Travel and Dieting | Is It Possible?

Maybe you're one of the lucky ones that's gifted from birth with incredible genes that allow you to eat whatever you want, whenever you want. Congratulations!  For the rest of us, we have to watch what we eat and exercise to keep our weight under control.  At home this is probably enough of an issue with temptations galore.  In my house, my son has a voracious appetite and is one of the aforementioned people born with an incredible metabolism that allows him to eat whatever he wants and constantly without every worrying about his weight.  This causes me enough problems at home with junk food and even good food that is off limits for me, but somehow I'm able to navigate around all of it.

When I'm traveling, I sometimes feel like I can't possibly watch what I eat.  I always make a promise to myself when I leave the house, but I have been known to sabotage myself as early as the airport.  I even  pack healthy snacks, which always seem to make their way back home in the same Ziploc bag that I sent them off on in.

But why are the temptations so much stronger and harder to resist when I travel vs. at home?  Granted, I don't eat meat (fish, pork, beef, chicken, and eggs, too!) so that certainly narrows down my choices, but that doesn't mean I don't have any choices whatsoever.  I have finally come to the conclusion that part of it is because I allow or excuse myself from living a healthy lifestyle while traveling.

Now if I only traveled on occasion, this wouldn't be a problem.  It could even be considered a treat.  But I travel constantly and I end up sabotaging all of my best intentions within minutes of leaving my home.

You might be expecting me to offer up some great advice or suggestions, but I'm going to make an effort on my upcoming trip to see how I'm able to maintain my healthier eating with exercise and not make excuses and I'll document my trials and tribulations right here on my blog.  Here are some of the things I'll be doing on my upcoming trip:

1. Packing protein bars and protein powders so there's no excuse about not getting enough protein.
2. Pack my water bottle so I can refill it wherever I go and keep hydrated.
3. Choose wisely on menus and look for healthy options and be willing to ask for something off the menu when there are few choices available.
4. Exercise everyday.... no excuses!
5. Stop confusing food (or drinks) as something I deserve.  I deserve to be healthy and I can't sabotage myself with sugary sweets, drinks, or carb heavy meals.

What do you do to stay healthy while traveling? Have you ever been on a diet while traveling?  What did you do to stay on track?  Share your tips in the comments below.

Marian Krueger
Email: mkrueger@travelshopgirl.com

Product Review: The Snugg iPad 3 Pink Leather Case & Stand

Technology and travel go hand in hand and staying stylish and fashionable shouldn't be left out of this important equation.  I've had my fair share of iPhone and iPad cases and they either functional, but not stylish or stylish, but not functional.  But I wanted both and when the Travel Shop Girl wants something, believe me -- she gets it!

That's where the great people over at the Snugg.com come in.  Not only do they have great cases for all types of accessories like iPads, tablets, Kindles, smartphones, and more, they have great looking and fully functional cases.  Back in January of this year, I reviewed another one of their cases (see review here) and they were kind enough to send another case for me to review.  

Take a second to watch their short YouTube video showing all of the features of the case first!

The Snugg iPad 3 Pink PU Leather Case alongside my iPad 3

How is this strong, durable case different from the many you see online or in stores?  This case is made in premium PU leather and this particular case is an absolute feminine pink -- love it!

From The Snugg website:

Our Snugg iPad 3 case includes a number of unique features to help you make the most of your iPad. The wrap-around design keeps it safe, but we’ve ensured all of your iPad 3’s buttons and sockets are accessible. Open the cover and it folds and becomes a stand, allowing you to position your iPad upright or at a shallower angle for typing.

We’ve also added a handy stylus loop to hold your stylus when it’s not in use, so you’ll never have to struggle to find it when you need it. Inside the cover, there’s an elasticated strap; just slip your fingers underneath the strap and hold your iPad 3 comfortably as you use it. When you close the cover, your iPad 3 will automatically switch to Sleep mode, saving the battery.

Don’t worry about your iPad 3 case failing over time. Not only is PU leather strong and wipe-clean, but we offer a no-quibble Lifetime Guarantee upon registration, too. You’ll never have to buy another iPad 3 case again. All of our cases are manufactured under our Snugg Promise, which guarantees the best possible materials and craftsmanship.

The Snugg iPad case on my iPad - isn't she pretty?

Besides how great it looks, I love that when I close the case, it switches my iPad to Sleep mode and prolongs my battery life.  The magnetic closure means that I don't have to fumble to close it, especially with one hand while flying through an airport or juggling my bags.  With the built in stand, I can watch movies or TV shows while traveling and the strap on the inside cover makes it a snap to share images with others.  Simply put, there's nothing that I don't like about this case!

If you're looking for a durable case that is functional and stylish, then you need to check out TheSnugg.com. This particular case comes in ten different colors to fit everyone's personal style!  You can order directly from their web site or from Amazon.com.  

Marian Krueger
Email: mkrueger@travelshopgirl.com

RV Road Trip 2013 | Gettysburg: Segways and KOA

Gettysburg/Battlefield KOA Campground

Our first full day in Gettysburg!  We had a much more peaceful night's sleep after Rich figured out that we could, in fact, turn the heat on inside the RV once we were connected to power at the campground.  Waking up to the sounds of birds chirping and the wind rustling through the trees and nothing else is amazingly peaceful and a great way to slowly wake up and get started for the day.  The Gettysburg/ Battlefield KOA campground is clean, big, and won my vote for best campground during our entire trip.  Each of the other campgrounds had so much to offer, but there was something special about this one that really won me over.

My kitchen in our Cruise America RV

After getting up and showering, I prepared breakfast for the guys on my little camper stove inside the RV we rented from Cruise America.  It has two burners and runs on propane, but does a pretty decent job.  I made cheese omelets for them and I was glad that I had packed some seasonings and picked up some shredded cheese at the store.  Hot beverages again were coffee and hot chocolate as well as orange juice that we had picked up in the store.  As long as they had a hot breakfast, the days seemed to start out alright despite cold nights and hard beds.

Then it came time to set up our plans for the day.   When we had driven through Gettysburg on the way to the campground, we saw a tour on Segways and I made the comment that I only ever see old people on them. Rich and Cristian said that they thought it looked like fun and I kept saying it was an old people activity.  When it came time to decide what we were going to do, somehow the Segway tour came back up again.  I looked online to see when the tours were and there was a 12:30 pm tour and it was already after 12 noon.  Yikes!  I reserved our spots online and we inadvertently drove to the Visitor Center in Gettysburg as the person in the KOA office had said that all of the tours start here.  This absolutely does NOT apply to the Segway tours, called SegTours, which start in their office in the Gettysburg Shopping Center near the Dollar General store in Gettysburg.

Watching the safety video at Segtours, Gettysburg, PA

Driving over we were nervous that we would be late and we arrived just in time, but only to see that there were others in our group who had already started watching the safety video.  Before we could do that, we had to sign release forms.  Then we sat down and watched the video, about 15 minutes in length, which I have to admit made me feel overwhelmed.  Here I had thought you just jump on the Segway and go, but oh no – it’s a little more complicated than that.  The Segway works with you balancing your weight on it, but not like a bike or anything else you’ve ever done.

Before exiting the office, we had to go through a small course inside the SegTours office.  Set up with small cones and obstacles to help us adapt to the outside world, I felt like I had a grip on the Segway and was ready to head outside.  Andrew, who was helping me, was extremely patient and had me run through the course until I felt confident enough to go outside.  Then I realized I only had a faint idea of what it was that I was doing.

This 3-hour tour and approximately 9 miles of riding on a Segway was fun, but I definitely would have had more fun if I had relaxed and stopped trying to control the Segway with my hands.  About halfway through the Western (main) Battlefield tour I finally got the hang of it by balancing using my body and not my hands and it was at that point that I started to have fun.

