Tucked away in the mountains of Santa Rosa, California (Sonoma County), there is an animal preserve dedicated to the conservation of African wildlife. The preserve, Safari West, is open to the public and does an amazing job providing a safari experience in its own unique, not-in-Africa, way. We visited a few years ago, but I started … More Safari West in Santa Rosa, California
How was your summer? I feel like I blinked and all of a sudden summer was over. My daughter started high school last week and I’m sitting here thinking, ‘Wait, what the heck happened? Did we have summer?’ I vaguely remember a few days when there was no obligations or volleyball practices, just sitting in … More Strawberry Shortcake
One minute we’re cruising along Generals Highway in Kings Canyon National Park and then presto, we’ve crossed over to Sequoia National Park. Two parks for the price of one! Always love a good bargain. These two parks are managed as one, but they feel like completely different parks with different Visitor Centers, and overall feel … More Sequoia National Park
Exploring a National Park has got to be one of my favorite things to do. I love being outdoors in general, but there’s something special about national parks. I mean, there’s a reason why they’re national parks, right? So, when we had a whole day of nothing but exploring whatever we wanted at Kings Canyon … More Kings Canyon National Park
Our recent Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks trip was a redo trip for me. The first time my hubby and I visited many years ago, we (ok, it was me) locked ourselves out of our rental car at the campsite (Azalea campground) and had to walk to the Visitor Center to call someone for … More Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
After enjoying a couple of days of sightseeing in St. Paul and Minneapolis, our focus was now on the reason why we were in Minnesota in the first place, the 2017 USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championship. This was my daughter’s third year of playing club volleyball and the first time for her team to … More Minneapolis, Minnesota: Things to Do and USA Volleyball Junior Nationals
I really liked Minneapolis! This was my first visit to the Midwest as an adult and I left Minneapolis impressed with the wonderful city as well as the people. We spent four nights in Minneapolis watching some great volleyball and exploring the city. Having spent the previous day getting to know the “Twin City” of St. … More Minneapolis, Minnesota
My daughter’s volleyball team finally qualified for Junior Nationals at the very, very last qualifier tournament in May, leaving our team scrambling to get flights, hotel reservations, transportation, etc… for Minneapolis, Minnesota. We have never been to Minnesota and frankly, I really didn’t know what to expect, so I embarrassingly spent a lot of time … More St. Paul, Minnesota
I hope it’s ok to sneak in one last post about our Japan trip we took back in December because onsen (hot spring) vacations are a unique and very Japanese way to experience the quieter side of Japan (previous Japan post here). Having experienced the fast-paced, densely populated Tokyo for a number of days before heading … More A Japanese Onsen Vacation in Atami
The California State Parks system continues to impress and awe me with the natural beauty of the land they protect. With 118 state parks in California, I am extremely grateful that there are so many parks for us to explore. So many places to get outside and explore that I get a bit antsy when … More Coastal Hike at Wilder Ranch State Park
In our household we are counting down the days until my daughter’s last day of eighth grade, when she no longer has to balance a rigorous academic year with competitive volleyball. It has taken its toll and I can see the weariness in her eyes as she pushes on to finish strong all the way … More Strawberry Picking at Gizdich Ranch
Sometimes those darn life priorities get in the way of having an outdoor adventure. If I had my way, we would be out exploring every weekend, but those silly things like my daughter’s school projects, homework assignments (why do teachers assign so much homework on the weekends!?), volleyball tournaments and friend get togethers are cramping … More Japanese Cream Puffs (shu cream)
On our last trip to Reno, my impression of “the biggest little city in the world” changed. It’s entirely my fault that I didn’t have such high regards for this city, I never gave it a fair chance. In the past Reno was a great place to find a cheap place to stay when we … More Reno, NV
I hope all of you amazing moms had a wonderful Mother’s Day! The past couple of years, I’ve spent Mother’s Day at my daughter’s volleyball tournaments. It’s not my favorite way to spend Mother’s Day, being inside a convention center with absolutely nothing resembling a Mother’s Day brunch, and hundreds of cheering fans – NOT … More Mount Diablo State Park
Have you ever read a book that had a big impact on your life? I’m sure everyone can think of at least one book that has influenced them at some point or another. Books have that sort of power. When I was growing up, I loved to read. I read any chance I had, and I … More The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando
