Heidelberg

With a toddler in tow, gone are the days of extreme adventure vacation activities. Now, that doesn't mean we can't have a great time traveling, it just means I have to slow us down a bit and think of family friendly locations and activities. Heidelberg, Germany.. that would be our next stop. This picturesque city is situated on the Neckar river just an hour and a half from where we live. The annual Heidelberg Castle illumination and fireworks were kicking off this weekend and we didn't want to miss out. After checking into our hotel, we took a water taxi on the river to get us towards the center of the old town. The sun was shining, skies were blue, and the temperature was pushing 90 degrees. Brecken's little cheeks were rosy as could be and you could tell he was really minding the heat. Fortunately for him, we came across a water fountain almost immediately. He completely soaked himself and enjoyed every minute splashing in the cool water. If Brecken's smiles and giggles are any indication of his favorite travel moments, gelato ice cream and water fountains are at the top of his list. Now that Breck was cooled off and happy, we were ready to find a restaurant with cold beers, good food, and seats in the shade.. and we found just that! After lunch we wandered the streets exploring this wonderful city.

Afternoon showers rolled in and left us taking cover in a restaurant to enjoy a beer while our little guy napped in the stroller. The rain passed by, sunshine appeared, and we were off to visit the castle. We couldn't visit Heidelberg and not venture up to the castle sitting prominently on the hill above us. Off we trekked, Brecken perched on daddy's shoulders, Alex and I each with a hand on the stroller trying to carry it up more than 300 stairs. We were a sight to be seen and had numerous people offering a hand or cheering us on, ha! Once we made it to the top all I wanted was an ice cold drink. In my experiences so far, do not be fooled to think that drinks in coolers will be cold... the disappointment is real. The castle, its surrounding gardens, and the view from the top were well worth the hike up the steps. We avoided the stairs on the way down and instead took the longer route down the switchback cobblestone streets. Our evening was spent in a grassy park along the river watching the castle illumination and fireworks. I'm so glad we spent the weekend in this charming city filled with so much character and culture. We would love to know your favorite places to visit in Europe so we can add them to our list!