We decided to head north after spending so much time south over the past few weeks. We thought Riley might enjoy exploring Amsterdam, so we piled into our car (including Kaycee) and started our 5.5 hour drive after dropping Jess and Jason off at the airport. Unfortunately there was a wreck on the Autobahn that added an hour to the trip. Has anyone ever driven in Amsterdam? I don’t recommend it. lol. Props to Jay for navigating us through a million bicycles, trams, and pedestrians to arrive at our hotel – The Hoxton Amsterdam. I have to admit I was a little anxious when we arrived. It was a Friday night and I had done zero planning for this leg of the trip. Everyone was starving and a restaurant that the hotel recommended was booked. They directed us to another restaurant that served traditional Dutch food. Everyone loved their meal.

Between the walk to the restaurants and the scent of you-know-what from pretty much everyone wandering around, I finally was able to settle my nerves and relax. Once I adjusted myself to the hustle and bustle of an energetic, eclectic city, I was able to really enjoy it.

Pleasantly surprised with the Dutch food at this restaurant. I loved the Pea Soup!
#planningfail. I did not book tickets far enough in advance to visit the Anne Frank house.
The Anne Frank house looks like every other canal house. Amazing to think her family remained hidden inside these walls for 2 years.
It was fun to see all of the different types of canal houseboats
So. Many. Bikes. The flowers were gorgeous.
Anyone need a Prime? A windmiller? A weed brownie?
She’s so stinking cute
We took a night tour through the canals with Those Dam Boat Guys. Highly recommend!
There it is, folks. The Red Light District. Ty caught a glimpse of the bustling area, and at one point his jaw dropped. I might be a bad mom, but my style is teaching my kids to make good choices, not hide the temptations of the world from them.
I noticed immediately how crooked most of the buildings are. I mean, some have been around since the 1600’s so I guess we can give them some slack. This was the most crooked set of buildings. Apparently if they don’t move more than 1 cm per year, they don’t get too worried….

Clog Challenge!! Who wore them better?

I didn’t grab any photos but Jay and Riley went on a Heineken Experience Tour in an old factory. They no longer produce there, but the boys enjoyed the tour.

Our hotel had an old fashioned Photo Booth in the entrance. There were always people waiting on the steps to try it out, so when we noticed no line we snuck in a session.
The light was really bright, there was nowhere to look, and the pictures came fast. lol.

I am glad we saw Amsterdam, but I couldn’t imagine living there. I’m definitely not a city girl. We had beautiful weather, the sun was shining, not too hot or too cold. We loved wandering along the streets, window shopping, buying tulip bulbs in the Blaumenmarkt, trying new foods, seeing some historical sites (although my lack of planning was a problem for Anne Frank and the Van Gogh Museum). I would like to go back to The Netherlands when the tulip fields are blooming.

And with that, our Fall Break comes to an end. Riley leaves on Tuesday so he has a day to rest up before flying home.

What a crazy couple of weeks it has been. I decided I am going to start ranking places. Here’s my list for Fall Break (plus).

Kitzbühel

Regensburg

Amsterdam

Füssen

Salzburg