Traveling with Kids in California // Cavallo Point in Sausalito

Every night, after the babes are slumbering, we discuss whether we have time to watch a program together or read a book. This segues into a meandering and whispered conversation as we lie in bed, recounting our day and then inevitably expressing gratitude for each other, our littles, and the gorgeous place where we live. Then one of us asks, "what time is it anyway... is it midnight already? Shall we tuck in?" We slip into sleep, soaked with gratitude.

This post is a small ode to the place we call home. Our closeness to both nature and the city, and our loving neighborhood community, have provided the fertile ground for our roots to extend deeply.  Cavallo Point is just seven minutes from our house, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, and a chance to splash in the briny (as Juni would say). There's a long fishing pier, which is a great spot to bring kiddos, to watch the crabs being reeled in and count the seal heads bobbing on the ocean surface. There's often a nice layer of cool fog, especially in the summer, lending a romantic and eerie sensibility, and a perfect escape from the Marin heat. We hope you go check it out :)

A big thanks to our great fashion partners included in this sponsored blog post!

Knock Knock Linen - Sam's jacket and pants; Ariel's pants and top

Stall 65 - Juni's pants

Mayaya Kids - Juni's white sweater

Mae Davis Designs - Wilder's knit sweater

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xoxo,

Juniper + Wilder + Ariel + Sam

Traveling with Kids in California // Point Reyes National Seashore

Sweet baby Wilder joined our family in May (on our wedding anniversary no less!) and we are over the moon to have this little man in our family! He is incredible and Juniper is so excited to be a big sister, and especially loves to announce when "he is awake!" so she can cover him with cuddles and kisses. The summer has been filled with lots of time outdoors and now have double the reason to blog about all our favorite places to visit in California with our little ones. Some are day trips and others overnights. Hope you'll join us for the fun! 

Besides an overnight in Tahoe for his parents' work, Wilder's first road trip was to Point Reyes National Seashore. This is one of our most dear nature spots and we try to make the journey out there as much as possible. The fun part (once we embrace it) about traveling with kids is that everything slows down. It take a little more time to get there in the car (potty + breastfeeding stops), and when we finally arrived, it felt like we spent most of the time at the same picnic spot (next to an EPIC bay laurel tree, why would you want to leave?). Then a half mile hike to a magical re-created Miwok Village, Kule Loklo, filled with underground sweat lodges and teepees, and it's almost time for dinner! On the way home, we stopped to say "hi" to some cows and then had "dinner" at the Scoop in Fairfax, we recommend their strawberry -  best on the planet.

We hope you get the chance to visit Pt. Reyes with your kiddos as well, and draw some inspiration from our photo diary! Also, if you and your family ever want to go on a day trip and have us capture some stellar, candid memories, that's our thing. We'd love to tag along - especially if we stop for ice cream. 

A big thanks to our great fashion partners included in this blog post!

Daddy/Daughter Shirts: TinyTotsKids

Handmade Sweaters: MaeDavisDesigns

Dress: Silk & More

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xoxo,

JAWS - Juniper, Ariel, Wilder + Sam ;)

Tahoe Winter Family Travel Guide // Cedar Crest Cottages

Juniper had never seen snow before, and since we have been having a wonderfully wet winter here in California, we decided to seize upon the opportunity to visit Tahoe, blanketed in over ten feet of fluff. Cedar Crest Cottages, in West Lake Tahoe, invited us to stay with them, and put us up in their gorgeous, newly renovated, Eagle Cottage for three nights. The cottage had three bedrooms, heated floors, a cozy fireplace and beautiful natural details throughout, like natural wood coat racks and custom block prints, with the namesake cottage bird printed on it. It had everything we needed for a luxurious home base from the cold, but was also wonderful for a toddler because there was so much to explore and enjoy. With a fully equipped kitchen to get midnight "nummies", a laundry room to make wet sweaters all cozy again, and gas fire to sit next to and read children's books - it had all the amenities you could want. In addition to window views of sunsets over Lake Tahoe, Sam and Babo spent considerable time just walking through the place and oohing and aahing over the superior craftsmanship.

