Originally planned for spring break 2022, postponed by COVID, transformed into a memorial trip for my mother – our family’s unforgettable adventure through Germany with kids (11 & 10) and grandparents (70s).
The Journey That Almost Wasn’t
Our German adventure had more plot twists than a soap opera. First planned for spring 2022 to visit my mom who was living there with my sister, we hit our first snag when my sister tested positive for COVID just days before departure. Good thing we postponed – our younger son tested positive the very day we were supposed to leave!
But life had bigger plans. When my mom passed away in May after an aneurysm, we put the trip on indefinite hold. By year’s end, we decided to transform it into a memorial journey for the kids’ Oma. Noona (Jennifer’s mom) and Grandpa Charles (GPC) joined us for what became our “romantic road loop” – though with kids and grandparents, “romantic” might be a stretch!
Getting There and Getting Wheels
March 30, 2023 – The Journey Begins
- Flight: Delta Economy Comfort, JFK to Frankfurt (7:40 PM departure, 9:50 AM arrival March 31)
- Car Rental: Small VW van from Budget (threading the needle between “fits everyone” and “navigates old German streets”)
Pro Tip: Renting at Frankfurt Airport is clutch – the car pickup is right in the parking garage in the terminal. Just be prepared to drive on zero sleep because, well, that’s just how these adventures start!
Heidelberg: Castles, Storms, and Lattes (March 31 – April 2)
Hotel: Hotel Goldener Falke
Our first stop was the charming university town of Heidelberg. We arrived late morning and managed early check-in (always ask!). The old town around the central church was perfect for wandering with multi-generational legs.
The Great Hailstorm of 2023: Picture this – I’m sipping a latte macchiato at a cozy café across from the church when Mother Nature decides to throw a tantrum. Frozen rain and hail turned the street into a winter wonderland in minutes. We ate our lunch in warm comfort while the storm raged outside. Sometimes the best travel moments are the unplanned ones!
Day 2: Mountain Railways and Castle Adventures
- Morning: Heidelberger Bergbahn (funicular) to Königstuhl
- Highlight: Guided castle tour (book ahead!)
- Don’t Miss: The giant wine barrel and apothecary museum
- Evening: Traditional German dinner at Kulterbrauerei Heidelberg
The mountain train ride up was a hit with everyone, and the castle tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable. Walking the castle grounds with three generations was special – history comes alive when you’re sharing it with kids and grandparents.
Stuttgart: Porsche Dreams and TV Tower Views (April 2)
Hotels: Hotel Schloss Leitheim (but that’s tomorrow’s adventure…)
Morning checkout from Heidelberg, then off to automotive heaven at the Porsche Museum. Even non-car people will appreciate the engineering artistry. Stuttgart’s center has great architecture – much was rebuilt after WWII, but the blend of old and new works beautifully.
Unexpected Gem: The TV tower (Fernsehturm) was almost an afterthought, but it provided incredible city views with no wait. Sometimes the best discoveries aren’t in the guidebooks!
Travel Tip: Don’t skip the Schlossplatz area for lunch – plenty of options from quick sandwiches to full German meals.
The Hotel Schloss Leitheim Saga: A Comedy of Errors (April 2-5)
Here’s where our trip turned into a German fairy tale with a twist of horror movie…
We arrived at Hotel Schloss Leitheim in the early evening to find it completely dark and locked up tight. Cue panic. Thankfully, there was a buzzer that actually called the manager’s phone. The poor woman hadn’t made it home yet and came back to sort out our reservation confusion.
The Plot Twist: They’d sent a confirmation email in German to Jennifer asking her to confirm or they’d cancel. Jennifer, assuming it was just a booking confirmation, ignored it. Lesson learned: Google Translate is your friend!
The Silver Lining: We ended up being the only guests in this entire castle hotel until the next day. Ever seen “The Shining”? The hallway lights came on in sections as you walked toward the darkness. We were in one wing on the second floor, Noona and GPC in another wing on the fourth floor. Creepy? Yes. Cool? Absolutely.
