July 1, 2015

Airbnb: Comfortable Family Accommodations

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.

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June 23, 2015

Thule Urban Glide Review: Strolling for Active Families

Thule. You know, that Swedish company that makes those racks for your car? From skis to bikes to cargo boxes, they take transporting gear seriously, so we are super excited to get to be a part of their latest project, “Active with Kids“! Included in this line are carriers, bike seats, bike trailers, and today’s review: The Thule Urban Glide Stroller.

If you are a regular reader of the blog, you probably know that we are quite active. We are outdoors everyday, and long walks are a part of our daily routine. Thule contacted us just when Georgia (6 months) was ready to to transition from the carseat+bar system in the stroller to actually sitting in the seat of the stroller, and since it’s arrival, we’ve put the Urban Glide through the ringer!

The stroller has traveled with us on the rough Seattle city sidewalks, down gravel trails of parks, and even along the forested paths of the Washington Park Arboretum. In addition, we’ve tested the suspension down short flights of stairs, and through it all, our little adventurer has remained content in her cushy ride.

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June 14, 2015

Truckee, CA with Kids: Where to Eat, Play & Stay

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.

Where to Play in Truckee

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.

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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

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June 4, 2015

A Day in Oakland, California with Kids

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!

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June 2, 2015

9 Tips for Wine Tasting with Kids

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:

1. Research Ahead.

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: