility in Stuttgart, and used that as home base for traveling out to other towns within a few hours' drive.

This trip was a first for me—I’ve been to Canada and Mexico a couple of time each, but never to Europe. (Lynda has lived in Germany twice. Since our return, she’s remarked several times on how much fun it was for her to see it through my eyes.)

 While we left the city a few times to see other locations—Heidelberg, Rothenberg and Trier, along with Lynda’s high school hometown Zweibrucken—Stuttgart itself has a lot to offer. These were a few of the highlights I enjoyed:

The Schweinemuseum (Pig Museum): This was our very first stop as tourists in Germany, selected nearly at random after a quick Google search, and without doubt it was the most bizarre. The Pig Museum features statues, figurines, paintings and other paraphernalia all about pigs. It even has a small exhibition of pig-based erotica (no joke.) I was expecting something much more on the agricultural side rather than the bizarre, and ended up enjoying it more than I had expected to.

I sent a few of the odder pictures to an American friend whose husband is German, asking her to ask him why Germany would devote an entire museum to the subject. His response: “We like pigs.” What more can you say, I guess?

This continues to be one of the more memorable stops we made and should you find yourself in Stuttgart with a couple hours to kill, I recommend it!  The attached restaurant is a great place to stop for lunch - they specialize in, you guessed it, pork.

Porsche Museum: Stuttgart is the world headquarters of Porsche, and the exhibits in this museum track the company’s history from the late 19th Century forward. The cars on display here cover the company’s presence in motorsports, military applications and consumer sports cars. It includes a piece of the world’s first electric car, developed by Ferdinand Porsche in 1898. Even our granddaughters, who are not into cars at all, were entertained walking through the museum.

The Pink Pig - they really do like pigs.

Birkenkopf (Rubble Mountain): According to Wikipedia, most major cities in Germany have at least one of these hills made from World War II debris. At 130 feet above surface level, Birkenkopf is a mid-sized one.

My son-in-law Danny and I climbed it (“climbed” is a bit of an exaggeration, really—it’s a paved and easy walking path at about a 45-degree angle that spirals up the hill.) Most of the rubble is buried under soil, but at the top there are piles of stone with recognizable features as pieces of buildings that were destroyed by Allied bombs.

The weight of history is heavy up there if you pause to let it be.

Fernsehturm: Fernsehturm Stuttgart claims to be the world’s oldest TV tower, and truly is a Stuttgart landmark (you can read about Jackie's visits to it here). It rises 217 meters above Stuttgart, and features an observation deck and a café with spectacular views of the surrounding area. It was rainy the first time we tried to visit, but the second try found perfect viewing weather and the whole family took the elevator up.

From the observation deck, you can see the entire city, and the land for miles around. The deck is encircled with a rail marking compass points and degrees, so you can know which direction you’re looking with some precision. Other than the city itself, I didn’t really know what I was looking at, but it was breathtaking all the same.

We ended the visit with a pleasant dinner at the restaurant just as the sun was setting, bathing the room in rosy late-day light.

Individual points of interest aside, I felt a curious mix of discovery and familiarity in Stuttgart.

Aspects of it were foreign to me, reminding me I was on a different continent, in a different country than home. And yet, other than language, in many ways it didn’t feel that much different. American culture has some of its deepest roots in Europe, and over the centuries, as cultures diverged, America has returned to influence Europe. Subway sandwiches and Domino’s pizza are common in Stuttgart, competing with local restaurants serving traditional fare—which no doubt seems exotic to the locals.

My biggest takeaway is that I definitely plan to see to it that we visit again as soon as we can, armed with a little more knowledge about how to get around and enjoy the sites while taking life easy.  Coming soon, I'll share some of what I learned on this trip, provide some practical tips for the first-time European visitor, and give one serious warning I wish I'd known. Watch for it!

Exploring Germany: Trier, "The Rome of the North"

In the Spring of this year (2017), the Army moved my family and me to Germany. We absolutely love it here! We are originally from the Northwest US and the climate here reminds us very much of home.

