Good destinations for late March around Ramstein Air Force Base

How old are the grandkids, how many, and will you be going by train or driving?

Ramstein sits about 90 minutes away from parts of the "Romantic Rhine". There are numerous castles here you can take them to. If they live at Ramstein, my guess is that they've already seen Burg Nanstein in nearby Landstuhl.

Are they the right ages for Legoland? It's about a couple-plus hours southeast of Ramstein.

We will be traveling with 3 adults and 4 boys, ages 1 through 4. They have visited and enjoyed several castles already. Legoland would be a great idea.

There's a nice zoo in Frankfurt, right, Jo?

Activities for kids in Frankfurt

• The Frankfurt Zoo

• Kinder Museum (Childrens Museum) - This is located at the Hauptwache and is all about being underground in Frankfurt, which I think is an innovative concept. They have a subway simulator, archeology stuff, old bombing bunkers, water canals and the animals that live under the city. Pretty interactive and all the kids I saw there looked like they were having a really good time. The adults seemed to enjoy it too. It is probably the most interesting for kids under 12.

• Communication Museum - This is a fairly interactive museum, with postal train wagons to climb in, various changing workshops to create and build things pertaining to communication and everything about the mail service, phones, radio and TV in Germany. If you go all the way to the top, they often have volunteers in this section showing how ham radios work. The museum does birthday parties with fun activities for the kids and "Das Cafe" will also do birthday parties if you reserve it ahead of time. Make sure you get some delicious brownies!

• Senckenburg Musuem - Better known as the dinosaur museum, this is always a favorite. One of the most popular displays is a giant boa constrictor swallowing a pig. The mummies are often a hit, as well as the many dino skeletons. One floor has row after row of glass cases containing stuffed animals from around the world in imitations of their natural habitat.There is a lot of other stuff there too and this is a perfect place to spend a rainy day.

• Palmengarten - Besides having all the lovely botanical houses, it also has a couple of great playgrounds, including water play (bring a towel and a change of clothes!), a pond with row boats to rent, and

• Swimming pools - Rebstock Bad is most popular

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- Strassenbahn (Tram) Museum - Lots of trams to climb on and into. Fun for grownups and for kids.

• Main Tower - I think most kids like going up in tall buildings and looking at the teeny tiny cars and people far down below.

• Eisporthalle (Ice Skating Rink) - Open through most of the year (but not in the summer), it can be really fun during the winter when they open their huge outdoor ring to skate on.

Kids Activities outside of Frankfurt, but near by.

• Hessen Park - This is a historical open air museum, showing how people lived back before modern technology. The buildings, agriculture, and skills of the day are demonstrated along with workshops to participate in. This is a great place for grown-ups too!

• Saalburg - The only reconstructed Roman fort in existance, created under the direction of Kaiser Wilhelm 100 years ago. Located in the Taunus mountains near Bad Homburg, this is where the Romans kept their watch on the Germanic tribes of the area. Trails lead along the old walls and fortifications and a "Taverna" offers typical Roman food. "Roman markets" are occasionally held here.

• Lochmuehle - Combination of kids activities and rides, playgrounds, pony rides, picnic area.

• Opel Zoo - This zoo is located outside of Frankfurt so that the elephants would have more space than what was available in the city. Lots of play activities and playgrounds here. The bus stops right in front of it.

• Fun Forests - Several locations, between Bad Homburg and Friedrichsdorf, Wiesbaden, Offenbach and Darmstadt. Pretty much for any child over the age of 8-9 and fun for teens and adults too. You have to make your way from tree to tree on various elements, like logs, tires, nets, etc. but always safely cabled. Different courses available depending on size & ability. Lots of zip lines too.Check for opening dates as some of them close down in the fall.

Danke schon!

Also consider www.europapark.de, www.holidaypark.de... The most beautiful zoo in Germany is Stuttgart's Wilhelma Zoo, which, too, isn't that far and doable as day trip. In Stuttgart there's also the Porsche and Mercedes-Benz museum as that's the home town of those car makers. Outside of Frankfurt, in the nearby mountains, is the Opel Zoo, which is like a smaller Wild Animal Park (San Diego)... www.opelzoo.de

How about poking around the castle in Landstuhl? Or going to Strausburg and/or the Alsas region in France? Idar Oberstein spelling - sorry!) is pretty neat as well. How about a car picnic on the Mosel or Rhine and a game of cards? A volksmarch? Just some things I did there that were really fun....enjoy!

Jo, who needs a Frankfurt guidebook with you around?? These are GREAT suggestions, as always! Thanks!