Janice Bond with James TravelPOINTS just recently visited Southwest Germany (Baden-Wurttemberg). Baden-Württemberg is the third largest German Federal state. It stretches from Lake Constance also referred to as the Swabian Sea to the River Rhine in the west and the River Main in the north. Three low mountain ranges give the landscape its typical Face: the Black Forest, The Swabian Alb and the Odenwald. Southwest Germany is also the third largest winegrowing region in Germany and stretches from Lake Constance to the valley of the Tauber.

My journey began in Stuttgart, the capital of Southwest Germany.  Stuttgart is the birthplace of the modern automobile as well as the home town of Mercedes Benz and Porsche. The Mercedes Benz museum is not to be missed, embarking on a journey transported back in time to the year 1886- the birth year of legend that surrounds the pioneering invention of Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz- the automobile. Stuttgart has the International Trade Fair Ground which is a great location for Meeting and Conventions right next to the airport and has meeting rooms and event space for up to 9,300 people. Stuttgart Christmas Market with its 250 plus superbly decorated stalls is one of the oldest of its kind in Europe.

On our second day we traveled to the city of Bad Friedrichshall and visited the Lehen Palace. Then we traveled to Bad Wimpfen where emperors lived during the era of the Staufener, it is considered a medieval town with its Blue and Red towers and the Staufen Imperial Place Chapel. The narrow, paved stoned street with half timbered houses will bring you back into another period of time.

Then we moved on to Neckarzimmen to spend the night at Castle Hornberg,  old tower, the highest part of  the castle, was mentioned in documents as early as 1184. In the chaos of war this tower was a refuge for all the village people for whom the lord of the castle was the responsible patron.

We traveled on to Heidelberg where we visited the home of the first German University; it was founded there in 1386.  Heidelberg Castle with its largest wine cask, historical main landmark sits about 70m above the river Neckar on the hillside of the Kongisstuhl, the mountain. The ruins of the electoral castle are the most impressive and important Renaissance building north of the Alps.

 Then to the City of Baden-Baden, with its Mediterranean charm, renowned across the world as an elegant spa town for its beneficial hot springs. And home to the world’s most beautiful casino. The Caracalla Therme is said to be one of the finest thermal baths in Europe. (900 sq m of thermal water pools).

Gengenback was our next stop, once called “a pearl among the cities of half-timbered houses”. The world’s biggest advents calendar is on classicistic city hall. Also they are well known for the Fastnacht Carnival of Germany.

Freiburg at the foot of the black forest is very special ecclesiastic experience the Freiburg Cathedral with the “most beautiful spire in Christendom”. Freiburg, the capital of the Black Forest, with its valleys and peaks of Germany’s biggest low-mountain range. Traditional Black Forest Gateau, Houses, Costumes and Hats as well as the famous Cuckoo Clock are all worldwide symbols.

 Titisee is where we took a carriage ride through what was known as the “Hell’s Valley” (was a wild and romantic valley and very narrow). Horse-drawn carriages could hardly get passed each other, this route became famous when Marie-Antoinett, the daughter of the Empress Maria-Theresia, was on he way from Vienna to Paris to get married to Louis 16^th. Also world-famous for cuckoo clocks. The first Black Forest clock was made in the year 1640, not far away from the village of Breitnau.

Off to Lake Constance (Three countries and a lake with maritime charm). The lake is surrounded by 273 K of lakeshore. Germany on the South, Switzerland on the North and Austria on the Western tip. Meersburg is surrounded by vineyards and the lake shore of Constance. Meersburg whose medieval castle-the oldest inhabited castle of Germany – and baroque castle grounds shape the silhouette of the town, the old houses and fortification structures appear to be stacked on top of each other. All around the lake you can find old towns whose historical character has been preserved. The Castle of Meersburg is like an apparition form another world, the magical Castle of Meereburg stands proudly overlooking Lake Constance. According to legend, this massive fortress dates back to the 7^th century. Next we traveled to Sigmaringen where we visited Sigmaringen castle belonging to the princes of Hohenzollern and re-live the past in historical authentic surroundings, one of the largest private residences of Germany and admire close to one thousand years of royal art and architecture. First mentioned in 1077, the former medieval fortress perched high upon a cliff overlooking the Danube River. Renowned as the official ancestral seat of the counts and princes of Hohenzollern since 1535, Sigmaringen castle has played a significant role in the chronicles of world history. The Hohenzollerns lineage is numbered among the oldest and most aristocratic in Germany. Next to its splendid art treasures, Sigmaringen castle also houses one of the largest private collections of weapons and firearms in Europe. The armory, an impressive collection of offensive and defensive weaponry is displayed, offering a glimpse into the history of warfare. Almost 3000 exhibits ranging from the 14^th to the 20^th centuries outline the technical development of weaponry and warfare. Included are suits of mail and armor as well as a wide variety of offensive and defensive armaments.

