Cool Places – Brightside Nomads

Adventure

Coming back home…our 2nd home that is… Portland, Oregon

By PapaWanderer June 7, 2018

Driving up the Coast

For Katie and I, Oregon holds a special place in our hearts. We met in Portland, fell in love, bought our first home and started our family here. Portland is also where we both started our work life after college. We spent the better part of a decade exploring the state, watching the little big town grow and making some great friends. As we crossed the border from Cali in Oregon, we both felt the exhilaration that one can only get when coming back to something they have missed greatly.

The Oregon coast is one of the most rugged and beautiful sites you will ever behold. High craggy cliffs give way to sandy beaches in a beautiful dance as you go from looking at the beach out your window to looking down at the ocean from 100’s of feet up. The water can range in color from seafoam grey to almost jade green depending on the day. The landscape is lush green with moss covered rocks and towering old growth trees rising to the sky. It’s really breathtaking and we highly recommend to anyone a drive up the Oregon coast on highway 101.

We spent a few days on the Oregon coast, stopping in Newport for a night and some delicious Rogue beer and ending up in Cannon Beach. One last stop before Cannon Beach took us to Tillamook, OR. For those who don’t know, this is the home of the Tillamook Dairy company, and possibly the best cheesemongers in the US. We love the cheese and ice cream and used to come visit the factory when we lived here. We stopped for a short visit and were amazed how much the “little” cheese factory had grown in the decades since we left. They still make awesome dairy products and are worth the trip down to see them.

Cannon Beach

When we lived in Portland we would take day and overnight trips to Cannon Beach. The town is very art focused but still keeps an easy beach vibe. There are miles of flat sandy beaches to walk and relax on. The real treat of this beach is that you can get up close and personal with one of the 100’s of Oregon rock islands. These rocks tower from the surf and awesome to behold as waves crash against their bases. They are also home to many migratory birds, including the rare Puffin. The big rock in Cannon Beach is called “Haystack Rock” and when the tide is out you can walk right up to the base and see all the abundant sealife contained in its tidepools. We also had a great visit during this part of our trip from Fred and Barb! (Katie’s parents) The kids loved this stop. They got to hang with Grandma and Grandpa, run free on the beach, frolick in the icy cold Pacific and search for strange creatures in the tide pools. There was also some kite flying, which is a cultural rite of passage in Cannon Beach. We knew we were in for a special trip after our amazing stay.

The Rose City Adventures

After a short hour or so drive from the coast, we landed at our home for the week. We rented a nice home on the west slope of Portland which was a perfect location for us to explore the city from. This time of year in Portland is amazing! There are countless numbers of flowering trees, shrubs, and bushes and they were all in full bloom. Colors ranged from soft pastels to vivid oranges and all the spectrum in between. This made driving around town a delight. Grandma and grandpa gave us a nice gift on the first day we were there and took the kids to the zoo. The kids had a blast but more importantly, Katie and I got some much needed alone time to explore the city unencumbered by small clingy humans. We drove by our first home and many of the other haunts we used to frequent. It was a really nice homecoming. The rest of the week was spent seeing sites and enjoying many of the things that are uniquely Portland. We went to OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry), shopped downtown, visited the famous Rose Test Garden, and had a seafood feast to commemorate Mother’s Day and grandma’s birthday. We had an awesome time with Katie’s parents and we couldn’t be happier that they joined us on our trip.

Japanese Garden

One of Portland’s most incredible sites is the Japenese Gardens. They are located near the top of what’s called the West Hills which sits hundreds of feet above Portland. So the views are amazing. But the gardens themselves almost defy explanation. They are peaceful, serene works of living art that immediately relax the soul and bring joy to the heart. We hope the pics do a little justice to this great space and please put this on your list if you ever make it to Portland. As an added bonus this time we got to see a collection of Bonsai trees, some were over 200 years old! Just amazing!

Bonsai Garden

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Old Friends

Katie’s parents left late in the week and we still had a handful of days left in our old home. One thing we looked forward to most was reconnecting with our old friends. We invited our friends Marissa and Kevin over to the house for a nice home grilled meal. They brought their two great boys over which was awesome for our kids. Colette, Sienna, and Lennox have not had many opportunities to play with kids so this was a treat and they enjoyed it to the fullest. The adults had a wonderful time catching up and sharing stories of the past decades that have gone by. It was really nice to see some friends from the past and felt as though no time had gone by at all.

