I would say auf wiedersehen, but...

BK and I dressed in traditional attire

If I said that, it means until we see one another again, and I don't plan to see Oktoberfest again. Once was plenty for me.

Let me start out by saying, Oktoberfest was fun, and absolutely something I am glad I got to experience while living in Europe. Having said that though, here are a few things you can keep in mind while reading about my take on our time in Munich and at Oktoberfest:

• I don't like beer. I know, I know, why go then? Like I said, for the experience.
• I'm past the point in my life when I'm interested in being around people who are so drunk they are vomiting at 2:00 in the afternoon, walking around like zombies, and barely able to hold themselves upright.
• Oktoberfest is best enjoyed without your children...as in, they should go to the grandparents' house and plan for a Monday pick up, after the weekend.

Giant pretzels for all to enjoy

Now, you may be thinking, you went to Oktoberfest in September? Yes, Oktoberfest always starts sometime around the third week of September and goes until the first week of October. In Munich people call it The Wiesn. The only reason it is called Oktoberfest (supposedly, according to our tour guide) is because American troops stationed in Munich after WWII couldn't pronounce wiesn, so they just decided to call it Oktoberfest, and the name stuck.

Our liter and half-liter (for lemonade) mugs

We traveled to Munich on a Thursday, went to Oktoberfest Friday and Saturday, then traveled back home on Sunday. I thought I would tell you about Oktoberfest specifically in this post, then come back to tell you more about Munich, where we stayed, how we got along with Baby K, and other stuff. And in case you're wondering, yes she came to Munich with us; no she did not go to Oktoberfest.

Inside Traditions-Festzelt tent

When planning this trip, we heard that the only way to go at Oktoberfest was to get tent reservations. This is because there are literally millions of people there, all who want to get inside a tent to drink some beer. Without a reservation, you're likely to be out of luck in getting into a tent, and definitely won't have a place to sit or be able to get anything to eat. We had reservations at Traditions-Festzelt on Friday and Stiftl Tent on Saturday. They were very different from one another, which was a great thing to experience.

Oktoberfest grounds- it feels like the state fair

Friday morning we headed off into Munich, suited up in our traditional lederhosen and drindls, to experience the more traditional of the two tents, Traditions-Festzelt. I was surprised when we arrived, to find that Oktoberfest is a bit like the state fair; lots of rides, carnival food, random crafty trinkets, games, and the other usual stuff. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't really that for some reason.

Outside of the "tent"

Traditions-Festzelt tent is located in the Oide Wiesn section of Oktoberfest, which is a more traditional area. It is a huge tent, that I'm sure can seat hundreds of people. Our reservation was from 11:30 until 4, and during that time there were many bands playing, people processing in and dressed in traditional attire, and groups dancing on various stages. There was also this group who used whips to play along to the music...interesting. It lived up to our expectation of the traditional tent for sure.

Beer station

With a table reservation, you receive tickets for food and beer. The beer at Oktoberfest is only served in liter mugs, and contrary to popular belief, is chilled and nice and cold when it comes out. I really I think I only made it 3/4 of the way through one liter the whole time. Oktoberfest is also known for the roasted chicken, which is really good, along with many other traditional dishes such as potato salad, dumplings, and spetzle. You can pretty much drink and eat yourself silly there...and many people do just that.

Inside Stiftl Tent- the band is up top

The other direction inside of the tent- much smaller

On Saturday we had reservations at Stiftl Tent. Even though we liked getting to experience the more traditional tent the day before, the Stiftl Tent was much more our speed. It is considered one of the smaller tents, and has very cozy feel. There is a live band, that mostly consists of a guy singing German and English rock songs. Apparently the most commonly played song at Oktoberfest is Country Road by John Denver. Who knew? There's also a German drinking song played in all the tents for everyone to sing along with. Fun!

Before the dancing/stomping started

Anyway, back to the tent, it was a lot of fun. It was crowded and loud and most of the people around us were really nice and enjoyed talking and having fun with everyone around them. At one point everyone was standing on the benches of the tables singing and stomping, generally just having a great time. Again, the beer is served in liter mugs along with the traditional food. I knew I would like this tent when they offered us prosecco to start in a tiny mug. Yes, please!

And they're up!

So that's about it for the actual Oktoberfest. I'll fill you in a little bit more about where we stayed (you know, bringing three toddlers along and all), stuff we saw in Munich and other recommendations we have in case you decide to make the trip.

Until then, Prost (Cheers)!