Growing up in a world of adventure.
I’m so excited to begin our first full week of 2016 with a Chinook Book giveaway! The Chinook Book continues to play a huge part in helping us get out, experience, and explore our city and region. I knew that we used “the book” (as we refer to it) quite a bit throughout 2015, but it wasn’t until I actually sat down, and started jotting down all the coupons we used that I realized just how much!
Burke Museum, Bloedel Reserve (Bainbridge Island), Seattle Children’s Museum, Washington State Ferry
If you’re still searching for just the right gift for that someone on your list, I have a few easy last minute gift ideas that just might help you complete your holiday shopping! Given the theme of our blog, I have categorized them as great for travelers and outdoor adventurers, but really they’d work for so many types of people.
We traveled to Wenatchee, Washington (located about 2.5 hours east of Seattle) this fall to escape the hustle and bustle of our busy city before the holidays, and get the chance to take in the beautiful autumn colors of North Central Washington. However, Wenatchee, and the entire North Central Washington region is a destination that’s fitting anytime of year! The area boasts almost 300 days of sunshine annually, yet 4 distinct seasons, making it great for families looking to enjoy the outdoors.
For this particular visit, we had 2 nights to enjoy the small city of about 33,000, also known as the Apple Capital of the World. Based on our experience, I put together our recommendations for things to do, places to eat, and where to stay when visiting Wenatchee, Washington with kids!
Pybus Market
Our soft structured carrier (we use the Ergo) has been a lifesaver for us when it comes to flying with our babies. It might actually be our number one thing for parents of babies and young toddlers to bring with them when traveling by air plane, aside from extra clothes, diapers, and wipes of course. The carrier allows me to be hands free so that I can pull luggage or hold my preschooler’s hand, I’m not bogged down with a stroller, and it provides a place for the child to sleep or just hang out around the airport and on the plane.
There are several important things to be aware of though before venturing off with your little one. Hopefully these little pieces of information will help you know what to expect so that your not caught off guard when approached by a TSA officer or flight attendant. Safe travels!
The holiday season has officially begun, and we want to wish you peace and joy as you make memories with your family and friends during this special time. We got right into the spirit this past weekend, and have already purchased our Christmas tree–an adorable 4-foot Noble Fir from our favorite local tree farm. Slaed and I also got to spent a productive morning and afternoon shopping without the kids in downtown Seattle. Pike Place Market and the Handmade Showroom in Pacific Place were definite highlights!
We wanted to make sure you knew about some incredible deals happening today (Monday 11/30) with our affiliates!
In addition to our holiday gift guide (plus those of our outdoor family blogging friends), we wanted to make sure you knew about some thoughtful guides from our traveling friends!
Please note: Some affiliate links are used throughout the post. If you purchase through our links, we receive a small commission. Thanks for taking a look!
Last weekend we got to enjoy the small city of Wenatchee, Washington. Wenatchee is located in North Central Washington about 2.5 hours from Seattle and 3 hours from Spokane, Washington at the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia Rivers.
After Slaed attended a conference there over the summer and brought back various tourism information showcasing their new public market and natural beauty of the region, I knew I just had to get out to Wenatchee! I had to see it all for myself, or at least more than just a passing through for breakfast or lunch like I’d done once or twice on our way elsewhere.
Wenatchee’s claim to fame is Apples, and the city identifies as the Apple Capital of the world. Washington State produces the most apples in the U.S. (about 100 million boxes), and a huge chunk of the deliciously tasty fruit comes from the Wenatchee Valley. Fun fact: Every single one of those apples are picked by hand!
Since the area boasts 300 days of sunshine a year (plus rich lava-ash soil), it’s ideal for growing apples, but it’s also ideal for a family who may be a little tired of the rainy Western Washington late fall & winter. We didn’t get sunshine for this visit, but we did get a break from the precipitation, especially on this particular day where there was flooding, high winds, and power outages all throughout the state.
