The Matterhorn - Zermatt, Switzerland

I say “Matterhorn,” you say “Disneyland!” Well, that’s what I would have said. I was surprised when my husband said, “No, Zermatt, Switzerland.” He wanted to see the mountain that inspired Walt Disney to build a replica thrill ride in Disneyland. Our journey began with a train ride from Geneva to Visp, and then from Visp to Zermatt. We found out that when you’re traveling on your own and don’t speak the native language, you get pretty good at understanding hand signals. We had no idea what anyone in the train station at Geneva said and we couldn’t read the stations signs, but thank goodness for hand signals. They got us through the difficult task of getting our tickets, getting on and off the train, and standing at the right platform to board the next train. The train ride scenery was beautiful and took a total of about four hours. It’s a good way to see the various towns and the countryside. We finally reached Zermatt and it was freezing cold! It’s a beautiful village and one of the locals told us that they only allow horse drawn carriages and electric taxis, no gas cars. We were told that a lot of people come here for skiing and hiking. Most of the locals walk where ever they need to go. We stayed at the Walliserhof Hotel, which was a really quaint hotel. Our room was quite large and very comfortable as it overlooked the main street. 

After checking in and relaxing for a bit, we went for a walk and came to the village center and got our first really speculator view of the Matterhorn. It’s awesome!! It’s so tall, huge, and majestic! It’s easy to understand why this was the inspiration for the Disney thrill ride known as the "Matterhorn Bobsleds." The next day we looked at the map to see what our options were for going to the top of the mountain. You ride a train to the various stops up the mountain, and there are many train stops choices. My husband voted for the Little Matterhorn, known as Klein Matterhorn, which is almost 13,000 feet high. There’s a glacier grotto at the Little Matterhorn and I would have loved to see it, but I admit I chickened-out and said no. The high altitude frightened me a little so I voted for Gornergrat, which is about 10,200 feet. We got on the train and enjoyed the view of the snow covered mountaintops. This was a very comfortable train ride, not cold at all. We got off at a stop called Rotenboden, to walk around and take some pictures. We saw a St. Bernard dog with the little barrel strapped around his neck. He was so big and cute! 

There are skiers everywhere and almost all of the train stops will take you to an area near a ski lift or is the drop off point to start a ski run. The view of the mountain ranges is spectacular! I was amazed to see how high some of those ski lifts will take you. And the snow is so bright when the sun is shining, you have to wear your sunglasses. We made our way to Gornergrat, which has a restaurant and gift shop. There’s a lookout point which gives you an awesome panoramic view of the mountaintops. Going up is not a major problem, coming down was a bit tricky since the steps are made of carved ice (very slippery). We enjoyed lunch at this lookout point and did some shopping. Wouldn’t you know it, I had a slight touch of altitude-sickness. We made our way back to the train and once we were back in the village, we picked up some soda which helped settle my stomach. The village is not large so you can leisurely walk around and cover it in one day. The view is beautiful, the air is refreshing and crisp. We noticed that many of the older homes have slate roofs, which gives this place a nice old fashioned look.  

It snowed overnight so we were greeted by a beautiful blanket of snow that covered the streets, trees, rooftops, everything. I couldn’t help think that this is what Christmas morning should look like, even though it was an April morning. We enjoyed a hearty breakfast at our hotel and then said “Goodbye to Zermatt!” It was a short trip for us (only two nights) since this was not our primary travel stop, but we're so glad we traveled to Zermatt, Switzerland. We truly enjoyed the Matterhorn!

Tips and Insights:

• When you have to take multiple trains, travel as light as possible. You have to load and unload your own bags.
• Don't forget to take sunglasses and gloves (if it's snowing). 
• If you enjoy hiking or skiing, plan to stay for at least five days. There are many trails and ski runs; you'll want to try several of them.
• Bring your camera! The views are spectacular!

Walking around the village.

Horse drawn buggy,

Slate rooftops.

Fresh snowfall.

Glacier Viewing and Dog Sleigh Riding

This adventure begins with a lie...well, about weight. You see in order to view the glaciers and get to the dog sleigh ride, you have to ride a helicopter and before you get in the helicopter, you have to let the pilot know how much you weigh. My husband said he was 10 pounds heavier than his actual weight because he suspected that a few people said they were 10 pounds lighter. Once the pilot has your weight, you slip into these special boots, since you will be walking on ice and snow and they make you wear a life vest, since you will be flying over bodies of water. The life vest is a requirement, but I don’t think it’s going to save your life if you end up in the body of water which has mountains of ice in it. Back to the helicopter; you don’t have a choice of seats. Based on your height and weight, the pilot positions you in the craft. And the reason why you put your life vest on before you board the helicopter is because there’s hardly any room to move around in once you’re in the helicopter.

