LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND. 1421.
It’s summer, when the snows have finally receded back into the fang-like peaks of Mount Pilatus. The small lakeside village rests peacefully in its foothills, quiet and picturesque. A farmer is out today, taking advantage of the longer day and the cool afternoon breeze to get some work done, maybe earn himself an extra half hour of sleep in the morning.
The evening was a cloudless one, so he’s startled when he looks up from the dirt, trying to discern the source of the massive shadow passing over him. What he gets is a glimpse, but tomorrow he’ll have details galore for anyone who’ll listen. He’ll talk of claws the length of a man’s forearm. Of scales and shimmering wings. He’ll talk until the name Pilatus is forever paired with one idea: Dragons.
Flash forward another six hundred summers. My American family of five are crammed inside a metal trolley traveling up the face of Mount Pilatus on a thin line of track. Based in Heidelberg, Germany, yesterday we all jumped into the car my father rented for our summer-long stint across the pond and crossed the Swiss border on the run from the most brutal heat wave in German history. An ocean away from our air-conditioned South Carolina home, we decided a weekend was needed where no one was sprawled out amid a garden of electric fans. We needed a memory, preferably one spent somewhere at least twenty degrees cooler.
We agree that the snow-capped Swiss Alps would do, and now as I stare out the window of the trolley, I know I’ll never forget what I see. I look behind us, back at the now bolstering city of Lucerne shrinking into a cluster of specks as we climb higher and higher, to where the temperature drops below 40 degrees Celsius for the first time in weeks. The lake we’ve just crossed by ferry is a sheet of crystal, winking rays of midday summer sun up at us as we tick, tick, tick, up the strip of track.
I haven’t heard any of the local legends yet, but staring into the caves and crags that litter Pilatus’s slate-grey face makes it easy to imagine a pair of fiery eyes staring back at me. The sense of magic in the land is innate. I’m taken to every fantasy world I’ve ever immersed myself in—Narnia, Middle Earth, Westeros—trying to find a way to describe the feel of it. Old. Wild. Untouched, even though it still carries everything befitting a tourist trap.
There are gift shops. Restaurants. They sell copies of a children’s book of dragon stories in French, English, and German that can only be purchased at the summit. It’s what you’d expect, but it’s a different kind of commercialization. Not the unrelenting, aggressive, everywhere-you-lookness of an American carnival attraction. Sure, there are zip-lines and rope courses. But there are also families that have herded cattle on the mountain for centuries. There are t-shirts and key chains and post cards, but unless you buy one that’s not what you remember the place by.
I’ll never forget this, I think again later that day, this time staring down at the rocks and hills from inside a cable car as we’re lowered back down into the real world. There are para-gliders above is, floating around thousands of feet in the air. Seeing how the sun shines through the colored silk of the parachutes, I can’t help but imagine them as wings.
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Very tasty.
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Very nice day. We don’t have it in Vietnam 🙁
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Good to read this before I prepare my family trip in the summer.
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Thank you for these tips on how to plan a family safari! I’d like to be able to take my whole family and show them the beauty of Africa. But it always seemed so daunting to plan a whole trip that everyone would enjoy. I mean there’s always the age differences, and differences in interest as well to think about. Just thinking of ensuring that everything goes well planned is stressing me out. That’s why I turned to the internet in search of tips! Definitely will use your tips on how to choose a safari.
Very good tips. We all should follow these tips for a safe road trip. Thanks for the great help.
Thankyou Mr Ralph S for giving precise information on the overland.
i will be travelling for the 1st time from adelaide to melbourne this month end. it will be of grt help.
Soon I’ll be planning a trip to Dubai. Thanks for the information about what’s worth visiting.
Hello Lansdell family! This is a great place for a long weekend of outdoors exploration and a beautiful park. In late May, a new business is opening = https://www.floattheriver.net/ = which will run float trips on inner tubes on portions of the river. I asked some locals and they suggested that after biking and hiking and riding the train, your kids might enjoy day trips to nearby Canton, Akron or Cleveland. Each has lots of Metroparks (the public system of urban parks) and museums, etc to do and see. With some planning, all your days can be as full of variety as you would like. We hope you have a wonderful trip.