This is great for us because for the last 7 years, we've been moving around the Southwest from one desert to another. I'm so happy to be somewhere that has four seasons again!

Living in Germany has afforded us the opportunity to do some great traveling!

We have taken many day trips to explore the villages and cities close to our home village and so far, my favorite has been the city of Trier in the Southwest corner of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate or as we say here, Das Bundesland Rheinland-Pfalz.

Trier is an ancient city, originally founded by the Celts and later the Romans. You can see this fact all around the city in the form of ancient ruins that have been lovingly restored and protected.

Many of the sites around Trier are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

There are so many things to see and do here that we've actually gone back twice to take it all in. Trier is a city that can appeal to many different kinds of travelers.

Are you a Wine Lover? The city is nestled among picturesque hills along the Mosel River that are just covered in vineyards. There are so many delicious wines in the region and wine in Germany is almost cheaper than water!

Are you a History Buff? We took a Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tour of the city and got to see sights like the Porta Nigra, ancient Roman baths, Emperor Constantine's Basilica, a partially restored, ancient amphitheater that hosted gladiator battles, a 2nd century Roman bridge that crosses the Mosel and is still in use today, Trier Cathedral and the Dome of St. Peter. . . like I said, there was so much to do and see that we had to go back a second time.

Love shopping? Trier is home to a fabulous shopping district with Haute Couture boutiques and affordable shops with everything you can imagine, all nestled among winding, cobbled streets and beautiful, old world buildings.

Our eight year old daughter loved visiting the historical sites and learning about each one along the way.

Her favorites were the Amphitheater and the Barbara Baths. Each place that we stopped had informational plaques that talked about the history, showed pictures of what the location would have looked like in ancient times and were written in English as well as several other languages. We appreciated that very much.

Our visits were day trips, but I've read that an extended stay in Trier is highly recommended, as you can easily jaunt into Luxembourg, Belgium and France from this location and check three more countries off of your European Bucket List!

Anza Borrego Mud Caves and Sandstone Canyon With Kids

Nestled in the middle of the California desert is the Arroyo Tapiado Mud Caves or as us desert go-ers know them as, the Anza Borrego Mud Caves. These are a site that you definitely want to see at least once in your life!

These caves are estimated to be over 5 million years old. They are created from the erosive nature of rainfall and the mud hills. There are multi-level caves, caverns that open up to show the sky in an otherwise completely dark area, tiny crevices that you have to crawl through and 35' open areas.

Some of the caves are as much as 5 miles long, going deep into the ground and raising up the sides of the mountains.

These are located about 25 miles north of the I-8 freeway in a small community of CranBrake, CA.

As you are driving down the road in the middle of the desert, you will see a sign that points Left to "Palm Springs" (not THE Palm Springs so don't make that mistake).  Take that turn and follow the dirt path for a few miles until you see the signs for Arroyo Tapiado, from there you have a two mile journey before you hit the peak of the mountains and start to see the caves!

There is roughly 5 caves that are visible and accessible from the road.

Now, with any of natures beautiful wonders, there is some danger. You never want to go near the caves after a rainstorm or an earthquake. The worry of rock/mud slides is always a thing to keep in the back of your mind.

These are located in the middle of the desert, where the heat can raise well above 100 degrees. As with any setting like this, you need to remember to drink water and carry the proper provisions for your journey.

Don't worry though, as soon you come close to the entrance of the cave, you begin to feel the cold air. The further in you go, the colder it gets. It is truly amazing to be sweating in the 100 degree weather and the next minute cooling down.

My family and I have been to these caves four times now. This was our first time with my 1 year old son going to the caves. He just learned how to walk last month so it was definitely an adventure!

You can camp along the trail anywhere you would like but beware at dark, because a lot of people come flying through there in their trucks and if you are not far enough off the road, you can get hurt.

We happened to have found THE perfect spot and try to get this spot every time we go.

It is a big cleared out spot that is right in between the huge mountains and right across the road is the entrance to the biggest cave! It really is perfect!

We set up our tent, got all our firewood ready and started our fire.

