Lovely area. We visited there last year after 30+ years away. Not too much has changed over the years - except the new autobahn spur past Spang and the absurdly higher prices (Euro shellacking the $). And Trier is now "modernized" and absurdly crowded (not a plus in our opinion, but the Germans seem to think that is progress). Oh, and every village has at least one Pizza/Kebab shop run by "Turks" (read: Muslims). They've moved in everywhere.
The food is still terrific and the wine the best in the world.
Thanks for the update. Of the many simple pleasures to be found, one that I enjoyed thoroughly was a clear spring/summer day in Trier, at an open-air cafe near the Porta Nigra.
When the weather wasn't so great, I'd head north to Koblenz, to the Konigsbacher brewery. Their restaurant had a grand view of the Rhine, and served bock beer year round. The return trip would take me by the Lorelei to Bacharach (for a bit of beer stein shopping), then home to Traben-Trarbach.