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7.31.2014

That Friday Blog Hop


Happy hopping everyone! Thanks for joining us again for That Friday Blog Hop which goes live every Thursday evening at 8pm EST. So join us each week & link up your blogs, social media outlets, or anything you'd love to share. 
   



That Friday Blog Hop: Join Us Every Thursday Evening

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- Stop by the hosts & co-hosts blog and follow along
- Say hi to new bloggers and leave a wonderful comment
- Grab the button and/or tweet about the blog hop as well
- Come back every Thursday evening to join in the party
- If you are interested in being a co-host for an upcoming week, send an email here
That Friday Blog Hop


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7.24.2014

9 Things To Do in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany


For those of you who aren't familiar with this funny-named little place -- it's a mountain resort town located in the Alpine region of Bavaria (southern Germany) and is smack dab on the border of Austria. It boasts having Germany's tallest mountain right in it's backyard and is known for world-class skiing/snowboarding. 

My parents live in Garmisch, so I have the luxury of being able to visit during my summer and winter breaks from college! If you're ever visiting Bavaria, make sure you stop by this amazing little alpine town. I'm obviously super biased on this because it's my European home, but trust me on this -- once you do visit, you'll never want to leave. This place is just incredible; words and pictures will never do it justice. So start booking your European summer vacation now, y'all!

You won't be disappointed, I promise!


Here's my list of things to do in Garmisch-Partenkirchen:

1. Walk Around the City-Center & the Füßgängerzone



What the heck is a Füßgängerzone?! It's the German word for pedestrian zone and it's where most shops, cafés, restaurants, and bars are located. There's also a farmer's market every Friday until 1pm. And I love that there's mountain views in almost any direction you look.


2. Try Local Bavarian Beer & Eat a Pretzel at Garmischer Festwoche



Throughout the summer months there's always some kind of festival taking place, celebrating what else -- beer of course! Oktoberfest is the most famous beer celebration, but summertime in Bavaria can be just as eventful. 

One of the most exciting events in Garmisch every year is the Garmischer Festwoche, which takes place the last week of July. Partenkirchen has their own festival the following week in August. Everyone dresses up in their finest dirndls and lederhosen, there's pretzels as big as your head and as much Bavarian music, food, and beer as your little heart desires! 


I especially love "fest week" in Garmich because they have Schuhplattler "shoe slappers" and Goaßlschnalzer "whip crackers." The festival starts this Saturday so I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and hopefully get some good video to share with you guys. :)


3. Trek to the Top of the Zugspitze



The Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak, offers spectacularly breathtaking views and on good days you can see four countries -- Germany, Austria, Italy & Switzerland! It's part of the Wetterstein Mountain Range in the northern limestone Alps and is flanked by three glaciers, two of which are Germany's largest. 

You can take a cable car or a train all the way to the top, or if you're the adventurous type like me, you can spend the day hiking to the summit!


4. Go For a Walk or Bike Ride Around Eibsee


Ahhhh, I LOVE this lake!!! I just can't get enough of it. You can read about it and see more pictures here.


5. Hike Through the Partnachklamm & the Höllentalklamm




The Partnachklamm and the Höllentalklamm are two gorges that feature narrow rock walls, rapids, waterfalls, and tranquil water basins. The Partnach Gorge is fed by the Schneeferner glacier on the Zugspitzplatt plateau. 

I had an amazing time walking through these gorges and will do a recap post soon, but camera lovers beware! I went snap crazy taking pictures of the waterfalls and I'm not sure exactly what happened, but after this little excursion, the zoom function quit working and I ended up having to get a new camera. Which kind of worked out anyway because I got a better one. But if you don't want to have to replace yours, be careful when snapping pics here!