We usually have a camp stove and set it all up to make our "gourmet camping food" but this time around we kept it simple with a few cans of soup and raviolis.

You have to remember that your kiddos are probably going to be playing more than they would be at home, getting dirtier and being more thirsty than at home. Pack accordingly!

I have a 6 year old, a 4 year old and a 1 year old. I packed double their snacks, juices, milk and tons of water.

It is always better to be over prepared than it is to regret not bringing that second box of crackers.

Being out in the middle of the desert on an off road trail, unless you have experience could spell disaster. You have to think anything could happen. What happens if you get a flat tire with no spare? Something happens to your car that you cannot fix? Better to have that extra food and drink laying around, just in case.

You also want to remember that you are in the desert, so when you pack clothing, it will be hot during the day and cool at night. It is sand and rocks everywhere, so bring lots of extra clothing for those kiddos.

Flashlights, head lamps, etc are always a must while in the caves. It is pitch dark the second you walk into these caves.

I always made sure to equip each kid with a flashlight or head lamp before entering.

Of course our little man was carried almost the whole time, but he was able to walk for a small portion of it.

I carry a backpack with wet wipes, extra drinks and snacks.

As you are walking through you can visibly see where the water has run through the floor of the caves. You can see how it has carved the paths and made bridges and walkways for you to explore. It is truly breathtaking to see what nature is capable of.

As you venture through, there are a few spots that open up to caverns and openings to the sky! You can be in pitch dark and all of a sudden come up on a spot that you can see the stars!

You can follow the caves as far as you would like to go, some go for miles. With the kids, we lasted about 40 minutes of just straight walking down into this cave. We have gone without the kids before and have spent hours in them!

There are a lot of really cool carvings and photo opportunities inside, if you have a camera.

This time around, we stayed at this spot for just one night. The next morning we woke up and packed up the truck. You can either come back the way you came and hit the main road, or you can take the off road journey through the desert which takes a good 3-4 hours and head through the Solidified Highway. We chose the latter!

As you head away from the caves, there are a lot of small, tight trails that you must take with rock walls on both sides of you. Rocks and valleys where the rain has just destroyed the roads are always a common threat. You have to be on your toes at all times when you are out there.

Drive slow, drive smart and think!


It is said that 4 wheel drive vehicles are a must, but if you know what you are doing, you should be able to get through with no problems. We have driven in a Ford Explorer, a stock Toyota Pickup and most recently a stock Dodge Ram with no issues.

You will eventually hit the end of the trail head, and be able to go left to Diablo's Drop off or head off to another trail which would lead you out into Ocotillo. We always choose to go to Diablo's Drop off.

Now the name alone sounds scary, and for an amateur it is probably a scary site. It is a steep hill that goes straight into a gorge with cliffs and deep ravines on both sides of you. It takes some maneuvering to get down. We have experience driving off road so it is no big deal for us.

As you continue to go down the trail, you start to come up on these huge sandstone mountains, mountains that tower over you on both sides. They are absolutely beautiful, colorful and you can see all the layers in them as they have been there for millions of years and the wind and rain is just slowly chipping away at them.

This area of the trails are called Fish Creek Trail. This is where it is said that you can find dinosaur tracks, the earthquake fault lines and wind caves.

This area leads to Sandstone Canyon where it will finally bring you out to asphalt! You've finally made it out.

You end up at Split Mountain Road in Ocotillo Wells. Once you are here, it is time to get away from the rocks, hop in the dirt and have some fun.

All of this trip was made in about 4 hours. We, of course, stopped a few times to let the kiddos run around, change a diaper or two and have some snacks.

Make sure that your camera is charged as there are a ton of places to take some pretty epic pictures!

This is an amazing day trip to take with your family or a group of friends. Make the most out of your day and explore what the desert has to offer you!

Roadtripping to the Sierra Mountains

The High Sierra Mountains lie mostly in Central California and partly into Nevada. Mount Whitney is one of the largest in the region and the contiguous United States at 14,505 feet. This range runs 400 miles through Central California and is notably home to some of the finest camping areas, Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, Lake Tahoe and Kings Canyon.

