Fit for a King

Get Lederhosen: Check
Pick up a hitchhiker named Becky: Check
Spend the night in a castle: Check

On the last "fun" evening of our vacation, we checked into Europa Park's castle themed hotel.

Never before has a hotel in Orlando been this well themed. The doors were pointed at the top. The light fixtures were lanterns. The walls appeared to be made from rock. The balcony had an automatic sun shade the raised and lowered at the touch of a button. There was even a chair fit for a king.

Speaking of, Adam took the king-sized bed, while Scott opt'ed to snooze on the top bunk. Yep, this castle came with bunk beds.

Spend the night in a castle? Check!

NEXT: The factory guy is gonna talk!

Europa Welcome Party

DATELINE:
Rust, Germany

Europa Park is the Walt Disney World of Germany. The park takes theming to the max. It's also known for unique rides built in Germany and a man named Mats.

Mats use to be a software designer in Sweden. Now he's a mechanical engineer in Germany, with the important job of ensuring the park's wooden coaster named Wodan runs smoothly.

Upon pulling into Europa Park from Austria, Mats met us and gave us the #1 parking spot. Really. The closest parking spot to the front gate.

What awaited, will be remembered as a classic European Fairy Tale.

Mats royally took care of us with admission tickets waiting and an escort to the most popular rides. Up exits we dashed, bypassing queue lines and sitting in the front seat.

Park guests wondered who the guy in the Lederhosen was. With so much to see and do, there was no time to change.

"We only have an hour," Mats beckoned. In that one golden hour, we rode the famed Wodan from Great Coasters International, Blue Fire from Mack, Silver Star from B&M, the first bobsled coaster ever and a WILD Wild Mouse (the kids from Orlando liked the Mack monorail too).

After the park closed, we took part in a tradition that was always a special treat at Cedar Point: End-of-the-Night crew ride. Mats let us ride Wodan over and over and over. Scott lost count (was it 4 or 5 times?). Donna from the Wodan crew joined us for each spin, wanting more just like the rest of us.

After the final ride, Mats gave us a tour of Wodan's transfer bay. It's here where roller coaster trains go to sleep for the night.

We climbed above and below for an up close look at what it takes to maintain and operate a wooden roller coaster. Although they look like a throwback to the golden age of amusement parks from the Roaring 20s, today's wooden coasters are a technological marvel.

The mechanics from silent lifts to on-board cameras was impressive.

Scott kept thinking, "Wow. I am under a real live roller coaster."

Mats was a great host. You can tell he is proud of his ride. And he has every reason to be.

NEXT: A Man's Home is his Castle

Sticky Swiss Miss

DATELINE:
Austria / Switzerland boarder

Bound for Germany (again), we encounter one of the longest vehicle tunnels in the world. Through a mountain passage we go for 10 kilometers.

"You could have run two 5K's in there," Adam says.

"Want to come into Switzerland?" the boarder agent asks.

"Okay, you need to get a sticker."

Apparently to drive on Swiss highways, you need a sticker attached to your windshield.

No problem. We're pros at this, thanks to the green sticker we got in Sweden for driving in Germany.

But "rental" of that little sticker costs $50!

NEXT: Mats, we're still coming. Relax!

Coaster Bobbin' Part 2

DATELINE:
Imst-Hoch (again)

"What the... ?" Scott said.

"Dude, I just saw my first Euro --- (censored)---" Adam said shocked.

Good Morning Austria!

It's here in Imst on Sunday mornings where horses are paraded through the streets, church bells toll loudly and mountain climbers walk around in their Euro-undies.

Before breakfast, Scott ran the hills and leaped over piles of soggy sick stuck to the sidewalk. Imst may be buttoned up for summer, but somebody partied last night.

The Alpine Coaster was so unique, we had to do it again... And again... And again.

Yet, upon parking, we encountered a mountain climbing club of 40-something-year-old men in their Euro-briefs. They were strutting around as if we entered some outdoor locker room.

This was the ultimate opportunity for Adam to mount his GoPro camera to the "CoasterBob" for forwards and backwards action. He also captured a time lapse of the clouds shredding apart across the face of the mountains.

We rode up the ski lift three times and came back down the mountain on our 'Bobs three times. We could have enjoyed the clean air, amazing view of the mountains and the ride all day.

NEXT: Mats Awaits!

A Night in Austria

DATELINE:
Imst, Austria

"Are we really going to dinner this way?" Adam questioned.

"We got 'em, let's use them," Scott said with authority.

And with that, a night on the town began.

Imst, Austria is a quant ski town that thrives in the winter. Come the month of May, it's a ghost town. The stores are locked up, the diners are closed and many of the residents go on vacation... er, "holiday."