The Midnight Medical Mystery
Just when we thought we’d survived our haunted castle adventure, one of the kids started complaining of severe testicular pain around midnight. After a quick (panicked) Google search suggested possible testicular torsion – which requires immediate surgery – we found ourselves racing down the autobahn at 1 AM to the nearest hospital.
The Hospital Hunt: GPS led us to what looked like a sketchy clinic entrance – no signs, dim lighting, very un-hospital-like. But appearances deceive! Inside was a modern, well-equipped children’s facility.
Healthcare Reality Check: The entire experience – emergency room visit, ultrasound, surgeon consultation – cost us exactly zero euros. Meanwhile, in the US, this would have been thousands. The German healthcare system showed us what proper healthcare looks like.
The diagnosis? Not torsion, thankfully, but twisted enough to cause serious concern. After much discussion with excellent English-speaking doctors, we decided to monitor rather than operate immediately. Our son (temporarily dubbed “Twisty” by his loving but slightly traumatized parents) felt better by morning.
Traveler’s Tip: Keep emergency phrases in German handy, but honestly, most medical professionals speak excellent English.
The Day We Couldn’t Do Neuschwanstein (April 3)
Our original ambitious itinerary called for:
- 7:30 AM: Drive to Schloss Neuschwanstein
- 10:00 AM: Tour Schloss Neuschwanstein
- 11:00 AM: Tour Schloss Hohenschwangau
- 12:30 PM: Lunch in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
- 2:00 PM: Tegelbergbahn or Bayerische Zugspitzbahn
- 3:30 PM: Partnachklamm Gorge
- 5:30 PM: Drive back to hotel
But after our midnight hospital adventure, everyone needed rest. Sometimes the best travel days are the ones where you just… don’t. We explored the hotel grounds, took naps, and had a genuinely relaxing day at our castle hotel that was now properly open with other guests. Disney’s inspiration castle would have to wait for another trip.
The hotel restaurant situation was mysterious (we never quite figured it out), so we ventured back to the little town for dinner. Pro tip: We also stopped there for fresh baked goods and coffee for breakfast – local bakeries are always worth the detour.
Munich: Cars, Palaces, and Missing Glockenspiels (April 4)
Must-See: BMW Museum for more automotive history, then Nymphenburg Palace Don’t Miss: Marienplatz (even if you keep missing the glockenspiel like we somehow did) Great Dinner: Bratwurst Glöckl am Dom – packed with football fans and authentic atmosphere
We also hit the Bayern München store for the kids’ soccer gear. Nothing says “I was in Munich” like official team merchandise!
Mystery of the Trip: How did we keep missing the glockenspiel? We tried multiple times, got the schedule, showed up… and nothing. It remains one of life’s great unsolved mysteries.
The Romantic Road: Medieval Magic (April 5-7)
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Hotel: Hotel Reichskuchenmeister (in the medieval walled city)
Driving and parking in a walled medieval city is an adventure sport. After several laps, we found the hotel and squeezed into a tiny spot for check-in. The hotel had parking down the street, which helped, though it was incredibly tight quarters.
What Made It Special: The intact medieval walls, walkable streets, and authentic old-town atmosphere. You can actually walk on the walls, which was a huge hit with the kids.
Another Mystery: The ghost tour that never was. Great reviews, highly recommended, but despite trying every night we were there, we never found it. Maybe it was too off-season, maybe we were looking in the wrong places, but it became our white whale.
The Romantic Road Villages (April 5)
We did the classic drive through:
- Donauwörth
- Harburg: Castle on the hill, charming old town across the river
- Nördlingen: Climbed the old clock tower (not the grandparents!) – great views and stork nests on rooftops
- Wallerstein
- Dinkelbühl: Picture-perfect small village with typical German timber houses
Each village had its own character, and the drive between them showcased the beautiful German countryside.
Friendship and Museums: Bad Windsheim (April 6)
Highlight of the Trip: Meeting our dear German friends Holger and Barbara at the Franconian Open Air Museum.