The area is littered with giant Sequoia trees as far as the eye can see. This area is known for its amazing rock climbing, fruitful creek fishing, abundant supply of wildlife and plain out beautiful camping!

We decided to take a family camping trip up to the High Sierras a while ago and were not disappointed!

We packed up our camper full of food and drinks for the weekend, and made sure that we had all of our fishing gear and everything else that we would need in order to have a successful camping trip.

From our home just outside of San Diego, CA, it took us roughly 6 hours to get there. We left at around 7pm so that the kids would sleep on the way.

Once you get onto Highway 395, it is a straight shot to get there. After the long long drive (with 3 kids) we finally were ready to get out of the car.

We ended up stopping at an area just below the mountains called the Alabama Hills.

It is an area that looks a lot like Joshua Tree, CA, with large boulder type rocks forming mountains ready to be climbed by the outdoorsy people who littered the area.

We found our perfect spot at around 2 AM. No time to unpack, just set up our beds and tent for the night. Bedtime!

We woke up bright and early and had a quick breakfast of donuts and bananas (healthy, I know). We packed up and headed down the road to a small town called Bishop. This is a tiny little town nestled just below Mount Whitney!

We made our way up the mountain and stopped by every campground along the way to find the perfect spot. I believe there were about 5 campgrounds going up the mountain. We settled on the very last one up the hill. The Tall Trees Campground, creative name lol.

We wanted something near the water and that had space. We found a great spot walking distance to the water and right next to the bathrooms which is a plus for us having 2 little girls who seem to always have to go!

We set up our camp and got all unpacked. It was about lunch time by the time we set up. We made a couple of turkey sandwiches and grabbed some snacks and we were back on the road.

We traveled further up the mountain to a place named Ron's Fishing Hole. It was located just inside a cute little trailer park and was a man-made fishing hole where the fish were just jumping out of the water.

We let the girls get their little fishing poles and go to town! They got a few bites and then daddy started to fish and caught us 2 big trout! Guess I know what we are having for dinner. We fished a little longer and then headed back to camp.

The guys cleaned the fish up and cooked it right when we got back to camp. I am not a fan of fish, but everyone else absolutely loved it and were begging for more!

We settled in and just watched the sunset over the mountains. We relaxed and put the kids to bed for the night. The boys went and did a little more fishing with no luck that time. I enjoyed a quiet moment by the fire before we were all ready to go to sleep.

We woke up in the morning and had our hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs and pancakes! We packed up our coolers full of food and drinks and got back on the road. We made our way up the hill to catch a glimpse of a beautiful waterfall located on some private property (lucky person had an amazing property).

We jumped onto a random dirt road to try and find the perfect fishing spots. I want to say that we stopped, checked out spots and got back in the car maybe 6-7 times before we found THE spot where the guys were satisfied and ready to settle down to fish.

I would love to say that we were able to get into the water and relax BUT it was frozen ice cold and you couldn't even put your toes in without jumping out of that water with a quickness.

We caught one more fish and again ate that up. It was such a relaxing way to spend the day.

It was beyond beautiful... so picturesque. Its nice to get out of the city and up to the mountains for some fresh clean air. I would recommend this trip to anyone in the area. My kids loved every second of it, my family will definitely be coming back to this area. Maybe next time we will go when the snow has fallen and really enjoy the beauty.

Some helpful hints that I learned while there...

1. Always pack warm clothes even if the weather states it will be warm at night... We learned the hard way with that one. It dropped down so low, we were all freezing! We actually went into Bishop and found the only major retailer, a K Mart and bought some sweatpants and jackets for the kids.

2. Bring Chap-stick! The air up there dried my daughters lips out so bad that she was in tears.

3. There are bears and mountain lions! They have "bear boxes" at each campsite where you can stick all your food and cooking utensils away for the night and lock it up. This makes it less appealing for the big guys to come to your sites.  Use the bear boxes!

And something to always remember when going out into the wilderness like this:

Pack it in, Pack it out! 

If you brought it to your spot, take it home with you! Keep our forests and campgrounds clean!