Our last day we traveled to Tubingen, this historic Old town is scattered with its small steps, narrow alley and pointed gables. The Swabian university city with its 85,000 inhabitants and 20,000 students combines the flair of a lovingly renovated city center dating back to the Middle Ages with the colorful, bustling and vital consciousness of a young and cosmopolitan student city. Tubingen is one of the most famous university towns. Poets and thinkers like Holderlin, Hauff, Morike, Uland, Schiller and Kepler have all studied there. From the Platanenallee (avenue of plane trees), which is one of the most beautiful avenues in the country with its almost two centuries old trees, one has the best view of the famous and picturesque Tubingen “Nickarfront” (front of the Nackar). As early as the Middle Ages, houses were bilt on the town wall where the Neckar flows around. Castle Hohentubiningen. First mentioned as a castle of the counts of Tubingen in 1078. The larger part of the present castle, which houses numerous University institutes and collections, dates grom the 16^th C. Its most beautiful ornament is the Renaissance portal of 1606 modelled on a Roman triumphal arch, the centre of which shows the coat of arms of the Duchy of Wurttemberg. Some parts of town still have the remains of the medieval town wall. The market place with Neptune’s fountain is a popular place along the Neckar water front. Here we also visited the Gasthausbrauerei Nickarmuller for a little beer seminar. German Southwest with Castles and Medieval towns are almost heaven.

It was a jammed packed journey with plenty of highlights.  Call James TravelPOINTS to plan your European vacation 1-800-274-0436, www.travelpoints.com

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If you’ve got a week or just a weekend, I’ve got the place for you…the exciting city of Chicago. I was swept away for a weekend, and what a weekend it was.  We arrived Friday night just in time to check out the night scene on Rush Street.  This is where the who’s who hang, enjoying great music, martinis and cigars.  Headed down to “Hang Upps” (a little more my style), the motif, is any and everything the walls are packed with all kinds of silly paraphernalia.  The only prerequisite is you must be prepared to have and good time and a small cover charge.  They played 70 and 80’s music the songs we all know and love to sing along to, there where all kinds of people, every make and model.

It was up early the next morning for a quick tour of The Art Institute of Chicago.  I had the run through this fabulous museum in two hours.  Only enough time to enjoy a quick gaze at the artwork.  I would strongly suggest an entire day to browse, but if all you have is a few hours, it works.  I grew up playing the game of Masterpiece, and for anyone else that has it’s exciting to realize that the originals are found at the Institute. I had great pleasure enjoying them first hand, along with the Picassos, Monet’s and hundreds other works of art.

I had to hurry back for the main reason I came to Chicago and that was to enjoy the Rockies vs. Cubs game at the famous Wrigley Field.  If you haven’t been there it’s a must for any baseball fan, the history is legendary, and the atmosphere is just plain fun. Something about a hot dog at Wrigley Field, it just tastes better.

Saturday evening it was off to feed our soul at the award-winning House of Blues, the music hall offers a bit of everything from Blues (of course), jazz, rock, opera, Country and more.  This particular evening “Quantum Leap” a band that played 80’s Rock-n-Roll kept us all jammin.  We were taken to the private bar hidden away upstairs, where the members of the band invite their friends to come mingle after the show, what a hip evening for all.

Sunday it was another great day at Wrigley Field, we actually got to see the Rockies win one (which is always a treat).  This was the weekend of the big air show so several times during the games the F15’s flew over, the game stopped and everyone watched in wonder. What a great getaway!

It’s time the experts at James TravelPOINTS 1-800-538-7461, www.travelpoints.com, sent you off for a weekend of fabulous food, great baseball, exciting nightlife and museums, museums, museums.

