Moss Landing

Hope your New Year is off to a good start. Here's a link to a new travel story (also in this Sunday's L.A. Times) about a different spot we checked out on the Central Coast: Escape to California's quaint Moss Landing for a family weekend filled with kayaking and fresh seafood. We visited there back in October for Ediza's birthday and we actually just got back from the area for Amber's birthday.

Warm Wishes from the Wild West

We got this Old West photo done at Kamice's Photographic Establishment as part of my latest L.A. Times travel story: Just in time for the holidays, a family-friendly weekend escape to California's Columbia State Historic Park. Happy holidays! 

Summer blues

Here are some photos from over the summer....starting with Ediza getting blue hair extensions at the Mammoth Reggae Festival.

Returning to the blue waters of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

 Gus celebrating his birthday with some blue icing. 

And blue skies at Lake Ediza on our 11th annual backpacking trip to Ediza's namesake. Each year is a new adventure and this year the footbridge just before the lake washed out so we had to cross through the water. Can't wait to get back there next year.

Travel stories

I can't believe this is my first post since the beginning of the year!

Wanted to share a link to my latest L.A. Times travel story posted earlier this month: Paddle and play on a weekend escape to picturesque Pinecrest Lake in the Sierra

Pinecrest Lake

I recently complied a list of previous travel stories to help me keep track of places I've written about. 

Other stories in the Sierra include:

Off the trail and into a soft bed in Mammoth Lakes

Hiking the Sierra with three llamas and a baby

Sonora, Calif.'s antiques, eateries and train ride

Mariposa Butterfly Festival will take flight 

Here's a few more just about Yosemite:

Unwind naturally at Yosemite National Park

Hiking to the top of Yosemite Falls

Where to stay when visiting Yosemite

As well as nearby Calaveras County:

What's shaking in San Andreas? Plenty of California history

Calaveras County: Still hopping to it

Murphys rings in St. Patrick's Day with green wine

And the California coast:

A train depot B&B, family-friendly beach, moonlight cliff walk in Capitola

Surfin' Santa Cruz like a local

Monterey's historic sights, seafood and simple pleasures turn into lasting memories 

Along with various cities:

Visiting San Francisco? Say yes to NoPa

Hitting Reno with a child in tow

Washington: Cherry blossoms, gifts that keep on giving, turn 100

In addition to international travel:

Inca Trail Marathon is a runner's high in Peru

One-of-a-kind treasures in New Delhi's markets

And the first story:

Travels with a toddler: It can be done 

Happy New Year

Hope 2017 is off to a great start. Here’s some photos from our holiday season:

Ediza and Gus wearing matching pajamas on Christmas Eve

During the week of Thanksgiving, we returned to the East Coast and covered a lot of ground.

Outside of the Dobbin House Tavern, where you can dine by candlelight in historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Caught a ride with this whale on the beach at Ocean City, Maryland

We explored Baltimore’s Inner Harbor via water taxi for my birthday. Following lunch, we took a boat over to an outdoor ice rink and later rode back across to a historic tavern in Fells Point. Highly recommend checking out the city this way.

 

Tenth trip to Lake Ediza

Ediza in "her" lake.

We returned to Lake Ediza late this summer for our 10th annual backpacking trip to Ediza’s namesake. We have come full circle — backpacking with a baby again.

Ediza was only about eight months on our first trip back in the summer of 2007, while Augustus had turned 1-year-old shortly before this year’s trip over Labor Day weekend. We had never gone so late in the season before.

Each year, it can become more and more challenging to make it to the lake, but the effort pays off with some wonderful memories. Making an annual pilgrimage builds tradition and connects you to a particular place. 

Cool dudes with shades.

Over the years, we’ve come across relentless mosquitoes, wildfire smoke, rain and mist, snow and sun, and have hiked with llamas and without.

Our first hike was actually before this blog started, while the following year we officially ended our around the world journey with a trip to the lake. Below are links to previous posts that capture our annual journey to this breathtaking spot.

Lake Ediza in 2008

Our return to Lake Ediza in 2009

Sierra hike in 2010 (this was a longer hike from Lake Ediza and the Mammoth Lakes area to Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park. I wrote about it for L.A. Times travel: "Hiking the Sierra with three llamas and a baby.")

Lake Ediza (Part V) in 2011

Back to Lake Ediza in 2012

Lake Ediza (lucky #7) in 2013

Hiking to Lake Ediza in 2014 (This trip was also written about for L.A. Times travel with Weekend Escape: Off the trail and into a soft bed in Mammoth Lakes) 

Lake Ediza (last year as a trio) in 2015

Ediza at the lake in 2008.

Anniversary

We celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary back at the beach (notice the ring pop).

For Father's Day weekend we headed into the mountains and back to Mammoth. Below are some photos from a stop up near Tioga Pass. President Obama was in Yosemite Valley at that time so we didn't end up running into him (unlike when we came across Bush eight years earlier in Paris).