Growing up in a world of adventure.

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April 2, 2018

Camano Island, Washington with Kids: Travel and Adventure Guide

An annual community treasure hunt brought us on Camano Island last month leaving us with lasting family memories and a fond appreciation.

Appreciation for the space and time to remember what’s most important. Not how many miles hiked or places checked off a list, but the sharing of laughter, lessons in kindness, and opportunity to marvel at mother nature.

Appreciation for people. Each individual in our family matters, and I feel like we got to know each other better. With less distraction, I simply noticed more.

December 5, 2017

Gift Guide for the Travel AND Outdoor-Loving Dad: 2017 Edition

November 14, 2017

Fall Nature Walks: Tips for Fun and Enjoyment with Dr. Scholls®

#advertisement I received compensation from Dr. Scholl’s® to write this post. All opinions are entirely my own. #CustomFitRelief #DrScholls

Every time of year is appropriate for a nature walk, but our family particularly loves fall as a chance to get outside, and enjoy the fresh, crisp air. Here in Seattle, we’re experiencing the perfect scenario. Bright, vibrant autumn leaves remain on the trees, but those leaves of yellow, red, and orange are also falling to the ground. There’s something so satisfying and magical about walking through a trail or sidewalk filled with leaves listening to them crunch with each step.

September 2, 2017

Adventuring with a Toddler: Onya Baby Pure Child Carrier Review (#AdventureWithThemOnya)

“If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.” Rachel Carson

Challenge and Toddlers. Like most young tots, our daughter Georgia asserts her opinion and pushes the boundaries. Of course packed in with all that frustrating behavior are moments of pure joy, great accomplishment, and immense pride. However, when we’re in the thick of it, it can be hard to remember that, “this too shall pass”.

Especially in the last couple of months, I’ve lovingly and intentionally tried to challenge Georgia right back. Not by throwing tantrums, whining or making demands, though sometimes I feel like doing that, but by posing small achievable goals. As we adventure about, making sure I’ve built in ways to set-up success, I push her to be more independent, brave, and engaged in our environment.

Presently, Georgia has just two speeds on the hiking trail:

Run. Usually with abandon and no regard to instructions.
Whine, lollygag, and ask to be picked up.

Unfortunately, I never know which speed she’ll choose from day to day! For example, on one of our recent hikes, she took off at the trail head, and her big brother and I had to corral her back in the right direction. Just a couple of days after that incident, as soon as her feet hit the trail at the start of our forest outing, she was upset and refused to move.

Along with patience, frequent practice, and incentives, one of the things that’s helping us on our adventures is a soft-structured carrier, specifically the Pure carrier from Onya Baby.

July 7, 2017

Whidbey Island, Washington with Kids: Where to Eat, Play & Stay

Whidbey Island is a place we will return to over and over again. This easily accessible island north of Seattle is one of my favorite Pacific Northwest getaways. We’ve been day tripping and taking visitors here for years, but it wasn’t until just recently that we actually stayed the night as a family.

One of the reasons I think Whidbey Island is so special is the arrival. There are two ways to get to the island: Take a ferry and arrive on the south end of the island or travel across the Deception Pass Bridge and arrive on the north end.

Cruise along the water enjoying amazing views throughout the Puget Sound or journey across a historic bridge stopping to marvel at the way the land meets the water? You really can’t go wrong! Because of that, our family usually opts to arrive one way and depart the other.

In the following guide, you’ll find our recommendations for things to do with kids on Whidbey Island, family friendly eateries, and our lodging recommendation for families.

January 17, 2017

US National Park Fee Free Days in 2017

Do you have any National Parks on your travel and adventure list this year? Our National Parks are an amazing resource allowing us to dig into the nature and history of many of our country’s most important locations.

Every year the U.S. National Parks service selects several days or weekends that are FEE FREE. This provides a great opportunity to explore a park you’ve been meaning to see!

2017 National Park Fee Free Days

December 20, 2016

2016 Gift Guide for the Travel and Outdoor Loving Mom

I’ve saved the best for last with this year’s gift guides! Today I’m sharing 8 gift ideas for the travel and outdoor loving mom in your life! In this gift guide for moms, you’ll find ideas to make travel and getting outdoors easier, items that will inspire, and items that will help mom plan an amazing year of adventure. Many can be purchased last minute, so if you are just getting around to buying gifts, you’re in luck!