Route Map of the Segway tours available from SegTours

Gary, who worked for SegTours and was also an EMT who is studying to become a paramedic, accompanied us on our tour and directed traffic for us.  Les, a certified National Tour Guide, was with us for our tour.  We rode wearing an audio pack with an earpiece so we could hear Les and Gary speak to us as needed.

Les, our Segtours certified National Tour Guide

If I haven’t mentioned this in the past, I only have hearing in one of my ears as a result of surgery to remove a tumor in my ear.  I’m fine, but as a result my balance is questionable and I work hard on that as well as not letting anyone know about my hearing loss.  Yes, you can call it pride if you like.  I bring this up because I think the Segway was definitely harder for me than others because of my balance issues, but not impossible. If you have a balance issue, vertigo issues, etc., realize that this might be hard for you before you get on a Segway as I would not have guessed beforehand how this would affect me.  I’m not saying you shouldn’t do it, but I’m giving you a head’s up so you can prepare yourself accordingly before you attempt this type of a tour. I'm going to do a separate post entirely on what we saw on the tour, so make sure you come back for that.

Relaxing in our spot (#4) at the Gettysburg/Battlefield KOA campground

After the Segway tour, we headed back to the KOA campground for a late lunch, which I once again prepared on the little stove while the guys hung outside.  If for nothing else, an RV trip forces everyone to have to talk, except for when they can’t put down their iPhones, iPod, computers, etc.  When it started to get dark, Cristian was quick to light another fire as tonight we were all about smores.

The Gettysburg/Battlefield KOA campground is a really clean and well maintained campground.  It is well laid out, spacious, and relaxing.  In addition to a camp store, they have a couple of shower and bathroom areas, including one that has private showers with bathrooms.  In addition to RV spots, they also have cottages and cabins and tent sites.  They also have bikes that were a cross between go-karts and bicycles that you can rent for $5 for ½ hour or $8 for the hour and yes, we did those, too, although I suspect from the smiles on the employees' faces that they might have been meant exclusively for children.  Hey - I'm still a kid on the inside!

Gettysburg/Battlefield KOA Mighty Bone dog area

In addition to the playground area for kids, there is also a Meaty Bone sponsored dog area with lots of fun things for dogs to play on, in, under, and around.  I give a lot of credit to KOA as they definitely provide more than a place to park your RV.  Some other games and activities include carpet ball, shuffleboard, and a huge Connect Four game.  I could totally see younger kids loving these activities and the area is safe enough that parents could allow their children to run free and not worry that they are getting into any trouble.  In the warmer months, the pool must be an extremely popular spot for everyone.

When you think of Gettysburg, don't let your mind wander directly to Abraham Lincoln as there is so much to do if you visit.  Next time we have a spooky adventure on top so you'll want to come back to read about that!

SegTours
22 Springs Avenue
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Phone: 717-253-7987

Gettysburg/Battlefield KOA
20 Knox Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Phone: 800-562-1869

Marian Krueger
Email: mkrueger@travelshopgirl.com

Things To Do
Gettysburg

RV Road Trip 2013 | On the Road to Gettysburg

Our bed inside the RV

Brrr!  I woke up at 7 am because it was cold, we were tired, and we all woke up hungry in our RV at the Delaware Water Gap/Pocono Mountain KOA Campground.  I hadn’t moved all night because I was inside that mummy sleeping bag and yet, I was still freezing cold.  My son’s promise that I would be warm was not true as I was still too cold for words.  My first day of sleeping in an RV and I was ready to bail and head for a hotel somewhere warm.  But I had to push through feeling uncomfortable and persevere.  This wasn't the first and I'm pretty certain it won't be the last time that I'll have an uncomfortable place to sleep.