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By Nancy Kastanek, James TravelPOINTS 

My in-laws decided, after their sister suddenly passed away, that they didn’t want any more get-togethers at just funerals.  So they called me to put a family and extended family reunion cruise together.  With our Cruise Specialist Jan Geiser’s expertise, we did just that.
 Most of the “sailors” had never cruised and all but 6 were from California.  The youngest of the brother-in-laws chose the Carnival Pride for the vessel and Thanksgiving week for the sailing, as all the children would be out of school.
 I used Prime Time Shuttle as the transfer vendor.  What a great choice that was!  I left my digital camera on the shuttle, called the dispatch immediately from the hotel, and she contacted the driver who found my camera, kept it with him the whole week and drove out to Long Beach (from LAX) to hand it over to me when I arrived back in Long Beach.  Yes, he got a GREAT tip!
 A total of 36 people signed up for the cruise and absolutely everyone had a wonderful fun-filled sailing!  We sailed from Long Beach, CA to Puerto Vallarta, then Mazatlan and our last stop was Cabo San Lucas.  It was wonderful for me to have a full week with my 5 brothers and sisters-in law, their children and grandchildren.  This sailing had 1,200 adults and 800 children.
 I highly recommend a cruise for a family reunion and Carnival was a great choice as the children had so much to do onboard.  Parents don’t have to keep an eye out for the teens; they’re usually found in one of the teen lounges or in a hot tub.  (We did lose track on one teen.  He hadn’t been seen for 4 hours by anyone.  Come to find out, he was in the hot tub with some ladies of his own age.)
 Some of the excursions chosen were ATVing in the sand dunes, snorkeling, a jungle adventure.  These three chose to tour the aquarium.
 The family decided unanimously to do another family reunion cruise and invite more cousins.  They are looking at sailing Alaska in June of 2009.  I haven’t seen Alaska so I am signing up again as well as my husband and son.  We know that Jan Geiser at James TravelPOINTS 1-800-538-7461/303-442-2340, will plan another perfect trip and another successful cruise will be had by all.

www.travelpoints.com

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By Toni Barnett of James TravelPOINTS

We just wanted to let you in on a secret hideaway; only two hours away by plane, Rancho Valencia Resort at Rancho Santa Fe, is just the right place for a weekend getaway.

We had the opportunity to visit this charming resort and would like to share our experience.  A twenty-five minute drive north of San Diego; Del Mar is a quaint beachside community known for its horse racing.  Rancho Valencia Resort is nestled amidst the rolling hills, just east of Del Mar.

Twenty-one intimate casitas accommodate forty-three suites, making it a quiet restful resort.  Stepping into our suite gave us a complete feeling of relaxation.  We stayed in the smaller unit, which we found incredibly spacious (850-square feet).  It is beautifully constructed with, exposed, whitewashed beams, ceiling fans, cathedral ceilings, earthtone stucco walls, and plantation shutters.  The luxurious bathroom includes plush bathrobes, slippers and heavenly scented bathsalts next to your deep tub for hours of relaxation.  The down comforters on the king-sized bed provide comfortable nights of sleep.  We enjoyed the warmth of the beautiful fireplace in the sitting as we unwound from our “not so busy” day.  French doors lead to our favorite place a grand private patio, each morning we found ourselves enjoying the warmth of the rising sun as we drank fresh orange juice; afternoons were perfect for relaxing with good book with the scents of orange and lemon trees that surround the property.  A relaxing message in our suite was just what my body was begging for, and to complete this experience a soak in the one of their two Jacuzzi’s.  We had the pool all to ourselves, and saw several guests using the 18 tennis courts.

With such beautiful surrounding you find in hard to venture beyond the resort, but after all its sunny California and there is so much to see and do.  A hike at Torry Pines Reserve was on the agenda, easy by Colorado standards, it’s right on the ocean.  The vistas are so serene and relaxing; we enjoyed spotting the dolphins playing off shore and the surfers riding the waves.

I bicycled around the beautiful community that surrounds Rancho Valencia; it was quiet a challenge with its rolling hills, majestic mansions and beautiful countryside.  My husband grabbed his clubs and headed off for a round of golf.  Rancho Valencia will make reservations on one of the local private/semi private courses, or choose from several exceptional public courses. That evening we enjoyed exceptional meal at the Fish Market where we sat at the oyster bar and enjoyed several hors d’oeuvres. 

The food, the weather, the accommodations were spectular; life just doesn’t get much better.  Give James TravelPOINTS a call 1-800-538-7461/303 442-2340, www.travelpoints.com

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