Holger and I met 25 years ago on a ZDF redesign project, and we’ve stayed friends across continents and decades. He’s visited New York on business, I’ve met him in LA, and Jennifer and I visited them in Berlin pre-kids. Having them drive down from Berlin while we were traveling through was one of those perfect travel moments you can’t plan.
The Museum: Spread out but very walkable, showcasing traditional Franconian life and architecture. We managed to see most (if not all) of it, and it was a perfect setting for catching up with old friends.
The Final Sprint: Early Morning Escape (April 7)
5:30 AM checkout for Frankfurt flights meant an early morning scramble. The hotel parking lot didn’t open until 7 AM-ish, so the car spent the night in the public lot. The pay kiosk literally stole my money (took payment but didn’t print receipt), so I had to pay twice. One last German adventure!
Travel Tip: If you’re renting a car, factor in gas station stops before airport return. We managed it all without stress, but the distance from Rothenburg to Frankfurt isn’t trivial.
The Flights Home
- Morning flights from Frankfurt
- Split destinations: Noona and GPC to Philly, us to JFK
- Reality check: Hit typical JFK-to-Hudson Valley traffic because… of course we did
Airport Musings: Why doesn’t Stewart Airport have more international flights? It’s closer to NYC, potentially cheaper, and way less stressful than JFK. Some international airline, please make it your hub!
What We Learned
- Language barriers aren’t barriers – kindness translates universally
- Healthcare in Germany works – and it’s free for emergencies
- Sometimes the best days are the unplanned ones
- Kids are remarkably resilient (hospital visit to castle exploration in 24 hours)
- Three generations traveling together creates the best stories
- Always ask about early check-in
- Google Translate German emails!
Practical Tips for Families
- Car rental: Small van worked perfectly for navigating old cities
- Hotels: Historic properties add magic but may lack modern conveniences
- Food: Kids are usually happy with German bread and pretzels
- Timing: Off-season means fewer crowds but some attractions may be closed
- Medical: Don’t panic, German healthcare is excellent
- Money: Many places still prefer cash
- Parking: Old city centers are challenging but manageable
Final Thoughts
This trip became so much more than we planned. What started as a visit became a memorial journey, which became a family adventure filled with unexpected twists, new friendships, medical scares, and three generations making memories together.
Germany welcomed us with open arms, excellent healthcare, beautiful cities, and enough adventure to last a lifetime. Most importantly, it gave us a way to honor my mom’s memory while creating new ones with the kids and grandparents.
Would we do it again? In a heartbeat. Will we ever figure out what happened to that ghost tour? Probably not. Did “Twisty” fully recover? Absolutely.
Sometimes the best trips are the ones where everything goes “wrong” – because that’s when the real adventures begin.
In memory of Oma, who would have loved every chaotic minute of this adventure.
Complete Itinerary (For Future Reference)
March 30-31, 2023
- 7:40 PM: Depart JFK
- 9:50 AM: Arrive Frankfurt (March 31)
- 10:30 AM: Collect rental car (Budget)
- 12:00 PM: Arrive Heidelberg, Hotel Goldener Falke
April 1
- Morning: Heidelberger Bergbahn to castle
- Afternoon: Guided castle tour
- Evening: Traditional German dinner
April 2
- Morning: Porsche Museum, Stuttgart
- Afternoon: TV Tower, drive to Hotel Schloss Leitheim
- Evening: Hospital adventure (!)
April 3
- Rest day at hotel (originally Neuschwanstein day)
April 4
- BMW Museum, Munich
- Nymphenburg Palace
- Marienplatz and dinner
April 5
- Romantic Road drive: Donauwörth, Harburg, Nördlingen, Dinkelbühl
- Arrive Rothenburg, Hotel Reichskuchenmeister
April 6
- Bad Windsheim: Franconian Open Air Museum with friends
April 7
- 5:30 AM: Depart for Frankfurt Airport
- Morning flights home
Even that's Odd 
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