We spent three days in the Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland in July. This is a great area to hike with kids as the scenery is spectacular, there are plenty of cows and horses to ogle, and lots of the routes are just challenging enough to keep everyone happy. We made our base in Gimmelwald, a picturesque little village perched below the Jungfrau mountain range. It is a car-less town and the only access is via a quick 5-minute trip on a cable car from the valley floor. There are only a few guesthouses and B&B's to choose from and we opted to stay at Esther's Guesthouse. Esther's offers many different types of accommodations, including two apartments, each with it's own bathroom and kitchen. We stayed in one of these and thought it was a great choice for a family. We had plenty of room to spread out and a balcony with a gorgeous few of the mountains. Breakfast and lunch are on offer for an added fee but we chose to pick up supplies at the supermarket in nearby Murren.

There aren't a lot of of dining options in Gimmelwald but luckily what is available is very good. Our first night we wandered into Pension Gimmelwald, mostly because of their patio and it's spectacular view. The menu is small but everything we had was delicious and while there is no set kid's menu, they were very accommodating in making something for Ava.

On our way out of the Pension, we spotted the Honesty Shop. Both kids were enthralled with the premise - no one worked in the shop so you selected what you liked, wrote the item you were purchasing and cost on the provided envelope, put your money in the envelope, sealed it and placed it in a locked box. The store had a range of items available from snacks to postcards to small souvenirs.