Oberammergau, Germany

Charles had a work trip to Oberammergau. For years, whenever he has had a work trip planned he asks if I want to go. In the past, I had work or some other commitments that prevented me from tagging along. But this time nothing held me back! 

He had been to Oberammergau once before, but in the winter, and raved about it. I was excited to visit this time of year. Germany is beautiful in September and October. 

We stayed at Hotel Garni Fux and had a spacious suite. This was our view! Oberammergau is a small town and everything is walkable, so I don't think you can go wrong choosing any hotel in town for the walkable convenience. Hotel Fux was no different, but the place was great! Our stay included breakfast which was the perfect way to start my day. 

Hotel Fux was dog-friendly which suited Suzie perfectly. She spend a lot of time snoozing the day away in comfort.

Everywhere you look in Oberammergau there are beautiful flowers! 

I explored the church and churchyard while in town. 

Oberammergau has a long history of woodworking. The Oberammergau Museum had great displays showcasing the talent. We purchased the combined ticket and visited the Passion Play Theater afterward. Save 1 Euro on the ticket if you're staying in Oberammergau, BTW. 

The Passion Play has been performed every ten years (with some exceptions throughout the long history) in Oberammergau since 1634. It started off as a promise to God during the plague. The most recent play was performed in 2022 (postponed due to COVID) and will be back on schedule again in 2030. 

We ate really well while staying in Oberammergau. On our first night in town we enjoyed dinner at Dumpling and Sushi. The avocado bowl was so delicious! I kind of wish we had gone back and tried other items from their menu. It all sounded so good.

We found this place while walking around town on the first evening and returned later in the week. They specialize in burgers and they were worth the wait! I had the Hipster burger which had a habanero-blueberry sauce. It was very messy, but very tasty! The crispy sweet potato fries were an excellent compliment; one order was enough for the two of us to share.

On a previous trip to Garmisch, we had visited the Ettal Abbey but decided to visit again while in Oberammergau. The inside is very ornate which seems at odds with it being a home to monks. Make sure to pick up some beer or liquor while visiting. 

Lastly, on our way home we stopped to see the Neuschwanstein Castle. It is one of those places you kind of have to see at least once while visiting or living in Germany and this seemed like the best time to cross it off our list. Even though I did a bit of research in advance, I did not realize the uphill hike it would take to get to the bridge for this viewpoint. Well, now that's done!

 

Design: Burger Burn

The first time I heard the term burger burn was when I lived in Ohio. I have always referred to something like this as a cookout. Some people call it a BBQ. Our squadron booster club decided to do a burger burn as one of their fundraisers and I offered to make a flyer for them to share with everyone.

I wanted to find a fun background featuring burgers. This was harder than I thought. I actually found a lot of cute backgrounds, but a lot of them had watermarks on them. I am cheap and do not want to buy images. But I found this black and white burger background which worked out well and isn't too distracting.

Fonts used:
Cheap Fire
Copperplate Gothic Bold

Gilmore Girls Party: Burgers from Luke's

I love planning parties. One of my favorite things to pick out is the food that will be served. Pinterest has made this both easy and difficult. Easy in that a myriad of recipes are available at your fingertips. Difficult in that sometimes it is hard to choose because there are just sooooo many options out there!

In planning my Gilmore Girls 30th birthday party, food was a big consideration. The Gilmore Girls ate so much junk food throughout the series. They also had the weekly Friday Night Dinners. Sooke St. James is a chef and made a bunch of delicious dishes. What to choose???

I knew immediately that burgers of some kind would have to be made. They ate countless burgers at Luke's Diner. I saw a recipe for easy cheeseburger sliders and this was the perfect chance to try it out!

Luke's Cheeseburger Sliders

Ingredients
2 lbs ground beef
1/4 cups oatmeal (or seasoned bread crumbs)
3/4 cup chopped onions (I just used dried onions from the spice aisle because I hate chopping onions)
1/2 t garlic or regular salt
1 package Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls
6 slices cheese of your choice

Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine beef, oatmeal, onions and salt. Gently press mixture in a 9x13 inch pan so that it makes one large patty of even thickness. Poke holes throughout the meat using a fork (I forgot to do this and it turned out fine). Bake for 30 minutes. As it bakes, the meat will shrink away from the sides and the liquid will accumulate around the edges of the pan.

When fully cooked, remove pan from the oven (keep oven turned on) and carefully drain off the liquid.

Top the meat with an even layer of sliced cheese; return pan to oven for about 2 minutes or until the cheese melts. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for a few minutes. Cut into 2 inch squares (or the size of the buns used).

Five Guys vs. In-N-Out

Going to California gave me a chance to try the famous In-N-Out Burger. I'm a huge fan of Five Guys, so I was definitely expecting something similar. When we walked up to the door, there was a line of people waiting for their orders. Charles hates lines, but we were determined to try it. The line went really fast and we were even able to score a table.

In-N-Out Burger Products (Google Affiliate Ad)

I ordered a cheeseburger and a chocolate milkshake. Charles and I shared an order of fries. They give you your order in a little red bucket-like tray. I liked that. At Five Guys, regardless if you order to eat in or to go, they give it in a brown paper bag. It feels a little wasteful sometimes.

At In-N-Out, they put a secret sauce on their burgers. I liked that. I also enjoyed the option to order a milkshake.

Plus, In-N-Out was a good deal cheaper than Five Guys...even in California. If you have never been to CA, it seems like EVERYTHING is more expensive. 

The things that just did not compare to Five Guys were the burgers and fries. At Five Guys, you can order a plethora of toppings. Even though I always only get lettuce, ketchup and mayo, it is nice to have other options if my taste buds decide to change. The fries at In-N-Out just didn't have the same good flavor that Five Guys' fries do. I'm not a huge fan of fries, anyway, but they just didn't match up.

Charles and I decided that In-N-Out would be a really good option for someone who is used to eating McDonald's or Burger King. Their burgers are freshly made and without all the crap that the other places have. Although, if you are craving a really delicious burger, go to Five Guys.