It's Late September, That Means Oktoberfest

One of the world’s best parties, and on every beer lovers "To Do List", Oktoberfest (known as "Wiesn" to the locals) is underway and its 200 years old.  Oktoberfest once was a wedding celebration of Crown Prince Ludwig to Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen in 1810, but today is the world’s largest fair, lasting 16-18 days from late September to early October in the German city of Munich in the region known as Bavaria.  Oktoberfest started out as a horse race, an agriculture show, and eventually a parade.  In 1818 the 1^st beer stand opened.  In 1882 brats were first served, and in 1892 those famous glass beer steins (krug or bierkrug) made their first appearance. 

Over 7 million people attend the Oktoberfest today consuming some serious amounts of beer, chicken, sausage, fish, and pork.  There are currently 14 tents serving up liters of beer for around 8.75 Euros (about $11.60 USD).  Many of the attendees are from the region and wear the traditional Bavarian costume of lederhosen for guys, dirndls for girls.

If you happen to be in Bavaria right now, you are probably already there.  If you are not in Bavaria, your town may have its own version of Oktoberfest, or just pick up some German beer, turn on the oompah music, and celebrate.  Want to go to the real deal?  Well, there is always next year.  Oktoberfest is bigger than ever and it doesn’t look like it is going anywhere anytime soon. 

Don't be Content...

In my line of work, I talk to people about travel every day. I have found that there are several types of people. There are those who live to travel; taking extended trips that explore far beyond the typical "must sees", sometimes lasting several months or even years. There are those who want to travel; taking their yearly vacation if time and money allow it. And you have those who are content with where they are and travel is just not important to them.  Not too many years ago, I was one who was just content where I was. I thought that by living in Texas, I had everything I needed. The occasional trip to the Mexican border towns for a few drinks in the cantinas and shopping in the mercado was plenty of cultural expansion for me.

Then I was invited, convinced, prodded, and basically pulled to Costa Rica for 9 days and oh how my life was changed.  I remember sitting on the bus between towns surrounded by banana fields as far as the eye could see thinking, wow this truly is a different world. Nothing was familiar, except the Bob Marley music of course, and for the whole trip I was on the edge of my seat wondering what would I see next; what would I experience next; what would I learn next. Sure it was a little uncomfortable at first, but the excitement quickly won out and I had the time of my life. I returned home thinking how small Texas was when compared to the world both physically and culturally.  Not a day has gone by since returning from that first trip that I don’t yearn to be somewhere new, learning about different cultures, foods, customs, and perspectives. My favorite quote about travel: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine.  This was truly a lesson learned, as I look back and think about how much more I could have seen and experienced if I wasn't so content.

Welcome to Wheels Up! - The Official Blog of Summit Heights Travel

Welcome to Wheels Up! - The official blog of Summit Heights Personal Travel Consultants.  Summit Heights is a full service travel agency specializing in personalized international itineraries for their clients.  Check back as we will be posting information about unique destinations and valuable tips for travelers of all types.