Delaware Water Gap/Pocono Mountain KOA Campground

The bathrooms and showers were at the entrance where we had come in last night.  Although not a terribly long walk, the boys were far braver than I was as the thought of taking a shower in the cold while I was still unbelievably cold was just not going to happen.  They went up and showered while I sort of freshened up the best way that I could in the camper with the intention of showering at our next stop.  It was at this point that I learned that a trip in the RV meant that the word cleanliness would soon be open to interpretation.

Snacks on the road

Breakfast was a simple one thanks to some advanced planning.  I made Mocha Chip Vegan Muffins from the Vegan Brunch cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and those were a lifesaver.  I also packed some hot chocolate packets, Starbucks Via packets for instant coffee that taste like it’s brewed coffee, and Silk vanilla soy creamer.  Additionally, since we had a rather large refrigerator, we also have on hand yogurt and fresh fruit although my husband and son gravitated toward snacking on junk food more than on good food.  This is where I had to make a mental note for future trips to make sure that our main meals have enough nutrition in them to counteract the trash food.

We had a water situation on our first day, which was finally resolved when Rich discovered that the washer was so clogged up on the main faucet that water wasn’t coming out.  He was able to chip away at the buildup and replace it and that let the water come out easily.  We stopped at a Walmart on the way through to Gettysburg to pick up a few of the items on our list.  This list kept growing by the minute as we needed D batteries for the lantern I picked up, AAA batteries for a speaker for our iPads, orange juice, blankets (so I don’t freeze at night), and matches so we could start a fire at the campground.  Although I had planned in advance by picking up batteries, I inadvertently picked up C and AA batteries, which of course, we didn't need.

We were on the road by 11 am and it took about 4 hours to get to Gettysburg.  Before getting to the campground, we stopped first at a Walmart to grab a few items and then at a Giant supermarket.  Why both? My son wanted hot dogs for the campfire, but Walmart didn’t have any.  I desperately wanted a sleeping pad for the bed as my back was killing me.  The mattress in the camper is an extremely thin one and after being used to a pillow-top mattress at home, it just wasn’t working for me.  Other supplies we picked up included a line in cable for our iPhones for the camper while we were driving, a couple of little flashlights, and some more food supplies including jelly and bread (as I already had peanut butter).  We also learned that if we were really desperate and couldn't get to a campground, we could always park at a Walmart parking lot.  I'll have to pay more attention the next time I go to see how many RV's are parked there.

Gettysburg/Battlefield KOA Campground

Arriving to a campground early is ideal and I definitely would advise that over arriving at night like we did the first night.  We were able to get set up and enjoy our surroundings and plan out the following few days.  This was our first night to have a campfire, which my son, the Eagle Scout, insisted on starting.  Keep in mind that I have never camped out so all of this is new to me.  Granted, some might say that sleeping in an RV is not camping out, but this is camping to me.  I wanted to do all of the things that I associate with camping like cooking hot dogs over the fire and make smores, things my husband had done as a kid while he was in Boy Scouts, but stuff I had never done.  Although my son was a Scout and had even hiked part of the Appalachian two summers ago, he had never cooked hot dogs or smores over a fire, so I knew I had someone on my side of this argument.

Nature trail at the Gettysburg/Battlefield KOA Campground

On site at this campground is a nature trail so we took off to see where it led.  It wound around the campground and it was cool to get a perspective of the area from up high on the side of the hill that we were on.  While up there, we saw a couple of deer that weren’t terribly fearful of us.  Talking about being close to nature!

Delaware Water Gap/Pocono Mountain KOA Campground

For some reason I thought there would be lots of people camping out since it was April vacation break. Apparently, that's only true in Massachusetts so although we had left our state, we did run into more than one family from MA.  Another reason might be because it is so darn cold outside that no one in their right minds would want to go camping, but for newbies like us.  I, however, embraced that there were so few people at our new Gettysburg campground as opposed to my husband who was actually hoping there would be more people.  Just to set the record straight, this is in direct contrast to the way that we usually are because usually he doesn't want to see or hear anyone anywhere near him.  The campers can get kind of close to one another, but we never heard anyone at any of the campgrounds we stayed at during our trip.

Delaware Water Gap/Pocono Mountain KOA Campground - Playground area

We chose KOA campgrounds for the same reason that one chooses a hotel or car brand: consistency.  I hoped that there would be a certain quality expected at each one and I was correct.  Our first campground, the Delaware Water Gap/Pocono Mountain KOA Campground, was quite crowded as you can see in the above picture.  I could not imagine staying there or anywhere else with that many people, but I think lots of people enjoy that, especially since there is so much more to do than sitting in your camper.  You can see the playground area above and what's great is that they also allow pets.  You can walk your dog and take him/her to the Mighty Bone pet area complete with a course they can run over, under, and through.  Many of the campgrounds have pools and other outdoor activities as well.

For the rest of the evening, we sat around talking for a few hours and even played a game, Banana, similar to Scrabble with tiles, but with different rules.  Cristian lit our fire and we cooked hot dogs (regular for him and veggie dogs for us) as well as marshmallows.  If it was up to Cristian, he would have eaten the entire pack of hot dogs.  Then it was time for bed as we had a full day of exploring Gettysburg ahead of us.  Make sure to come back to learn about all of our activities in Gettysburg during our stay!

Marian Krueger
Email: mkrueger@travelshopgirl.com

RV Road Trip 2013 | Our First Night

Our RV parked at the Delaware Water Gap/Pocono Mountain KOA campground

After what seemed like days of driving, but was only about 5 hours including our bathroom and food stops, we arrived to our first campground, the Delaware Water Gap/Pocono Mountain KOA.  I guess you could say that we knew we were close when we saw an opossum in the road staring up at us like Golum.  Yup, I was a little creeped out until I saw a dead one in the road a mile later.  Country here we come!

Rich parked the RV and walked inside the country store on property for assistance.  Our paperwork indicated we would be in #200 and getting there was a snap.  He backed into the spot easily and we were connected with power and water in less than five minutes.  Ok, so maybe I didn't do it and the guys did, but I was there for moral support.

Cruise America’s website has great videos and information that you can review prior to your trip, but it seemed overwhelming and confusing before we took possession of the camper.  I’m glad that Rich reviewed everything at least twice and they do give you a “Renter’s Assistance Guide,” which also helps.  By the end of day one, we were starting to really feel like we were getting the hang of it.

Setting up for bed was a snap as we needed to only move one little pad above the driver’s area to construct our bed and then change the table for Cristian’s bed.  That bed fit a twin size sheet and we used a Queen sheet for our bed.  The area above the driver’s area for our bed is somewhat claustrophobic as it felt like a coffin, but by the time I thought about going to bed I was so cold I didn’t care on that first night.  In case you're wondering about the sleeping arrangements, look at the picture above with the back and front end of the compact RV.  The front end image shows the sleeping area over the windshield.  The interior image shows that space and yes boys and girls -- it is small.

At only 5'4" it's not a big deal for me, but for my 6' tall husband, it was interesting.  If you look closely at the above image, you can see a blue strip across the middle.  That strip is the mattress you'll be sleeping on throughout your trip.  The first night we were exhausted and didn't know what we were about to encounter for the remainder of our trip, but don't worry.  I will provide tips to help you avoid a difficult night's sleep in a rental RV in a future post.

We didn’t go straight to bed as we stayed up and talked, the boys ate some more, and we watched a few shows on the iPad.   I didn’t realize that campgrounds were so advanced as this one, like others, not only have WiFi, but also cable TV.  I felt guilty even watching a TV show, but I wanted to relax for a bit before bed and that did the trick.