One of Katie’s hometown friends who she grew up with in East Jordan lives out near Hood River. Hood River is about an hour east of Portland and sits along the banks of the mighty Columbia River. It’s a beautiful drive along the Columbia River Gorge. The gorge walls rise hundreds of feet up either side of the river and are covered with green pines and rocky cliff faces. The river is about a half-mile wide and provides a beautiful juxtaposition with the rugged landscape on either side. There are also many waterfalls along the way. The most famous is Multnomah Falls. We have stopped there many times in the past and thought it would be great to show the kids this cool landmark as well. While still beautiful, the falls were a bit sad because of some massive wildfires in 2017 burning much of the landscape around the falls which caused the park service to close many of the trails that were once available. We met Cathleen at the Full Sail brewery in downtown Hood River and she surprised us by bringing her husband Mike whom we thought would be working. We only had an hour with this great couple but it was filled with lively conversation and lots of laughs. Cathleen and her family will be coming back to East Jordan in the summer so we’ll get to see them and their children back home.

I got to reconnect with some of my best friends from the college days. Portland sits very close to the Columbia River and on the other side of the river is Washington state. I met Frank and Todd Limberg during my undergrad at the Western State University of Colorado. We were close friends all through college and I lived with Todd when I first moved to Portland back in the late 90’s. It had been at least 10 years since I last saw these two hooligans and their lovely wives. Both Katie and I we super psyched to spend some quality time with all of them. This time came in the form of a Mother’s Day bbq at Todd’s house. Todd is married to Becky and they have a son named Riley. Frank is married to Maria and they have two kids Cash and Ella. As an added treat we got to see their parents, who we became friends with, Donna and Mike. It may have been over a decade since our last visit but it felt as though a day hadn’t passed. We ate, drank and laughed the night away. And even though their kids are quite a bit older than ours, they all played and had an awesome time. When it came time to leave we didn’t want it to end. I think we will all try a little harder to make sure another decade doesn’t pass with us not getting together. This was our last hurrah in Portland. The next day we headed north…way north to about the farthest north and west you can go and still be in the United States. Orcas Island here we come.

Adventure

Roaring Ocean and Giant Trees – Northern California

By mamawanderer June 4, 2018

Redwood National Park

California is a huge state and we had a long drive North after leaving San Francisco to our next stop in Northern Cali. The drive was beautiful, through mountains and valleys, and amongst ocean views and giant trees. We arrived at our Airbnb nestled on top of a little mountain with the steepest driveway I have ever seen. From the house, we could look down on the tiny town of 350 people, Orick, California. It was perfect! For the next few days, we explored some of the most beautiful forests in existence. We hiked amongst the largest trees in the world, the Coastal Redwoods. The forests here breath life straight into your soul while making you feel like a mere pebble on the surface of the earth. Your eyes can wander up to space typically filled with clouds and see deep red veined bark and green boughs gently swaying. Walking among these monsters is so unexplainable and unearthly you must experience it for yourself but here are some photos to try to give some perspective on the wonders of the forest.

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Fern Canyon

We ventured off to Fern Canyon for a hike and getting there was half the adventure. I’m not a very experienced off-road traveler and although there was a “road” it was a good thing we had our big vehicle to navigate through the rough terrain. There has been lots of rain here so we had to drive through a fair amount of water, bump over potholes, through a river, and rumble along the gravel road. The ocean’s foam tipped wavey surface stretched off into the horizon on one side and Elk grazed casually on the other, both were pretty spectacular. We started our hike at Fern Canyon tiptoeing around trying to avoid the water but soon realized we were all in and the only navigable path was to jump in the water. The kids were soon knee-deep and having a blast. The vegetation around us was almost a glowing green as the sunlight illuminated the canyon. It felt like you were in Jurassic Park, and in fact, one of the movies was filmed here. This hike ranks high on the list for beauty and adventure and the rush of spring water made it even more exhilarating.

Agate Beach

We started looking for agates even though we don’t know exactly what we’re looking for. The ocean was spectacular on this spring day and we enjoyed searching for stones and sea creatures. We still don’t know if we found any agates, most likely not, but we had a great walk on the sandy shore.

