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Berkeley Aquatic Park – Berkeley, CA.

So, I know we went Disc golfing last weekend, but we had so much fun we wanted to go again. This time we headed to Berkeley where it was a nice (almost chilly) 73 degrees. Actually, it was cold enough to where we ventured through worlds most lame intersection to Target for a few sweaters because the shade and wind had a little bite. Of course, as you can see from the photos, my two weather testers failed because we obviously didn’t need them and will be returning them today.

This course was fun, but there were definitely a lot of opportunities to go hunting/ lose your disc (-2). The course stayed along the waterway, which created a pretty and sparkly backdrop to it all. On the way there we finally tired the Dutch Bros. and while it was good, it was just good. But, we’re not foo-foo coffee drinkers either, so maybe that’s with the hype. Kennedy really enjoyed the cups though, so kudos there. The trip ended with Kennedy forcing kisses out of her brother, and Nivek reluctantly giving in and trying to avoid them. Oh tweenagers, don’t you know these are the best of memories.

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Auburn Regional Park – Auburn, CA.

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Matt use to play a lot of disc golf with his friends. Neither Nivek nor I had really ever played. Since our Sunday morning was thwarted by football picture day, we opted to keep our Sunday closer to home and headed to Auburn District Regional Park for some disc golf. Overall, we all had a great time. Matt asserted his manly dominance. Nivek whined about the trees jumping in front of him. I learned I am profane when it comes to Frisbee flinging, and Kennedy was a trooper… A filthy, snotty, beautiful trooper.

See also:
Exhibit A: The first photo was taken with my phone right before we left.
Exhibit B: The last photo was taken right after I got her out if the car at home.

Keep it classy, Kennedy.

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Lake Almanor, CA.

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We woke early Sunday morning, grabbed our coffee and hit the road. Usually we don’t drive quite so far for our Sunday road trips, but since this included some pretty great friends, babies, and a cabin on the lake, we were all in. It took us about 3 hours to get there; the roads were surprisingly clear and the babe slept like a babe. Our friends (Mcrae & Mark) were at breakfast when we arrived so we unloaded the car onto the porch and headed up the side of the hill to this pretty sweet tee-pee that Jeremiah “the strong” and Mark made the day before. After about an hour we brought all of or stuff inside and Mcrae and I settled into and afternoon of chatting and babies while Mark and Matt opted to gain a man-card by fishing on the lake. Eventually, the boys returned with 3 trout, dinner was made, the babes were in bed and we played “Cards Against Humanity” late into the night. In the morning Mcrae made coffee and breakfast, and we slowly made our way to the car and back home. It was a perfectly simple and satisfying weekend.

Jumpsuit | Cotton Bottom

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Mt. Judah / Pacific Crest Trail – Truckee, CA.

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When we woke up this morning, we really didn’t have a plan as to where we were going. After eating pancakes and hearing about the earthquake in Napa, we knew that we would not be heading in that direction for our Sunday trip. This, of course, ultimately led to last minute stress and crankiness on my part; it was Kennedy’s nap time and she wasn’t about to let that fact go unnoticed… and we still hadn’t a clue as to where we were going. With a quick google and a grumble, we loaded up two kids and two dogs for Mt. Judah with zero expectations. It really wasn’t until half way there that I realized we weren’t going to South Lake Tahoe, and that we might actually have a good time… and I needed to drink more coffee.

Kennedy snoozed the whole way. Phew. We arrived around noon and were immediately taken by how green and beautiful it all was. We parked just up the street from SugarBowl Resort, and walked back toward the Pacific Crest Trail. The beginning half of the hike was a long zigzag up the mountain. It really doesn’t take long before you want to pull out the camera. The views were beautiful, really. You would have no idea that the state was in droughtville. Kennedy spent most of the trip on my back, until Henry decided to poop out. Normally Huckleberry is the fatso of the group. This time Henry was panting heavily right off. I think the high altitude affected him more than the rest of us. As you can see, Matt ended up carrying a baby this time too. We wandered until about four when we decided to head back toward home.

Our trip ended with a few burgers from In-N-Out (and a grilled cheese). It was one of my more favorite hikes that we’ve had. Even though I wasn’t expecting much, I would really like to go again. Definitely recommend.

Harem Pants | Sweet Lucy Jack

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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

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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.

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Hidden Falls – Auburn, CA.

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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.

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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.