We started Memorial Day Weekend 2022 surrounded not by crowds or cities, but by trees and sky. The Saarschleife Treetop Path in southwest Germany offered exactly the kind of quiet, reflective beginning that felt right for a holiday rooted in remembrance.

The path winds high above the forest, leading visitors through the treetops before opening into a sweeping observation tower overlooking the famous Saarschleife river bend. From above, the Saar River coils through the valley in a perfect green ribbon, a landscape that has remained largely unchanged for centuries.

This region has long been a crossroads of Europe — French, German, and Roman influences layered into the land itself. Standing above it all, we were reminded how small human borders look when compared to the scale of nature and time.

It was a peaceful and grounding way to begin a weekend that would soon turn far more emotional.