For as much time as we spend in California you’d think that we’d have hit up most of the awesome spots or at least had a good handle on places we feel are awesome and nobody else knows about. Cambria, California on the Central Coast is one of those spots, of the first type: apparently […]
You know that we try to do slightly unconventional trips with the kids. Nothing crazy, but typically hitting more natural and historical sites over big ticket destinations. We just did one of our favorite road trips through California and it was different this time than any time before. We drove from Los Angeles to San […]
Enough people have asked us about Blue Spring State Park after seeing the pictures we’ve posted on Instagram and such that we just have to write about it and share our tips. Florida has over 1000 natural springs and they’re all a little different. Some are in high traffic areas like on the Crystal River […]
On the northern border of Everglades National Park there’s a pretty cool Florida landmark. No, we’re not talking about the Tamiami Trail, even though Highway 41 is fun to drive, but we’re talking about Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress is a part of the National Parks Service and it’s pretty cool with its swamps […]
We’ve shared all kinds of non-beach things to do in Florida because we just love how different Florida’s nature is from that of our local Pacific Northwest, but we certainly love the beaches too. From the edge of the Everglades to the start of the Panhandle, the Florida Gulf Coast beaches are beautiful and each […]
We have a solid appreciation for staying in a nice hotel in the middle of a long camping trip. On our recent Florida Gulf Coast road trip we enjoyed an awesome experience trekking up and down the coast in an Escape Campervan, but halfway through we were treated to a break at the Plantation on […]
Bucket list item: Everglades National Park. Done. Can’t wait to go back. Must explore more. The end. Just kidding, we have much more to say. So, the Everglades is the coolest area and we’ve never been anyplace else like it. Everglades National Park and the surrounding area will leave you saying wow and itching to […]
Our new favorite way to explore the USA: in an Escape Campervan. Recently we completed an incredible family road trip up Florida’s Gulf Coast. We visited four different National Park sites and saw more wildlife than we expected, and did it all from the comfort of our campervan. We were a little hesitant to go […]
Since the first time we visited Florida as a family we’ve wanted to see more and more of the Sunshine State. Florida offers a variety of family road trip options ranging from beach vacation, island hopping in the Keys, to exploring the one-of-a-kind nature on the Gulf Coast. We just completed an epic Florida Gulf […]
Somewhere between the skyscrapers of Los Angeles and the beaches of San Diego there’s pocket of Old California. When you’re touring Southern California it’s easy to just breeze on down to your final destination, but why would you when you could make some great SoCal stops? Mission San Juan Capistrano is one stop you have […]
California. That California life is so awesome with all that nature and sunshine. What better way to experience it than by doing a California coast road trip? We’re going to start at the northern border, but reverse our plan and you’ll have just as amazing of a time. So you’ve just crossed the border from […]
There’s no doubt that the West Coast of the USA is an awesome place full of diverse people, sights and nature. The cities of the West Coast are really progressive and each gives a totally different experience. We’re going to share with you how you can get the full West Coast road trip experience from […]
China offers the beautiful, the delicious, the weird, the perfect. China is awesome. It’s easy to plan a trip around visiting the big sites or famous spots, or even seeking out off-the-beaten-path places, but what about just the lesser-known or totally out of the way spots? Well, I’ve got tips to share with you for exploring […]
When you say Baja California, I think most people are instantly going to think “Off-roading and military car inspections…” Well, yeah, that’s totally possible and I’m sure you’ll come across that, but we’ve had some pretty incredible Baja road trips. Doing a road trip through Baja California is a really fun and interesting option for […]
Growing up in Washington with family in both northern and southern California, the West Coast road trip was guaranteed at least once per year… if not three times. This meant though that we got to experience everything: lighthouses and coastlines, hiking in the mountains or rides in Disneyland. Such an array. Now, being parents, we […]
So many ways to approach a West Coast road trip. Seriously. You can do the Pacific Coast Highway from the Olympic Peninsula of Washington all of the way to Tijuana, Mexico. Or you can shoot down the i-5 corridor, making intentional stops within an hour or two off the freeway. Or you can wing it […]
Going off the beaten path is something so many travelers strive for. You know that we’re usually traveling with kids, so we try to experience the less-crowded areas of the world when we can so they can see what the earth is actually like. When you ask somebody if it’s quiet in Yosemite National Park […]
When you live on the coast you get accustomed to certain maritime things. You know, like hearing fog horns, continually sweeping up sand in your house, having lighthouses in half of your family photos. We love lighthouses, but then you probably already knew that. While we were touring the Northern California coast we got to […]
After spending so much time up in the mountains and loving Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, we really needed to get to the ocean. At home we live across the street from the beach and can look at water whenever we want, so we’re used to it. Being land-locked doesn’t suit us. A […]