You can even visit the gorges during the winter months when the waterfalls have frozen over and turned into gigantic icicles! It gets dark here at like 4:30 in the afternoon, so they do guided tours by torchlight! It's on my winter bucket list. :)


6. Eat a Jägerschnitzel


Mmmm, my mouth is watering just looking at this picture! You HAVE to try a Jägerschintzel mit Pommes (oder Bratkartoffeln) at one of my favorite restaurants, Glashaus. I had fries, but Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes) are the way to go. 


7. Listen to Live Bavarian Music


Gasthof Fraundorfer is a really cool little restaurant in Partenkirchen. They always have live music and there's even pint-sized Schuhplattler that perform while you eat. And check out the size of that beer! It's as long as the top half of my body! The atmosphere in this place just can't be replicated -- it's decorated with all kinds of weird, eclectic items. I see something new every time I go there.


8. Shop for Cuckoo Clocks and Biersteins



The Biersteins are pretty affordable, but cuckoo clocks are a whole different story! Be prepared to drop a fat stack on even the tiniest of clocks. 

They don't come cheap, but man are they intricate and beautiful. Hand-crafted too.


9. Bike Ride Through the Mountain Valley


This is one of my absolute favorite things to do -- ride through the valley on my bike. It's so peaceful and quiet. There's fields after fields of grass and daises and little bridges over bubbling streams. The best times to go are early in the morning or right at sunset when the mountains are lit up by the sunlight. I always feel amazing after riding through here, especially after a long day.

Have you ever been to Bavaria or any part of Germany before? What did you like best about it?

Linked up on #TreatYoSelfThursday

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7.17.2014

Random Favorites {A Link-Up}


// favorite smell: Modern Muse perfume by Estée Lauder -- seriously the BEST perfume ever!

// favorite sound: crashing waves

// favorite time of day: sunrise/sunset

// favorite spotify station: Jason Aldean

// favorite movie (comedy): The Big Lebowski -- such a cult classic!

// favorite workout: squats -- gotta get that booty ready for summer :)


// favorite feeling: exhilarated, right after hiking or biking riding. also, an adrenaline rush! I'm a huge thrill-seeker.

// favorite day out: tailgating with a group of friends & then going to a UT football game



// favorite activity: surfing. I'm dying to become a surfer!

// favorite outdoor smell: fresh cut grass/thunderstorms {I love the smell of rain}

// favorite term of endearment: doll

// favorite pinterest board: style & grace -- freaking wardrobe heaven! I would literally die if I could have every piece. Just die!

// favorite earrings: Deily earrings in Clear Iridescent by Kendra Scott



// favorite song currently: Collard Greens by Schoolboy Q

// favorite alcoholic drink: Margarita. No, Whiskey & Coke. No, Mexican Martini. Ahhh please don't make me choose!

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Ok, so it's obvious I can't always choose just one favorite. But hey, it all depends on your mood, right? 

What are some of your favorite things? Go write about it and then link up with Sarah & Helene! :) Oh, and don't forget to use the hashtag #FavTotalSocial when you share it!
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7.13.2014

Sunset at Eibsee


Eibsee is a German lake and is arguably one of the best lakes in Bavaria. It sits at the foot of the Zugspitze (Germany's tallest mountain) and lies just a short 5 1/2 miles southwest of Garmisch. There's a trail that wraps around the entire lake (it's about 5 miles long) and takes about two hours to walk around. There's breathtaking views, pebble beaches and the water is crystal-clear -- it varies from deep blue to turquoise. 

My favorite thing to do is ride my bike all the way around and after I'm all hot and sweaty, I take a dip in the cold water to cool down. Then I lay out in the sun to dry off and get my tan on! There's a little island in the middle of the lake and you can rent a paddle boat or a canoe -- which I have yet to do, but definitely plan on doing sometime soon. There's also a cafe and even a hotel.

These pictures are actually from my very first visit to Garmisch and Eibsee, back in July 2011. I never blogged about it, so I figured this post was long over due! 























Eibsee is absolutely stunning when the sun is setting. I'd love to go in the morning and see it at sunrise. 


Happy Sunday, friends.




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