Be on the look out for a full city guide of things to do with kids, places to eat, and where to stay, but in the meantime please enjoy this quick snapshot of our trip!
When you are traveling from your city to another major city, of course it makes sense to fly direct. It’s faster and more streamlined–that’s no question. But what about (long haul) travel to a smaller area when a layover and 2nd flight is almost always necessary?
You might be surprised, for example that when we travel to the Carolinas to visit family, we often fly to the Atlanta airport. And instead of catching a connecting flight to Charlotte, we drive over 4 hours to where our family lives. We had a similar situation with our trip to the Outer Banks in September. We flew into Washington, D.C. and drove 4.5 hours to our family’s cottage in Duck, North Carolina instead of connecting to Norfolk. Also, instead of flying directly to Wisconsin for a week-long vacation there a couple summers ago, we flew in and out of Chicago, and rented a car to travel to Madison and further north to a small town on Lake Michigan.
We have our reasons, and I thought they might provide some help or ideas in planning your holiday travel and vacations in the new year. One important factor: These reasons are all based on the fact that we need a car at our destination, and would rent one regardless of how close our ultimate destination was to the airport.
Missoula, Montana was the last leg of our big Idaho-Montana road trip this past summer. Missoula is near and dear to our hearts. Slaed went to college there at the University of Montana, and for me, Missoula was the very first town that I visited in Montana. That may not seem like a big deal, but Montana was high on my list of places to see, so I have fond memories of crossing the border from Idaho, where I was volunteering with Americorps after college, to Big Sky Country.
For this particular visit, we stayed two nights, and as usual managed to squeeze in quite a bit of fun and activity into our days. This was our first time bringing the kids to Missoula and so much nostalgia comes along with visiting your old college town, so we had a lot to show them! My guide of what to do, where to eat, and where to stay with kids will hopefully give you an idea of what we were up to, and provide you with some possible plans for when you decide to visit!
A week in North Carolina’s Outer Banks was quite the trek for our wild little family, but the cross country flight and decent (4.5 hours) car ride were more than worth the hassle to have an unforgettable experience.
In short the trip involved a lot of sand, a lot of sun (and sunscreen), many magical sunsets, and a ton of tasty meals. I’m sharing a few snapshots and highlights here, but as always stay tuned for more nitty-gritty details in the coming weeks.
We spent the majority of our time in Duck, a small town on the northern end of the Outer Banks. However, you’ll see from the quick photo essay that we ventured north to visit Corolla Beach Lighthouse as well as south to climb the east coast’s tallest sand dunes at Jockey’s Ridge, and honor our wizards in the flight at the Wright Brother’s Memorial.
First afternoon–playing at Currituck Sound.
Greetings from the road! Our Idaho-Montana road trip is coming to a close so as the kids nap at our vacation rental here in Missoula, Montana I thought I’d check-in with a quick overview of our trip.
With all four of our children’s grandparents living a significant distance away from our home here in Seattle, we have quite a bit of experience with out of town visits. Lucky for us, we love to travel, AND each of our parents happen to live in fun, beautiful locales.
Through the years, we’ve learned ways to make each trip comfortable for everyone involved, and at the same time memorable and special. If you take the following into consideration, we think you too will have a successful visit with the grandparents.
We suggest planning well in advance, and settling on an ideal number of days that is comfortable for both you and your host. Personally we think that a week would be the longest we’d stay (unless we rented a vacation home) with 4 or 5 nights being the most ideal. However itineraries greatly depend on how far you might be traveling. When we travel all the way across the country, we tend to plan a longer stay. Regardless, be sure to send your host a copy of your itinerary so they are aware of your travel arrangements!
Consider your sleeping arrangements at home and what works best for you and your kids. Then work with your host ahead of time to plan for a similar set up. In a perfect world we would all have our own separate spaces just like at home, but we all know that is hard to recreate on the road. We do get creative though, and have had kids sleeping in closets and laundry rooms! Definitely important to think outside the box. Not all grandparents have ample room (or are prepared to accommodate entire families) in their homes, so vacation rentals should also be considered. VRBO, Home Away, and Airbnb are great places to start.
