Author

Travis

Beaching in Sri Lanka

written by Travis

After our trip back home, we were ready for country number 24 on our ‘round the world tour, Sri Lanka. It was sad to go though as we had a blast surprising family and friends who had NO idea we were coming back for a few weeks. We were like Ed McMahon showing up on everyone’s doorstep except without the million dollars, just hugs. Same same.

Headed to Sri Lanka it was our first time flying Emirates and the service was wonderful, but the flights were long. Our first leg from Seattle to Dubai was fourteen hours and the second leg to Colombo was another four. Cue us watching a ton of movies and eating all the free snacks we could get our hands on. We were complete slackers while home and were supposed to do planning and booking for Sri Lanka, but instead focused on recharging and hanging with our people. So after arriving we had to sit down for a day or two to plan our route, where to stay, etc.

Colombo is the only option to fly into but the city doesn’t offer much, so we got out as soon as we could. We took a train south to Unawatuna, just outside the city of Galle. Unawatuna was made for beach bums. It’s void of massive resorts and hotels, just smaller guesthouses mostly. The beach is full of rustic little beach bars. A lot of the restaurants along the water have beach chairs set up during the day then post sunset flip it to tables and chairs for dinner. We stayed in a great guesthouse just off the beach. It had a killer breakfast which we would later realize is the norm in Sri Lanka. Each day we ate fresh omelets, fruit, toast, coffee and other things depending on the place. It was nice considering each lodging was $40 ish USD per night for a decent place which included two breakfasts. During our time there we also caught a tuk tuk into Galle and explored the walled city which was interesting to see, but nothing compared to epic walled cities like Dubrovnik and Cartagena.

After a few days of sun bathing, we took a tuk tuk 45 minutes down the coast to a small fishing village and great surf spot, Weligama. We absolutely loved our time here as we stayed in an awesome guesthouse across the street from beach. The breakfasts were insane with tons of food (the way to my heart), the employees were so nice and helpful, and surfing was a three-minute walk away. You could rent a board for $2 an hour and the waves were perfect for beginner/intermediate surfers. They came in even sets and weren’t huge like the ones we surfed in Brazil. We spent multiple days surfing and I wish we would have spent more. The more I surf, the more I love it and want to get better at it. The other fun thing about Sri Lanka is there are a lot of little mom and pop restaurants where you get meals basically at people’s houses turned restaurants. Our favorite in Weligama was Meewitha Cool Spot & Restaurant where we ate multiple times. The curry was especially amazing. We also liked the backpacker rooftop restaurant Hangten Rooftop restaurant as it just overlooked the ocean.

Reluctantly leaving Weligama and the waves, we caught the local bus an hour and a half further down the coast to Tangalle with a big group of Sri Lankans. For 80 cents it was a no brainer to take the bus. Once we arrived, we caught a tuk tuk to our hotel, Sole Luna Resort. I would highly recommend this place as it is a nice hotel (the kind we’d stay in for an actual vacation) but for a fraction of the cost. It also put us close to one of our favorite beaches in Sri Lanka, Goyambokka Beach. This little beach is hidden down from the main road in a small cove and is basically heaven. It has a few rustic restaurants serving food and beer and a row of sunbeds with thatched roof umbrellas. The waves were pretty big and crashed right by shore, so a lot of unsuspecting swimmers would wade it just to get rocked and tumble down. We would be lying if we said this wasn’t a huge source of entertainment!

At this point into our stay it was becoming evident just how hospitable and friendly the people in Sri Lanka are. We experienced much more than just great customer service. There was a genuine warmth and kindness that oozed from everyone we met. When we departed from our hotel in Tangalle the entire staff helped us get loaded into our tuk tuk and then stood altogether waving as we drove away.