Elk

It was amazing to see elk grazing in the grass so close to the road. Each day they seemed to wander to a new spot, sometimes right by a local house. There are many road signs showing elk attacking humans and the bodily harm they can cause which, although serious, was so absurd it made us laugh.

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Paul Bunyan and the Trees of Mystery

When Paul Bunyan and Big Blue are 50 feet tall you must stop for the photo op. Of course, we checked out the Trees of Mystery which had some interesting things to see and the best part was the sky ride to a beautiful overlook. Well, that was the best part for everyone except for Sienna. She is a bit afraid of heights and once at the top decide she would hike down the “extreme trail” instead of board the sky ride again. Thankfully Matt volunteered to join her on the hike which ended up being super steep and hardcore. They were troopers for sure. After we stopped at the drive-through tree which was a bit tight for my comfort in our oversized car but we made it!

Ocean Power

The ocean in this part of California is no joke. The wind whips, waves roar and it would eat you up if you let it. It gives you perspective on all those who brave these waters and the elements. What an amazing land to walk along.

Final hike and scenic drive through the most magnificent grove of Coastal Redwoods

The kids completed another Junior Ranger Program and we bid farewell to these majestic trees. It still blows my mind some of these trees are thousands of years old. Imagine what has walked among them and the earth’s changes they have experienced, resilient creatures they are. It is also sad to note that 95 out of every 100 of these magnificent trees were logged in the past. We are lucky to have the National Parks to preserve and protect these wonders so our future generations can experience their grandeur.

Adventure

A Killer Time in the Orcas with a Little Emerald City Thrown in for Good Measure

By PapaWanderer June 1, 2018

Ferry Boat to the Corner of America

Sadly we left the Portland area for a drive up north. The day was sunny so the drive up was amazing. We were treated to views of Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Baker, the Olympic Peninsula, and Mt. Rainier. We got to Seattle and kept on going. Our destination was farther North and West, Orcas Island. To get to the island you need to take a car ferry from the mainland. The trip takes a little over an hour and offers some of the most idyllic scenes of the Northwest one could ever hope to see. Mist rolled across the islands and water as we went. The mist lifted to the heavens as the first rays of the sun slowly fought their way through. It’s an awesome scene to behold grey horizons give way to blue sky and craggy lush pine covered islands. We had been to the island once before for a wedding but it did not afford us an opportunity to really explore.

The ferry docked and we drove off down narrow two-lane roads through pastoral farmland to our home for the week on the bayside in the town of Eastsound.

Exploring the Northwest Paradise, Hiking Mountains, and Traversing Lakes

This island is very quaint and laid back. The town opens a little later and closes a little early. The island is filled with farmers, artists, fisherman, and when the season is high tourists. We had incredible sunny weather for our stay. This gave us the opportunity to take many trips around the island to discover it’s many hidden treasures.

Our first trip was a hike up Turtleback Mountain. This was a strenuous 3 mile hike up an 800 ft peak through a vanilla pine-scented forest and moss-covered granite outcroppings. It was awesome! All the kids grumbled a little as we made our way up, but we got to the top and were rewarded with stunning vistas of the surrounding islands and the Canadian Rockies off in the distance. My little guy Lennox likes to complain on these harder hikes, but we’ve found that a conversation about superheroes is a great distraction to get him to the top.

The next trip we decided to go to Obstruction Pass State Park. The trail was short and took us through the forest down to the cobble beach. The goal was a little tide pooling. When we arrived at the beach we saw a beautiful Heron fishing the low tide. We love to see animals in nature, although Sienna and Lennox sometimes get a bit too excited and run right at them causing them to flee. You can’t fault the excitement and wonder of being a kid seeing some of this stuff for the first time up close and personal. We had a wonderful time searching the tide pools and basking in the afternoon sun.

Another hike we went on took us to Cascade Lake and Cascade Falls. The Cascade Lake trail is an easy three-mile hike around the entire lake with great views of Mt Constitution reflected on its surface. Halfway around the lake is a bridge. This bridge is famous with the locals as a rite of passage as people walk to its center and jump off. The bridge is about 20ft above the water. Colette, Sienna and I could not summon the will to do the jump, so Katie took the challenge. Amazingly our little guy Lennox decided to jump the bridge as well! It was so cool to watch mom and son brave the fear of the jump and plunge into the chilly mountain lake. I do have to mention that although she didn’t jump, Sienna braved the cold water for a swim. So proud of them both. After the hike, we drove to the top of Mt Constitution for views of the other islands from 2,000+ feet above. An amazing day for sure.