Once you’re airborne, you’re in for a spectacular view of the town of Juneau, the waterways, and the breathtaking mountains and glaciers. We’re talking miles and miles of ice. Some of the ice is soot colored, some areas white, and some areas are various shades of blue. It’s hard to think of global warming when you’re viewing this vast mountain of ice. Just as you’re enjoying the wonders of the glaciers, the dog sleigh camp comes into view. 

Here you see rows and rows of dog houses, which look like little igloos. These dogs are lean and strong! You would think they’d have longer hair to help keep them warm, but surprisingly, they have short hair. According to the trainer, the dogs prefer colder temperature and you can see some of the dogs laying spread-eagle on the snow to cool off. I guess the trainers get used to the temperature too because a few of them were walking around in t-shirts. These dogs wore booties to protect their feet as the trainers positioned them for the sleigh ride. The team consisted of 7-8 dogs, 2 in the front, 2 in the back and the remainder spread out between them. 


The trainer shows you how to work the sleigh and then “Mush!” you’re off. What an exhilarating experience! You’re not just a passenger on the sleigh, oh you get to experience that too, but you actually drive the sleigh! The dogs are incredible as they dig into the snow and pull you, a passenger and the sleigh. This really is a ride of a lifetime! After your sleigh ride, you can warm up and meet some of the dogs. The trainer introduces you to the dogs and lets you know if you can pet them or not; the dogs love the attention. We’re told that this is like a “summer fun” camp for the dogs before they begin their training for the Iditarod. We headed back to Juneau filled with wonderful memories of our once in a lifetime ride. 

Things to be aware of:

• Take sunglasses, gloves and a head covering (knitted top is good). The sunglasses protects your eyes from the white glare; gloves and hat will keep you warm when driving the sleigh.
• Layering your clothes might be better than using a thick jacket. Two reasons for this: 1) It’s a snug fit in the helicopter and 2) It gets warm even in the snow and ice if you’re walking around quite a bit.
• Bring your camera. You don’t want to miss out on the photo taking opportunities above the glaciers and at the dog sleigh camp.

Cairo, Egypt - The Pyramids and The Sphinx

Did you know that many stores and vendors in Egypt prefer U.S. currency instead of their own Egyptian pound? It's true! We exchanged some U.S. currency for Egyptian pounds and never used it because the merchants wanted our U.S. dollar. So much for using the local currency.

We traveled from Port Said to Cairo. It was a long ride filled with miles and miles of desert and then suddenly we see huge cargo ships sailing alongside the bus. It was kind of funny but at the same time pretty neat to see ships in the desert using the Suez Canal. Finally, after 3 hours on the bus we reached Cairo and the pyramids. The bus ride was worth it! Cairo is a fascinating place to visit.

There's about 10 million people living in the outskirts of the city and approximately 12 million living within it. Needless to say, it's crowded. The streets are filled with donkeys and cars and if there are car lanes, they don't use it. If there's an open spot on the road then a car is sure to squeeze into it. I'm sure everyone thinks they have bad traffic, but Cairo is the worst! Cairo is very colorful and there's an interesting mix of modern and olden day lifestyles and buildings. The Nile River is close by and you can take a boat ride on it. Just imagine floating along the same Nile River that Cleopatra used. Well, we didn't have Cleopatra on our boat but we did have a belly dancer and were treated to an interesting Egyptian buffet.

Seeing the pyramids is a breathtaking experience. You can walk into the the oldest and largest pyramid to see the crypt. However, if you're claustrophobic, you might want to stay top-side; it's a cramped one way in/one way out walk to the crypt. The Sphinx is a short distance away from the pyramids and it is a spectacular sight. Let me clarify that it's a short distance as long as you're in some sort of vehicle. Both structures are so huge it looks like a close walk but I wouldn't be surprised if people collapse of heat stroke if they tried walking to the Sphinx. Once you get to the Sphinx you can view it from various angles. It is amazing to stand next to, to see, and in some cases, touch these marvelous structures built by the Egyptians.

