California campgrounds: There is an astounding variety of places to camp in California, from oceanfront sites with a view, to campsites under the redwoods and much, much more. In order to explore more of these beautiful places, we got a travel trailer several years ago and take our two kids on as many adventures as possible, mostly to California campgrounds. Here are 20 campgrounds in amazing locations that we’ve enjoyed from Central to Northern California. A quiet stay with birds and rabbits at Basalt Campground One important point about camping in California is that the best campgroun ..read more

North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve If you’re in Northern California, you need to add this hike to your spring to-do list! Wildflowers and unusual geography combine to make an unforgettable hiking experience at North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve. Photo credit: Anthonysthwd, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsWhat is North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve? North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve, also called simply Table Mountain, is located about 1.5 hours north of Sacramento. This unique landscape was shaped by volcanic activity millions of years ago. It sits on top of a massive lava ..read more

If you love architecture like I do, you must put the Jerónimos Monastery on your list of things to do in Lisbon! It’s an easy day trip from Lisbon and should be combined with a stop at the Tower of Belém, the Monument to the Discoveries, and the famous Fábrica de Pasteis de Belém, where you can buy the pastry pastel de Belém. Learn all about this beautiful monument, the Jerónimos Monastery Belém: The outside of the Hieronymite Monastery BelémHow much does the Jerónimos Monastery cost to enter? Entrance to the monastery is 10 Euros per adult, kids up to age 12 are free, kids 13-18 get a 50% di ..read more

  Like many people, during Covid lockdown, I made a lot of changes in my home. One of the biggest changes was getting an entirely new bed set. I finally decided to get the bed frame and nightstands I’d been wanting and splurged on a nice mattress, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, as you can see in this Tuft & Needle mattress review.  Click the photos to shop: Turn on your JavaScript to view content So happy with my new bed, the Tuft & Needle Mint Mattress & West Elm frame + nightstands While researching mattresses, there were two factors that I didn’t ..read more

Winter is an amazing time to be in Northern California! There may be the occasional rainy day, but there are plenty of sunny days perfect for exploring. The holiday spirit can be felt everywhere, and there are still beautiful fall colors in early December. Here are my favorite things to do in Northern California this December 2022. Check out all my California Travel Tips or these articles:  Favorite Things to Do in Northern CA What to do in Napa Valley What to do in the Monterey Bay area What to do in Lake Tahoe What to do in San Francisco What to do in Sacramento What to do in Sono ..read more

Like many people, during Covid lockdown, I made a lot of changes in my home. One of the biggest changes was getting an entirely new bed set. I finally decided to get the bed frame and nightstands I’d been wanting and splurged on a nice mattress, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, as you can see in this Tuft & Needle mattress review. Plus, they’re having huge discounts right now! Click the photos to shop: Turn on your JavaScript to view content So happy with my new bed! While researching mattresses, there were two factors that I didn’t want to compromise. First, I wanted ..read more

We’re in Europe! I’m in the middle of a 3+ week, 3-generation trip with my husband, kids, mom and stepdad. I hope you’ll follow along on Instagram and let me know if you have any questions. I’ll share itineraries and tips in coming months. We started in London…. …and then a few days in Cornwall…  …and are now in Paris for the week, and then Rome next week. We feel incredibly fortunate to take such a big trip as a whole family!  More updates soon, but I’d love to know what your summer plans are ..read more

  I love seeing other people’s trips and hope you find some inspiration and ideas of places to go in this round-up of our travels from 2021. 2021…it was a year of a surprising large amount of travel with some new-to-us places. It even included our first plane flight since the pandemic began, with a long-awaited trip to Brazil to visit family in December.  We have a small travel trailer (it’s a GeoPro BH16), which gives us a comfortable, affordable way to travel. It uses little energy thanks to the trailer’s light weight and solar panels. Last year we spent several weeks in the traile ..read more

It’s the end of 2021, and what a year it was! For me, that meant so. much. Zoom. While not trying to teach people to write essays through the computer screen, I spent time with my fast-growing kids, taking walks with my husband, traveling in California, and finally watching “Game of Thrones.” And games. Lots of games. Three of the things that made a huge difference in my life this year were taking increasingly longer walks no matter the weather  (I now aim for 4 miles every day), cutting down on alcohol, and being more intentional with my friendships. Another bright spot has been trip pl ..read more

I have so much travel content to share with you, including lots of info about Oregon (our new fave)! Let’s start with a look at our first trip to Oregon — a loop through Southern Oregon from the coast to Crater Lake and then Ashland. This trip needs about 7-10 days and is very doable if you’re coming from Northern California. First of all, if you don’t know about Oregon parks, let me fill you in. They are really nice … like much nicer than California parks! The Oregon parks we’ve stayed in have hookups (a mix of full and partial hookups), which is a big deal if you’re traveling in an RV like ..read more