Outdoor Recreation — March 8, 2019

Baumholder

Baumholder Outdoor Recreation, Smith Barracks, Bldg. 816, 485-7182 or 06783-6-7182

Swiss Chocolate and Cheese Tasting

March 23

Enjoy a delicious day in which we will sample both of Switzerland’s favorite exports, Cailler Chocolate and Gruyères Cheese! In the village of Broc, you will enjoy a hands-on tour of the Cailler chocolate factory. This sensory smorgasbord culminates in an all you can eat tasting! But don’t stuff yourself silly, you’ll need to save room for our next stop, the La Maison du Gruyère cheese factory in Gruyères! After touring the cheese factory you can sample the local cheese at 3, 6 and 9 months of aging or buy a fondue meal in the restaurant. After both factories you will have time to visit the medieval castle or any of the other museums in the village of Gruyères. Cost Adults: $99 per person, Children under 12: $89 per child

Stuttgart Zoo and Chocolate Factory

March 24

Spend the day at Wilhema Park, one of Germany’s best zoos, and end it with a walk through the Ritter Sport museum. Today’s Wilhelma Park belongs to the historical heritage of Baden-Württemberg. The park has undergone a transition from being the purely private retreat of a king to become the zoological and botanical gardens of Stuttgart, with just over 2.1 million yearly visitors. The Ritter Sport museum’s collection consists of nearly 600 paintings, objects, sculptures and graphic works, a breadth of painterly and sculptural confrontation with the square form used as the design for the Ritter chocolate. Ritter’s factory is located in Waldenbuch, outside Stuttgart. They have shops and interactive museums in Waldenbuch that are open to visitors. When you are finished, you can then treat yourself with a wide variety of chocolate from their Chocolate shop.Cost Adults: $69, Children under 17: $49

Kaiserslautern

Kaiserslautern Outdoor Recreation, Pulaski Barracks, Bldg. 2905, 493-4117 or 0631-3406-4117. Mon. to Fri. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed on federal holidays. https://kaiserslautern.armymwr.com

Keukenhof Gardens

March 30, April 13 (Tulip Parade), May 4 & 18

Keukenhof has been the world’s largest flower garden for over fifty years. This trip will take you to 80 acres of tulip gardens in Keukenhof where many fascinating flower arrangements spread along winding, gentle and paved paths. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, narcissi, orchids, azaleas, and hydrangeas in every color imaginable are represented, as are many more! For a different perspective of the gardens, take an electric ‘whisper boat’ cruise on one of the many canals. You will also visit a cheese farm and wooden shoe shop on the way to the gardens where you can stock up on traditional Dutch specialty items. Cost: $89 per person

Ramstein

Ramstein Outdoor Recreation, KMC Center, Bldg. 3336, 480-5705 or 06371-47-5705. Mon. to Fri. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sat., Sun., holidays and training days 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. https://www.86fss.com/sports-and-recreation/outdoor-recreation

Snowshoe/Ski Tour Switzerland

March 15-17

The Bernese highlands region of Switzerland is home to some of the crown jewel peaks of the entire Alps. We’ll drive south to Interlaken to stay one night in a hotel before departure up into the high country the next morning by way of high alpine snowshoe OR ski tour. Snowshoes are the perfect beginner way to access this amazing terrain. For those who own their own ski touring setups (skis adjust to allow heel to lift) you’re in for a fantastic itinerary and guaranteed smiles on your descents! We’ll all stay together at the Lobhornhutte overlooking the 4000m peaks to the east (including the Eiger), and optional sledding descent the next day serves as a perfect way to round out this tour. Endurance and experience outdoors in cold weather required. Cost: $329, Age:18+ (communal lodging)

Boppard Klettersteig

March 30

Join us on a fantastic cliff-face traverse above the Rhine. On this klettersteig we ascend the fixed steel cable and ladder rungs. If at any time climbing becomes too much, you can parallel the cliff on an adjacent path. This trip is 5 technical kilometers long with an elevation gain of approximately 800 feet. Bring lunch and euro for potential après-hike dinning along the Rhine. Dress for the weather and bring at least one liter of water in a small daypack. Great photo opportunities guaranteed. Cost: $35, Ages:12+ with parent