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Hello! Welcome to our family travel diary. Come adventure with us.

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  • Hello, California – magical days in the Redwoods

    How can I even begin to describe our time in Northern California? It was truly magical. Visiting the Redwoods has been on my wish list for years. Back in 2019 we almost went during our road trip but ended up choosing Yosemite and Sequoia instead. We made it this time and it was everything I hoped for and more.

    There’s something incredibly special about this part of California that I felt such a deep connection to, the quiet majesty of the trees and the stillness of the forest. We stayed in a lovely Airbnb in the town of Arcata nestled right among the Redwoods. It felt like we were living inside a fairytale.

    We hiked both the Lady Bird Johnson Trail and the Trillium Falls Trail. I loved them both but Lady Bird was my favorite. The Redwoods are absolutely enormous – impossible to fully grasp until you’re standing beneath them. They make you feel small in the most humbling way.

    As we continued down Highway 1 we spent a couple of nights at The Stanford Inn in Mendocino – a fully vegan resort on the coast. It was the perfect place to unwind and reflect on such a memorable part of our journey.

    WEEK 7

    • Redwood National and State Parks
    • Arcata, California
    • Mendocino, California

    Wildlife count: Elk, banana slugs, mosquitos (we got bit lots during this part of the trip unfortunately!)

  • Saying goodbye to The Pacific Northwest!

    We packed A LOT into the last two weeks of our time exploring Washington and Oregon…

    We stayed in a cute little cabin in Ashford, just outside Mount Rainier National Park. Felix also discovered s’mores here! It was his first time trying them and he loved them! On our way there we made a stop in North Bend and Snoqualmie Falls – a fun little spot for me as a longtime Twin Peaks fan.

    Next, we ventured to the Olympic Peninsula, staying in the coastal area of La Push. We made our way into Olympic National Park where we hiked the Hall of Mosses trail in the Hoh Rainforest. Felix had another new discovery here: banana slugs! We only saw a couple in Olympic but they’d become a more common sight later on in Northern California.

    From there we made a detour back to one of our favorite places of the whole trip The Columbia River Gorge. We stayed at Under Canvas, which made for a fun glamping experience and spent some time in Hood River. The town had a great vibe, we found a plant-based sandwich shop, watched kite surfers on the river and found a great park for Felix to burn off some energy.

    We continued down the rugged Oregon Coast. The cliffs were steep and the ocean was rough but there was something calming about it. We particularly loved Cannon Beach where we made s’mores on our beach bonfire.

    And finally, we ended our PNW journey with a stay at the iconic Crater Lake Lodge. Waking up to views of the lake was the perfect sendoff.

    From moss covered forests and snowy peaks to coastal sunsets and campfire treats, the Pacific Northwest gave us family memories we’ll carry forever.

    On to California!

    WEEK 6 and 7 (some of)

    • Mount Rainier National Park
    • Olympic National Park
    • Colombia River Gorge and Hood River
    • Oregon Coast – Cannon Beach, Yachats, Bandon
    • Crater Lake National Park

    Wildlife count: Elk, eagles, sea lions, deer, BANANA SLUGS!

    Thoughts / lessons learnt: We unexpectedly fell in love with The Colombia River Gorge area of Oregon – it wasn’t the place I was most looking forward to but it ended up being a big highlight!

  • Week 5 in The Pacific Northwest – …from Seattle to our dream cabin in the woods

    We spent a few peaceful nights in Gold Bar, Washington and absolutely loved it. Our cabin sat right next to the Skykomish River with stunning views of the Cascade Mountains all around us.

    Most of our time was spent in the hot tub, strolling along the river and just soaking in the peacefulness. We also ventured out to explore Wallace Falls State Park, where we hiked to the lower falls, the trail was still quite challenging for Felix especially in pouring rain but he pushed through like a champ!

    We really loved this little corner of Washington state it felt like a world away from Seattle.

    WEEK 5

    • Gold Bar, Washington
    • Wallace Falls State Park

    Wildlife count: More deer sightings, chipmunks on the trail

    Thoughts / lessons learnt: Cabin life is fun

  • Winding down in the PNW

    After a fun (but exhausting week!) aboard the Disney Wonder cruising through Alaska we returned to a very rainy Vancouver on Monday morning. We quickly repacked our bags and turned in early ready for our flight to Portland, Oregon the next morning.