Stay tuned for our next post or two wrapping up the rest of our time in Sri Lanka

April 15, 2017 0 comment

Spain

Closing Out Europe in Madrid

written by Travis

Back in July when we booked our surprise Thanksgiving trip home, we got a killer mileage deal and it had us departing out of Madrid. We weren’t sure on our full Europe itinerary at the time, but knew it would be cheap to fly there from wherever our previous stop was. Having done the other main cities of Spain in August, it was a nice way to close out the past four months in Europe as Madrid has so much to offer.

To be honest though, we were pretty tired of the travel grind at that point and ready for a break at home. So we frankly didn’t care what the lodging looked like as long as it had our own space, a comfortable bed and a good location. We stayed four nights in La Latina which It kept us in the middle of all the good stuff and our hostel felt very clean and secure.

We followed our usual routine of doing a walking tour early to get a lay of the land. The tour was great and really highlighted the rich history the city has to offer. It also gave us a good roadmap of restaurants, foods and places to see in the coming days. We also checked out the Sunday market as it was only a couple blocks from where we stayed. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a let down as the market was way more chincy than expected. We were really hoping for a great flea market with good collectables to possibly take home, since we rarely have the chance to do so. Katie did manage to find a good scarf, but it was a bust overall. The weather and temperatures in the 30s F was also a rude awakening coming from Morocco. We have limited clothing and gear for cold weather, so this meant we had to wear a lot of the same stuff over again (even more so than usual!).

Highlights of Madrid for us was really the food. We were able to get some great breakfasts, all the jamón we could eat, good street markets and fresh green juices (Katie’s fav). One day we had killer sushi and another we ate more local fare. And once again, Katie was mistaken for a local multiple times which I always get a kick out of. This has been a constant theme of the trip as people seem to think she looks local whether that is in South American countries, Italy, Spain, Portugal, whatever. The gym we went to in Madrid didn’t charge her when we went in because they thought she was a member. I obviously got a great laugh out of that.

Instead of me rambling, just check out the pictures as the city is pretty cool.

April 15, 2017 0 comment

The Netherlands

A Weekend in Amsterdam

written by Travis

We were fortunate to not only squeeze this city in during our trip but to have our good friend Sara join us for a weekend. Sara is a longtime friend of both of us and someone who was up for a random 48-hour adventure from her home in NYC. She landed at 7am on Friday morning and left on Sunday morning, so we attacked the city the best we could. The great thing about her is she is up for exploring, photo safari’s, great meals and laughs, so it was a seamless fit for what we wanted to do. In addition, her cousin Z was in town so we got to hang with her as well as she works in the music industry and while there Amsterdam was hosting the largest electronics music festival in Europe. The main things we fit in during the 48 hours…

Stayed at the W hotel (Thanks to Sara!!!) – and felt like BALLERS.
Van Gogh Museum – Pretty impressive stuff even if you aren’t die hard into art.
Anne Frank House – Couldn’t get in due to lines but saw the outside (wha whaaaa).
Dam Square – Great for pictures.
Jordaan Neighborhood – We walked all around the city but this was the best area. Took hundreds of photos on just about every bridge as the fall colors were amazing.
Amazing meals – We were spoiled being with Sara and had probably the best meal of our trip when we went to Michelin-rated Envy and stuffed our faces.
Red Light District – Can’t tell you what happened here obviously.

Overall, the city is a MUST for anyone going to Europe. It has such a different feeling than any other. For one, there are nearly a million bicycles in the city. A MILLION. There are four times more bikes than cars and almost more than people. Not only does this create a really efficient and clean city, but it makes it feel like it is alive and bustling. In addition to the bikes, the layout is beautiful with much of the city built along beautiful canals with tons of bridges. Frankly, it is a photographers dream. I hope our pictures below do it some justice.

Sara, Katie and I

Had to selfie it

One of our many photo opps

Bike game on point

The fall colors are amazing

Bikes chained up to just about everything

BFFs

Finally someone who could actually take a good picture of us

Can’t seem to shake her

Irish coffee!

Sara loving the produce

Park date!

