Traveling, traveling, and more Traveling!

We had a busy time while Jessica was here.  I've already posted about our quick trips.  Now for the BIG and EXCITING trip!

We left Thursday to drive to Salzburg, Austria.  It's about a 5 hour drive from our house to Salzburg.  The drive was BEAUTIFUL!!!  It is truly fall here, and there was some amazing scenery!

When we got there, we checked into our hotel, walked around, and had dinner at a very yummy Italian restaurant.

Friday was amazing!  Best Birthday EVER!!!  We started by taking a tour to the salt mines in Salzburg :)  Such a fun tour!  I definitely recommend it to anyone who goes.  The salt mines are a bit of a drive.  So on our way there, our driver gave us the history of the area.  Lots of fun!  It had snowed a few days before our tour (in the mountains), so there was snow everywhere!  Our tour in the salt mines was fun.  We put on these very stylish jumpsuits, rode a little train into the mountain, learned how they mine for salt, slide down TWO fun slides, rode a boat across a salt lake, and got a complimentary little bottle of salt that was mined right there!

Birthday breakfast!

Picture from the van

Look at all of the snow!

I know it's sideways.  Stylin' jumpsuits ;)

One of the slides :)

The salt lake we rode over in the boat.

Wonderful view when we got out of the salt mines.

After our tour, we went to Berchtesgaden (former Nazi town) to have lunch.  We were so rushed there, that we hardly got to see any of the town.  And we couldn't see the Eagle's Nest (although we got a glimpse from the van).  We definitely plan on going back next summer when the snow thaws.  The tour van brought us back to Salzburg, where we had about an hour before our SOUND OF MUSIC TOUR!!!

The Sound of Music tour was fantastic!  We met at the tour office, where they had a cow painted (on both sides) with scenes from the Sound of Music.  Why?  I don't know.  But I took a picture anyway.

Front

Back

We started by getting on a big coach bus that was painted with pictures of Maria and the children.

Through out our tour, our tour guide told us the real story of the VonTrapp family, as well as stories of how the movie was made.  She also played music from the movie and we (Jessica and I) sang along!  We drove to all of the locations that were not in the city of Salzburg where they made the movie.  Here are pictures of locations from the Sound of Music!

The Residence Square fountain - Maria splashed water from this fountain in "I Have Confidence"

Arches between Residence Square and Cathedral Square - Maria catches the bus

Fountain in Mirabell Gardens - Maria & children "had fun while circling"

Hedge-covered Archway - Maria & children dance/run through during Do-Re-Mi

The Pegasus Fountain - Maria & children marched around it

Dwarf Garden figure - they skipped passed them

Do-Re-Mi steps!!!

Schloss Leopoldskron - the back of the Von Trapp house, and lake they canoe in

Closer view of Schloss Leopoldskron (Leopold's Crown Palace)

The Gazebo where Rolf & Liesel sang "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" (not in its original location)

Schloss Frohnburg (Frohnburg Castle) - Front of the house, but now used as a girl's dormitory.  We couldn't take our tour bus there, so I didn't get a good picture :(

Nonnberg Abbey - Where Maria was going to become a Nun.

We stopped for a photo op :)

The wedding church in Mondsee

We ended the day with some shopping and then dinner!

Birthday dessert!

All in all, it was a great trip!  Friday morning we left to drive to Udine, Italy.  But I'll save that for my next post ;)

Ciao!