Why in the world are we making a non complete guide to lighthouses in the USA?? Simple: there are so many lighthouses that one could not possibly hope to visit them all… but we are trying to, so as we add more and more to our roster, we’ll share them too. Having a non complete […]
As Americans, we’re always thinking about venturing out to other countries and planning a week long trip here and two weeks there. When we look at going back to France, we know that it’s not ridiculous to plan a week or two to catch a few big sights and have time to relax. When we […]
Originally written for the Smart GayLife Before we had two kids, we were bold with our travel choices. We could throw caution out the window and road trip through rural Mexico and get stopped and searched by armed military. We could visit friends in San Francisco and stay out until 3am. We could trek through Canada […]
“The best laid plans of man…” I hate that phrase. It is so heavy with impossibility. But it’s true. Recently, we wrote an article about traveling in Europe and that by the time we got to Venice we were tired of being foiled at every turn, so we just had to go with the flow […]
We were fortunate to get to take the kids to Glacier National Park during summer 2015. Due to forest fires, most of the Park was closed, but we still had a great time in Eastern Glacier National Park. So, due to the restrictions we faced, here’s our abridged guide, or actually just a guide to the […]
Once upon a time (1872), in a faraway place (Washington, DC), there lived a mediocre looking prince named Ulysses S Grant. He was the President of the United States. At this time and a bit before, there was a group of people that had explored the Yellowstone area of Wyoming and convinced congress and the […]
One of our favorite things to do when traveling is to watch the sunset. The mood changes, the people quiet down (usually) and you say goodnight to the sun. And we do a lot of local travel, so Pacific Northwest sunsets have a special place in our hearts. Here are some of our favorite sunsets […]
Almost anyone in the world can tell you that Yellowstone National Park in the USA is the place you go to see geysers. Only the actual experience of being there will make you understand how amazing it is. True: there are millions of people in the Park throughout the summer, but that doesn’t mean that […]
Once you’ve conquered the road trip that is driving to Wyoming from wherever you actually start, you’ll have more planning…and more driving to do. I’m lucky because I love to drive. I used to be a driver-guide for a cruise company in Alaska even; that’s how much I love it. Other people, not so much. […]
Having two dads isn’t the norm. It’s true. But gosh, it would be nice if we ran into more families like ours out there. We do what we can to raise our kids just like any other parents do, but as they grow, we’ve got an extra step of calling out our family situation. We […]
I was challenged by a travel blogger that I really respect, Alba Luna, to do this post. She did one very similar and, like with her other posts, it was well written and inspiring. A bar has been set rather high for me to really dig into myself and do a good job sharing what […]
Originally written for GaysWithKids.com It’s funny. As I think about traveling as a gay man or as part of a gay family, I try to consider what makes our travels gay. Yeah, um, it’s just that we’re gay; nothing else. I was sitting here analyzing our adventures and writing and realized that our journeys aren’t […]
One of our favorite movies of all time is Maverick, starring Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson. I don’t know if it’s the humor, the ridiculous story or what, but if nothing else, there’s a lot to be said of the scenery. Deserts, prairies, cliffs, buttes, winding rivers. It’s amazing. If you’ve ever been to eastern Washington, […]
Originally written for GaysWithKids.com My husband and I aren’t shy people. We do karaoke, take the kids to nice restaurants, wear Euro-style swim trunks, hold hands as a family in public… You know, we’re not crazy but we’re not shy. This includes traveling to potentially homophobic places. We don’t intentionally put ourselves and our kids […]
We are heading out on our first camping trip as a family of four in just one month. We’ve booked a cabin halfway to our destination to break up the drive, and we’ve booked our reservations in Yellowstone National Park (camping for four nights). That’s it. We have no other reservations anywhere. Why not (I […]
I’m used to individual parenting. I mean, I’m home alone with the kids most of the time and I’m fine dealing with random tantrums and epic breakdowns with no logic behind them. When I’m on the road though and I’m staying in somebody else’s house, yeah no. At home I’m the epitome of patience and […]
We’re big on aquariums in our house. We have a local one that’s free and open only 4 days a week…and we go EVERY week. Seattle has one that’s a boat ride away and we’ve been pass holders. Tacoma has one that is paired with a zoo and that’s just a quick drive away. And […]
Once upon a time… Back in 2009 one of our friends randomly mentioned to us “Hey, do you guys want kids? Cuz my cousin mentioned that she’d be interested in being a surrogate in the future…” Well, we met and it was a perfect fit. She was amazing, she had sarcastic wit, and she possessed […]
Fifteen years ago today I graduated high school. It was not thrilling, but just another day that meant that life continued on, but without school. I had no clue what was going to happen for me. That was my life: no clear direction. Why do I mention that it’s been 15 years since high school? […]
2 dads traveling the globe with their 2 sons, teaching them the value of culture and education, experiencing the outdoors, and giving the kids a broad world view.