Gifts for the Travel and Outdoor Loving Mom

November 22, 2015

Give Cheerfully +News and Inspiration//7

News::

Last weekend, we traveled to the Apple Capital of our state: Wenatchee, Washington!
While I won’t be doing any shopping on Black Friday, I’m certainly thinking about holiday shopping & hoping to get most of it completed early. Have you checked out our gift guide?
Many national parks and state parks are fee free on Black Friday. Check out the parks in your area, and then head outdoors!

Inspiration::

Amy from Pit Stop for Kids is still traveling to Paris with her kids despite the recent events. We love her courage and commitment.
No shopping is in the plans for us on Black Friday, we’ll be enjoying the great outdoors just like our friends from Play Outside Guide.
Travelling Mom spells out exactly what you need to know to get through airport security for all your travels this holiday season.
Recently read Up: A Mother Daughter’s Peakbagging Adventure. Easy reading & so inspiring.

We’re looking forward to a quiet Thanksgiving in Seattle. Where will you be? Enjoy!

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”!

November 18, 2015

2015 Holiday Gift Ideas for the Young Traveler and Outdoor Adventurer

Here come the Holidays! I must admit–the thought of a Holiday Gift Guide just a couple of days ago made me want to run for the hills, or maybe crawl under a rock. I’ve decided to lighten up a bit though, and just let the holidays happen. I want to be present, enjoy the reason for the season, and appreciate how excited my children get at the sight of twinkle lights, Christmas trees, and ornaments. Plus, gift giving is so much fun!

Here are my picks to help inspire and equip young travelers and outdoor adventurers:

Gifts for the Young Traveler

June 9, 2015

Pacific Northwest Cabins and Yurts: 5 Family Favorites

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:

Cabin and yurt rentals in state parks and other campgrounds are often inexpensive.
Cabins and yurts provide what we love about camping–being close to nature–but allow for some creature comforts like heat, beds & electricity.

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!

Cape Disappointment State Park, WA

January 8, 2014

Travel Well, Get Outdoors Often: 9 Ideas to Plan an Adventurous Year

I don’t know about you, but I love dreaming about the new year ahead and pondering what adventures and changes the future holds. I appreciate the blank slate we’ve been given and a chance to make things different, if we so choose.

In the travel and outdoor realm, which of course is the most fun for me to plan, I’m thinking about the year as a whole and how I can drive more fun and adventure into all the nooks and crannies that make up the days, weeks, and months of 2014.

While I certainly don’t want to limit our adventures, as a springboard, I came up with 9 categories to help me plan and focus:

1. Travel somewhere new. As simple as exploring a town close by that I’ve never bothered to visit, to hitting the road or the skies to a grander, further locale, I’m so excited to travel to places I’ve never seen before! Hint: Plans and details for a Caribbean vacation are nearly complete.

2. Revisit a favorite place. There’s a reason why you fall in love with places, so why not enjoy even more good times? We’re thrilled to have Orcas Island, Washington in our plans again this year. Golden, Colorado and Phoenix, AZ are also on the repeat list.

3. 3-day weekend getaway. For some reason we let a couple of those 3-day weekend gems in 2013 slip away from our radar, and didn’t have any trips planned. I’m hoping we can capitalize on the extra day off opportunities and get out of town.

4. Hometown Adventure. I have to say, we’re pretty much pros at the this one, but I feel it’s important to continue seeking out places in the Seattle (and the surrounding area) that we haven’t been to (or taken Bergen to) yet. In particular, there are some food and restaurant adventures we need to take!

5. Hike. Hiking (and walking) is our favorite outdoor activity to do as a family. It’s simple and we need little equipment or planning. I want to continue to explore the trails of our near by state parks and city parks too. I also want to work on Bergen’s stamina as a little hiker and increase his time and distance on his own two feet before we surrender him to the backpack carrier.

6. Road Trip. I love the freedom that a road trip provides. Within reason, you can stop when an opportunity (via attraction or food option) arises. You can choose to travel fast or slow, close or far. At this point, road trips to Oregon and Idaho are in the works.

7. Change up the mode of transportation. I’m thinking we need to add more ferry boats rides, but what I’m really dreaming about for this year is a high speed boat like the Clipper that will take us to Victoria, BC! We’ll also continue our annual train trip down to Portland, OR.

8. Challenge yourself with a new outdoor sport or activity. The new sport or activity remains to be chosen for me, but the possibilities are endless! I know for sure that 2014 will not go by without me trying stand-up paddle boarding!

9. Do what you love outdoors. Walking, hiking, camping, biking, swimming, exploring…I’m so thankful that we have our health and the ability to get out there and enjoy ourselves.