The cascade falls trail is actually the trailhead for 4 other waterfalls. the hike is super short but the access they provide to the falls is awesome and leads to some beautiful scenery.

Whale Watching

The only other time we went whale watching was off Cape Cod in the late fall. We had great success then and hoped that same luck would come with us to the other coast. One thing we really wanted to see were the Orca whales. Pods of killer whales frequent these waters, but we were very early in the season so it was a 50/50 chance to see these great creatures. We showed up early to the boat, found our spots on board, and were ready to explore. The boat was much smaller than the huge whaling ship we took on the cape. We like the more intimate setting as we wouldn’t have to worry so much about trying to get around people for a picture. We motored out of the harbor and into the greater sound and the Strait of Georgia. We actually passed into Canadian waters which was awesome. Alas, this was not our day to find the Orcas, however, we did get very lucky and were able to view a number of Humpback whales. Our driver was great and got us very close for some great pics. We had a great day and all the kids had fun seeing the whales and running around the boat. On the way back we saw sea lions. This particular species is the largest in North America and they also bark the loudest! The sun was out all day and almost gave us the sense we were in the Carribean islands. The water was turquoise blue and the only giveaway was that the islands were covered with Pine instead of Palm. We loved our day on the water and didn’t want it to end.

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Random Island Thoughts

Along with all the other activities, we did find a couple other distractions. Located on the west side of the island is Orcas Island Pottery. This is a super cool studio with really unique pottery and glazings. There’s a swing and treehouse to distract the kids! This brought our breakage anxiety way down. We found some great pieces at this studio and highly recommend checking it out if you’re on the island.

Nestled in a little cove on the East side of the island is the town of Olga. Here sits an unassuming house that hides an incredible seafood store. We saw hand-painted signs along the road and decided to stop. We were so glad we did. The owner’s farm clams right in the cove in front of their house. Local fishermen bring fresh salmon, Dungeness crabs, and shrimp as well. We grabbed a bunch of fresh seafood treats and had a great feast that evening. You could taste the salty sea in every bite. We loved it. Search out Buck Bay Shellfish Farms if you want the freshest seafood on the island.

The Emerald City and a Birthday

After our relaxing time on the Orcas we wanted a couple days to hang in Seattle. We also wanted to give Lennox his Birthday experience at Chuck E Cheeses! (his choice). We did a lot of touristy things like visit the Pike Street Market, ride the Seattle Wheel, and visit the Space Needle. One major highlight of our short trip to the Emerald City was the Chihuly Museum. Such an incredible artist with the ability to manifest his visions into incredible, almost living, glass sculptures. Even the kids were in awe, which says a lot for an art based museum visit. Seattle is a fun town. We ate our way through the visit and had many laughs as we strolled the streets. Our next stop is a brief visit to some great cousins in Spokane with our final destination being Yellowstone National Park.

Walking Seattle

Chihuly Museum

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Lennox’s Cheesy Birthday!!

Adventure

Visiting San Francisco without actually visiting San Francisco…. What?!?!

By mamawanderer May 25, 2018

Truly Golden

Our “San Francisco” trip didn’t even take us to San Francisco. The closest we got was crossing over this beauty on our way to our Airbnb. Sometimes we choose to leave out things because we can’t do it all and our life on the road is just that life, not a vacation. We will come back for this sweet city another time but had an amazing time circling its surroundings.

Pleasant Hill

We drove from Yosemite to Pleasant Hill and we were so excited to see our friends Robin, Ryan, Lacey, and Josie. I went to college with Robin and time available to see great friends when you live states apart is never enough. We were happy to relax at their house after many nights in a cozy hotel eating at restaurants. The kids ran around and were wild as usually but adored Lacey and Josie. When we left the house they immediately asked for another play date. The one thing about traveling is the kids are really solo, they have their siblings but no buddies to play with. I think sometimes this is hard for them so it was great to see them making new friends on the road.

