Nevada County Fair – Grass Valley, CA.

Since our Sunday adventures have been heavily weighted on hikes and such, we decided to head to the Nevada County fair for some corn dogs and carneys. Nivek opted to go on a few rides, Kennedy discovered the magical powers of the carousel (twice!), and Matt and I just leaned into the toothless wonderment of a country fair. There is something nice about having carnival rides among trees instead of out on the open pavement like at Cal Expo when the California State fair comes to town. After a few hours, some corn dogs and lemonade, we decided to head home. Overall, it was quiet, simple, and exactly what I had hoped for. I love my family.

Orange Toddler Dress | Gap

Outhouse

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On Hwy 37 there is this outhouse that sits happily in the middle of a field, that can be accessed by going under the freeway overpass. On our way home from Muir beach, we were about to pass it for the zillionth time and we decided to finally stop to check it out. Usually, we have a sleeping baby and two dogs in the back and it’s a trillion degrees (yes, really), but this time the stars appeared to align. I grabbed the camera and baby and we trudged under the bridge and over toward the outhouse. As we approach, we can see that there is a swampy river that blocks our path. Sigh. Normally I would not let a little water stand between me and a good adventure, but this appeared to be one of those rivers that  looked like a mere trickle but had mud that was waist deep. Plans thwarted. One day I will grab a pair of waders and a newspaper and get to drop my knickers in that thing for a photo, but for today, I will just have to gaze from afar.

Marin Headlands / Muir Beach, CA.

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I knew this was going to be a good hike, but I didn’t realize just how breathtaking it would be. It took a little less than 2 hours to arrive at Muir Beach from Sacramento. We parked, threw on some sweaters and headed across the bridge to the Coastal Trail. The first mile or so of the hike is uphill, so while we were initially a bit chilly, it really didn’t take long to warm up. Kennedy spent the first half of the trip on my back, and while it was cold outside, my back was a serious heater and she couldn’t have been more comfortable. Within the first hour she was cuddled up tight and snoring loudly. Of course, it could hurt that we put loud nature sounds on at nap and bedtime. The trail really was like one long scenic vista point. We walked until just after the giant “Dirty Dancing” staircase, and decided to turn around and climb down into Pirate’s Cove. After sitting on the little beach awhile we loaded up and headed back. Each way the trail was 2.3 miles and I can’t wait to go back. This was the most beautiful hike I’ve been on that I can remember.

McDowell Estates – Walnut Grove, CA.

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We woke up early and decided that for this Sunday road trip we would stay closer to home. We have been wanting to got to a U-pick farm for quite some time, but it just hasn’t worked out – until now. Double M farms was exactly what we were looking for. Aside from the fact that Matt and I share “M” names and thus could pretend to have had the farm named after us (because of course it was, duh), the U-pick area was big enough to make you feel like you’re not just getting the sad unpicked pears left behind by overzealous u-pickers and small enough to not have to wander for miles to find a pear.

Double M Farms is located on the delta about 30 minutes from Sacramento. When we arrived, the farm was completely quiet. We wondered over to a little shack that was set up with pre-picked fruit, eggs, and other assorted goods and paid 8 dollars for a brown bag to stuff full of pears. There were wagons off to the side that you could use if necessary, but since we were only getting one brown bag full, we opted to carry our own. We headed across the driveway to the picking area and were amazed at how many pears there were. The trees were covered. Seriously, covered. When planning this trip I imagined having to hoist Kennedy up a ladder to be able to have her pick some, but that was not the case. There were plenty of huge pears within reach of her, and that made it all that much better.

Kennedy was a little bit needy and fussy but seemed to really enjoy the whole thing. If you have the chance, check out their website for produce and U-pick availability and pay them a visit. We had a great time and the pears are delicious.

Helen Putnam Regional Park – Petaluma, CA.

Graffiti

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Knowing it was expected to reach 101 degrees in Sacramento, we left early hoping to beat even the smallest bit of heat, and headed toward Helen Putnam Regional Park in Petaluma, California. Before arriving at the park, we stopped to take a few photos of the awesome graffiti behind the Phoenix theater and pick up some sandwiches at the Tea Room Cafe. Unfortunately, the Tea Room Cafe only serves brunch on Sundays, so, we got back into the car and just headed for the park. When we arrived, it was about 80 degrees and the dogs were eager to get out of the car. We chose this park because it looked a bit different than some of the others we had been to recently. Instead of traipsing through trails filled with trees, it had wide-open fields that flowed into the valley. The hike started out with an uphill climb that edged up to a large pond (small lake?). Henry (Le’ Boston) is part Alligator, so I think this was his favorite part of the whole trip. Huck pretended to like the water to fit in, and we headed out. It wasn’t long before we were all roasting in the noonday sun though. Overall, the trails we not too treacherous, though had we went the opposite way I might be saying otherwise. In the end, we sat at a picnic table and cooled ourselves; I am guessing it was in the high 80’s at this point. We loaded up and stopped for sandwiches (again), but this time at Ray’s Deli , which did not disappoint.

Navajo Harem Pants | Two Little Kings

Amador Flower Farm – Amador, CA.

Flowers

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Today we took a trip to the Amador Flower Farm. If you like lilies, this is definitely the place for you. It took us about an hour to make the drive. We arrived a little after 11:00am and the overall atmosphere was quite beautiful, the weather–ideal. We strolled through the rows of flowers, and noticed that there were thousands of varieties of lilies, but little of any other type of flower. I was really hoping to see a few fields of tulips or wild flowers, seeing I am not a big lily-girl, but that was not the case. After taking some photos and having a quiet lunch in the grass, we decided we would head toward a “family fun farm” that we spotted on the way. Once there, we enjoyed some killer lemonade before heading the rest of the way home. Lovely.

Hidden Falls – Auburn, CA.

Hidden Falls

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We decided that today would be a great day to get the dogs and kids and head for a hike. We waited until 10am, when Kennedy predictably would be sleepy, made some bottles, loaded the canine children, and headed out. Hidden falls is located near Auburn, CA and is about an hour drive from Sacramento. The trek to the falls wasn’t too far (1.25m) and downhill almost the whole way there. The falls themselves were pretty-ish, but not spectacular. I would guess if you made the hike during a non-drought time of year, maybe they would be more exciting. The highlight really was simply playing down in the creek with the other 20+ people dying of heat stroke. Kennedy loved it, and the dogs loved it even more. The way back was much less casual. With Kennedy snoozing in the carrier on my chest and an uphill climb all the way back, I was much less enthusiastic. I will definitely return with Nivek and the family for a longer trek when it’s a little cooler. There are a lot longer trails, and I’m guessing lesser-known and more interesting sights to behold (according to the map), so it’s definitely worthy of a return trip.

Doran Regional Park – Bodega Bay, CA.

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A few nights ago, Matt and I decided that since we only have one day off per-week together, and we rarely are able to escape for a vacation, we need to get out of town as often as possible for day trips with the family. While I have lived in Northern California for most of my life, there are many places nearby that I’ve never been, but have always wanted to see. We are going to try to stay within 2-3 hours of Sacramento, and are excited about all of the little adventures to come.

Yesterday we loaded the dogs and the kids up and headed to Doran Regional Park in Bodega Bay. I haven’t been to Bodega Bay since I was a little kid and it was really refreshing to just get to our feet in the sand. We usually go toward the Mendocino area, but at only a 2-hour drive, Bodega Bay was a decent alternative. We picked up some deli sandwiches at Pelican Plaza Grocery & Deli and wandered the beach for a few hours. The beach itself is nothing remarkable, but the surrounding areas were really beautiful, and allowing dogs on the beach is always a win for us.