This just in. The Apfelbaum Cottage has added DSL to its list of amenities. Eric and Christy Jolliff, the owners, say that Mediacom made them a "suck-em-in" discount offer that they couldn't refuse.  The owners were heard to say, "This new service should enhance our guests' stay".   If the new amenity is well received by guest Eric expects to continue it even after the deal expires. Guest should be advised that as of right now, It is not wireless.  An upgrade to wireless is planned for the near future.  Until then guests can just plug into the modem. For more information check out www.apfelbaumcottage.com.

        

Two people, three nights: $250 + tax.

I just realized that the Monday after Valentine's Day is President's Day, making it a three day weekend and what better place to spend a romantic three day weekend than Hermann.  So, I decided to include Sunday Night at no charge.  Come Friday, hit the wineries Saturday, relax Sunday and head on home Monday. 

        

We were in Hermann this past weekend and I took a lot of pictures.  The river was an ice flow , the trees were sparkling and air was crisp. 

We walked from the cottage to the Kit Bond Bridge over the Missouri River (stopping at Rick's Chocolate Box for a treat, of course) where I took the shots of the river and train.  After that we headed up to the courthouse for an view of the river and town.  Next we worked our way along the riverfront to Gutenberg St. where we threw rocks at the ice and Frene Creek and peeked in the windows of the soon to be Hermann Farms Stable.  After walking back to the cottage via 4th St. the girls went sledding while I headed up to the Cemetery to take a couple of panoramic shots.

Here are a few of the pics and you can see them all on my Flickr page or the Flickr group For The Love of Hermann.  If you have any pictures you would like to share of Hermann I suggest posting the to the For The Love of Hermann group.


The Apfelbaum Cottage sits just below the steeple off in the distance.



Chocolate and fresh bread, MMMMM.



There has to be some folk song to describe this scene.



The Apfelbaum Cottage enveloped in snow, how picturesque.

        

If you speak German or have paid any attention to our website you know that "Apfelbaum" Translates to "Apple Tree" in English.  Sadly, for the last two years the Apfelbaum Cottage has not had apple trees.  Well that wrong has been corrected.  Last week we planted two small apple trees at the cottage.  One is a Gala, which is great for eating and the other is a yellow multi-purpose, which I forgot the name of, but is supposed to be good for eating or baking. The woman at the nursery told me that they are bearing small fruit already, but is will be a couple of years before we get good apples.  I'm already excited for next year.  I can't wait to take a bite out of my first apple.

        

Halfway through October and lots of wonderful stories about the Oktoberfest. Everyone seems to be having a wonderful time with great Autumn weather. Now Fall is really here and the leaf color is hitting its peak, so thing will only get better.  The best part is that our weekend is coming up and I am looking forward to it.  I will post pictures and stories afterward so check back after October 26th.

        

Last Tuesday and friend and I went out to the cottage and built new railings for the side porch.  It was a big job for a couple of novice handymen, but I am please with the outcome. 

If you have been to the house before you know how bad they were. The side porch was the most embarrassing thing about the house, but not any more! We had to jack up the porch, remove part of the fascia, pull out the old posts before putting in the new posts.  then we rebuilt the fascia and installed rail and balusters.

Next week I will have to go back and prime and paint it, then I move on to rebuilding the cellar door. 

I will post pictures of the new porch as soon I have them.

        

We are only two blocks from the park that hosts the festival and 75% of the rooms in Hermann are booked, yet we still sit unbooked.  I guess we right guests just haven't come along. What ever the reason I hate to see it go empty on such a great weekend.  We have a wedding in Indiana or we'd be there ourselves.  If you want call me!

        

In May 2008 my 9 year old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1, AKA Juvenile, Diabetes. For those who don't know, Type 1 is a chronic condition affecting children and adults alike.  The cause of Type 1 Diabetes is unknown but the effect is the auto immune system attacks the Pancreas and kills the Beta Cells that create insulin which converts glucose to energy.  There is no cure today, but many studies are underway that could bring a cure in the next few years. 

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is a key partner in the search for a cure and The Walk For a Cure is the biggest fund raising event of the year, The annual Walk For a Cure. Alex, my daughter, has set a fund raising goal of $1,100 and is making great progress.  She could really use your  help, as could all of the rest Type 1 Diabetics.  Please help by donating to Alex's walk.

        

I can't believe that summer is over! It was great, though.  The weather was unseasonably cool and my family and I took advantage of it.  We had a did some traveling, biking, hiking and playing. We even made it to Hermann about 4 times taking in the pool, Katy Trail, movies in the park and various events around town. 

To kick off the Summer we rode the length of the Katy Trail from Clinton to St. Charles.  Man, was that wonderful! The weather was good, no major issues and a two day rest-stop in Hermann. In late June we went camping at Mammoth Cave State Park in Kentucky.  It was fun but, damn was it HOT! July brought the 4th, Alex's summer camp, Christy and my birthdays and the Berries and BBQ Wine Trail.  The Wine Trail was cool, sampling various local wines paired up with different types of BBQ. (The kid stayed home for this one.) In August we came to Hermann for one final pre-school starting get-a-way. with biking, walking and general relaxing. 

So, now we begin thinking about fall and Hermann has a lot to offer in the Fall.  Of course, everyone thinks about Oktoberfest. That is the peak time for Hermann and has been booked since May. But don't let that stop you. There are still rooms available other places and plenty of other great weekends to come. September offers a number of fun events including a cyclocross race (9/19) and the BBQ & Brats Festival (9/35-9/36).  If you want to experience a small town Halloween with costumed kiddies knocking at your door come the weekend of 10/30-10/31. 

November is actually my favorite time of year in Hermann.  The weather is cool and the trees (and grapevines) are beautiful. You can get out on the Katy Trail and crunch your feet in the fallen leaves.  You also will be free from attack by mosquitoes or cooking in the blazing sun. Some events happening in November include Grapes to Glass at Stone Hill Winery (11/7) and the Holiday Fare Wine Trail (11/21-11/22).

So, come to Hermann for a mid-western fall get-a-way, sip some wine and relax. Check out the for more info.

        

Amtak runs through Hermann between Kansas City and St. Louis four times a day and it is a great way to travel. For about $20 you can relax and watch the scenery go by as the locomotive rolls on to Hermann. It will drop you off right down town near riverfront. From there you can walk to just about anywhere in Hermann, including your favorite cottage (about 10 blocks).

In the future things will be better, thanks to all that stimulus money. Missouri has approved 11 upgrades for the railways including a number between K.C and STL.  Check out the following link for more info (Transportation Commission approves rail projects).

For Amtrak time and prices check out Amtrak.com.

Happy rails to you!...Get it, happy rails!