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November 12, 2014

Surviving the Dark and Rainy Days: Tips for Getting Outside + Enjoying it!

It doesn’t always seem like the logical choice, but these days we are working hard not to let the rain and lack of daylight stop us from our usual afternoon walks and adventures. After all, the boy needs to get his energy out, the dog’s gotta go, and we all need our exercise. I fully admit that it’s hard, and sometimes a struggle. I’m discouraged when I realize we are quickly kissing the sun goodbye at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. And yes, its sometimes a drag to spend all that time suiting up to protect against the cold and the rain. But the thing is, we can’t be limited to indoor play when its… [Read more…]

November 9, 2014

Family Travel in Barcelona: 5 Kid Friendly Sights

Our life of travel and adventure spans back much further than the start of the “Wild Tales of…” blog. Yes, before Bergen (3 years old) and Baby #2 came along, countless miles on the road were logged around the United States and in many international destinations.

One of the most noteworthy occurred right at the time my husband, Slaed and I met. Slaed took a hiatus from his regular Seattle life and moved to Barcelona, Spain for 6 months. During his time there and thanks to several trips previous, he became quite the expert on the city. While kids of his own were barely on his radar then, two of his best friends, and a huge reason for his Spanish travels, had young families, and he often tagged along on their outings.

I thought it would be fun to pick his brain and learn about the place he called home for a short while. First, our suggestions for accommodations:

Where to Stay

“El Born”: This “old city” district features family friendly hotels and lodging and is close to the Parc de la Ciutadella.
“Barri Gotic”: The oldest area in the city and where Slaed called home for his 6-month stay, this is the central district of Barcelona and also has plenty of family friendly accommodations.

If you are ready to start researching possible lodging options, try using the hotel, B&B & apartment rental site, Venere. You’ll find it easy to search based on budget, landmark proximity and city areas, and ratings by reviewers.

Now for what to see and do! Together we came up with our top 5 (in no particular order) sights and activities for families to enjoy while visiting this unique and historic city.

[Read more…]

November 6, 2014

Quick Escape to Hope, BC: 4 Fun Little Adventures

Our consistently rainy, gray days have returned here in Seattle, and I’m reminded of a quick weekend trip we had last spring.

We were in need of a getaway and wanted Bergen to finally get the chance to use his passport, so we headed north to Hope, British Columbia. We could have gone with the more obvious choice of Vancouver (or there abouts), but we were not only looking for a change of scenery. We also wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle, and weren’t at all interested in crowded border crossings.

Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate as much as we had hoped. It Rained. Continuously. Really. It rained during our entire visit. The skies never let up, but we weren’t going to let that stop us from exploring. We armed ourselves with raincoats, rainsuits, hats, and boots, and braved the elements. Thanks to some cozy spots to eat in town, we were always able to get a break to warm-up and refuel, and as for the outdoors, we managed 4 fun little adventures:

Chainsaw Carving Tour

Their mission to become a chainsaw carving capitol started in 1991, and now Hope has over 50 chainsaw carvings throughout their community. Of course each one has its own unique story, significance, and style. From mystical creatures to wildlife to pieces of local past, these carvings captured our attention, made us laugh, and even taught us a little bit about what makes the town of Hope tick.

[Read more…]

October 30, 2014

Visiting Pearl Harbor with Young Children: 5 Helpful Tips

Historical sites with Kids. Important, right? How about young children though? Should visiting still be a priority?

In planning our recent trip to Oahu, a visit to Pearl Harbor was a must. With so much to see in the world, we’re not always sure about return trips to far away places. I didn’t want to miss my opportunity to take in such a significant piece of American history just because my child may be on the younger side of benefiting from and understanding the experience.

[Read more…]

October 28, 2014

Keepng Feet Warm, Dry and Supported: Muddy Munchkin Boots by MyMayu Review

I’ve been disappointed by kids rain boots ever since Bergen started to walk.

We live in Seattle.

We need boots that keep his feet dry and stay relatively dry inside. Rain here isn’t just a once in a while thing. Boots can be necessary multiple days in a row, and often more than once a day. We don’t have time to wait for wet boot linings to dry.

We also need boots that last. With frequent use, we can’t worry about tears and gaps developing after just a season (or a few wears). Our son is very active. Between playground romping, hiking, scooting around on his balance bike, and trekking through the neighborhood, he’s quite hard on shoes.

Plus with this frequent use, the boots have to be supportive. Clunky rain boots that cause him to trip and fall just won’t work.

Up until this recently, we made do, but we really weren’t happy with the (run of the mill) rain boots we’d purchased, and even with a lot of research for alternatives and trying to scope out what other kids were wearing, we were coming up short.

[Read more…]

October 24, 2014

Western Washington Preschool Hikes: Franklin Falls

With the honeymoon phase of quiet, kid-free mornings due to our little guy (now 3 years-old) being an unusually late sleeper now officially over, we are looking at the bright side.

Yes, he used to sleep until 9, 9:30, even 10 (talk about being spoiled) o’clock in the morning, and still manage (and need) a 2-hour nap in the afternoon. Now that he’s transitioned to a regular bed though, the late mornings are a distant memory. Maybe it’s his new found freedom of being able to get out on his own. Maybe it’s an age thing. Maybe the change of space changed his mindset. Regardless, we are adjusting.

As I was saying, the bright side is…more time for adventure! We can now mange a decent hike, a decent distance away from home, and still be able to return for nap time.

Franklin Falls near Snoqualmie Pass (about an hour’s drive from Seattle) is just on the verge of being too far for a morning excursion. As long as we get into gear early enough and pack a lunch to enjoy en route, it’s possible to accomplish.

On this particular early October day, we found the trail (2 miles out and back) to be filled with mushrooms. Vibrant colors and so many different varieties, thanks to the tiny fungi spotter, we probably stopped and viewed nearly every single specimen available that day.

[Read more…]

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