As I mentioned, I'm a fan of pumpkin everything, pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin ice cream, you name it, I love it. I love the pumpkin spice lattes you can get at Starbucks or East Street Cafe, but sometimes I don't want to drive all the way to base, and sometimes they're out, and sometimes I'm too busy to wait in line, and sometimes I'm picky...so, my solution was to create a homemade pumpkin spice latte! This recipe is easy to follow, can be made with an espresso machine, a French press or a regular drip coffee machine, and requires simple store bought ingredients. Feel free to alter the recipe to your liking (I like my coffee with a lot of cream and sugar).

The highest waterfall in Germany is in the idyllic black forest town of Triberg (pronounced Tree-Berg, and it's definitely worth a weekend visit. Triberg is a three hour drive from Ramstein and a shorter hour and a half drive from Stuttgart. Since we were coming from Ramstein, we decided to stay all weekend and got ourselves a little room at the lovely Hotel Cafe Adler—which was a convenient 3 minute walk to the entrance of the waterfalls. Breakfast at the hotel was fantastic, and the staff was more than accommodating. The hotel can be booked at Booking.com and is pet friendly – just beware the advertised Wi-Fi is only available in the lobby and breakfast room (which can be a little inconvenient). Right across from our hotel was the Park Hotel which also seemed like a great place to stay.

In the middle of the Black Forest, peace and tranquility prevail. Surrounded by a quiet and calm nature where the view from the restaurant is almost as beautiful as the panoramic view from the tree house sauna. You'll find nothing but beauty here. A romantic candlelight dinner in the hotel's vaulted cellar, next to the monk's room, could be the crowning highlight of a relaxing and recharging vacation at Hotel Tanne.