Pinnacles National Park

In planning our recent trip to San Luis Obispo (post coming soon!), my husband and I were a little stumped about how to approach the drive down. We had already decided to take Highway 1 on the way home,  but what about the trip down on Highway 101? I wasn't particularly excited about any of the stops before Paso Robles, and that was a solid 3.5 hour drive from our home in Berkeley! Not something I wanted to tackle with two kids in the backseat. It wasn't until the morning before our departure that we realized we would be passing by (sort of) Pinnacle's National Park! It was already on my list of places to explore and it was the perfect midway point on our drive.

We had been warned that it gets really hot in this part of California, and that the middle of summer was a risky time to attempt hiking. I made the naive mistake of checking the weather in Soledad (the nearby town that we would pass through when we got off the 101) and was relieved to see that the high for the day was only mid-70's...totally acceptable! What I didn't realize is that during the 10 mile drive from Soledad to Pinnacle's, you are traveling inland and the temperatures can easily rise 15-20 degrees. When we got off the freeway, it was a cool 70 degrees, and 15 minutes later we were parking the car in 85 degree weather and it was just after 10 am (ooops!).

After researching the different hikes here,  we decided on the Balconies Cliff-Cave loop. I was particularly excited about the portion that takes you through "caves" that have been formed from large boulders that rest on one another to create a cave-like feeling. With the exception of a short incline at the beginning of the Balconies trail, the hike is level and easy. 

A little over a half mile into the hike the trail splits and you have the option of continuing up the hill along the Balconies trail or going directly to the caves. We had read that approaching the caves from the back end (via the Balconies trail) was the easiest way to make your way through the caves. Since we had two young kids with us, we figured the easier route was probably the smarter choice. Taking the Balconies trail first was also good because this portion of the hike is completely exposed and we wanted to complete it before it got even warmer.

We arrived at the entrance to the caves and were thrilled to find a spot in the shade to have a snack and some water before our cave hike. It was easily 90 degrees by this time and we are all complete wimps when it comes to heat. After scarfing down some grapes and water, we got our flashlights out and our homemade headlamps and continued on our way.

The first portion of the hike involves climbing up some large boulders to get to the entrance of the caves, at which point the trail takes you through a portion that is completely dark and requires a flashlight or headlamp. This part was so much fun! The kids loved it, and with our flashlight and headlamp (made by attaching a bicycle safety light ($3.99 at the hardware store) to an old headband of mine) we were easily able to see our way through the darkness.

The portion that is completely dark is very short (a couple of minutes) and ends with a steep (but short) climb out of the darkness (pictured above). This portion is why it was recommended that you approach the caves from the back entrance, since climbing down into the darkness is more difficult than climbing up.

We were a little apprehensive about doing this hike with small kids, but we saw a handful of other families with toddler aged kids going through the caves as well. Our 4 year old had no problems at all, although there are definitely portions where a kid could get hurt if they were to fall off the rocks, so you will want to monitor closely. Our 2 year old definitely needed to be in our ergo carrier for safety reasons.

The entire hike took about 2 hours, and by the time we were back to the car it was a sweltering 95 degrees. Definitely not a hike to do in the middle of a summer day, but absolutely worth the effort if you can get there early, or visit during a cooler season.

What are your favorite stops on the way to Central/Southern California?

Details: Pinnacle's National Park is about a 2.5 hour drive from Berkeley. Admission to the park is $10. Get there early to avoid any crowds and the heat! Also remember to bring water, snacks and sunscreen.

 

A summer day in Berkeley

This past Father's Day weekend was also our 6 year wedding anniversary, and since we had a big day planned in Sonoma for Sunday, we spent Saturday enjoying the wonderful city we get to call home. With an ever-growing list of places to visit, we decided to tackle a couple of Berkeley classics. 

The morning started off with a trip to The Cheeseboard Collective, arguably one of the best bakeries and pizza spots in Berkeley. Surprisingly, this was our FIRST visit to the bakery! We regularly visit Cheeseboard for pizza, but had never made it over in the morning for pastries. Oh what a treat it was! With almost 400 types of cheese to choose from and a beautiful selection of pastries, we had no problem finding something for everyone. We settled on an assortment of scones and muffins and settled down at an outdoor table to enjoy our breakfast.

Despite being in the midst of a vibrant and bustling neighborhood, on one of Berkeley's busiest streets, the sidewalk seating outside The Cheeseboard is one of the most calming places in the city for me. If it weren't for the people patiently waiting to steal your seat when you leave, I think I could spend the entire day just people watching and enjoying the amazing food.

Next on the agenda was a drive up the hill to Tilden Regional Park. This is one my favorite places to explore with the kids, and a real hidden gem when it comes to affordable family fun. Our first stop was the Redwood Valley Railway, which is a scaled-down steam train that takes you on a 12 minute ride along the scenic ridge-line of the Berkeley Hills. It always puts a smile on my face to see how much the kids enjoy the ride.

After our train ride, we drove a short distance down the road to Lake Anza. One of my favorite parts of living in Berkeley is how quickly you can find yourself in nature. Just a short drive from the streets of downtown Berkeley and you can be relaxing at a lake! We quickly settled into a nice spot on the sand and had a picnic lunch before playing in the water.

What does a summer day look like where you live?

P.S. Some more fun places to explore in Tilden Regional Park.

Details: Scones/Muffins at The Cheeseboard Collective: $2.25 each. Redwood Valley Railway: $3/ride or 5 rides/$12 (kids under 2 ride free). Lake Anza : Admission is $2.50 for kids (under 1 is free), and $3.50 for adults.

