hen I boarded the German airship the Hindenburg, I was riveted by its enormous size, and I felt like an ant looking up at an elephant. I was in open mouthed wonder and amazement at how huge this miracle of the air was, and it epitomized what the word gigantic really means. As I walked up the boarding ramp and was directed towards an equally large living room, and saw how big that was too, I became even more stunned at how incredible it all seemed. Then when I saw one of the bedrooms, well that too made me think this was some sort of Orwellian dream that was not reality. But wait a minute you say, didn't the Hindenburg arrive in New Jersey on May 6th 1937 and blow up? I mean how could I be doing all this when the airship had disintegrated into a hundred thousand pieces all those years ago?

Well, of course you're right. It did explode, and that explosion has fascinated mankind ever since - especially as to what caused it. This major event in aviation was also the place for one of radio's all time most memorable moments when the reporter, Herbert Morrison who was there to broadcast its arrival, broke down as he saw it crashing in front of his eyes, and is probably best remembered for his phrase, "Oh the humanity…I can't go on." But, yes, I did board the airship, and all those positive words I just noted, were indeed fact. But I was also in one of the most fascinating museums I've ever seen.

I was in the southern German town of Friedrichshafen (www.friedrichshafen.de) and I was at the Zeppelin Museum where they have a totally realistic mock up of a large part of the Hindenburg. And it's absolutely mesmerizing. If Detroit is the Mecca for cars (or maybe was, in the heyday day of the US automobile!), then Friedrichshafen is THE Mecca for airships. Located on the picturesque shores of romantic Lake Constance (or Bodensee as it's called in Germany), this equally colorful town is awash in Zeppelin and airship memorabilia. There are streets named after Count Zeppelin, and statues and models here, there and seemingly everywhere of Zeppelins, that are large, small and just about everything in between. Gift shops? You bet, and it seems as if every street corner, and just about every 3rd street, has a shop that's jam packed with everything you can think of to do with airships and Zeppelins.

Fitting the Image! How often in life do certain people absolutely fit the image of who and what they are? This aristocratic figure looks EXACTLY as I imagined him. What do YOU think? Just as the name William Boeing was the name of the man who started the airplane company, so the name Zeppelin is always associated with this gentleman as being the founder and inventor of giant airships known by his name - Zeppelin. His full name is Ferdinand Adolf August Heinrich Graf (Count) von Zeppelin. "Graf" is a title and, translated means Count. It is not a first or middle name. He was born on July 8th, 1838 and died at the end of WW1, on March 8th, 1917.

Zeppelin Trivia The name of the British rock group Led Zeppelin, came from his airship, and Zeppelin's granddaughter, Countess Eva Von Zeppelin once wanted to sue the group for illegal use of that famous name, while the group was performing in Copenhagen, Denmark in February, 1970. The giant and hugely successful Graf Zeppelin airship was also named in his honor.

I was there as part of a US group of travel media and our visit did not, sadly, allow us time to stay very long, but had I been on my own I would have loved to have stayed there for about a week or longer. It's a great place to vacation and is fascinating, charming, lovely and really interesting in its own right. I don't know about you, but when I think of Germany, I think of places like Bavaria and big cities like Berlin and Munich. Lakeshore towns like Friedrichshafen do not come to mind - I mean it looks and feels and sounds more like some gorgeous, very romantic Italian resort.

The Zeppelin Museum (www.zeppelin-museum.de) is an incredible 43,000 square foot facility (it was originally the Harbor Railway station) and is home to the largest (natch!) repository of objects, memorabilia and technology of anything and everything connected in any way shape or form to airships. Let me suggest that either before or after you tour this intriguing museum, you take time out to enjoy some snacks in the Museum's restaurant. Not only do you get a superb view of the scenery, but you look out onto lovely Lake Constance and the Alps, yes the Alps!!! The town is situated in southern Germany near the borders of Switzerland and Austria, and has a population of just 58,000. Since opening on July 2nd, 1996, the museum has seen over 3,600,000 visitors and, as any visitor can tell you, the highlight and major attraction, is the reconstruction of a 108 foot section of the legendary LZ 129, or more commonly known as the Hindenburg.

Inside the Hindenburg! Here are 3 views of how it was inside that great and incredible airship. I was amazed and stunned at how big everything was. Here is one of the Lounges aboard and one of the bedrooms. The full length Wall Map shows some of the routings of the airship around the world. The third photo of mine shows the intricate interior of the Hindenburg, and the sort of lattice type construction used. This is one amazing museum, and if you never go to any other museum anywhere, I urge to visit this one.

Just as the name Boeing is instantly associated with aircraft, so the name Zeppelin is associated with airships. Inventor, true visionary and a major industrialist, Graf (or Count) Zeppelin was born in 1838 and died in 1917. His interest in this form of transportation began in 1874, and with his driving passion for airships, along with his wealth and personal dedication, he was able to overcome many challenges that other, lesser men, would not have been able to even consider. If you're wondering if Zeppelins are still in existence, the answer is a resounding YES!!! They are alive and well in this town, and there's (even) a Zeppelin factory that makes these still amazing airships - check out www.zeppelinflug.de

It was around 7pm on May 6th, 1937 that disaster struck the Hindenburg. Considering the shocking film footage of the crash, it's amazing that of the 97 people on board, only 35 perished, plus one on the ground. She had a passenger capacity of 70, along with a crew of 61--- including 21 trainees. In the blazing inferno that was this tragedy, 13 passengers, 22 crew and one person on the ground, died. The airship was 804 feet in length, had a diameter of 135 feet, and was powered by four 1,200 hp Mercedes Benz engines. Its top speed was a leisurely 84 mph. Put another way, the super liner Titanic was only 78 foot longer than the Hindenburg at 882 feet. The Hindenburg was designed to carry a gas volume of 7,062,000 cubic feet, which meant that when she was filled with hydrogen, it would give her an amazing 242 tons of gross lift --- an incredible achievement today, but even more awesome back in the 1930s.

The portion that is open to tourists is so realistic it convinced me that I was actually on board the real airship. As I looked out the giant widows and gazed down at the ground below, it was easy to imagine standing there in 1937 as she came in for a landing --- and hearing the ship's commander announcing its impending arrival at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station. Knowing what actually took place a few minutes later, made the whole "moment" even more eerie. As I said, this is without doubt, one of the most intriguing museums I've ever visited in my trips around the world. If your travels to take you to Germany (www.cometogermany.com) I urge you to find time to visit not only Friedrichshafen, but also this amazing museum.

Now then, can I make a reservation for you on your first Hindenburg flight?