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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Poles and Attitude! The season’s hottest new accessories. Watch- I’m gonna come back from skiing maternity leave and this kid is going to beat me down the mountain 🤦♀️ ...Maaaaaybe I’ll just say my pants are too tight and tight pants slow me down. 👍🏼This man is the donut to my coffee and the hot sauce to my burrito. Thank you my Valentine for loving me, supporting me, and giving me ALL the babies ❤️ I LOVE this life we’ve created, I LOVE adventuring with you and I LOVE watching you do rad stuff. I can’t wait to be outside doing rad stuff with you again soon. 😍❤️💗Gorgeous hunk is ours ❤️ Gorgeous view is Tahoe’s.30 weeks and still running. Every day that I am pain free and moving powerfully is something to celebrate. Because in my experience, pregnancy and athleticism were not synonymous. This pregnancy has proved otherwise. With discipline, I have discovered that pregnancy and athleticism complement each other beautifully! With the same amount of exercise, I am stronger now than I was 7 months ago. After surviving a barfy first trimester, I have spent a minimum of 5 days a week combining strength training and running. That was my schedule before getting pregnant and maintaining this schedule for the past 16 weeks has transformed pregnancy for me. Thank you @__magneticnorth__ for illuminating my path. You inspired me to prove to myself that pregnancy is not to be endured, it’s not weakness, nor is it something to waddle through. It’s an opportunity. An opportunity to use to my athletic advantage. An opportunity to discover strength. An opportunity to soar. It’s a freaking superpower! Heading into my final two months, I have zero expectations. BUT I will continue to show up every damn day for my body. To worship her and all she is capable of. Pregnancy is a privilege. So is the problem of figuring out how to squeeze in all this exercise without childcare. It’s a motherforkin’ hustle!Approaching a pregnant run with a beginners mind means I often wonder... Will my left butt cheek cramp up and cause me to limp back to the car? Will my tight sports bra cause boob rash? Will my right hip flexor give out? Will I need a full meal? (Better to pack one just in case). Will I be warm enough? Will my maternity leggings slide down? How many times in an hour will I have to squat in the woods so I don’t pee in my pants? Might I just pee in my pants? Where are the most densely forested areas so I get some peeing privacy? All real possibilities, mostly centered around my bladder. (Mamas, I know you feel me) I’m not giving up what keeps me sane SO I do my wondering. Then I say, “Come what may, I’m running anyway.” Every run brings a new surprise 🙏🏼 @__magneticnorth__ for teaching me about a beginners mind and how important it is for my endurance practice. Stay curious. Keep moving.Maybe a third kid will help us figure out this parenting gig. Third time’s a charm right? #saycheese #marchbaby #boyorgirl #itsasurprise
Category Archives: Roadtrips
Oh Mexico. Conception Bay, Baja Sur.
Drive 630 lonely miles (or not-so-lonely if you bring a 3 year old) south of the Mexico/San Diego border and you arrive, bug-eyed and a little seat sore in a desert paradise. Around hour 11, as you approach the Sea of Cortez, the road ascends the coastal mountains. Awaiting you at the top is a breathtaking view and a well-deserved break from the preceding hours of desert landscape.
When I tell people that we drove 12 hours in one day with our just-turned-3 year old, they look at me like I am crazy. 
Will you believe me if I tell you that it really wasn’t a big deal? And that we did it without using movies or an iPad? Don’t let a long drive deter you from exploring the world with your child and trust me, an iPad doesn’t have to be your lifeline. We had so much fun talking to each other, telling stories, singing songs, creating window art with removable stickers, reading books… she spent time gazing, daydreaming out the window. As a child, those were the times my imagination went wild. I still remember, to this day, the stories I created in my mind with the passing landscape.
Posted in Central/South America, Mexico, Roadtrips
Tagged baja, camping, Conception Bay, fishing, Mexico, sailing, Sea of Cortez, snorkeling
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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.
Utah: Kolob Canyon. Zion National Park
Upon seeing the signs for Kolob Canyon we made a last minute decision to get off the highway and check it out. Sage was sleeping so we stayed in the car but from the car we saw many hiking opportunities and were interested in the overnight backcountry possibilities leaving this side of the park.
Posted in bike touring, Biking, Roadtrips, US travel, Utah
Tagged arch, cycling, kolob, road trip, road trips with babies
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Saint George, Utah
When our friend Greg announced he was going to run one hundred miles for the Zion 100, I jumped at the chance to make supporting him, a vacation for us. We explored many different options for the trip, bike touring was on the table for a while, taking the camper trailer, backpacking… when finally what seemed like the best way to do it all was to leave the camper trailer at home, make reservations for hotels and campgrounds, pack up the car, load the mountain bikes, and hit the road.
Posted in bike touring, Biking, Roadtrips, Rock climbing, US travel, Utah
Tagged biking, ibert, road trip, Rock climbing, Saint George, travel, travel with toddlers
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Joshua Tree
The fun part of meeting friends in Joshua Tree is no cell reception. We rely on the old fashioned method of leaving notes on the back of campsite information boards. Just after midnight on Friday, we found our note, drove to our campsite, and discovered that someone else had parked their car and pitched their tent where ours was supposed to be.
Posted in Camping/Outdoors, Roadtrips, Rock climbing
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Lake Lopez
This summer’s Lake Lopez kick off
Posted in Camping/Outdoors, Roadtrips, Uncategorized, windsurfing
Tagged camping, San Luis Obispo, windsurfing
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Lake Tahoe & Mammoth Lakes, CA
Sage’s 2 month birthday was made even more special because it marked the beginning of Peter’s 6 week hiatus from work.
Posted in Camping/Outdoors, Roadtrips
Tagged Lake Tahoe, Mammoth, road trips with babies, weddings
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Joshua Tree
After a long week, knowing I am heading into nature always rejuvenates me. It’s like an instant second wind.
Posted in Camping/Outdoors, Joshua Tree, Roadtrips, Rock climbing, US travel
Tagged camping, Joshua Tree, Rock climbing
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