Katie is dating it up in the park

Bikes on bikes on bikes

Ivy league bikes

Solid little breakfast at Sara’s

Architecture everywhere

Dancing through the streets

Leaf toss picture win

Sara playing photo director

This about sums up what we do 80% of the time

BFFFFFFS

Soaking it all in

If you don’t use a bike you use a boat

benchwarmers

So damn pretty

CHEEEEEEEEEEESE

Always ruining shots

I wish we had a stoop

More architecture

Sara standing on the “r”

YOLO

love her

Sunset

More sunset pictures

One of the courses at Envy

Dessert at Envy

Going out with the ladies on Saturday

Coffee in the Red Light District

Sleeping on the floor to get away from Katie and Sara 🙂

March 4, 2017 0 comment

Belgium

Recharging in Belgium

written by Travis

After Paris, we had a few days to kill before we had to be in Amsterdam to meet our friend, Sara. We figured instead of flying we would just take a bus through Belgium and stop for 48 hours in Brussels before making our way via another bus to Amsterdam. While we know this is never enough time to see a city/country, we thought it was better to see a little than none of it. Throughout our trip we’ve met many Belgians and all of them have been wonderful, so we regret not getting more time in their country as it clearly is pumping out awesome people.

Our short time in the city consisted of us just eating, getting caught up on sleep and some to-do’s on the computer. Simple as that. We just walked around and ate food anywhere that looked tasty. My personal favorite was the chocolate shops and having world class chocolatiers let us sample their work. Katie found a cool antique market we cruised through but it’s pretty devestating to shop when you only have a backpack to your name. We stayed in an Airbnb in the middle of the city so it was easy to explore town, eat the food and get back in time to watch a movie to wrap up the night. Since we had partied and drank plenty during our time in Paris with friends, we unfortunately weren’t up for sampling lots of Belgian beer which usually is a must! Stops like this for us are great to just take a breather and recalibrate. Kind of like a normal weekend back home. We didn’t sightsee too much so here are the few pics we did take…

March 4, 2017 0 comment

France

Paris Is Always A Good Idea

written by Travis

Audrey Hepburn famously said “Paris is always a good idea” and you know what, she was right. Katie and I both went in thinking there was no way this city could live up to the hype, but it truly did and we had an amazing time there.

Our time in the city was also special because we had some of our closest friends from back home, Kris and Maggie, come out to join us. This not only gave us a taste of home but recharged us being around people we know so well and care so much about. We were beyond fortunate they were willing to take their first big trip away from their twin boys (and our godsons) to spend with us.

The trip to Paris started with a laugh as we made a rookie travel mistake and almost missed our train from London. We assumed trains were like we’d taken in Italy and you just show up 30 minutes before to jump on board. So you can imagine our surprise when we arrive and there is full on, airport-style security check (complete with customs) with massive lines going nowhere in front of us. At that time they had already called our train so we looked like two giant American idiots in a sea of people who could care less about giant American idiots.

Cue us developing two strategies to quickly get us through this problem. First, you just act flustered and emotional so people want to help you. Second, you just keep asking them to help you even when they say no. We’ve learned repetition works wonders when people want you to stop bothering them. This combo worked great as the first guy felt bad for us which got us to the “shorter” security line. At that point the second style had to be implemented since even the short line wasn’t moving fast enough and we had less than 15 minutes. Katie asked if we could be helped and was told no so I asked another guy over and over until he finally walked us to priority business line which only had a few people. From there, nice people let us up to the front and we sprinted to the train with literally one minute to spare. The funniest part though is when the train radioed down to the head French security guard asking if they were good to leave, he announced back over the loud speaker and said, “The last two are the ones with the rucksacks” in the most disgusted French/English we’ve ever heard. About made us pee our pants laughing once onboard. Okay, so from there it was a breeze of a train ride and bam, we were in Paris!

Kris and Maggie found us a great AirBnb apartment in the Le Marais neighborhood. The place was a beautiful two story unit right in the heart of everything. It was charming and cozy and gave us a good home base. Originally we planned to do just four nights but extended it two more nights because we enjoyed the city so much. We spent our days and nights wandering the city and seeing all the sites we could. Each day we covered miles and miles of ground which was a gave us a good chance to catch up plus see everything big and small between.