10. ??What are YOU dreaming about for 2014??

Do you make goals or resolutions for the new year? What’s on your list for 2014? Please share!

Printable version: New Year, New Adventures Planning Sheet 2014

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”!

January 10, 2013

A Wild Tales of…Travel and Adventure 2013

Just what does 2013 have in store for us? For this new year of travel, we’ve made some tough decisions, booked a few flights and accommodations, have a few more possible trips (though not yet finalized), and even some time where we know we’re going somewhere, but we just don’t know where yet.

Tough Decisions

Back in the late summer, we finalized plans to remodel our house. We knew there would be some days and weeks of particularly heavy construction. What better way to deal with the noise and inconvenience than to skip town? We strategically planned two trips around some of the more invasive periods. One was our Christmas trip to Truckee, CA to visit with my family. The second would have been a trip to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. We honeymooned in Nicaragua, and a good friend was offering up his bungalow once again. We thought we had a perfect getaway, and couldn’t wait for Bergen to use his passport for the first time.

Then we got to thinking, and agonizing, and worrying, and analyzing the travel time and distance. As we learned from our Kauai trip, and then again even for a short trip down to California, our young toddler and airplanes do not mix well. A trip to Nicaragua would have meant three-long-flights, than another 1 1/2 hours of driving. Only to stay for a week, and turn around to do a repeat trip back home. We are adventurous, but also realistic, and we finally had to draw the line in deciding it was too much for our little traveler. With Slaed only being able to take a week off from work, it just wasn’t worth the huge effort. We resolved to keep the time “in transit” to a minimum this year, and save some longer voyages for when Bergen is a little older, and has a longer attention span.

Travel Plans

Just because we’re not going to Nicaragua, doesn’t mean we’re staying home until Bergen grows up a bit. We have several trips planned that involve a more manageable itinerary.

We head to the San Juan Islands this month, and aside from taking it easy and enjoying the view off the deck of our rental house on Orcas Island, I can’t wait to explore the State Parks and tiny villages scattered throughout. I’m particularly excited to hike up to Mount Constitution in Moran State Park, and we have plans to see the Aeolian pipe organ and experience a live performance at the Rosario Resort.

In March, we’re off to the Phoenix area to visit my mother-in-law. We’ll finally get some much needed Vitamin D and Grandma time, see the Mariners face the Dodgers in Spring Training, and hopefully see some new places. A road trip to Prescott, AZ is in the works, and I also have my eye on the Desert Botanical Garden.

Bergen loved the train so much last year that we planned a repeat trip down to Oregon in April. We may stick with Portland, but are also thinking of going further south to Eugene.

Lastly, we have 2 trips to Montana on the calendar. In June we head to Paradise Valley to celebrate the wedding of two dear friends. Along with their celebration, we’ll spend some time in Yellowstone National Park. In October we’re back to Big Sky Country, but this time to Missoula for University of Montana’s homecoming (Slaed’s alma mater).

Travel Possibilities

I really hope we can squeeze in a trip to Madison, Wisconsin for my cousin’s wedding in August. Maybe we can work Chicago in there too?
Growing up, as far back as I can remember, we vacationed in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. My parents loved it so much that they bought a beach house there, and it became our getaway. Many a spring break, summer break, and even Thanksgiving break were spent there from grade school to college. Over Christmas, my brother mentioned his plan to visit in early September with his family. I think we should join him!

As usual a whole lot of Seattle and the Puget Sound area is waiting to be explored by us. I even have a little Seattle project up my sleeve that I can’t wait to tell you about. We’ll continue to visit our favorite places, and make time for new discoveries. I can’t wait to get going!

Where will 2013 take you this year? What are your resolutions? What do you hope to change? What do you plan to keep the same?

Don’t miss a thing from Wild Tales of…in 2013: Follow us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter!

December 5, 2012

Gifts for the Adventure Family: $30 or Less

Gift giving for to me opens up a host of emotions. If I have figured out the perfect present to get my recipient, I’m overjoyed, and can’t wait to get out there and make the purchase or pull the trigger on the website. Sometimes, I have a great gift idea, but it’s out of my budget range. Well, that’s just disheartening. Back to the drawing board. Then there’s the frustrated and clueless feeling I get when I have no idea what to get someone. There can be so many reasons…they are picky, they have everything, or I don’t see them often enough to get a good idea of what they might want or need.