Once we got settled in, we were able to really enjoy the snow with two nearby hikes (as in a 5 to 7 minute drive!) to Eagle Rock Hiking Trail and also Sugar Pine Point State Park. Juniper rode in the carrier, and we strapped on our snowshoes to venture out into the forest. It was magical. Babo (what Juniper calls her grandfather) joined us for the trip. He likes to say he was born for the cold, especially since his mom gave birth to him in a blizzard. We had been prepping Juniper for the trip for several weeks, and read countless stories that take place in the snow. Nevertheless, when the time came to venture out, she just as rather ride along in the carrier than walk on the snow. We recently asked if she liked visiting the snow, and she responded that she liked to "eat it!" Such the gourmand. She did enjoy sticking her finger out and taking a sample here and there. We even brought some inside and made homemade, fresh squeezed snow cones, that were delish! 

We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather and for a more fantastic place to stay on this trip! Thanks for having us Cedar Crest Cottages!

A big thanks to our great fashion partners included in this blog post!

Juniper's Outfits: La Lovie

Ariel's Outfits: Greenmoss, designer Joanne Jiain

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xoxo,

Ariel + Sam + Juniper

Taiwan Family Travel Guide to Hualien City and Taroko Gorge // 台湾家庭旅行指南花莲市和太鲁阁峡谷

The last leg of our loop around the island was a two night stop in Hualien City. The lovely Star and Mist B&B invited us to be their guests. This bed and breakfast is so sweet. It is outside the bustle of the busy downtown, with a gigantic green mountain behind it and cozy rooms, with big comfortable beds and a balcony looking out over the garden. After checking in, we took a quick ten minute taxi ride into town and began a culinary adventure. First -- awesome wonton soup, followed by an exotic smorgasbord vegetarian meal in a quirky tchotchke-packed dining room.

The next day, backpack stuffed with steam buns and fruit, we caught a bus to the gorgeous Taroko Gorge, one of the most beautiful places in all of Taiwan. There are several trails in the park and we decided to take the Shakadang Trail, which goes along the river and has incredible ledge cave trails carved into the side of the mountain. Juniper loved it and actually hiked a large portion of it on her own :) Before catching the bus back to Hualien, we indulged in a much needed ice cream cone at the visitor center. You're never far from some delicious treat when you're traveling in Taiwan, even when you're off and away in a national park!

We hope you enjoyed this travel diary from our trip to Taiwan and found it useful in planning your trip to this beautiful island with your family! We're already starting to plan several trips for 2017, so stay in touch :)


我们在岛上的最后一圈是在花莲市的两个晚上停止。可爱的星星和雾M&B邀请我们成为他们的客人。这床和早餐是如此甜蜜。它在繁忙的市中心的喧嚣之外,一个巨大的绿色山在它后面和舒适的客房,有舒适的床和一个阳台,俯瞰花园。登记入住后,我们乘了十分钟的出租车进入城市,开始了一个烹饪的冒险。首先 - 真棒馄饨汤,然后在一个古怪的tchotchke包装的餐厅,一个异国情调的smorgasbord素食餐。

第二天,背包里充满了蒸汽馒头和水果,我们乘坐了一辆公共汽车到华丽的太鲁阁峡谷,这是台湾最美丽的地方之一。在公园里有几条小径,我们决定采取Shakadang小径,沿着河,有令人难以置信的壁架洞穴小径雕刻入山的一侧。 Juniper喜欢它,实际上是在她自己的大部分徒步旅行:)在赶上公共汽车回到花莲,我们沉浸在一个急需的冰淇淋锥在游客中心。当您在台湾旅行时,即使您在国家公园外出旅行,您也不会远离某些美味的食物!

我们希望你喜欢这次旅行日记从我们的台湾旅行,并发现它有用的规划您的旅行与这个美丽的岛屿与您的家人!我们已经开始计划2017年的几次旅行,所以保持联系:)

xoxo,

Ariel + Sam + Juniper