The next day we met up at Mt. Diablo State Park. Wow! I decided to drive that day and the road was insane, s-curves, blind corners, steep cliffs, and more curves, winding up Mt. Diablo, no guardrails and lots of bikers! The views were amazing, it seemed like you could see all the way to the ocean. Once on top, we found “Rock City,” trails and rock formations which the kids had a blast climbing on. The day was sunny and beautiful and we hiked to Sentinal Rock. Ryan quickly ascended the steep steps with Josie the adventurer but it was a little much with the steep drop-offs for my comfort zone for our kids. I made it to the top with some encouragement but didn’t stay long! Robin and Lacey braved the climb as well, impressive.

It was great to see our friends and sad to say goodbye but I’m so happy to have these moments and to see our kids become friends as well. From here we headed to Cupertino, a slight detour before getting to our next stay at Muir Beach.

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Cupertino – Apple HQ

You could call us Apple fanatics, especially Matt, but we both LOVE Apple. The HQ made us fall in love even more. When you first enter there is a 3-D model of the entire facility and you are given an iPad which transforms the model into an interactive virtual space. You can enter the buildings and get a feeling of what it is like without moving. Pretty amazing technology. The kids were mesmerized by the computers, iPads, and phones and the employees were very knowledgeable showering us with interesting facts. 100% of all Apple facilities in the US and abroad are powered by renewal energy, an incredible dedication to more than just the products they produce. Seeing an enormous company substantially reduce their carbon footprint and approach sustainability with creativity and innovation makes me want to strive to do better as an individual.

Muir Beach

We arrived at our Airbnb after winding down the mountain. The curves almost make me car sick but at the same time, it is such a beautiful place I enjoy the swirling road and mountain views as well. Our Airbnb was the perfect place to enjoy a quieter side of the San Francisco area. We crossed over the Golden Gate Bridge but that’s about as close as we made it to the city. Sometimes its good to settle in and live the local life. We enjoyed the ocean every day even in chilly weather, tide pooling and sea glass searching. We visited friends and family, the kids reconnected with their cousin Lily while searching for anemones and we had a great dinner with our cousins Daryl, Cassidy, Lily and Aunt Beth. It is great to connect with family we don’t see very often. We also spent time catching up on school, playing games, relaxing and enjoying our little beach house.

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Muir Woods

We just came from seeing some Sequoias in Yosemite but this place has so many enormous trees it gives you an entirely different feeling. Large ferns are coming to life again with spring and everything is green and lush. Looking up is as incredible and the trees reach so far it almost makes you dizzy. We had a great hike through the towering trees, and it is amazing to see this natural wonder preserved on the edge of an enormous city.

A double dose of Pizza with the Pisaturo’s

I met Sabine and Mimmo while studying in Italy and although that was a long time ago everytime we see each other its as if not a moment has passed. A few more kids, and laugh lines but all the love is always there. We were lucky to have the World Famous Pizza Napolitano made by the Pisaturos, they should probably open a restaurant so you can try it. Soooo yummy! The kids made new friends and we enjoyed a few nights laughing together. We’re hoping next time we meet up is sooner than later!

Stinson Beach

We ventured over to Stinson Beach to visit Aunt Beth and her dog Gracy. It was much colder than we anticipated but this didn’t stop the kids from getting wet. The beach is beautiful, a gorgeous sandy beach which stretches for what seems miles. The cool thing is we found quite a few sand dollars. I’ve always looked for sand dollars but generally only come across pieces. I think we either had a lucky day or this is the beach to come for sand dollars. We will remember this beautiful, flat sandy beach and hopefully come back when it’s a bit warmer someday.

Bay Area Discovery Museum

The kids always have a blast at museums and this is a great one with so many hands-on activities. They built 3-D objects with cardboard. (no photos unfortunately) Made safety gear headbands and built a pod racer of some sort. It was also a gorgeous day which made the open air museum and playground extra enjoyable.