Thinking that it was April and it wasn’t terribly cold back at home, we packed a few pillows and a quilt and thin blankets.  That wasn’t enough so I “borrowed” my son’s sleeping bag, the kind that makes you look like a mummy and he promised me I would be hot in no time.   I wasn’t sure if I could fall asleep with my teeth chattering, but apparently, you can.  Isn't it funny that we rented from Cruise America and we love cruising? The RV felt like the size of a cruise cabin except our captain at the helm of our ship was Rich!  Instead of water, we were about to explore areas of the US we had heard about but never encountered.  Stay tuned for more details from the great American RV Road Trip 2013.

Marian Krueger
Email: mkrueger@travelshopgirl.com

RV Road Trip 2013 | Time for a Change

Always one for surprises, although my husband and I had been planning this RV trip for a few months, we didn’t tell our son.  This April vacation would have us out of town during Patriot's Day and the Boston Marathon as well.  My husband had really wanted to run in the marathon this year, but I convinced him that we needed this family vacation. More about that later.  Since our son expects that we usually take a cruise for a family vacation, he was dressed in his plaid American Eagle shorts and t-shirt ready to head to the airport to catch a plane.  We had hoped to pick up the RV and be back before he was out of track practice, but the Cruise America rental center wasn’t available until after 1 pm, which completely foiled our plans.

The rental location is in Stoughton, a good half hour from our home and with all of our supplies on display in our livingroom, my son began to get suspicious.  I created an intricate story of needing to get supplies to his grandparents in New Hampshire and for the most part he believed it, except that he saw something vegan sitting on top of one of the boxes.  Darn!

Regardless, he went with us to pick up the RV not knowing what we were doing or where we were headed. When we arrived, I wasn’t sure of his reaction to this trip because, after all, he’s a teenager.  Luckily, he was excited about the trip. We had to wait for them to finalize the cleaning of the camper and then we had paperwork to do before leaving. We weren’t on the road back home until 2:30 pm and we didn’t get home til 3 pm.  Our Compact 19' RV came with ¼ tank of gas so to fill it up required a mere $100 (yikes!) to get it to ful.  After packing everything up, we finally hit the road at 4 pm.

Since it’s 2013, we, like most people, no longer use paper maps to navigate.  However, when we’re at home, we use our iPhone’s connected to our vehicle’s stereo to navigate.  The RV we are in has a “line in” feed, but we didn’t have a cable.  Rich decided to use Google Maps to plot our course, but as I predicted, this isn’t as reliable as some other navigation apps, like MapQuest.  It asked us to get off the highway to get onto 84 West but then take the next exit to get onto 84 East.  She was going to have us doing circles, but I put an end to that quickly.

Driving along I-84 in New York

Once we were on 84, I felt comfortable.  Having grown up in New York in Orange County, I rode on 84 frequently and knew how long it was going to take us to get to where we needed to go.  Although I don’t travel back to this area often, it does feel like home and is so familiar to me.  Despite objections from my son, it wasn’t hard to relive some stories about growing up here or about my father, who passed away ten years ago, while driving through the area.  Much has changed, but the area still remains the same in the end.

We made a quick restroom stop in Montgomery, NY and filled up on gas when the tank was ½ full.  This time the fill up was $87 and considering we were getting about 11 miles to the gallon, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.  Despite the case of water, soda, and snacks I had already packed, my husband and son decided while they were there that they needed more.  Rich opted for an energy drink and since he was driving, I wasn’t about to say no.  This RV isn’t a huge one, but I’m a little intimidated about driving it at this point.  I think I’ll have to work up to it, but since I did all the driving in Ireland and he refused to (opposite side of the road and stick shift), I think it might all even out in the end.

Directly opposite the Hess Express station was a Subway and knowing we could grab a fast dinner for the road here, we jumped on it.  Apparently, there was a friends and family promotion or something like that and we were able to “buy one and get one free.” That meant a Veggie Delite for both Rich and I while Cristian lucked out and got two BMT’s, both of which disappeared fairly fast.  I wish I had his metabolism!