The food was also such a treat and we tried to sample just about anything and everything. Some of my favorites were the falafels from L’As du Fallafel, crepes from La Droguerie, caramels and crepes from Breizh Café and obviously, every single croissant I could get my little paws on.

In addition to trying to see all we could in Paris, we also took a few day trips while there. First, we went to the Palace of Versailles and toured the massive beautifully manicured gardens and rented bikes to roam around the lake and outermost areas. This was a blast, especially when Maggie’s bike comes along clanking away as she managed to find some mini bottles of champagne and sandwiches for us to have great little picnic.

The second day trip was where Kris rented a car and we all drove out to Normandy to see the D-Day beaches. The day was a little cloudy and at times rainy, but the experience was beyond worth it knowing how much history spanned across those sandy beaches. Seeing the remnants and memorials from a war fought long ago was such a great reminder of just how special the men and women were from that generation (the best generation in my opinion). Gives inspiration to stand up to tyranny and injustice no matter the cost because it is always worth it. Also, at the time it made us extremely sad watching the US election and seeing Trump on the road to the White House and realizing just how far our country has fallen. But that’s for another blog post 🙂

After our days with Kris and Maggie we sadly said goodbye as they headed home via a few days in Iceland and we made our way to Belgium and the Netherlands. For any of you reading who haven’t been to Paris, make time for it because Audrey was right.

March 4, 2017 0 comment

England

London Calling

written by Travis

You can see why everyone loves London. Not only do you have the perks a big city offers like a great transit system, amazing food and things to do, but you also have a wealth of history you can’t find anywhere else. While I’ve been here before, I was excited to explore it again with Katie and we’re lucky we have multiple friends in the city which gave us places to stay and friends to hang out with. So our nights we were living like locals and our days like tourists.

Our days in the city were spent in very typical tourist fashion with lots of walking and tube riding to see things like Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Eye of London and multiple museums. The highlight for me though was seeing the Broadway musical, Wicked. Katie didn’t know what she was getting into as I have been singing the songs pretty much every day since. When she gets mad I just tell her I’m defying gravity and she can’t pull me down.

We first crashed with our good friend Natasa as her roommates were gone and offered us their room. It was an awesome place just north of Hyde Park on Edgware Road which gave us easy access to the tube for sightseeing and the park for some long runs. It also had a plethora of ethic food within arm’s reach. Natasa still had to work while we were there but she did a great job of hanging out whenever she could and we also scored when her sister Marina came in to spend time with us too.

The first night they took us out to Dinerama, an awesome indoor/outdoor bar with delicious street food vendors all circled around communal areas. This was a great place to just hang out, grab some cocktails and sample yummy foods.

The second night we went to a pop-up cocktail festival where about 25 alcohol brands had booths set up and each making one specialty cocktail. Each elaborate drink was $5 and the booths tried outdoing each other with the fanciest cocktail. One place served drinks in a personal shaker, others drinks in coconuts and my personal favorite was the Bailey’s milkshake with real pumpkin pie slices inside (picture below).

At the cocktail festival, we also reunited with a couple of friends, Ashley and Will. Ashley is a friend I’ve known since college who recently moved to London to manage the opening of their new flagship Lululemon store. Will is a past boyfriend of Natasa’s, from years ago when I met her, who was working to rekindle things (fast forward to now and it worked!). Will is good people so we were stoked about it. With those two added to the mix we had a regular group to go out with and have some fun. After the cocktail festival, we made our way to a bar, Bounce, that specializes is black light ping pong. Seems random but it was amazing and we spent the night playing ping pong, dancing and drinking until late.

After our couple of days at Natasa’s we switched places to stay with our other friend, Stephanie. She is the one we met at surf school in Brazil and met up again with in Portugal a few months back. It was fun getting a few days and meals in with her and nice as she lived only two miles away from Natasa’s making it an easy transition and hopefully we didn’t overstay our welcome at either place.

