Who: Ruth and Steve Drew of Highlands Ranch.
Where: Meiringen, at the top of Mount Planplatten
Out and about: We took a tour with the Western Illinois University alumni through Alumni Campus Abroad, touring primarily the Bernese Oberland region, where Swiss-German is spoken. To get to the Planplatten we had to take one cable car and two gondolas. At the top, you see 360-degree views of the surrounding area. Also, there is a restaurant called Alpen Tower, which has outdoor seating. There are hiking trails all over this mountain.
Travel tip: Switzerland is expensive but traveling in a group tour was reasonable, especially since ours included all meals. Unless you plan on spending more than $1,000 on a watch, you won’t find any bargains in the Swiss shops (according to our tour guide). The chocolate was the best we’ve ever tasted.