Our parents have always been happy to stock up on a few important food staples to make the kids feel more at home, and to make meal time easier. Milk, bread, fruit, cheese, and cereal seem to please most. Come up with a short list a few days before your trip, and make sure to alert your hosts of food allergies.
A few toys and a small collection of books picked up at the thrift store or goodwill (even the dollar store!) will go a long way with keeping little ones entertained and happy while grown-ups visit and catch up. This also comes in handy for those early risers who need some amusement before the rest of the house wakes up. See if your host might be willing to do a little shopping for you ahead of time.
Important questions to think about:
Note all of the devices and accessories that you use for your routines at home. Choose what’s essential, and work with your host to see if they are able to secure any items for you. Car seats, high chairs, strollers, baby seats/swings can often be rented or collected from friends and family nearby.
We try to do a bit of research ahead of time to get an idea of some of the attractions and sights we are most interested in seeing. We prepare for a balance of activity and downtime so as not to exhaust everyone. We also consider what would work best for the ages (and nap times) of our kids at the time of that particular visit. We also leave wiggle room (or talk ahead) for allowing our hosts to choose activities–no need to run the entire show!
Do make yourself aware of your host’s sleeping preferences. If your hosts go to bed early, keep the house quiet in the evening. If they like to sleep in, do your best to quiet your kids if they are early risers. We often take the kids outside for a walk or run to get coffee in the morning.
Do clean up after yourself and your children. Dishes, picking up clothes & toys, straightening up in the bathroom, making beds all should be part of your routine.
Don’t plan a rigid and packed schedule. No need to micromanage the entire visit. Plan for a few activities or have a loose outline, and leave the rest to figure out as you go.
Don’t leave without tidying up. Talk to your host and find out what would be most helpful. You might strip the beds and start a load of laundry with linens and towels, but check with your host first!
Close to our arrival, we try to do a quick sweep of the home for potential hazards and items that are breakable and within the reach of tiny hands. Often our parents do this ahead of time any way, but sometimes they miss things or don’t realize just how destructive kids can be at times! Better to be safe than sorry with valuable, important, and/or sentimental possessions. We also talk with our kids, and lay down some ground rules for what’s okay and not okay to touch.
Simple gifts go a long way in showing hosts how much you appreciate their hospitality and willingness to open their home to you. Coffee, a bottle of wine, a candle, flowers, or something special from your hometown are all good gifts that come to mind. Hosts might also appreciate being taken out for a meal, or having a meal cooked for them at home. When we return home, we always send a written thank you note. Sometimes we even enclose photos from our visit!
Come join the conversation! You can keep up to date with each and every post by subscribing to the blog via email. We’d also love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter! If you enjoyed this post, please “like it”, “tweet it” or “pin it”!
Waxhaw, North Carolina isn’t exactly a hot spot for tourism or a big adventure destination, but since we’ve visited the lovely small town a few times now, and it’s where my sister and her family call home, I thought it deserved a little attention.
Waxhaw is located about 40 minutes south of (downtown) Charlotte, and is situated just over 2 miles from the North Carolina-South Carolina border. This proximity actually causes a great debate around the region as to where the true birth place of our 7th president, Andrew Jackson, was born. Both states claim him as their own and feature plaques depicting this to be true. In my opinion, after visiting Andrew Jackson State Park in Lancaster, South Carolina, the Palmetto State gets to hold the title, but that’s neither here nor there.
Since we always stay with family, I don’t have recommendations for lodging or accommodations, but I do have plenty of recommendations for fun activities and delicious dining!
Just before the Diamond Celebration (60th Anniversary) hullabaloo at Disneyland got started, Slaed and Bergen (3.5 years old) squeaked in a visit to the park for the little guy’s first Disney experience. While I was somewhat bummed that I wouldn’t be present for Bergen’s introduction to the happiest place on earth, there’s definitely something to be said about a solo-parent and child trip. Bergen got the one-on-one attention that he craves, and the whole weekend was able to be focused around him and his preferences and needs making it all a huge success.