To help you out a bit and curb the emotional roller coaster, I put together a little list of ideas for the adventure families out there. When compiling, I had adventure kids, and adventure moms and dads in mind, but you may find that these gift ideas work for just about anyone! The idea is to make travel and getting out and about a little more fun and a little easier (and also not break the bank). That way, maybe you can just stick to that overjoyed feeling that is what gift giving is all about!

1. The Kiddy Platter by Smarty Parents

This is no ordinary placemat. The platter has a rubber rim making it super sticky, and thus allowing it to cling to any surface. It’s easy to clean and dishwasher safe. I love it as a gift for adventure kids because it fits easily in any bag or suitcase or in the seat-back pocket of your car. As Bergen gets older, he’ll be able to put this on his lap to do projects in the car. I’m all for making car travel more fun! The gutter is removable, and kids can draw and write with dry erase or window markers (and the surface wipes clean).

2. Annual State Park Pass

Here in Washington State a mere $30 gets you into any of our state parks and recreation lands for an entire year. Anytime your recipient wants to head to a state park, instead of paying the usual onetime $10 fee, they’ll be good to go for “free” thanks to your gift. Of course, the gift also supports our wonderful park system; making sure that future generations get to enjoy the great Washington outdoors. Think of all the awesome hiking, birding, biking, nature discovery, and all around outside activity you’ll be encouraging! I know other states have annual park passes, and from just a small sample of 1 or 2 states, I found out that the passes are much pricier in other states! Take advantage of this great deal, Washingtonians!

3. Coupon Savings Book

What adventure lover wouldn’t love to save on some of their adventures? Just make sure the person you’re thinking of doesn’t already have one! Every year, we get two books:

Chinook Book: Includes coupons for local restaurants, shops, products, and family fun entertainment (like the zoo and aquarium!). Coupons included are from local companies and businesses that do “good”. You can read all about it on their criteria page. So far, the following cities have a Chinook Book: Denver, Twin Cities, Portland, Seattle & Puget Sound, and San Francisco Bay Area & Santa Cruz.
Entertainment Book: The more well-known of the coupon books, we rely on this for 2 for 1 deals when eating out, saving on rental cars and hotels, and great 2 for 1 deals at museums and parks. Books are available in almost every state in the U.S. & are also available in 7 Canadian provinces.

4. Built Origami Wine Tote

I came upon this awesome little holder as I was figuring out gift ideas for my mom! She was looking for a good way to bring wine to parties and gatherings. I had never heard of such a thing, but thanks to some searching around in some local kitchen shops, I found the perfect wine transporter. The origami folds protect the bottle of wine, and the whole thing folds down flat for easy packing. Great to bring along in the suitcase if you think you’ll want to bring wine back from your destination too.

5. Travel Booster

Bergen was given the booster pictured on the right (fisher-price) as a gift when he was just a wee baby, and we use it often. It goes with us on road trips, picnics, parks, and friend’s houses. It’s easy to clean, and folds up for handy transport. I’ve also had my eye on the brica version (right) since it would easily fit in a suitcase for plane travel.

6. Sound Spa

You can give the gift of peaceful sleep. The sounds that come out of this machine induce a good night sleep. The pleasant sounds can also block out some not-so-pleasant sounds (or sounds you just aren’t used to) heard when traveling. A sound spa is also helpful when the little ones are sleeping, and parents are still up. Parents don’t have to worry as much about the slightest noise waking up the kids.

7. L.L.Bean Tote Bag

Such a handy tote for travel and just everyday outings. We put all of Bergen’s special plane toys in the bag, and then it fits nicely into our carry-on backpack. It’s also great for toys in the car, and can just be thrown in the backseat. We love the monogram option. When we go to activities around town like the Y, we don’t have to worry about getting bags mixed up, and teachers/helpers know where to find Bergen’s stuff!

8. Rain Suit

A must here in the Pacific Northwest, but handy anywhere it might rain. I love how we can just throw the rain suit on over Bergen’s regular clothes, and not worry about him getting sopping wet. Outside play is so much more relaxing! It also folds up small making it easy to stuff into the diaper bag without taking up too much room. The suit pictured here is from a local company out of Vancouver, Washington (Oakiwear), and is on sale right now for just over $30. Rain suits are also great for hanging out on the boat in colder weather!

9. Travel Bucket

Most recently, we took this “scrunch bucket” along with us on our trip to Kauai, but it’s gone on road trips to the lake, to the pool, and is just fun to have around the house for the bath and backyard. As the name implies it scrunches up so you can stuff into your suitcase. It’s also super light. Pack it with some fun water or beach toys, and you’ve got the perfect gift for a young adventurer!

