In the summer of 2022, the girls and I hopped on a plane headed to LAX to spend summer vacation visiting family, friends and some new spots in an area we have already explored a lot! While I love that there are plenty of places on the west coast that the girls feel comfortable and love to return to, I also like exposing them (and me) to new spots occasionally. On this trip we had a nice mix! And no matter where we were, we had sunshine, water, beautiful nature and loved ones.

Over the past 15 years of parenting, long haul flights with the girls have gone from chaotic, stressful, exhausting ordeals to fun, relaxing, bonding adventures. What a wonderful season of parenting we are enjoying! (Steffen and the puppy sadly had to stay home.)

We started out in the the southern part of Southern California doing some of our favorite things: swimming at various pools around the area, browsing the book section of Target, having delicious meals with family and enjoying the natural beauty.

We also added something new by request from the girls (i.e. Charlotte): a day trip to Hollywood complete with a meal at the Hard Rock Cafe, a visit to the TCL Chinese Theater, a walk along the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a visit to the Hollywood sign.

We then headed north up Highway 1, stopping in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Avila Beach and the Año Nuevo Coast Preserve to see the elephant seals. Highway 1 is my favorite drive, and it was very special to share it with the girls.

Afterwards we stopped in Santa Cruz for a few days of fun with friends. We spent the day at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk which was a staple in my childhood since my grandparents lived nearby. We spent many a summer day there, and I’m so glad the girls got a chance to experience it as well. Then we spent a morning hiking through the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park enjoying some quiet and fresh air.

We continued north, all the way through San Francisco and across the Golden Gate Bridge to visor friends and family in the North Bay. Then we heard back south to the Peninsula where we had some time to chill with our closest friends. A hike in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, a mini-golf game, lunch at Lake Chabot and pedicures for everyone were all on the agenda.

A highlight of our extended trips to the USA is usually a cousin-aunties meet up and on this trip we tried someplace new: Bass Lake. We were hoping to make it into Yosemite for a day or two but wildfires prevented that. We still had fun exploring various spots around the lake, even renting a boat one afternoon. It’s always nice to have some time to hang out together.

Our last stop on our epic adventure was Disneyland! We spent two days covering every inch of both parks, loving every minute. We stayed at the Tropicana Inn & Suites which turned out to be a really great choice. It’s reasonably priced and is easy walking distance to the park and several restaurants. The room was bog enough for the 5 of us, and we could see the fireworks from the balcony. A pleasant surprise!