Sonoma County Brewery Tour

My husband and I started a tradition years ago where we stopped buying gifts for special occasions and instead started planning a special day together. Part of this was driven by the fact that neither of us really enjoyed the stress of trying to find the perfect gift, and part of it was the desire to create a lasting memory instead of a gift that would likely be forgotten. The rules are simple: If it's your special day, then YOU get to plan it!  How often do you get to do EXACTLY what you want to do for an entire day? The feeling is pretty amazing and I am always left with a smile at the end of the day. For Father's Day this year, we had another amazing trip to Sonoma County, this time exploring some of our favorite breweries in the area.

Sutter Creek and Hope Valley

When I think of road trips with kids my mind automatically jumps to scenes of kids screaming "are we there yet?" while kicking the back of your seat for 4 hours straight. Not exactly a winning campaign message for family road trips. I remember a particular trip with our first child when she was 8 months old that involved a 4 hour drive to visit her new cousin. It was horrible. She cried for the majority of the way there and back. I think our biggest mistake was thinking we could make a 4 hour drive without stopping, and then thinking we could make the drive back home on that very same day (looking back it seems like an obvious mistake...what were we thinking?). Thankfully, we have come a long way since that first trip. So far in fact, that our drives to and from our destinations are turning out to be just as much fun as the destination itself!

Angel Island: Summit Hike

The idea of "playing tourist" in the place you live is one that I really need to embrace more often. I remember years ago when we were visiting some family friends in Brisbane, Australia and we asked the kids about nearby Sydney. They told us they had never been! It was surprising to us that they hadn't explored the most well known city in their country. Then a couple of years later, they visited the U.S. and were asking about travel tips for New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. We gave them the same response...that we had never really spent much time there. For so much of our twenties, we focused our energy and resources on seeing other parts of the world, and now that we have kids and limited resources, we are realizing how much we have overlooked SO close to home.

Exploring Lake Tahoe in the summer: 4 unique adventures

Whenever we plan a big family vacation, I tend to grow anxious as we approach the big day. There is a little voice in the back of my head that wonders if we will have fun? Will the kids adjust to a new environment and sleep well at night? Will there be enough to do to entertain everyone? Our recent week long trip to Tahoe was no exception. I spent hours and hours researching things to do in the area and left for the trip with a pretty short list. In trying to find family friendly destinations that were unique and didn't cost tons of money, I was hitting some major road blocks. Thankfully, with the help of some good finds from my brother-in-law and his wife (who also joined us on the trip) we ended up with some great day trips to share with everyone.

In no particular order, here they are!

Exploring Joaquin Miller Park

It's amazing to me how being outdoors can almost instantly re-energize you. With everything that has to get accomplished on the weekends, I often feel like I am running out of steam by mid-afternoon. And since an afternoon coffee is NOT an option for me if I plan on sleeping that night, I have started relying on time outdoors to give me that boost. Whether it's doing yard work, taking a walk to the park or going for a hike, the fresh air never fails to give me new life. It seems to have the same affect on the kids, who will often be on the verge of a meltdown at home, but are happily exploring a new hiking trail a short drive later.

SF Ferry Building

I was having a conversation with a friend a while back, and we were marveling at how sometimes the simplest trips can be the most rewarding. Case in point, our recent trip to the SF Ferry Building was just that...simple, easy and enjoyable for everyone. We started the day off by exploring the Ferry Building and enjoying samples from the amazing selection of vendors, followed by lunch with views of the Bay and capped off with a nice walk along the waterfront. Sounds pretty nice, right?

Mother's Day in Sonoma

Ever since our first trip with the kids to Sonoma County, I have been itching for an excuse to go back. We had so much fun exploring Jack London State Park and the Cornerstone Gardens, and the trip gave me the confidence to try and tackle the somewhat daunting idea of wine tasting with the kids. While the desire for another trip was there, it wasn't until a family dinner when my father-in-law offered me a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, that ideas for our next adventure starting coming together. I usually favor red wines, so when offered a glass of white, I asked for "just a little sip". That little sip quickly turned into a glass of the best white wine I have EVER had and me enthusiastically pointing out that the winery was only an hour away in Sebastapol! After a little research into the area, a day trip was promptly planned for Mother's Day.

Relaxing in Livermore

This coming summer will be the first in 4 years that I will not be pregnant or breastfeeding...which means it's the first summer in 4 years that I can really entertain the idea of wine tasting with the kids! Woohoo! Visiting wineries with children in tow is very intimidating to me. My 2 year old can be particularly unpredictable and has no concept of an "indoor voice" whatsoever. Luckily we have some friends that moved to Livermore about a year ago and have done the hard work of figuring out which wineries are best for young kids. We have taken a couple of trips to the area this Spring, so I wanted to share our favorite stops for wine and beer tasting along with a great family hike. 

Abbott's Lagoon

Point Reyes had me at "hello" and our recent trip to Abbott's Lagoon only solidified my love affair with this stunning part of West Marin. It is honestly one of the most beautiful areas that I have ever visited and thankfully there seems to be no shortage of ideas for future trips to the area!

Davis Picnic Day

If you had asked me when I was a student at UCD, if I could imagine myself returning to Picnic Day in the future with two little kids and my husband, I probably would have looked at you confused. Why would you bring your kids to an event that completely revolves around excessive amounts of day drinking? Well the answer to that question is quite simple...Picnic Day is a fantastic event that actually caters to families and children! The annual open house for Davis offers a calendar full of events starting with a parade in the morning and ending with the Battle of the Bands along Lake Spafford in the Davis arboretum. In between you will find special demonstrations and exhibits being held by the different colleges within the University and tons of activities for kids of all ages. While this day marks a very popular drinking event for UCD students, the drunken mess confines itself to the downtown area and is easily avoided if you make your way to campus by mid-day.