10. Portable Speaker

Adventurers can bring their tunes along no matter the destination. We have a similar product, the Memorex Portable Travel Speaker, but if I could go back on my purchase, I’d definitely go with the candy-bar speaker pictured. I like that you don’t have to dock your ipod or iphone, and the smaller size can’t be beat. Can you picture a fun impromptu dance party at the beach, park, rental house…?

Got a great gift idea for under $30 (or two or a whole list) for an adventurer ? Go ahead & add by leaving a comment!

Feel free to come along with us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter!

August 23, 2021

Edmonds, Washington Weekend Getaway: Fun Activities for the Whole Family

Located just 30 minutes north of our home in Seattle, Washington, the small waterfront city of Edmonds, Washington is a place our family ventures to frequently. A quick glance at these quick facts about Edmonds, and I bet you’ll realize why we are so drawn to visiting this special destination.

Edmonds is situated on the Puget Sound with sweeping views of the Olympic Mountains, and several beaches to explore.
Edmonds has a true main street design with a walkable central business district full of inviting shops, cafes, and restaurants.
Edmonds is a ferry city! The Washington State ferry travels across the Puget Sound between Edmonds and Kingston, Washington (located on the Kitsap Peninsula).
Edmonds has 48 parks and over 450 acres of green space!
Edmonds is an art and cultural hub. In fact, the city is Washington’s first designated Creative District!

September 18, 2019

Raleigh, North Carolina with Kids: Exploring NC’s Capital City

How many capital cities have you explored? We were able to add one more capital city to our growing list, Raleigh, thanks to our recent North Carolina road trip! Usually when traveling to the NC’s Outer Banks, we fly in and out of Raleigh, and only visit the airport. For this trip, though we set some time aside, about 24 hours, so that we could explore the city a bit.

In conjunction with our family’s annual trip to North Carolina’s Outer Banks each summer, this year we decided to create more of a road trip. Rather than just visit my family’s beach cottage in Duck, North Carolina, we added stops in Kinston, NC, Ocracoke, NC, and Raleigh, NC.

In a series here on the blog, and on our YouTube channel, I will share the highlights of our experience! You can expect information on lodging, dining, and family friendly experiences in each location.

April 26, 2019

Adding Cycling into our Everyday Life: Tips for Making Bike Riding Doable, Enjoyable + Possible!

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AlignedDaily #AlignDaily #CollectiveBias

Continuing our bike riding series, today I’m sharing how we incorporate bike riding into our everyday lives. I’m not one to make things fussy. With that, I love when activities can be integrated into our routines without a lot of complication.

What do I mean by incorporating cycling into our everyday lives? My goal is to make bike riding more doable and enjoyable. My goal is NOT to create a big life overhaul, but small sparks of inspiration to make it possible.

April 4, 2019

Spring Bucket List Progress: Neighborhood Trash Pick-up

Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work. -William Arthur Ward

March 14, 2019

Savoring the Season with Spring Bucketlist: 2019 Edition

I’m hopping in early with our SPRING BUCKLET LIST, because we are ready! We are ready to say goodbye to snow, and ice, and cold. We are ready to welcome a little color back into our landscape, and can’t wait for the temperatures to warm up…just a bit!

I want to challenge you to do the same. However you feel about the upcoming season change, jot down a quick list of special things you want to do with your family to celebrate spring. I love how this exercise helps with intentionality, and allows us to prioritize our most treasured and valued family activities.

If you aren’t familiar with our seasonal bucket lists, here’s the scoop: Each season, we create a list of about 10 fun adventures or projects that are specific to the season.

We dig through our favorite nature books, think about our favorite happenings of that particular season, and look at our calendars to gather the best things that nature has for us. To learn more, check out our spring, summer, fall & winter bucket lists of past years.

Here’s our 2019 Spring Bucket List in no particular order!

February 25, 2019

Kauai with Kids: 7-day Itinerary

We traveled back to Kauai this past fall for our biannual trip to the Hawaiian Islands! Yes, for the past 10 years we’ve made it our family tradition to travel to the Aloha State every 2 years. Here’s a quick recap:

Maui 2008: Slaed and I got engaged, and started this whole tradition!
Big Island 2010: Stayed in the Kona area.
Kauai 2012: Bergen’s first time to the island at 15-months old.
Oahu 2014: Bergen 3-years old, and I was about 6 months pregnant with Georgia.
Maui 2016: Bergen 5-years old, Georgia almost 2-years old. First time repeating an island!
Kauai 2018: Bergen 7-years old, Georgia almost 4-years old.