Parents have to do what’s best for their particular family, but we believe that 3 years is the best age for a first time visit. The child is old enough to understand and navigate on their own, there are plenty of rides for them to go on, and the experience for them is positively magical and awe inspiring. Slaed reported that our normally rambunctious little boy spent the majority of his time sitting, wide eyed with his mouth open captivated by the all of the action happening around him.
After months of preparation and research, combined with his own knowledge from numerous visits to the park prior, Slaed put together an amazing itinerary. Their experience, one day in Disneyland and one day in California adventure was nothing but positive. I picked his brain, and we’ve put together 9 tips to help parents plan and prepare for a trip that is just as successful.
Soon after Slaed decided to take Bergen to Disneyland, he purchased the Tear-Free in Disneyland book. He read it cover to cover, studying up almost every night during the months prior to their trip. The book is filled with practical tips and ideas for making the whole Disney experience positive and stress free. He learned a ton, and gained the confidence and bravery needed to tackle it all on his own. Many (but not all!) of the the tips that follow come from or are adapted from the book.
Make sure to purchase tickets directly through Disneyland. Doing so ahead of time will give you peace of mind, and save you from waiting in one more line! In our opinion, there is no need for park hopper passes when you are visiting Disney with little kids. Focus on one park per day. Slaed and Bergen spent one day in Disneyland, and one day in California Adventure.
You may know all about Disneyland, but mostly likely, and certainly in Bergen’s case, your kids have little to no idea what the park is really all about. Even if they visited as a baby or toddler, they are unlikely to remember much. Just like we build background knowledge before visiting a new destination, we worked to make sure he had an understanding of what the experience would be like. Our suggestions:
Plan ahead so you can shop sales and consignment stores for shirts, hats, and maybe even underwear for your big trip. Buying at the park (and in Downtown Disney) is very expensive and wastes precious park time. Slaed also bought a few small gifts (Tow Mater & Lightning McQueen hot wheel type cars & a small doddle board) to give Bergen once they arrived. This prevented Bergen from asking to buy things in the gift shops, and also gave him something to do while waiting in line.
Know the following about all the rides and attractions:
If you are interested in dining at any of the popular restaurants throughout the park, we highly recommend that you secure reservations ahead of time. Disney allows you to do this up to 60 days in advance. You can find a list of the restaurants here, but Slaed suggests the Blue Bayou, and recommends lunch over dinner to save money. Not only is the food tasty, but the atmosphere prepared Bergen for the Pirates of the Caribbean—a ride that was definitely a stretch for him as far as fear factor.
Contrary to popular belief, the stroller will actually just slow you down rather than making travel throughout the park quicker. Disneyland is crowded. You’ll constantly be running into people, will always have to worry about parking the stroller, and your child won’t really engage in the full experience. Go on walks frequently (everyday!) prior to your visit to Disneyland to build stamina. Overall, you and your child will do a lot of walking at Disneyland, but it’s never that much all at once since you just pop from ride to ride, attraction to attraction, etc.
Know whether or not your child is afraid of people in costumes, mascots, and dressed up characters. We were lucky enough to get to test this out during our trip to Oahu when we attended Aulani’s character breakfast, and we also attend plenty of sporting events to get an idea of how Bergen reacts to the mascots like the Seattle Mariner Moose. When he met Mickey for the first time, he was surprised at how big he was compared to the Mickey that he is used to watching on TV! If your child is too afraid, you can just avoid that whole aspect of the park experience. My friend Keryn from WalkingonTravels.com has an excellent post about tackling your child’s mascot/character fears.
This post contains affiliate links to our Wild Tales of…Travel and Adventure store on Amazon. If you purchase through link, we receive a very small percentage to help maintain and update the blog. Thanks for taking a look!
Come join the conversation! We’d love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter! You can also keep up to date with each and every post by subscribing to the blog via email.
1. Klean Kanteen Water Bottle.
Bergen uses this water bottle all year long (he’s had it since he was about 1.5 years), but we find it especially essential during the hot summer months. Klean Kanteen bottles (I have one too) are easy to clean, BPA-free, and extremely durable.
Both Slaed and Bergen “live” in their Keen Sandals in the summer. Open enough to keep feet cool, but structured (and closed-toed) enough to hike, walk, ride bikes, wade, stroll the beach…you get the idea!
Super stylish, durable, and 100% UVA & UVB production for sensitive little eyes. Plus, if they are lost or broken within a year of purchase, Babiator will replace the glasses for free!
We tested out this sunscreen during our trip to Oahu last fall, and found it to be a reliable sunscreen–no burns, no sensitivities, just happy skin! The bottle is still going strong this summer, and I’ve found that I love it even more. Since its chemical free, its safe for the whole family–even little Georgia, and we’ve found that a little goes a long way. We’re actually using less of the Block Island Sunscreen to cover our skin compared to some of the more mainstream brands.
With Bergen attending forest school this summer (and for the upcoming school year) and for as much time as we spend outdoors in general, not to mention the unusually hot summer we’ve had this year, I love that we found this moisture wicking tee while shopping the North Face sales recently. It even has a pocket on the back of the neck that you can pack the entire t-shirt into! We think it’ll be his go-to summer shirt.
6. REI Sunhat
We are fair people, and need as much sun protection as we can get, so I love how much coverage this hat provides for Bergen’s face and neck. There’s a bungee on the back for adjustments, it’s made of moisture-wicking material, it’s lightweight, & dries quickly.
This post contains affiliate links to our Wild Tales of…Travel and Adventure store on Amazon. If you purchase through link, we receive a very small percentage to help maintain and update the blog. Thanks for taking a look!
Come join the conversation! We’d love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter! You can also keep up to date with each and every post by subscribing to the blog via email.
Last month we visited family in the Carolinas. Like much of the rest of the country, the Charlotte area was experiencing extremely hot weather even for their typical early summer standards. In fact, while we were there, a record was set for highest temperature on that particular day. A high of 99 degrees beat out the old record of 98 degrees set back in 1890!
Heat alone is almost manageable. What makes these conditions almost unbearable though is the humidity. The sticky muggy thick air that makes you just want to head for the hills, or at least just run inside to some nice cool air conditioning. I always compare the feeling to being wrapped in a warm cozy blanket. At first it might feel almost doable, but after awhile, nobody wants a blanket around them when it’s already burning hot!
We’re not people who like to be cooped up though, so I’m thankful that were still able to get out and about and enjoy the outdoors. By living through the experience, and observing how my sister handles the weather with her 3 active boys, we came up with quite a few ways to make the most of the heat and humidity while still staying happy outdoors.
When you’re in the backyard of a new neighborhood where the trees are not mature enough to provide much shade, the heat and humidity can catch up to you fast. Add in some water play though, and it not only makes things a whole lot more fun, but you forget all about that uncomfortable mugginess when your soaking wet! My sister equipped each boy (Bergen + his 3 cousins) with a water gun and set out a bucket of water for easy refilling. The boys went crazy on each other while the adults just sat back and watched the fun unfold. If we got sprayed “by accident”? No need to panic. We were probably better off.
It may seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes we just don’t make the time to get all the gear together and head to the swimming pool. Lucky for us, my sister’s neighborhood pool was just a quick walk away. I loved taking the time to pack snacks and drinks to enjoy during breaks from splashing, and even more I love how much pool time wears the kids out so sleep comes so much easier. Also, don’t underestimate the size of that pool! Kiddie pools in the backyard, and wading pools at the local park can be almost as refreshing!
