Future France Trip Info

I'm going to France on Thanksgiving with my parents to visit my sister, Brittany. She will be in Paris all semester for school. This post is just intended for them. I don't expect that anyone else (except Ben) would be interested in the planning. Family - I will be updating this post as I neurotically find more and more infomation.


(Chateau de Chenonceau, photo by Brit)

GENERAL INFO
Maps: France (big) / France (small) /France (topo) / Google Maps (put in address)
Airline: Iceland Air (11/23 - 12/2)
Trains: RailEurope
Hotels: Grenoble - Splendid / Annecy - Nord / Paris - Luxembourg
Brit's school: CEA
Brit's dorm: Cité Universitaire: Fondation des États-Unis
Guides: VirtualTourist (V.T.)-France
France photos: France-all

PARIS INFO
Maps: Paris Metro (blue"B" RER line to Cite Univ. stop)
Guides: V.T.-Ile-de-France / V.T.-Paris
Photos: Ile-de-France (region) / Paris [1] [2]

FRENCH ALPS INFO
Maps: Grenoble /Annecy /
Guides: V.T.-French Alps / V.T.-Grenoble / V.T.-Annecy
Info: Annecy article / Annecy description / Grenoble description / Grenoble cable car webcam (in French) /
Photos: French Alps (region) / Grenoble [1] [2] [3] / Annecy [1] [2]

PARIS DAY TRIPS INFO
Maps:
Guides: V.T.-Amiens / V.T.-Chenonceau / V.T.-Chartres / V.T.-Fontainebleau / V.T.-Reims / V.T.-Versailles
Info: Chenonceau article / Chenonceau Palace description /Fontainebleau official site / Fontainebleau Palace description / Versailles Palace description /
Photos: Amiens / Chenonceau [1] [2] / Chartres / Fontainebleau [1] [2] / Reims [1] [2] / Versailles

ALSACE INFO (eliminated)
Maps:
Guides: V.T.-Alsace / V.T.-Strasbourg
Info: Strasbourg article / Strasbourg description / Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle description /Castle reviews /
Photos: Alsace (region) / Strasbourg [1] [2] [3] [4] [5 - note the pics of g-ma in red hat club] / Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle [1] [2]

RV Mountain Adventure, Part 5 - Rocky Mountain National Park: Trail Ridge Road

Each day of this trip was a new highlight, but this final adventure was my ultimate highlight. Trail Ridge Road winds its way across RMNP, from Estes Park to Grand Lake. The road climbs up through pine forests, along cliffs, and eventually above the tree line for a stretch. Grant captained the RV on the beautiful yet stressful drive to the Continental Divide.





We attempted to embark on an epic hike from Milner Pass up the ridge and on to the peak of Mount Ida. We were bummed out when the slopes were covered in deep snow and ice (in June!) and too steep to get very far.





We had some fun, but soon aborted mission and headed back to the Alpine Visitor Center. It ended up being a blessing about the snow because the dreary skies quickly transformed into a violent thunderstorm. We waited out the storm in the visitor center, but before it completely cleared we chanced death (from lightening, like I needed that again - heart was thumping) by scrambling up to the peak of the highest hill around.





With some great luck the clouds dissipated in front of our eyes, so we took off from the visitor center on a hike. This views here were simply jaw-dropping - panoramic views of snow-capped mountains around us and a pine-covered valley below us. We could see the origins of the Cache la Poudre River, which is the river where we previously had a tremendously memorable time whitewater rafting. This epic view is exactly what I was hoping to see by coming to the Rockies. No matter how nerdy it is; I couldn’t help but wish we were in The Lord of the Rings on a quest through Middle-Earth. I want to see mountains, Gandalf. Mountains! I took tons 'o pics up there and this is the best I could do to cut down to my favorites. I eventually want to group some of these into panoramas.

















To cap the whole trip off, see the mighty, squarish Long's Peak (the highest peak in RMNP) in the background of the final photo taken during the drive back to the campground.

RV Mountain Adventure, Part 4 - Rocky Mountain National Park: Glacier Gorge

By the fourth night we finally reached the Rockies. Wow. Just a few yards from our campsite was an open field with an amazing view.

From our campsite at Glacier Basin Campground (in RMNP)



Sprague Lake



Glacier Gorge hiking trail - Alberta Falls to The Locke