The magnificent Rhine valley at Boppard.

September 30

Obviously, the traveling of the past few days had caught up to us, because we didn’t awake until 10 a.m.  We were both slightly embarrassed that we’d slept so late.  Our only consolation was that Kelly was still asleep when we woke up.  We quietly got out of bed and got ready for the day.

The day’s plan was to drive about an hour north to Bingen and catch a boat for a cruise on the Rhine.  The section of the Rhine from Bingen to Koblenz is rather famous for its picturesque setting and numerous castles.  While Kelly had driven this stretch of the Rhine before, he and his family had never taken a boat trip on the Rhine.  So, they were looking forward to this activity.

Kelly didn’t wake up until about 11 a.m.   By that time, Denise had to go pick Julia up from school (she had taken her to school around 9 a.m.).  Denise didn’t get back until almost noon.  Then, we had to pack up, go to the gas station, and grab some lunch.  So, by the time we got on the road to Bingen, it was almost 2 p.m.

After a scenic hour drive, we made it to Bingen.  We soon found the docks and the various boat company ticket offices.  However, we noticed that most of them seemed closed.  A quick glance at the schedules told us why.  The last boats leaving for Koblenz departed around 2:30 p.m.  There was one other boat leaving at about 4:30, but it wouldn’t get us back to Bingen until 8 p.m.  Kelly was not in the mood for driving back to Ramstein at such a late hour.  So, we decided to drive the stretch of the Rhine that we’d hoped to cruise.

It didn’t take us long to discover why this stretch of the Rhine is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  The scenery alone is breathtaking.  But, when the scenery is combined with the castles and the small towns, the region is truly magical. 

Kelly came up with a unique strategy for viewing all the sites on this stretch of the Rhine.  While we were driving along the Rhine’s west bank, we focused on the castles and attractions along the east bank.  When we drove back along the east bank, we focused on the west bank’s sites.  The reason was simple…many of the attractions were overlooking the particular road on which we were traveling.  So, it was easier to see the sites on the bank opposite from the one in which we were traveling. 

Every time we saw a castle on the opposite bank, we stopped to take a picture.  Consequently, we stopped a lot.  But, that didn’t bother us much.  Each of the castles was distinctive enough that stopping for each one seemed very appropriate.

We arrived in Koblenz, proceeded to cross the Rhine, and ventured south along the river’s east bank.   By the time we’d reached Rudesheim (across the river from Bingen), we’d spent about three hours driving up and down the Rhine.  Considering the amount of territory we covered, our drive was a lot faster than the boat.  Plus, we had the benefit of stopping when we chose to get pictures that we wanted.  Still, I would’ve liked to have cruised on the river.  Something for next time….

Rudesheim had several cafés lining the riverfront that look like attractive options for dining.  But, Julia was in the mood for a Happy Meal.  So, we found a McDonald’s about a half mile inland from the river and satisfied our cravings for American fast food.  After finishing our McDonald’s experience, we set off for home.

We arrived home about 8 p.m.  We ended up getting to bed early, which was a good thing because we had busy day of traveling scheduled for the next day. 

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