October 29, 2018

Move Mountains+News and Inspiration//11

News::

We had a soccer heavy weekend with Bergen’s last game of the season, and the Seattle Sounder’s last game of the regular season! Not only did the Sounders win (and receive a buy in the MLS playoffs), but we got to share the experience with friends who were attending their very first match! An exciting afternoon for sure.
We are finally going to carve our pumpkins tonight! We wait until just a few days before Halloween since otherwise we’ll end up with moldy rotten pumpkins on the big night.
Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, November 4th. It’s “fall back”, so make sure to plan accordingly! Here’s a bit on surviving the dark and rainy days of late fall.

Inspiration::

Do you often feel like you’re in autopilot, busy, and one step ahead of yourself? Join Wilder Child’s November Slow Down Childhood Challenge!
What’s your favorite US National Park? The Wandering Daughter is sharing 10 of her favorites from the western United States.
Today (10/29/18), Strider Bikes are 25% off on Amazon! Our kids didn’t learn on this particular balance bike, but many of our friend’s children did, and it’s a great lightweight option. Have a new balance biker? Here are 5 Quick Tips.
Book of the Week: The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins. No, it’s not a book about why it’s okay to eat the food you dropped on the floor (within 5 seconds…ha!) like I thought. It’s all about a simple countdown (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) that can transform your mindset to create more action, and less self doubt. I’m only just finishing part 1, but I’m finding it easy to read, and very inspiring so far!

What your favorite US National Park? Have you carved your pumpkins yet?

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, following us on twitter, and joining us on Instagram! If you enjoyed this post, please “like it”, “tweet it” or “pin it”!

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October 4, 2018

Find Your Park! It Might Be Closer Than You Think.

The kids and I were invited to an event with the National Park Service at the end of this summer. A pop-up park was created in downtown Seattle’s Westlake Park in order for visitors to specifically experience the sounds of some of our national parks.

June 27, 2018

Kicking Back with Girlfriends in La Conner, Washington + 4 Tips for a Relaxing Getaway

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #KickBackWithCanadaDry

As a family travel advocate, most of our adventures happen with our wild and wonderful children. From time to time though, we enjoy (and recommend) taking a break from full time caregiving for a bit!

I’m happy to report that my girlfriends and I just recently returned from our 3rd annual Mom’s Weekend. We’ve been friends since our now 3.5 year olds were newborns, and treasure this special time to get away. This year we traveled to La Conner, Washington for the 2nd time, renting an amazing home that worked out so perfectly last year, we decided to return. La Conner is about 60 miles north of Seattle, located in Skagit Valley, well known for it’s Tulip Festival each spring.

May 28, 2018

Where to Eat and Stay in Walla Walla, Washington: Family Travel Guide

Welcome to PART 2 of our Walla Walla Family Travel Guide! Here I’m sharing our recommendations for dining and lodging. For activity (including parks, museums, wine tasting, and more) head to Part 1 of our Walla Walla, Washington guide.

You’ll find a variety of options for eating out from casual cafes, a bustling pizza joint, fancier (but kid-friendly) restaurants, and even an amazing option inside a gas station convenience store! Since Walla Walla is located in such a rich agricultural area, visitors truly get a taste of the region. Many restaurants have direct connections with local farms, and as I mentioned in Part 1, Walla Walla is one of the friendliest towns in the United States! You’ll be treated well in both food and hospitality.

As always, here at Wild Tales of…we consider this space a community, so if you have Walla Walla dining or lodging suggestions to add to our list (we couldn’t get to them all!), please leave us a comment.

January 2, 2018

Happy 2018 from Wild Tales of…: Plan Your New Year and New Adventures

Since we were away celebrating Christmas with family, and taking some much needed time off from the social media world, I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a happy and healthy 2018!

November 27, 2017

Cold Weather Activity Guide Inspired by the Holidays

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NatureMadeVitaminD #CollectiveBias

It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. The to-do lists, the parties and activities, and shopping can have us thinking there isn’t much time for anything else. However, with a little planning and creativity, we can also focus on what’s most important, Our health!

We can have a joyous (and productive) holiday season if we are intentional with our time and choices. Getting outside connects us to the natural world, provides us with fresh air and sunshine, and in turn bolsters our immune system helping us to stay healthy. Then we have the energy and strength to live our lives with exuberance!