So on this holiday, we donned our Lederhosen once again to eat dinner. The restaurant in our hotel is one of the few open and one of the fanciest in the city.

White table cloths with embroidered deer that match the deer candle holders greeted us in a tiny cellar.

Upon entering, we turned heads. But at this point, we're use to it:
In the car.
In the parks.
In the hotels.
We're two Americans who don't speak the native language and dress in clothes that have some color (most Europeans love their gray tones).

On the menu, we went native Austrian: Wiener Schnitzel. The breaded pork filets were accompanied by cranberry sauce. 

When the chef hears there were two Americans sitting in his dining room, he visits our table explaining it's America who gave Austria the cranberry. 

A quick history lesson:
After WWII, American servicemen occupying Austria began to spread the Cranberries all over their Wieners. The sauce came packed in rations from the U.S. government. After one taste of the wieners covered in the red berries, native Austrians never looked back, but continued spreading the love.

The meal was a celebration of Adam being named "Employee of the Year" from our newsroom.

After dinner, a stroll downtown Imst. We were the only people in Lederhosen. In fact, we were the only people out (until other folks showed up, along with a few piles of vomit. Not ours though).

The tulips and bushes are in bloom right now in Imst. All around town, await pockets of color to usher in Spring.

We ventured into the church walls next to us only to find several hundred candles lit on a Saturday night. After lighting candles ourselves as a reflection of a stellar vacation and for safe travels, it was off to bed with visions of coaster-ing in the mountains in our heads.

NEXT: Nude Hiking

Personal Roller Coaster

DATELINE;
Imst-Hoch, Austria

While snow skiing in Ohio growing up, I would often see signs at Mad River Mountain for an "Alpine Slide" that would open in the summer months.

The path followed the lift hill north. Even covered in snow, you could tell the slide was in disrepair. The cement joints of the flume weren't flush. How a sled on wheels was suppose to roll down the path, I have no clue. But the poster inside the ski lodge made the concept look great.

Fast forward some 25 years and Alpine Coasting is making a resurgence.

In the Alps of Austria rests the world's longest personal roller coaster. It's a twisted mix of Coaster, Bobsled and Slide. Unlike the early version in Ohio, this newer cousin uses stainless steel tracks, no troughs.

The cars are built for two riders, yet most adults appreciate going solo. And while each car is locked to the track, the passengers control the breaks. However, the cars look like a lot like snow sleds.

In order to get to the top of the hill, one must hike and endure a 3,000-foot elevation change, or take the more scenic chair lift.

We arrived with enough time to ride once according to the lady selling tickets.

After scrambling aboard the chair lift, we rose higher and higher into the snow capped Alps. As we got higher, patches of snow could be found still melting under us.

Scott found the song "The Hills Are Alive (with the Sound of Music)" on his phone and played it as we floated above the trees.

Riding parallel next to us on a second lift, are the sleds that we'll ride down.

The track is fast, or slow as you want, since you're essentially riding the break the whole time.

There is no speedometer. But since the coaster is never more than 10 feet above the ground, it feels faster as the natural terrain whizzes by.

Then there is the smell. It's spring in Austria and the scent of pine trees is in the air as they begin to grow after the long winter.

"This is the best thing we've done yet!" Adam exclaimed.

The Alpine Coaster is so much fun, we may have to do it again in the morning.

NEXT: A Night in Austria

Storm the Castle

DATELINE:
West of Munich, Germany

As we leave Munich and head to Austria, a must stop is the iconic Neuschwanstein Castle in Schwangau, Germany

This was the German castle that Walt Disney based Snow White's castle after in Disneyland.

The fortress stands out on the side of the mountain like a sparkling jewel. Getting there is what it was like 100 years ago. Tight, narrow roads built for just one vehicle.

Inside the castle is not so special according to Adam. He visited in 2005 and found only one room on the interior complete.

Therefore, we did a drive by & got some beauty shots of the C70 with the castle in the background (yes, the hitchhiker is included).

And if the truth be known, we stopped down the street first for a quick ride.

"Adam, LOOK!" Scott screamed from the passenger seat. "It's a gondola!!" And with that, Adam did a u-turn.

Moments later, we were on a ski chair lift headed into the Alps. The 10 minute ride lead to a mountain top where parachute jumpers were literally running off the face of a cliff and gently floating back to earth.

We opted to take the chair lift back down.

At the top of the mountain stands a giant cross. It's tradition among the people of Germany and Austria to place a large cross at the top of each summit scaled.

Next: Personal Roller Coaster