Cristian setting up his mobile office in the RV

Since the RV has two seats in front and seating in the back, it’s impossible to carry a conversation between all three of us while driving, as it is loud inside the RV.  In the front, the driver and the passenger can talk, but the third person is pretty much on his or her own.  Cristian had his laptop and video games on that as well as his iTouch, but I am always hoping that we can learn and grow and not miss opportunities.  For this trip, he was in charge of creating and maintaining an Excel spreadsheet for expenses as well as assisting in finding places for us to visit. Initially, he met this with obvious resentment as he would rather be playing video games than anything else, but he has stepped up to the plate and participated in a way that I didn’t expect.

Now that’s one of the reasons that I wanted to do this trip.  Yes, we could have taken another cruise and stuck to the status quo, but I wanted my family to push ourselves out of our comfort zone and try something new. Since our son will be going off to college in the Fall, there won’t be many more family vacations like this in the future and quite frankly, I wanted to take advantage of all of the time I have left like this together.  That means not saying “No” to a family picture and not diving headfirst into my email or FaceBook or Twitter or anything else while I was on this vacation.  This trip was about creating memories that we can hold onto for a lifetime and I was determined to make that a reality.

Where were we headed to in our RV?  Our initial plan may not have turned out as we like, but we did get to travel to some interesting places.  Read my next post to learn more about our road trip where you'll be able to read about all of our mishaps including what we learned about ourselves and camping, what we packed and should have packed for a week of camping, and dealing with stress while on the road.

Marian Krueger
Email: mkrueger@travelshopgirl.com

Checkpoint Charlie and the Chocolate Store | Fassbender and Rausch in Berlin

Walking, in my opinion, is the best way to get around Berlin.  We initially were going to walk to Alexanderplatz, but decided to save it until the next day as it was getting late. As we walked, we continued to straddle the remnants of the Berlin Wall wherever we went.

A reproduction of the original border sign now stands in place of the original 

Without intending to, we came upon Checkpoint Charlie, and as we decided since we weren't in a rush to get anywhere specifically, we would check it out.   What exactly is Checkpoint Charlie? From Berlin.de:

Checkpoint Charlie, along with Glienicker Brücke (Glienicker Bridge) was the best known border-crossing of Cold War days. The sign, which became a symbol of the division of Cold War Berlin and read like a dire warning to those about to venture beyond the Wall – YOU ARE NOW LEAVING THE AMERICAN SECTOR – in English, Russian, French and German - stood here. It is today an iconic marker of territorial boundary and political division. Until the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, it signified the border between West and East, Capitalism and Communism, freedom and confinement.

Reproduction of the original US Army Guardhouse

Despite a site of historical importance, I was extremely saddened to see how it was now also a big tourist area overrun with people trying to sell all sorts of tourist merchandise including fake military memorabilia and, of course, there's a McDonald's nearby.  Be careful if you're thinking about purchasing pieces of the Berlin Wall as most, if not all, aren't real and are made in the seller's home.  Above is a reproduction of a US Army guardhouse that was erected on August 13, 2000 as the original wooden barrack was removed on June 22, 1990. The original now sits in the open air museum of the Allied Museum in Berlin-Zehlendorf.  This area was the departure point, not the entry point, but an all new Berlin has made this an entry into a new kind of American sector.

US Soldier indicating you're entering American sector

New buildings stand in this part of East Berlin with an image of a US soldier at the point of entry into West Berlin.  The watchtower, which was the last surviving Checkpoint Charlie structure, was demolished to make way for new office and shops.  Despite the city's attempts to save the tower, since it wasn't classified as a historic landmark, it came down in the middle of the night. 