Cool Places

The Mighty Yosemite Valley

By PapaWanderer May 9, 2018

“Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” – John Muir

Five Days in the Yosemite Valley

Much like in Joshua Tree, words fail me when trying to describe our experience here in Yosemite. Yosemite National Park is an incredible place. We came into the park through the South entrance, which is a beautiful drive. The road in is very curvy and slow but somehow driving high in the mountains at sunset makes it all worthwhile. The most spectacular part of this drive is exiting the tunnel into the Yosemite Valley. You are greeted by a humbling vista of the whole valley, El Capitan standing regally, guarding over the valley floor, Bridalveil falls flowing unending into the forest below and the Merced River winding like a silver snake towards the towering edifice of Half Dome in the distance. The might Yosemite Falls showering the valley floor from thousands of feet above. And this was just what we could see from the very first pull out after the tunnel exit. We spent the next week learning about the history of this park, hiking into nature to get up close and personal with these majestic landmarks, and just being happy to be alive and able to enjoy this paradise on earth. Sienna got to spend her birthday in Yosemite. (Lucky for anyone let alone an 8 year old!) She is so full of life and has no fear. The raw beauty of Yosemite matched her soul’s intensity perfectly. Lennox, Sienna, and Colette got to be sworn in as Junior Rangers and Katie and I both hope a little of the magic of this place carries with them as they grow. We hope that the images we captured share a tiny bit of the majesty of the Yosemite Valley and serve to inspire any who see them continue to support and steward these national treasures.

Winter in the Valley

Yosemite Falls and Bobcats!

From the Valley Floor with a Birthday Girl

Mirror Lake

Ranger Hike, Junior Ranger, and More Bobcat!

Bridalveil Falls

Sunsetting on our Trip to the Valley

Adventure

Santa Monica to Carona Del Mar…and Everything in Between

By mamawanderer May 7, 2018

Griffith Observatory

Cool place with great views. It was super windy when we went up and Colette is pretty sure she almost blew away. We had a picnic on the lawn, enjoyed the sunshine, views, and were mesmerized by the Foucault Pendulum which we watched until we saw a peg knocked over.

Glasses and Earrings at Fashion Mall

We had a little snafu which left Colette with broken glasses. The great thing is we weren’t in Joshua Tree or somewhere remote, we were in LA. (at least the LA area) It was a blessing in disguise as her prescription had changed. We ended up with same day glasses and she loves them! Killing two birds with one stone is our style so while getting the glasses we stopped by Claires and Sienna had her ears pierced. We told her she could get them when she turned 8 so she was pretty excited. After the first hole, she almost forfeited the second but she was a trooper and the earrings look beautiful on our not so little, little girl.

Crystal Cove State Park

Crystal Cove is a beautiful place which has been preserved from the housing takeover along the oceanside in this area of California. What an amazing place to protect, its natural beauty is spectacular. It is a little hike down to the ocean from the parking lot and the ranger told us a rattler snake lives along the way. This was true excitement for the kids even though we didn’t end up seeing it which I was pretty happy about. The ocean is always a peaceful place for Matt and I and a place of discovery for the kids. Sienna and Lennox especially love finding creatures among the rocks. Their little eyes seem to be able to spot even the most disguised creatures which is amazing, ocean time is always our favorite.

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Sienna’s Birthday Bash!!! – Knottsberry Farm

Sienna’s birthday was April 17th and we knew we were going to be in Yosemite. We told the kids this year for their birthday they can choose a big day of their choosing. Sienna had lots of options, Disney, 6 Flags, Universal Studios, but she landed on Knottsberry Farm. The day we went it was 85 degrees and I won’t say the park was empty but there were virtually no waits which pretty much never happens nowadays. The park turned out to be the perfect mix for our family, lots of fun rides for smaller kids along with some giant rollercoasters for the more adventurous. I think the overall favorite was Camp Snoopy. I ventured on the Silver Bullet with Colette, the only kid who was tall enough to ride, she almost backed out at the top, which I was encouraging her to do, but we went through with the dangle feet style, multi-loop winding coaster. It was super crazy and fun but I also was so dizzy after I’m not sure I’ll be able to go on many more of those. Matt went solo and we enjoyed watching him on the crazy ride doing loop-de-doos. Sienna enjoyed her special birthday at Knottsberry Farm and there was more celebrating to come at dinner.

Closing out Sienna’s Birthday Bash at Medieval Times

I remember going here as a kid and I thought it was the coolest place ever. Eating with your hands while watching Medieval Knights battle! My dad ended up being called from the audience to play horseshoes with a toilet seat so that in itself was pretty spectacular. While driving to Knottsberry Farm we happened to pass by the castle and quickly decided to see if we could spend Sienna’s birthday dinner here. It all worked out and I don’t think we could’ve found a more perfect place for our 8-year-old horse lover’s birthday. There were beautiful horses, knights jousting, a queen and messing eating which is Sienna’s forte. It was a great end to a fantastic day.

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Santa Monica to Redondo Beach – the only place it takes 1.5 hours to go 16 miles!!!