When you get to the pyramids, here are a few things to be aware of:

• Peddlers - Protect your belongings and ignore the peddlers as much as possible. Some of them will grab your camera from your hand, snap a picture of you with the pyramids in the background and then they want you to pay them $1 because they took your picture. Some try to put merchandise in your hands. If you take the merchandise, the peddlers refuse to take it back and wanting payment instead. Oh and watch out for the peddlers who stick a turban (yuk!) on your head and say they'll take your picture. They'll ask for money after taking your picture. Also, prices are inflated so when they say $5, you should bargain for $1.

• Entering the Pyramid - You can't take your camera or cell phone into the pyramid. You can leave those item up front in a bin before you go in, but no one is really accountable for it. It's safer if you leave it with someone you know before you enter the pyramid. 

• Sitting on Camels - Confirm the price for sitting and taking pictures with a camel or the cost of riding a camel before getting on them. Some camel guides will let you get on and then refuse to let you down until you agree to pay their price. 

• Riding the camels - Be sure to stay in view of your tour bus or starting point. Our tour guide reminded us that we're in the desert; she said, "If you get lost out there, chances are really good I won't find you."

Fort Wilderness Campground Pictures

Here are some pictures of Disney's Fort Wilderness Campgrounds.

Check-in Desk/Guest Services Area

Dining and Living Room

Kitchen

Scenery and roadway between cabins

The Trading Post, one of two stores on the campground property

One of many playground, this was the largest

Trail's End Restaurant

Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue

Marina, your transportation to the Magic Kingdom and the Contemporary and Wilderness Lodge Resorts

View from Trail's End Restaurant looking towards the Trading Post

Tri-Circle-D Ranch

Walt Disney World - Fort Wilderness Campgrounds

We've been vacationing at Walt Disney World for over 15 years and we decided it was time to experience the Fort Wilderness Campgrounds. We read many postings before our trip regarding Fort Wilderness and the only thing that worried us was the transportation. We didn't know how far our cabin would be from the internal bus stop, so we made sure everyone had good walking shoes prior to our trip. On July 14, 2010, we arrived at Fort Wilderness Campgrounds during the early morning hours; 6:00 am and to our surprise our cabin was ready. We rented (via pre-order) a golf cart for the day. We got to our cabin and loved it! It was like staying in a 1-bedroom house. We were in Loop 2600, which was within easy walking distance to the bus stop. We used the cart to drive around the campground and quickly realized that it's huge! It's 700+ acres of wilderness, cabins, RV and campgrounds, laundry facilities, 2 swimming pools, playgrounds, and more. As for wildlife, we saw lizards, frogs, squirrels and we heard lots of bugs chirping at night. We spent so much time at the Disney parks that we missed out on many campground activities.

• If you've been to the Disney parks on several occasions and would like to do something different, this might be the place for you and your family. You could enjoy the parks in the morning and relax or have fun at the campgrounds during the late afternoon and evenings. There's horseback riding, kayaking, fishing, swimming pools, and more.
• If you're spending a lot of time at the campgrounds, you might want to rent the golf cart for the bulk of your stay. It's about $65/day so it's quite expensive and it only seats four adults. However, if you enjoy walking, then the internal bus system should be good enough for you.
• If you have elderly members in your party or really young children, you might want to stay at another Disney resort, unless you plan on renting a golf cart everyday to minimize walking. The location of your cabin or camp site plays a big role in the amount of walking that you'll do getting to and from the internal bus stop. Once you get to the bus stop, the transportation is really not bad except for the fact that you have to get on an internal bus that takes you to either the Settlement Depot or the Marina. You get off the internal bus and wait for an external bus or a boat, which takes you to your final destination. I think overall we waited about 5 minutes at internal bus stops and anywhere from 0-20 minutes at the external bus stops. Again, it's a pretty good transportation system; however, if you were staying at another Disney resort, you would only have one external bus to deal with.
• If you're looking for quick meal service then you might want to stay at another Disney resort. Fort Wilderness is set up for camping so there is no Food Court. You can get snack items or pizza but it's basically "take out" food (no breakfast items). You can also dine at their buffet; the food is good but takes longer to eat since it's a sit-down meal and it is rather costly (2 table service meals if you're on the dining plan). Or you can buy groceries at the Disney store, but you pay a premium price for everything. You can order groceries on-line and pay a delivery fee or if you have a car, you could drive to a supermarket to buy groceries (best option).

Primarily, we stayed at the campgrounds for an outdoor adventure vacation and to have a larger room during our Disney vacation. We knew we could stay at various resorts and rent a suite, but we're glad we experienced this campground-side of Disney.