Switzerland

  • Switzerland

    Lauterbrunnen Valley

    August 7, 2016 - By 

    Lauterbrunnen Valley. This is why people come to Switzerland.  To soak in Switzerland’s widely known natural wonder, to admire one of the rare valleys arguably more beautiful than Yosemite, to fly, to jump, to hike. We had arrived to Lauterbrunnen Valley regrettably too early in the season; late May still saw endless gray skies and there was no end to the rain in the forecast.  Almost every hike in my itinerary was still closed due to snow and unfortunate weather.  After thinking long and hard, we made a choice to leave one dreary morning and return to Switzerland during the high…

  • Switzerland

    Grindelwald

    August 4, 2016 - By 

    We spent one night in the unimaginably beautiful village of Grindelwald. Why? Because we found that hunkering down in our motorhome and illegally “camping” in the Grindelwald Grund rail station for only 6 CHF/24 hours was easy, despite all the “Camping Prohibited” signs displayed throughout the entire valley. The mountain scenery from the parking lot was also incredible.  Yep, this suited us just fine. Oh, and the hikes in and around Grindelwald were lovely too, especially when they involve Switzerland’s most famous aerial cable car, Grindelwald to First. From the Grindelwald Gund rail station to the aerial cable car was a 25-minute…

  • Switzerland

    Trift Bridge

    August 1, 2016 - By 

    At 170 meters (560 feet) long, the Trift Bridge is the longest pedestrian-only suspension bridge in the Swiss Alps.  All aspects of the bridge are incredible–the drive to the bridge, then the hike (or chair lift + hike if you choose) to the bridge, and the bridge itself.  Not even the crummy weather could have dampened our experience. First, in order to arrive to the trailhead from Liechtenstein, we drove along Lake Lucerne. Then we continued up and over Susten Pass from east to west.  Like all passes in Switzerland, the pass left us in awe with its incredible views…

  • Switzerland

    Montreux, Gruyeres, and Bern

    June 5, 2016 - By 

    It amazed me that even rest stops in Switzerland could be so beautiful. After two consecutive days of relatively challenging hikes, we needed a chill out day, and little did we know we’d spend most of it at the massive rest/trucker’s stop in Martigny.  Equipped with a gas station, motorhome servicing station, free bathrooms, a restaurant/market with electricity and free water inside, and a gorgeous lake and trails, it wasn’t difficult to squander an entire afternoon there. I repeat, this was a REST STOP. Once we were well rested we attempted to drive up Sanetch Pass for more epic hiking, but…

  • Switzerland

    The Matterhorn

    June 1, 2016 - By 

    Immediately upon crossing the border from Italy into Switzerland, the landscape changed drastically to fit the stereotypical Switzerland picture: charming villages spread out on rolling green hills with a backdrop of the snow-capped Alps.  Our goal for the evening was to drive up Simplon Pass (free motorhome parking with water!) where we would spend the night before moving on to Zermatt the next morning.  After purchasing and slapping the mandatory 40 CHF vignette on our motorhome’s front window, we began our long journey up the pass. Our motorhome sloooowly made it up, with a couple of stops to prevent overheating.…