Skiiing at Ishgl

Today  went skiing at Ishgl.  Ishgl is even more impressive than St Anton.  We made our way to the top after riding numerous lift to get to the top we made the nearly 10mile treck into Switzerland.  We stopped at a lodge to have a drink and then we were off to take the double decker aerial tram back to the top.  We skied in the snow and white out conditions for a few runs and were all about to quite when the sun finally broke through.  We ended up skiing till about 3:30 PM before having a beer to celebrate our fun filled week in Austria.  If you would ever have the chance to visit here I would highly recommend taking the trip.  There is so much to see and do here even if you don't ski.

Julie and Kaitlyn did more shopping and exploring Innsbruck.

Castle Trip

Yesterday we went on a bus trip to see the royal castle Neuschwanstein in Germany. The bus tour included a guide that told us about the history of the places we were passing through and fun facts about the region. It is just amazing thinking about how old some of the towns we drove through and things we have gotten to see are, there is just so much history here. After about a two and a half hour trip we arrived in the small town that houses two castles, Neuschwantstein and Hohenschwangau. We were only able to see the second castle from the outside due to time constraints.

We did however get to tour Neuschwanstein, which was King Ludwig II of Bavaria's castle. The castle was beautiful on the outside, but even more so on the inside. The worst part was the long hike up to see the castle that took about 30 minutes, however they recently received snow so the woods were snow covered providing a nice view. Once we arrived at the castle we took a 30-40 minute tour, unfortunately King Ludwig died during construction so only 1/3 of the castle is completed meaning we only were able to see a limited portion of the castle. The rooms were incredible, highlights include a chandelier in the shape of a crown and a sink shaped like a swan. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures. The castle really was incredible!

On our trip back home we stopped in Oberammergau, which is known for the Passion Play and woodworking. We had about an hour to walk around and explore town/shop. I appreciated this part, but I don't think dad did since shopping isn't his favorite pastime. There were several shops with really neat woodcarvings and I found a few things I really liked.

Afterwards we headed back to Innsbruck where we went out for American food, by that I mean we went to a burger place. It was the most American food I've had this week, which was really nice for a change. I am definitely missing home when it comes to food. Its hard to believe that we only have one more day left in Austria!

Midweek Adventures

Today dad and I parted ways so he could go skiing and I could do some sightseeing/shopping. This morning I want to Swarovski Crystal Worlds, which was both a museum and also a jewelry shop. The museum was a bit interesting, you walked through a series of rooms designed by artists all related to and incorporating crystals. Some of the rooms were a bit odd (I don't even know what else to say other than they were very peculiar) while others were stunning. The best part was getting to see Cinderella's slipper, it was incredible. The jewelry was a bit pricey so I didn't end up buying anything. In the afternoon I walked around Innsbruck and went in a few shops. I had the most delicious mini chocolate cake thing that was covered in chocolate but unfortunately have no clue what it was called. It was nice to have a day to just kinda relax.

In the evening when dad returned from skiing a group of us went out for Italian food, which I prefer over the traditional Austrian food. I really could eat a cheeseburger or chicken right about now! I'll let dad tell you about his day skiing, which to quote him was "incredible".

On Wednesday while Julie was in Innsbruck I went skiing at St. Anton in the Alps.  It was the most awesome day of skiing I have ever experienced!  The sun came out just as we reached the top of the first area we skied in.  It was really the first we saw the sun for most of the day since getting to Austria.  The views of the surrounding area were magnificent.  The snow conditions were also some of the best you could ask for.  This ski area was the largest of any area  I had ever seen.  We left the area we started in and crossed over to the opposite  side of the mountain where the ski area expanded to an overwhelming size and with even more stunning views.  Everywhere you looked people were skiing.  After getting done around 2:00 PM to save my legs for what I am sure will be another awesome day on Friday we went to the Base Camp Bar for a burger and some Weis Beer.  We had an awesome waitress and the atmosphere was definitely a party!

Innsbruck Tour 2/16/16

Today we stayed in Innsbruck and did a few of their tours.  We went to the see the Kaiserliche Hofburg Imperial Palace.  We all really enjoyed this tour.  Some of the rooms in the palace where just amazing.  We saw another church.  It was also very impressive but not as good as the one in Salzburg.  We toured the Gold Roof museum and did the audio tour in English.  It was a bit too much information.  None of us really liked the tour.  We went to see Hofkirche where Kaiser Maximillian was to be entombed.  It is another church building that is also amazing.  Next to the Hofkirche is a museum housing a lot of Austrian historical artifacts.

