Hi! Welcome! We are a family of four with a deep love of travel, the outdoors, staying active, and new adventures of any kind. We are passionate about sharing our experiences adventuring with our little ones. We hope that other families can get inspiration, tips, and tools they need to embark on adventures of their own. Questions? Email us!
Back Road Family
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The tug-o-war between adventure and simplicity. This has been the theme lately. Should we? Should we not? Can we pull it off? If we can, does that mean we should? Last week we drove over 28 hours as a family in 7 days. Part of me looks back and thinks, “what were we thinking?!?!?!?!” At the time, I was sure my good attitude was enough ensure success! And glory! Turns out though, sometimes there is success (and glory!) in holding back, in saying “no,” being ok cancelling (despite what others will think of you), and deciding to keep things simple. The trip was way too much for this new family of 5 and we are still recovering (almost a week later). I wish had approached life with an 8 month old the way I approached life with a 1 month old. Slow and steady. Just because he’s bigger and easy doesn’t mean we need to do all the things. We’re feeling a little broken and still trying to put the pieces back together again. Friends, this is a big season… there is no shame in slowing down, staying in your pjs, snuggling by your fire and keeping things simple. These choices can be beautiful adventures too. I am reminding myself that life is long- the bigger adventures will return. Here are some of the big wins of our big adventure. An afternoon climbing and hiking in Malibu Creek State Park, and some chilly fun in Manhattan Beach. ❤️Off to find ALL the Almond Joys. #hookmommyupFall snuggles 🍁🍂We really tried. 📷 @sabinescott_As the cold weather rolls in, I am looking back on our summer experiencing a gratitude explosion 💥We are so lucky that people we love will drive/fly hours and hours to come play in the mountains with us. Everything beautiful about this video is thanks to @dkubischta and everything choppy is me editing his original into less than a minute! Thanks to everyone else in the following pics who came to play this summer. We love love love you!My journeys to motherhood are on a podcast! I am honored to share the the ups and downs of my birth experiences, overcoming fear, making big decisions, shifting when things didn’t go as planned, coping with the pain of natural childbirth, my husband’s support, education for empowerment, discovering my needs, and ultimately how I advocated for myself and got what I wanted. My story is for any woman (or partner) whether pre-children and curious about birth, in the midst of childbearing years, or post-childbearing years wanting to reflect on their own journey. This episode is more than birth, it’s also about becoming mindful, trusting, intuitive participants in the events of our lives. Please don’t shy away because my stories took place outside of hospitals. I do not think home birth is for everyone nor is that what my story is about. My intention is to support women and their partners as they write and reflect on their own stories wherever they choose to give birth. There is a link in my profile to the podcast. You can listen there and explore some great birthing resources too! Or you can find my story wherever you get your podcasts. Search for “Happy Homebirth” podcast, episode 42. It would mean so much to me if you listened 🙏🏼 thank you @happyhomebirthpodcast for this opportunity and all you do ❤️
Category Archives: hiking
Sage summits South Sister
As we drove through town, Sage looked out the window and pointed to a peak in the distance, “Mama, what’s the name of that big mountain?” I told her it was called South Sister. “Is it hard to get to the top?” I said, “yes, it’s a very hard hike to the top.” In typical Sage fashion she replied…”Ok then, I want to do it.”
Posted in hiking, Uncategorized
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Cactus To Clouds
Last weekend, we checked an item off our adventure bucket list when we completed Cactus to Clouds (C2C) as a family. My first attempt in 2011 was thwarted by a cold I caught at 9 weeks pregnant. Peter ended up doing it anyway with his friend Gabe and I met them at the tram and hiked to the summit with our friends Greg and Cathleen.
Since then, the full C2C adventure never lined up well with our weekend travel schedules and despite how much we love adventure, taking Sage on the hike always felt a little daunting. Ultimately though, our curiosity about whether we could do it with a 2 year old won over and we decided to go for it. I mean, really…who doesn’t love a good sufferfest?
Travel: A Canyon Fit for a King!
Just east of Fresno, CA, in an area geographically similar to Yosemite, lies Kings Canyon National Park. After hearing about the canyon’s reputation for unrivaled beauty, we decided to meet some friends and check it out. We pulled into the entrance and I felt like I missed something.
Posted in Camping/Outdoors, hiking, Sierra Mountains, US travel
Tagged biking, camping, cedar grove, hiking, Kings Canyon, Kings Canyon National Park, muir rock, Sequoia
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Utah: Zion. Angel’s Landing
The hike to Angel’s landing is another ass kicker. The hike is straight up and carved into the side of sheer rock, the trail is an aggressive approach to a flat and gorgeous look out above.
That peak above Peter’s head is Angel’s Landing, where we are headed.
Posted in hiking, Roadtrips, US travel, Utah
Tagged Angel's Landing, hiking, road trip, road trips with babies, zion
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Utah: Zion National Park
Zion From Bryce we drove down the gorgeous highway 89 and into the northern entrance of Zion. Having never visited Zion national park before I really had no idea what to expect.
Posted in Camping/Outdoors, hiking, Roadtrips, US travel, Utah
Tagged camping, hiking, road trip, road trips with babies, springdale, zion
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Utah: Bryce Canyon
On the long deserted stretch toward Bryce we were surprised when three Pronghorns bolted across the road in front of us. Peter swerved left, the confused Pronghorn ran right and slammed into the side of our car. I screamed the foulest of foul words and it’s nothing short of a miracle that Sage has not started running around dropping F bombs whenever she sees a animal. Somehow the word didn’t stick and fortunately we slowed down enough that both the Pronghorn and the car were ok. Well I think the Pronghorn is ok. It sauntered of into the wilderness and was only a short distance behind its friends. At the time we had no idea what the animal was and were both in shock. We found the closest pullout and drove in to catch our breath. The shock turned into tears of laughter (me) when this sign was staring at us from the side of the road.
Cactus to Clouds-Pregnant
Cactus to Clouds. It’s a 26 mile hike with a 12,000 foot elevation gain… pretty much one of the toughest day-hikes in the United States.
[caption id="attachment_382" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
We weren’t telling people about the pregnancy yet so I am trying to hide the mini belly with my down jacket![/caption]
Posted in hiking, US travel
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Boulder, CO
The last leg of our honeymoon was spent in lovely Boulder Colorado with our friends James and Rebecca. If there were an award for the “awesomest outdoor couple” these two would win.
Crossing the river to Sherwood Forest[/caption]
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Posted in Colorado, hiking, Rock climbing, Running/hiking, US travel
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San Gorgonio Mountain
During our 16 miles and 6,000 vertical feet together, Gorgonio threw some good punches. First it tried to get me with an achy left hip flexor followed by my own tears as I pondered whether or not this was a result of my age. My present for my 31 ½ birthday is achy hips?
Posted in hiking, Southern California, US travel
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