How did you get around the Darien Gap?
Very good
Thank you for sharing these warm and touching thoughts of yours! I’ve only been the Belarus once, but I wish I read it before going, something in my experience would definitely be different then. I did use some advise – from the telegram channel for foreigners https://t.me/Belanews but I guess your opinion would be great to consider and embrace too.
Thanks for all the info. We are planning on going in August, and are trying to find a nature-centered vacation for our family of 4, kids ages 7 and 4. We are from Southern Ontario, Canada and we came across this national park. Would you recommend this place for 3-4 days? Is there enough to do (hiking, train rides, exploring etc)? Somewhere else? We also looked at the Smoky Mountains but its about a 11-12 hours vs the 5-6 hours to Cuyohoga. Any advice would be helpful.
That place is really amazing. I want to spend my vacations on this beautiful place. Thanks for sharing this nice information.
I've been there last year. If someone is looking for a nice hotel I can highly recommend to take a look at the Hotel Rappen Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Such a good information.Nice work.Very useful for us.
The gardens of Suzhou are absolutely beautiful and something that you don’t want to miss while you are there.
Traveling with your children in s Suzhou is super easy and safe. My family had a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed there time there. One thing they really loved was going down all of the canals. Here is some great information on all the beautiful canals that you can explore.
It looks like a beautiful experience. Turkey is a wonderful country -and the fact that it’s not that expensive compared to other countries makes a visit there even more tempting. Thanks for sharing.
good tips, safety comes first so that our trip may be remembered as a happy memoir when we went to see and explore new places and have fun. and not as a terrifying night in the ER. god bless you all , be safe
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Great tips for road trips!
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Being visiting is one of the best experiences of my life. Being there and enjoying every bit of time is wonderful. Personally, my best experience is an underground aquarium and desert safari. One visited Dubai must go for these two activities.
Would love this for our family!
We’ve always wanted to go and now they are old enough to enjoy it.
Thanks so much for doing this!
The beaches, the weather, the food, the attractions and the activities- everything was perfect.
I think parents should focus more on preparing or educating their children about the proper etiquette and behaviors before the flight to avoid being a nuisance to others. I don’t know much about kids but as a first-time mom, that’s what I will do.
Hi,
You have explained the timeshare information for Spain country very well.Share more blogs which will we helpful for people like us in future.
Thanks
Seeking for your positive reply.
Hi,
I would like to travel out of the US with my son. I understand that I would need his father to sign and notarize a letter. He had not been a stand up dad to take care of his responsibilities so he left and I can’t find him. What can I do in a situation like that to travel with my son?
happy you enjoyed the story. This park is in Ohio where the climate can be capricious! It’s hottest between late April and November, however even April has the danger of some snow. In case you’re enjoying the great outdoors with children, the most secure wager is June to August, since it’s hotter and there’s little downpour. Make the most of your trek.
Wonderfully informative article!
I want to go travel with kids but I was not decided where we go. Your post is helpful for me. Thanks for sharing.
Tenerife is SO stunning! I love this volcanic landscape, sometimes you feel like you traveled to the Moon. This place has it all – great views, pleasant weather, awesome food, wine and laid-back people. Thanks for sharing ideas, I’ll use some of them on my next trip 🙂
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I automatically think the word “gumbling” when I heard Las Vegas. I never knew that Las Vegas has something to offer for youngsters. Will bring my children here soon.
Nice Article, it is very helpful to me.
There is no Doubt, Dubai is most popular destination among tourists from across the world and have gained high popularity in last decade. If you are in Dubai and dhow go for dhow cruise, there is some thing missing on your list. There are Dubai dhow cruise, Musandam Dibba dhow cruise and Khasab Musandam dhow cruise. Try some of them and you will love.
Istanbul layover tour is a great service to use the best of your time in Istanbul Airport. However if you like to have a private attention and flexibility, you can check private tour services of ISTANBUL LAYOVER TOURS. They are offering the layover tours from Istanbul International Airport.
Great article! Wanted for Christmas again. Do you know anything about this place ? It is very interesting to know the opinions. How much advance it is necessary to book a hotel and various entertainment before the holidays?