Swimming pools are great and all, but the real beauty of nature comes through at the creeks, lakes, and oceans that are close to our locale. During our recent visit to the Carolinas a visit to the Atlantic Ocean would have been preferable. However, since the closest beach is about 3 hours away (too far for this trip), we made do with a small lake at one of the local parks nearby. Being on the water really does make a difference in terms of getting a break from the humidity. Just don’t go kayaking or paddle boating out in the middle of the lake with the hot sun beaming straight down on you! I’m sure glad we stuck to the shore.
Shaded playgrounds are a lifesaver for surviving the humidity with kids! I’m so glad my sister knows her town well, and picked out spots that were bearable and actually quite pleasant, especially knowing how much fun the kids were having together. Play areas with a generous tree canopy are ideal!
Just like those shaded playgrounds, a nice shady hike allows everyone to get some of that restless energy out while still maintaining a somewhat reasonable temperature. While visiting my sister, we chose a forested hike that roughly followed the lake shore. This made for some nice views, and provided us with opportunities to dip our feet into the water if we felt so inclined!
Earlier in the week, an impromptu walk along some of the paved pathways (also very well shaded) in her neighborhood provided some really nice outdoor time. And to top it all off, we picked wild blackberries along the way–a refreshing treat rewarding us for our good effort to get out in nature.
Here are some of the foods we enjoyed that also seemed to cool us down, plus a few more ideas that come to mind:
I felt like I was drinking constantly during this trip, and even though sometimes that was a glass of wine or a beer, it really did make all the difference in my comfort level. It was so important for Bergen and Georgia’s comfort as well. With all that activity (mainly from Bergen, of course), staying fueled and hydrated is even more important. Hydration can sometimes get away from kids though because they are so busy. Making a point to take breaks helped curb meltdowns, and allowed us to keep going strong for the remainder of each day.
Come join the conversation! You can keep up to date with each and every post by subscribing to the blog via email. We’d also love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter! If you enjoyed this post, please “like it”, “tweet it” or “pin it”!
How do you break up those long travel days on the road? Making “good time” is great and all, but I’m more of a fan of enjoying the ride. So, as much as possible, I try to pick out little detours that we can experience along the way:
While traveling down to Sonoma this past spring, we received a spur of the moment tip from a friend via text instructing us to veer off of I-5 and visit Jacksonville, Oregon. The detour would have us traveling out of our way about 10 miles from the interstate, but our buddy assured us visiting the national historic landmark “it would be worth it”.
Since it was lunchtime, and several hours since we’d started our journey that morning (and high time for a bathroom break), the deviation seemed to fit perfectly. As we rolled through beautiful hills viewing farm after farm making our into town, I saw quaint homes with white picket fences out front, friendly directional signs informing us of the Jacksonville’s important destinations, and a small business district with inviting shops and eateries.
Knowing we were on a strict schedule, we quickly parked and I went to work figuring out a lunch spot, trying to take-in the community at the same time. Thanks to Yelp, we landed at the C-Street Bistro. Sandwiches skillfully crafted with fresh, regionally acquired ingredients filled our bellies and helped reboot us for the rest of our journey.
You’ll find us using vacation rental properties when we travel. We have a go-to list of sites that help us locate the perfect home for our family’s needs and preferences. Each site is different and has its own quirks and benefits. The site that always seems to stand out to me though is Airbnb. Airbnb has a friendlier vibe than some of the other rental sites and encourages communication between property owner and renter.
I’m not a skier, unless you consider slogging down the bunny hill inch by inch actually skiing, BUT I sure do love a mountain town. One of my favorites? Truckee, California.
Truckee is located in the Sierras northwest of Lake Tahoe. To my delight, we get to visit Truckee fairly regularly as my brother and his family call the little alpine village home.
This spring, as you might have read, we spent about 2 and 1/2 days in Truckee and as usual had a blast exploring and breathing in the fresh clean air at 5800 feet. To give you an idea of what we were up to and a bit of what Truckee has to offer aside from the obvious snow-related activities, here’s where to play (aside from the ski slopes), where to eat, and where to stay in this mountain escape.