We really enjoyed the museum.  We also strolled around the streets of Innsbruck and looked in on some of the shops.  Eight of us went to dinner at an Austrian Restaurant and then dessert at different restaurant.  That was the highlight of the eating for the evening for me.  I didn't care for the meal I had tonight.  Tomorrow dad will be going skiing and I will be continuing the Innsbruck tour. 

Salzburg

Today we went to Salzburg and it was amazing. We woke up bright and early to catch the train, and arrived there mid morning. It quickly became obvious that we would not be able to do everything we wanted because there is so much to do there. We decided to purchase a card that allowed us to get into attractions for free and started our trek around the city.

The city is absolutely wonderful. We got to see a cathedral which was originally constructed in 774! Yes that's right 774. The structure we entered today was built much later, but we were able to see some of the original foundation. From there we explored other related areas to the Cathedral. We walked through the cemetery which is so much different from those back home. They are all decorated and just beautiful.

After that we went to tour the castle that overlooks Salzburg. It was a real castle!! I was very excited about that part. We were able to take a guided tour, look at exhibits, and take in a panoramic view of the city. The castle was really neat, and also incredibly large seeing as it took us hours to explore.

From there we walked on the streets of Salzburg, where we stumbled upon a great place to eat that everyone enjoyed. We also stopped into a few of the shops in the old part of the city. It really is a unique place to visit. We had hoped to get to see Mozart's birthplace and residence but we ran out of time. However, we were able to take a trip up to a great lookout spot just as it started to get dark, which gave us another great view of the city.

Overall, Salzburg was absolutely amazing and I want to go back! It made the incredibly long trip to get here worth it. Tomorrow we get to explore Innsbruck, where we are staying, and hopefully it will be just as enjoyable. I would say I could stay here forever, but I'm not a fan of the mineral water here and having to pay for the bathroom.

                                        

Stubaier Gletscher

Today we went skiing at Stubaier Gletscher. The mountain was quite intimidating to me and was definitely an experience. Unfortunately the "easy" slopes here are more advanced than back home so I didn't get quite the experience I had hoped. Dad stayed with me the whole time so unfortunately neither did he. The mountain really was huge and the runs were very extensive. We did make it up to one of the easier runs that was more exciting for dad. However I was not a big fan of the steep, long trip down the mountain. Despite skiing not going quite as we hoped for me I can still say that I skied in Austria and that I got to ski at a glacier.

Today we saw a couple pretty cool things.  On the way to go skiing we went up a road that allowed us to see Innsbruck from above which was really cool. Also when we were riding the gondola back down the mountain we saw a mountain goat!

We finished our day off with planning what we are doing for the rest of the week & going out for pizza (which was really good).

We have finally arrived!

After over 24 hours of traveling we have finally arrived in Innsbruck, Austria where we will be staying for the week. The journey to get here was a bit longer than expected. The original three hour bus ride to our hotel turned into an almost seven hour trip. By the end we were exhausted and were happy to finally be able to stretch our legs.

While the bus ride was much longer than anticipated due to bad traffic, we were able to see sights we otherwise would not have. The mountains here are absolutely beautiful, words cannot describe them. Our bus driver took us on a different route after we had been sitting for quite some time on the highway and we literally drove up and around the mountains. The view was incredible!

Finally, we arrived in Innsbruck. After finally getting to our room we went to dinner. The food was delicious. We had Wiener Schnitzel and Apfelstrudel for dessert! Dinner truly was the highlight of the day. On the walk to dinner the buildings we passed looked as if they were out of a movie, and we can't wait to see them in the daylight. It didn't seem real.

Right now we are running on very little sleep and it's soon time to get some rest. Tomorrow we ski!

Getting ready to land in Zurich

Beautiful view of the mountains on the way to the hotel

View from our drive up the side of the mountain

The buildings are amazing!

Our Journey Begins

In a couple short hours we will board the plane and be on our way. We have completed the first leg of our journey and are waiting at the airport. Next stop Zurich, Switzerland!!!

Welcome

For the past six months we have been waiting for the trip of a lifetime. Tomorrow my dad and I embark on our week long journey to Austria. Or should I say Australia. Since we decided to go on this trip there has been some confusion as to where we are going, or more like the name of the country. Hence, our trip to Austr(al)ia.

Over the next week I will hopefully be able to post and upload pictures so you can share in our journey if you choose!

Dad (Dave) & I before our adventure to Austria