Santa Monica, the pier, the beach, the people…. quintessential “California,” so we joined the tourist crowd for the experience. The kids ate ice cream as we walked the pier and they tried to talk us into the boardwalk games but we passed. We took advantage of a quick trip to the REI store to replace Sienna’s backpack which had been eaten by a squirrel! haha… This is a totally different world from our camping stop a few weeks ago in Joshua Tree that’s for sure. The best part of the day was meeting up with our cousins Hannah and Michael for a wonderful dinner. We saw a “quieter” side of the LA area and enjoyed seeing family we don’t get a chance to spend time with very often.

The Hollywood Stars

The Hollywood stars! When in LA you must see the stars so we did. It is cool to walk down the street and read all the names, Sienna wanted lots of photos and was willing to lay down on for them. Colette was after the Harry Potter crew and Lennox found Star Wars. Following this we also experienced the full effect of LA traffic which is completely insane, I’m lucky Matt drove or I’m pretty sure I would’ve given up on getting back to our house. While driving in LA style we saw all lanes of the opposing traffic stopped, and an animal catcher chasing a small dog around in the middle of the highway, Crazy in California!

The Magic Castle

Entering The Magic Castle takes some magic in and of itself and we were lucky enough to have luck on our side and STB (soon to be) Aunt Taylor who hooked us up with a magician wielding tickets! This is a club for magicians and requires a magician’s invite to enter. We attended the brunch which is a bit more casual than typical suit coat attire. I won’t say too much but the experience was indeed magical. I have no clue how magicians practice their trade but I tell the kids I guarantee they spend most of their lives practicing to be that good. The slight of hand is the most amazing to me and we really enjoyed the shows and atmosphere. Thanks, Taylor for that special treat!

California Science Center

The California Science Center is an amazing place and entry is free which makes it even better. We only scratched the surface here but did see the Space Shuttle Endeavour and the King Tut exhibits which were phenomenal. We also timed the blossoming to the rose garden perfectly as you can see from the beautiful pictures taken in the park.

Space Shuttle Endeavour

We have officially seen the three remaining space shuttles on our trip! All three were displayed in their unique way, and all were spectacular. We love space exploration and teaching the kids about the history of space travel, very inspirational. At the California Science Center, they have the solid rocket booster which is absolutely enormous. A really cool site to see and not easy to get a picture of since it is so large.

King Tut – Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh

We were lucky to visit the California Science Center while they have the exhibit on King Tut. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen objects this old and the intricate beauty and details of each piece are awe-inspiring. 100 years ago they discovered King Tuts tomb and the history they uncovered at this time is amazing. It is hard to believe he was only 18 when he died in 1323bc and had ruled since the age of 9.

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Cool Places

We Have Definitely Found What We’re Looking For!!

By PapaWanderer April 30, 2018

BEHOLD!!!! Joshua Tree National Park

This place defies explanation. I’m going to give a brief synopsis of our visit, but I think the pictures that follow will tell the story much better. We camped for five days in this beautiful park. We knew we would have a special time when we got incredibly lucky and found an epic camping spot in the extremely coveted Hidden Valley campground. Rocks loomed all around our tent and they were formed in such a way that the kids could climb all around and really get hands-on with the rocks around us. Hidden Valley is a rock climbers paradise and the kids were amazed to see all the climbers high overhead scrambling up the massive rock faces. We did a ton of hiking and saw many of the parks major sights. The weather was glorious!! 80+ during the day and mid 50’s at night. We explored, cooked our camp meals and had one of the best adventures of our lives. The kids also completed a wonderful junior ranger program. If you get a chance to visit this park, run!! don’t walk to your car and get at it. For a treat, before we headed to the LA area, we spent a night in Palm Springs. The temperature was in the mid 90’s, we played in the pool, got much needed showers, and walked the streets of this hip destination. Next stop…la la land.

Hidden Valley Campground

Cholla Garden

Skull Rock and other Rocky Fun

Mountain Tops, Old Mines, and Joshua Trees

Bushwackin!