All in all, a great time and a true reminder of the unique position we’re in traveling full-time. We were in a typical westernized working city during the work week while everyone else was getting up early and going to work, we were lollygagging around and just having fun. It gave us a nice gut check and reminder on how we are on the right side of the grass is greener equation!

March 4, 2017 0 comment

Czech Republic

Not Enough Time in Prague

written by Travis

First let’s get this out of the way, we stayed at the Czech Inn. How amazing is that!?! The Czech Inn while in the Czech Republic!?!? I mean come on. They absolutely nailed the dad joke. Okay back to my post.

Unfortunately, we were in a bit of a time crunch here as we had a small window to squeeze in Wroclaw and Prague between our time in Germany with family and flying to Ireland. Due to this we had to blitz both cities. That said, we still covered a lot of ground and absolutely enjoyed our time in Prague!

Like most cities, we did a free walking tour on the first day so we could get background on the city, history and culture and see the main sites (the 600 year old astrological clock, Charles Bridge, St. Vitus Cathedral, etc). Our guide was about our age and really bubbly and talkative. Throughout the tour she shared a lot of personal stories about growing up in the Czech Republic with heavy government control. One thing that struck us was growing up in Czech Republic she was consistently told to keep her emotions in check and not show too much of them. Her parents would tell her if she appeared happy then people would think she had stuff they didn’t and if she appeared sad people would assume she was unhappy with the government. She said this mentality is a reason why many eastern Europeans always have a straight emotionless type of expression because over the years this was how they had to be. She obviously was breaking away from that now as her vivacious personality was great for the tour but really crazy to hear about. The tour itself also gave us a roadmap of what we needed to add on the next day to complete all the main bucket list things. We took tons of pictures as the downtown really is beautiful and full of tons of character.

After the walking tour we made our way across the Vitava river (the main river) so we could see Prague castle and get a better view of the city. While it took us an hour or so to make our way there it was well worth it as there really are amazing views from the top and some fun street food. There was even one of the crazy coolest Starbucks we have ever seen at the top. Ironic and kind of sad to see but as a Seattleite it felt like a piece of home.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to embrace the nightlife here but realize through talking with locals the beer drinking in by locals in Prague rivals anywhere in the world and some even claim they are bigger drinkers than the Irish or Germans. Quite the claim and one we will have to see put to the test next time we come.

February 25, 2017 0 comment

Poland

Wroclaw: Europe’s 2016 Culture Award Winner

written by Travis

While sitting on a park bench in Dubrovnik, Croatia killing time until we had to go to the airport, we randomly met a well traveled Canadian couple. While chatting they told us they were in Europe to watch their daughter compete in the world ultimate frisbee championships. Seriously, it’s a real thing. After soaking it in we started asking about it and they told us it were held in the Polish city of Wroclaw (pronounced vrots-waff). What perked our ears was the praise of the city. They talked of its unique beauty, buildings, rivers, people and culture. That was enough for us to put it on our try to see list. Then while in San Sebastian, Spain we learned Wroclaw was the city it shared the 2016 European culture award with promptly moving it from a “try to see” to a “must-see.” Fast forward two months later and Wroclaw, here we come!

We only had a six day block in our schedule between Germany and Ireland so we figured we would do a couple of days in Wroclaw then another couple in Prague. So we said goodbye to Katie’s parents in Berlin and jumped on a $20, 4.5 hour bus to Poland. The bus ride was a breeze and we caught an Uber the last couple of miles to our studio apartment in the heart of the city. We quickly realized how much cheaper prices would be in Poland compared to Germany when our Uber total was $2.20 USD. Once again Uber being the cheapest, safest and most reliable transportation in a foreign city.

Once we arrived at our apartment we realized it was amazing. Not only was it in the absolute center of the city. But it had a separated bedroom, full kitchen and huge living room area aaaaaannnnddd the price was only $51 a night! T&K 1, Wroclaw 0.