Image of a Soviet Soldier indicating that you are  entering East Berlin  

Did you know that Checkpoint Charlie was open for foreign tourists, allied military personnel, and diplomats during the Cold War, but it could not be used by Germans from East Germany.  Berlin's government had planned to open a Cold War museum at the site, but disagreements and fears that the project could be manipulated by Communist sympathizers has put the project on hold.  In September of 2012, a temporary museum was finally erected.  The "BlackBox Cold War" pavilion at the old Allied border crossing depicts the decades long standoff between the communist and capitalist blocs that threatened to end in nuclear Armageddon.  The provisional building will stand for approximately two years and is being used as a test run for a permanent museum that hopefully will open in 2015 or 2016.

As we continued along our way, I stopped at a Santander bank to get some cash.  You should always check with your bank before leaving home to see what ATM's you can use.  Santander allows Bank of America customers to withdraw funds without fees.  Now that I like! Despite it being dark outside, people were out walking, taking carriage rides around the city, and enjoying their evening in Berlin.

A chocolate "Reichstag" on display at Fassbender & Rausch

We turned left and found an amazing chocolate shop located on Charlottenstraße 60 just off of Friedrickstraße and Leipziger Straße at the Gendarmenmarkt.  Fassbender & Rausch Chocolatiers at the Gendarmenmarkt is considered one of Berlin's oldest chocolate shops.  Although it calls itself the largest chocolate store in the world, a quick Google search and I discovered that quite a few chocolate stores call themselves the largest store in the world.  Sounds like I will need to research each of these stores in person to make a decision.

It was way back in 1863 that Heinrich Fassbender opened a confectionery store in Berlin and whose chocolates were soon regarded as fine enough to supply the royal court.  In 1918, Wilhelm Rausch, a  chocolatier's son, set up his own shop in Berlin.  His shop became extremely successful and he decided to open seven more.  It was only in 1999 that these two Berlin chocolate making families came together to become Fassbender & Rausch Chocolatiers at the Gendarmenmarkt.

A chocolate "Brandenburg Gate"

Maybe you'll want to look around the store and admire the amazing chocolate showpieces, from the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin TV Tower, the Memorial Church to the 2.30-meter-long chocolate Titanic.  The craftsmanship on these large pieces were utterly amazing!  The detail was absolute perfection and I couldn't decide if I wanted to keep looking or take a big bite out of them!

Perhaps instead you can't imagine leaving the store without buying some type of chocolate.  Have no fear because they offer chocolate tablets, chocolate hearts, chocolate sticks, chocolate with fruits and nuts, drinking chocolate, wafer thin chocolate, extra thick chocolate, and more kinds than you can probably name.

Let's just say you can walk around here for quite some time and find more chocolate than you ever imagined could have existed.  This was like a visit to Willy Wonka's and Harrod's all rolled into one!  If you think it looks fantastic in this store, I'm only sorry that you weren't there to smell it as well.

What if you're more in the mood for a little dessert more than some kind of chocolate?  No need to worry as Fassbender & Rausch Chocolatiers have you covered in that department as well.

There is more variety here than I have seen in many bakeries or even restaurants.  You can take a few home to enjoy and share with friends and family.

Herren-Törtchen anyone?

Look at the beautiful detail on these little cakes!  Each was a little decadent sweet perfection! Maybe my translation is a bit off, but wouldn't "Herren-Törtchen" mean "men tart" or "man tart?"

Many tourists miss the restaurants inside Fassbender & Rausch so I definitely don't want you to miss out on an amazing dining experience.  Cafe & Chocolate serves hot chocolate and cakes while the downstairs restaurant, Schokoladen-Restaurant, offers a full menu, cooking seminars, and dinner shows.  The Schokoladen-Restaurant, the first and only chocolate restaurant in Europe, opened on September 15, 2006, and every dish on the menu contains cacao from Ecuador, Tobago, Trinidad, or Venezuela. Imagine a hot smoked garlic and chocolate soup, fish with cacao butter, or venison with dark chocolate.  You can have your dinner and chocolate, too at Schokoladen-Restaurant.

Feeling hungry yet?

Marian Krueger
Email: mkrueger@travelshopgirl.com