Truckee River Legacy Trail
This multi-use path currently covers a little over 5 miles and roughly follows the Truckee River’s south side. While Bergen (3.5 years) and his cousin rode their balance bikes, the adults and my niece followed on foot. We enjoyed beautiful views of the river, especially at the Glenshire entrance while the kids enjoyed crossing bridges and climbing on large boulders.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, our little clan is lucky to have so many family friendly cabin and yurt rental options available to us!
We’re fans of renting cabins and yurts as our accommodations when traveling for two reasons:
We’ve compiled a list of 5 of our favorite cabins and yurts from over the past few years of traveling in the Pacific Northwest as a family. You’ll see that our choices range in their geographical location to include coastal escapes, mountain retreats, and lake front getaways. The common thread between them though is their coziness, comfort, and ability to allow us to unwind & enjoy the natural beauty of our surroundings. That and a good campfire too!
This past spring we made a mandatory stop in Oakland, California as part of our big Oregon-California road trip. We were supposed to be spending our time cooing over our brand-new baby niece, introducing her to her Seattle cousins, and swapping newborn parenting stories.
As babies do though, she wasn’t cooperating, and decided to hold off on being born until a few days after our departure. So as consolation, instead of welcoming the little one, we got to explore Oakland with Slaed’s sister and her husband who live there. Not the same as getting to meet that squishy, adorable newborn but a treat nonetheless!
Oakland has character. Rough around the edges for sure, but from shops and restaurants to parks and beautiful walks, there’s so much to explore. It seems that every time I visit, I say to myself and then to Slaed, “Let’s move here!”. We’ve almost always lucked out with amazing sunshiny weather and I feel like the flowers are always in bloom.
Here’s what we got into during our most recent visit, plus a few more recommendations taken from our explorations in Oakland through the years. Note: Not shown is our little one who was 3 months at the time. Always tucked away in the ergo, she never made an appearance on camera!
With so many opportunities for wine tasting popping up more and more, we love getting the chance to sample the tastes of the regions that we travel through, even with kids in tow. As wine lovers, we simply can’t pass up an option to explore new and different wine varieties, get to know the people behind the bottle, and when possible experience where the grapes were actually sourced.
Throw kids into the mix though and wine tasting can get a little tricky. When you taste, you want to take your time, savor, and pick apart the subtle notes in each sip. Kids don’t have that kind of patience.
Can you visit places like Sonoma County, Washington’s Columbia Valley (and beyond), and skip a visit to the wineries? We think not.
Here’s a list of things we keep in mind when it comes to wine tasting with kids:
It’s best to know what you are getting into ahead of time. Do some pre-planning and find out the most kid-friendly wineries and vineyards in the area in which you are traveling. Features we love and look out for when wine tasting with kids:
Seattle area aside (since we live here and all), Washington State has so many amazing destinations for families to enjoy a getaway together. Here I’m featuring just 5 of our favorite areas to explore. So many more places await us though (and I’ll have another batch of 5 next month), from spots that we’ve mearly passed through to areas we haven’t even touched.
Of course not everyone lives in the Seattle area, but I also wanted to note that each of these destinations is within a 3 hour drive from the city, so if you’re based here or in one of our surrounding communities, these road trips are very family friendly!
What’s one of the best, most useful travel tips out there and one you hear most often? For me it’s one simple piece of advice that seems to come up over and over again.
Following this tip almost always yields good results, and hey, if not, at least you struck up a conversation with someone new. You never know where that connection might lead you.
Maybe it was due to the fact that I had to help pack the boys up for a trip that I wasn’t going on (more on that soon!), but I recently found myself reflecting on the way we go about stuffing our suitcases prior to an adventure. And I realized something: We almost always go about packing in the same way. And it works! Rarely does anything significantly important or essential get left behind. At least not anymore.
Now that we have a system in place, things like drivers licenses, boots for a cold weather destination, toothbrushes, and medication are all stowed safely in our luggage. Yes, each of those items were forgotten by one of us at one point or another. We are much more prepared these days.
