The route is established!

Our itinerary is complete and, let me tell you, this part feels so good!  While we don't have a lot of specific plans for each day, we do have a destination with a booked hotel or hostel for each leg of the trip the first week we are there.  Instead of linking our accommodations and websites of places we visit now, I thought it best to do so along the way when I am there in person to describe and take pictures myself. 

So, in the meantime, the map familiarizes me to the European geography. 
A. Fly into Amsterdam International Airport, where will will immediately drive into Deutschland.
B. Crash in Koblenz, which is on the northend of the Rhine River, and is the area we will be spending most of our time in Germany.  Plans are to visit Eltz Castle, one of the most beautiful and fairytale-like in all of Europe (the little girl in me is probably most excited about this one!).
C. Travel to Rudemheim en Rhein, where we will spend two nights, exploring local brew pubs and vineyards.
D. Dip our toes into France at Strasbourg for a day. Don't even know what to say about this one, other than this was Brian's pick and I have been impressed with what he's had for ideas so far!! :-)
E. End the week in Interlaken, Switzerland, which also happens to be the Extreme Sports Capital of the World (Mom, our life insurance policy can be found in the bottom drawer of our file cabinet). This destination is, in my mind at this point, the grande finale of destinations, as it sits on a lake amongst the Alps.  It makes me want to yodel just sitting here writing about it.

The plan is then to drive the 7 or so hours back to the Netherlands to crash at the brother-in-law's apartment for the remainder of the trip and take day trips by train from there.  I really have it in my head and heart to visit the location of where my Grandpa "Soapy" Zapf was captured during the Battle of the Bulge during WWII.  If I can find it, you better believe there will be a blog dedicated to that experience alone.  And of course, Amsterdam and all the other excitement that comes with that city is in the works. 

Hope you continue to follow along!