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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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 #itsasurpriseThe Alpaca and I are the only ones cooperating for this picture. #thanksalpaca #bestsockseverI love when people share the real moments behind their social media pictures so here is our real moment. 30 mins prior to this picture Sage was sprayed with poop. Cedar had a sudden, leaky, diarrhea incident covering his legs, onesie, and shorts. Peter got C’s clothes off and was holding him naked, I was holding the solar shower up high, and Sage was hosing him off. While Sage was hosing, the incredible force of Cedar’s bowels shot round two poop all over Sage’s dress and fleece. Her response was, “ I WAS HIT!” I took this picture post-poop with Cedar recovering on my lap, Sage recovering with hot chocolate, and Peter packing up our entire campsite so we could canoe back to our car. We were bummed to leave our secluded lakefront campsite but in the packing process there was beautiful light to capture the resilience of our daughter who can really handle just about anything. 💩Just add water.South Sister Summit. Powered by a steady stream of M&Ms and her own two legs. Today Sage’s inability to sit still, her fiery will, and puppy-like energy manifested into something profound and powerful. I was so proud of her I think I cried three different times on the way up. Sage you are my Queen ❤️ As long as my legs will carry me I will follow you up mountains. A Blog post with more details about our South Sister Summit can be found at backroadfamily.com link in bio.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
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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Nepal
My niece is spending a semester abroad in Nepal. In honor of her adventure, it’s time I finally publish our adventure in Nepal… from… ahem… two years ago. So yeah, that pregnancy and baby thing really set me back on our travel posts. Better late than never! We booked our trip with grand expectations. Himalayan adventures in films and magazines put Nepal at the top of our list. We were living in Abu Dhabi and given that Kathmandu was a four hour flight, we didn’t hesitate to book a trip.
Our dream for Nepal consisted of a strenuous multi-week adventure to the remote regions of the Himalayas but we only had a few days so we decided on a multi-DAY trek instead. If Nepal was as amazing as we hoped, we would return.
So here’s the big take-a-way. Our trip didn’t meet our expectations and was a disappointment. Fortunately though, Sabine is experiencing a very different Nepal. One that is living up to her expectations. Her pictures and stories are making me want to go back and recreate our dream adventure. But for now, here is our trip in a nutshell. And maybe a few things to think about if you decide to plan a visit.
Posted in Asia, Destinations, Uncategorized
Tagged Ghorepani, ghorepani poon hill trek, Himalayas, Kathmandu, Nepal, Pokhara, Poon Hill, travel with kids, Trekking
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Mount Motherload
When our fiery wills met to build Sage, they didn’t cancel each other out as two similar forces should. They quietly grew for 23 months and then on a dark and stormy night they colluded and turned my soft cherub into a pocket sized … Continue reading
Cedar’s Homebirth
Given that Cedar’s birth happened at home, it seemed fitting to include the story on our family adventure blog. As it was, in its own way, our family’s biggest adventure. My hope is that with this post, we can raise awareness about birth choices and inspire informed and empowered decisions about childbirth. A woman’s experience deserves respect. She matters and birth matters. Here is our story.
Posted in Lifestyle and Parenting, Uncategorized
Tagged birth matters, doula, home birth, midwife, natural child birth
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Climbing in Red Rocks
We love Las Vegas but maybe not for the obvious reasons. Our favorite part of Vegas lies just outside of the city. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is a climbing paradise. It’s also a great place to bring your kid! We found an area of Red Rocks where our 2 year old (at the time) had a blast climbing and swinging. Continue reading to find out where it is and to see how much fun it was.
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The Next Chapter
On our first date, before the waiter spilled a beer on Peter, we spoke about our dreams. Our conversation exploded into all our hopes for traveling the world. Climbing Kilimanjaro (✓), sailing to Australia, rock-climbing Thailand (✓), trekking the Himalayas, visiting … Continue reading
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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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First family hike and camping trip!
Four weeks after Sage’s birth my body finally felt good enough to go on our first family hike.
Sedona, Arizona
Because Christmas landed on a Sunday this year, Peter had Monday off! So, we decided to take a road trip to Sedona.
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Joshua Tree, Biking, Sailing, Vegas
This fall has been exciting and busy. September-October was filled with some wonderful weekend trips but due to being in the throws of weeks 9-17 of my pregnancy, I felt too sick to blog about most of it.
Pre Gorgonio Mountain Hike
It’s 4:30am and I know I need to kick my own ass again before we attempt Kilimanjaro
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Maui Engagement photos
We are in fervent anticipation for our wedding pictures so to stop our nail biting, Mike our photographer sent over the pictures we took the Friday before we were married.
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Santiago Peak 1 point. Liz 0.
Peter and I, both sick with colds, decided this morning at 6:00am that we were still going to attempt getting to the top of Santiago Peak. Standing at 5,689 feet, Santiago Peak is the highest peak in the Santa Ana … Continue reading
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Laguna Beach Bachelorette weekend
After this weekend, I have caught myself in daydreams, reflecting on family, reflecting on friends and more keenly, on friendship.
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Thailand: Made it Railay
Hi! We are in Railay in the south of Thailand. I have so much good stuff for my next unofficial blog post but it will take some time for me to put it all together. Nothing like an “off the … Continue reading
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