Katie wasn’t feeling so hot with a cold so while we didn’t spent day and night exploring, we did try to get out as much as possible to get to know the local culture, food and sites. In addition to our own exploring we did another free walking tour which we try to find in each city we visit. These 2-3 hour tours are gold and only end up costing us about $5-10 per person tip at the end.

The things that stood out most were the architecture, the cool mix of rivers and bridges around the old town, killer and EXTREMELY cheap food and the wonderful people. The other unique thing about the city is that it’s covered with little metal statues of dwarves, all doing/representing something different. Originally they were placed as a political statement about communism but now are a tourist thing with more than 400 to find around the city.

Without a doubt it stands out as a top city in Europe from the trip. It almost felt like you were in a Disneyland-esque world as everything was beautiful, tasteful and symmetrical. You can see by the pictures below what a gem of a city we were in. These are the places we find really hard to leave. I hope we make it back here someday.

Trolls representing the accountants

Troll in front of the old prison

People rub these brass animals for good luck

Trolls in front of an old bar

Main square

Main square

Inside of the main square

Church tower trying to one-up the other church

Downtown streets

Art along the walking tour

The city has multiple rivers

Cool roof

Trying to pose…fail

Might need to work on the size of his…sword

Main square

Hardly any tourists due to offseason

Bike friendly streets

Main square art

Always cool doors in Europe

Old market square where butchers set up shop

Library

Library courtyard

Enjoying a break from the tour

Their main market hall aka Hala Targowa

Trying to be French

View from the top of the city

Wroclaw from above

Climbing to the top for the view

She’s always trying to ditch me

Amazing views

Europe culture award in 2016!

Our $51 airBnb living room. Digging the green couch.

Fun art

February 23, 2017 0 comment

Germany

Taking the Autobahn to Berlin

written by Travis

109 mph. Yep, that’s how fast our top speed was on the autobahn between Munich and Berlin. I know you are wondering why I didn’t punch it even further but think about it, there was way too much precious cargo in that car with Katie and her parents there and I wasn’t about to let my ego take over.

Dennis and Sherrill were amazing and rented a car so we could drive ourselves between our two destinations in Germany to see the countryside and give us a shot at the famed autobahn (i.e. the highway system in Germany with no speed limit). The rental place gave us a new Range Rover so Dennis and I were happy to see what it could do on the open road. Pretty sure Katie and Sherrill weren’t as amused in the backseat at the higher speeds. But the journey was a blast and we were amazed to see just how beautiful the German countryside is and how normal 90+ mph is for their drivers.

Along the route we made two stops: a quick fill up and Holocaust museum stop in Nuremberg then lunch and a walk around the quaint town of Bamberg. Both were great to break up the six-hour drive and good to experience. Like most Holocaust museums/landmarks it was pretty humbling and sobering, but definitely a must see.

We arrived just after dark to Berlin and made our way to our hotel and dropped off the car. We stayed in the north end of the city which put us right in the middle of a fun ethnic area of the city (aka great gyros and kebaps). Over the next few days we explored tons of the city including iconic things like the Berlin wall and checkpoint Charlie. In addition, we really appreciated our time walking the Jewish War Museum. It is a must see if you are the city and extremely well done.

One of days we ventured by train out to Oranienburg to visit the Sachsenhausen memorial and museum. This was a holocaust concentration camp and by far the saddest place we have ever seen. The sheer scale of the camp and what it was used for made your stomach sick. At one point I had to go sit outside of it all as you can only take so many stories, pictures and facts about a mass genocide. From a museum perspective they do a wonderful job of giving you tons of information in a digestible way. I walked away knowing much more than when I started even though the naïve part of me wishes I didn’t.

All in all, we loved our few days and Berlin and it was such a treat to get those extra days with family. Being away this long makes you really appreciate how much you see loved ones back home, so any time we were able to get over the past weeks was a real blessing.