    After our flight, we spent the first day settling into our cosy Airbnb cottage – actually most of our time here was spent slowing down and resetting.

    A highlight was our little trip out the city to the Columbia River Gorge. We visited the iconic Multnomah Falls and took a short hike to Ponytail Falls (we’re planning to return to this area for a few more nights in a couple of weeks – there’s still more to see!)

    Another peaceful afternoon was spent at the International Rose Test Garden. Felix had a great time getting his wiggles out at the playground and we spent a lovely hour or so walking among the rose beds.

    On the drive up to Seattle we detoured to Mount St. Helens National Monument, stopping at The Forest Learning Center before continuing on to check into our hotel downtown.

    With one full day to explore Seattle we focused on the touristy bits like Pike Place Market and the Space Needle!

    WEEK 4 (week 3 Alaska will be a separate post)

    • Portland, Oregon
    • Seattle, Washington
    • Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

    Wildlife count: 2 bears (Alaska) bald eagles (Alaska), more deer, elk

    Thoughts / lessons learnt: Felix’s joy at the playground or just running around reminds us that sometimes simple experiences are the most memorable for all of us. Flexibility and tuning into everyone’s needs is important!

  • Week 2 in BC – Simple adventures on the Sunshine Coast

    For our second week, we took the ferry to the Sunshine Coast after Matt ran the Vancouver Marathon!

    We spent a few days exploring the area basing ourselves in Gibsons. We travelled as far up as Half Moon Bay and explored the town of Sechelt.

    Gibsons and the surrounding areas have been my favourite place we’ve visited so far – even more than Alaska, which I’d like to write about in more detail soon, especially our time on the Disney Wonder and our first cruise experience.

    We spent our time exploring beaches and walking trails. One trail in particular led us to a place called Smugglers Cove, which was once used by pirates to smuggle rum during the prohibition which Felix thought was cool (mainly the pirate part!).

    We also visited Sunday Cider, a charming craft cidery where we spent the afternoon playing games on the lawn, sipping cider and eating ice cream in the sunshine.

    We were so lucky to have mostly beautiful blue skies and warm weather during our visit.

    WEEK 2

    • Gibsons, British Columbia
    • Sechelt, British Columbia
    • Half Moon Bay, British Columbia

    Wildlife count: Deer (lots) and hummingbirds

    Thoughts / lessons learnt: It’s nice to slow down and take things at a relaxed pace, playgrounds are absolutely essential when travelling with a super active 4-year old!

  • Hello, British Columbia – our first week

    It’s hard to believe how much we’ve already seen and done in one week!

    The jet lag really hit hard the first few days – it took a full five days for me to feel normal again…going to bed at 5pm on the second night definitely didn’t help!

    On our first day, we walked 9.5 km from downtown Vancouver all the way to Stanley Park. The next day, we headed to North Vancouver and spent time exploring Lynn Canyon Park. Felix loved the loop trail and since we arrived super early, we had the suspension bridge all to ourselves. When we went back later, it was packed – note take photos before the crowds arrive!

    The drive up the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler was absolutely stunning! We spent some time soaking in the mountain scenery and relaxing at the resort before heading back to Vancouver stopping at Grouse Mountain. Seeing the two orphaned grizzly bears there was a highlight. Felix absolutely loved the Gondola – he would of ridden up and down the mountain all day!

    We’re really looking forward to the week ahead – especially with Matt getting ready to run the Vancouver Marathon tomorrow!

    WEEK 1

    • Vancouver, British Colombia
    • Totem Poles in Stanley Park
    • Vancouver Aquarium
    • Lynn Canyon Park
    • Porteau Cove Provincial Park
    • Shannon Falls Provincial Park
    • Whistler, British Colombia
    • Murrin Provincial Park
    • Grouse Mountain

    Thoughts / lessons learnt: Matt and I both absolutely hate liquorice, Canadian’s are so kind, it’s honestly not that cold here (sorry, I’m British!) – I may regret saying that!