Adventures in the Land of Baden-Württemberg

I've spent nearly three months researching and studying and planning my trip to Germany. As of right now, I think I'm about 95% there. Here's a quick overview of what I'll be doing. If you haven't already done so, I would suggest you go back and read my previous posts to bring you up to speed on how we got to this point!

• May 1 - depart from Sacramento, arriving in Stuttgart the following morning about 9:45 a.m.
• May 2 - Tour of Ludwigsburg Palace with Hans and Shorik from Heilbronn, after which I'll drive to Turkheim, the small town near Aufhausen where my hotel is located.
• May 2-6 - booked in a small Landgasthof (guest house, sort of like a Bed & Breakfast) in Turkheim. This building is over 400 years old! (Incidentally, the young men that traveled to America with Leonhard were from Turkheim, so I'm fairly sure he must've spent time here!)
• May 3 - Willi-Martin and I will go to the church in Aufhausen to meet the Reverend and Mrs.Löffler, and  look at the church records. In the evening we will go see the house where Leonhard was born, and hopefully, meet some new relatives! 
• May 4 - We will visit the villages where my ancestors lived and view the church records. Afterward, Willi-Martin and his wife have invited me to their house for dinner! 
• May 5 - We will visit an open-air museum that depicts life in 19th century Germany. This will give me a great feel for what life was like for Leonhard and his family. After the museum, we're going to Ulm to see the tallest church steeple in the world! 
• May 6 - I will drive back to Ulm to turn in my rental car and take the train to Nuremberg. After checking into my hotel, I am hoping to take a quick tour of the old town. (So far on my journey, this will be the only day that I will be completely on my own!)
• May 7 - I check out of my hotel and go to the port to board the River Countess for my 7 day River Cruise down the Rhine River! After dropping off my bags, we'll have some free time to explore Nuremberg before the ship sets sail at 5:00 p.m. (Notice I say "We" will have some free time...)