February 22, 2017 0 comment

Germany

Prost to Oktoberfest!

written by Travis

The sixth month mark of our trip could not have been better. First, we were in Munich during Oktoberfest. Second, we were with Katie’s parents, Dennis and Sherrill, as well as my mom, Jan. Plus, our good friends and my past roommates, Kate and Jesse, joined in as well for some Bavarian shenanigans. This was the first time in the trip we had a large crew of close friends/fam so we were beyond pumped up.

Us and our parents stayed in a great Airbnb rental about 15 minutes by public transit outside of Munich’s city center. While it seemed a little far at first on a map we soon realized just how amazingly efficient Munich’s public transit is. We could buy a group pass on our phones and breezily get into the city in a matter of minutes with no hassle, long waits or confusion. I would die for this back in Seattle. The apartment was a win as we could all be under one roof with separate bedrooms for our parents and a pullout bed for us in the living room.

On our first day, we went walking around the main city center then to the Oktoberfest grounds to scout out our plan for the next day i.e which beer tent we wanted to live the dream in. The city center was bustling and we were in heaven trying all the local meats, sandwiches, baked goods and drinks. I usually keep a look out just to see what others are eating then I try whichever thing thing looks the most popular. I typically have no idea what it is but who really cares as this trip is all about trying new things. I also have gotten in the habit of always asking the food preparer to make it how they make it vs. telling them how I want something prepared when they ask. While this sometimes backfires, usually it’s a win. In Munich it was a grand slam. Their local meat sandwiches were unreal (especially the pork belly). I couldn’t eat them fast enough.

After walking around downtown for a bit we decided to have an actual lunch and beers at Hofbroughs. For those who haven’t been to Munich, this is probably the most famous Bavarian style beer hall simply because it is the closest you can get to the Oktoberfest vibe year round. Large beers, great food, music, etc. This got us all in the mood for the real thing to come.

After lunch we bounced over to the actual Oktoberfest grounds to walk around. One surprising thing is there is no cost to go in. The grounds are massive. Half is covered in beer tents aka huge structures designed to house hundreds to thousands of people. The other part of the grounds is a typical fair with boatloads of rides, food booths, games, etc. Basically this is the most massive, drunkest fair you will ever see. After popping into a few tents (and obviously eating more food) we figured out our game plan for the next day and which tents to go for.

Let me explain the game plan. Each tent has about half of their tables reserved (usually months in advance) and the rest of the seats are open seating. Tents open at 10am and are open until about 11pm. Once they reach capacity, they close the doors so nobody else can come in. Most people go early, get a table and never leave it until it closes because there is a chance no other place will let them in after a certain point. This creates a giant game of how early do you have to show up to get a good spot (ideally next to the live music). If the weather is bad it’s even more cutthroat as nobody wants to be outside. So we didn’t want to take any chances. We showed up right at 10am (cheers to first call!) and went into the tent we wanted to post up at. We laughed as it was almost empty at that hour. I guess this was over-preparing :). Either way, we sat down and enjoyed our first morning liter of beer. You could choose between a regular beer or a Radler which was a mix of beer and lemonade (delicious to my amateur drinking self). Our server, Wolfgang, said we would be fine to walk around and go enjoy the rest of the fair but to come back by 3pm at the latest to get a good table before it filled up and there was no space. The plan worked like a charm and we were able to get within a few tables of the music and had it locked down all night. The best part is the tables are constantly joined by others so our group of seven had 7-10 others throughout the night who would join from time to time. This created a fun atmosphere and great conversation. Throughout the night the tent just got louder and louder and by around 5pm everyone was standing on the table benches singing songs and having the merriest time you will ever see. This exceeded all my expectations as it was probably the happiest I have ever seen a drunk bar crowd. It isn’t like the states where you can always expect some meatheads and shitty bar behavior. Instead everyone is just happy, friendly and looking to have the best time. Pretty much heaven.

In the end, Oktoberfest did not disappoint, the family had a blast, it was great seeing Kate and Jesse, and another bucket list item checked off in style. Now we are just planning on how fast we can get back here in the years following this big trip!