Joshua Tree City and Palm Springs

Cool Places

Staying Classy in San Diego

By PapaWanderer April 26, 2018

The Desert on the Way to the Ocean

The long drive from Arizona to SoCal is not without some magnificent sites. Along with the desert and mountains rising and falling, you will come upon a beautiful sand desert just outside of Yuma. We stopped here for a short leg stretcher and ran up and down the dunes. So much fun! The rest of the trip, we watched the landscape change from arid high desert to rugged coastline. We finally made it to the West Coast. It’s been a long and amazing journey so far and we are ready to make our turn north to experience new adventures.

Mission Beach

We had an unexpected surprise for the start of our San Diego stay. Uncle Jim and STBA (Soon To Be Aunt) Taylor, who happened to be in LA, decided to come down and spend a couple days with us. Such a welcome change to spend some fun times with family. Our Mission Beach location was great. Two blocks to the beach, boardwalk, and a small amusement park. Jim and Taylor took the kids to the boardwalk and park for the afternoon and they all had a blast. Katie and I spent our free time walking the beach and basking in the sunny SD weather.

San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo is world renowned, and after visiting this awesome place the accolades are more than earned. The park is laid out into a number of immersive habitats. The habitats are very well made, clean and open for the animals and broad walkways for the humans. The zoo has a deep valley running through the middle, an ariel tram that can take you from one side to the other, and Colette’s favorite animal; Pandas!! We only spent one day here but could have spent a couple easily. My words will not do justice to this excursion, so hopefully, the following images will give a small sense of the awe and wonder contained in this fabulous place.

Cruising Around Town

My great friend John lives in SD and he joined us for a couple days of fun. We went downtown for a nice seafood lunch and a visit to the USS Midway aircraft carrier. We found it very easy to get around SD and after a quick drive, we arrived at the pier. We have visited a number of USS Navy ships on our journey, but the Midway was the biggest so far. We walked the narrow berths within the ship and had fun checking out the planes on the deck. We even got to talk with a couple old veteran naval aviators, that regaled us with stories from the past on this ship and others. We love our veterans and it was great to have the kids hear some stories of the service they gave the country. We didn’t get to some of the other sights downtown, but there are tall sail ships and submarines to explore on our next visit.

Easter at The Del

For a special treat, we signed up for a brunch and Easter egg hunt at the world famous Hotel Del Coronado. We invited John to join us for the feast as well. After an unbelievably quick Catholic mass, we headed to The Del. The egg hunt was great. Lennox, Sienna, and Colette loved dressing up and running for eggs under palm trees in 80-degree weather. We walked the beach, ate some incredible food and had a beautiful Easter day.

Tidepooling

Our final day in San Diego was spent visiting the Point Loma Tide Pools. We had a great time climbing the rocky coast and searching the pools for hidden sea treasures. In the afternoon we headed back to Mission beach and got our final splash in the Pacific. Our next stop is an epic one!!!…but that will have to wait until the next post.

Cool Places

“She lives in Canada. I met her at Niagra Falls; you wouldn’t know her.”

By PapaWanderer September 14, 2017

A classic line from one of the all-time greatest movies, “The Breakfast Club“. I was thinking this would be a cheesy tourist trap and that the falls would be nothing but some rapids falling over small cliffs. Much to my surprise, I was wrong. The falls were pretty cool and my kids had an awesome time peering over the edge as the massive gushing water fell what seemed like a couple hundred feet.

I also realized that my kids (maybe all kids) have no fear of heights. They’d run up to the edge and almost climb the guardrail to peer over. Drove Katie and I a bit crazy but the kids loved it. We visited the American side, even though almost everyone we talked to said to go Canadian. The fact that we didn’t have our passports made it an easy choice. The views were still spectacular. We started at the Goat Island lot and hiked our way around to the main area from there.

The Goat Island overlook allows you to get right up close to where the water drops from the cliff. (only like 5 feet away!) You could really hear and feel the power of the falls.

We ended up, as I’m sure most do, at the pay-to-play 200 ft. high scenic overlook and Maid of the Mist boat ride. The scenic deck sits over 200 ft. high and juts out over the cliffs in midair. Awesome views!

We next went down to the Maid of the Mist and donned our protective rain gear to prepare for the ultimate splash ride. Though it wasn’t nearly as wet as I would have liked, we had a blast. I got a sickly sweet touristy euphoria while feeling the spray of millions of gallons of water crashing down around me. I felt a little dirty for enjoying it so much.

Thus ends our excursion for the day to Niagra. I recommend to all that it’s worth a visit, even if just to the American side. Here are some final pics of our adventure.

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