For the next two days, we begin our journey across Northern Nevada and into Utah. Jeanne and I are similar travel companions, in that we avoid interstates at all cost. All the fun stuff you encounter on a road trip are on the smaller, windier, less speedy paths. So it was, of course, our intent to take highway 50 rather than I-80 …until we discovered highway 50 is also referred to as "the Loneliest Road in America." Although I will admit for a moment, I considered it. As a pe

Today we completed what I am terming a Trippin’ Triathlon. It began with a morning hike to Eagle Falls, with a view of Emerald Cove, an afternoon swim and paddle boarding in Lake Tahoe, followed by a before dinner 5.5-mile bike ride, with an extra dip in the lake to cool off. Never have I been so exhausted. Yet somehow my boys still have the energy to drive me bananas in our ever so roomy RV. If they do not fall asleep, and soon, I believe I will lose all hope. I can think o

My love for photography began at my Grandmother’s farm, the Lazy BN Ranch in Taylor Arizona. My sisters and I would stay there for the summer running around chasing horses, catching crawdads, and swimming in the cow’s water troughs. I remember the first time I brought a camera for the summer; all around me I saw beauty, and I was eager to capture it. It was those first images of weather worn barns, tractor equipment in an overgrown field, the wishing well covered in morning g

Since the beginning of this adventure, I have seen many of my children's fears and anxieties disappear. When everything around you is so mesmerizing, it is impossible not to want to participate in the beauty around you, causing them to forget any phobia that may have prevented them before. This is especially true about the lakes we have encountered on our travels. It puts a grin on my face to see Asher, a kid who has anxieties about the pool, swimming with the fish and ducks

We have seen some pretty incredible things on this trip. It seems as if the California landscape is boundless in its beauty with so much to explore and see. But I don’t know if anything can compare to Yosemite National Park. “It is by far the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter.” – John Muir, 1868. As we entered Yosemite from the West entrance to the Tioga Road, the sky was gray, and the smell of smoke lingered in the air. Amy said it r

Today we hit the road and put the coast behind us as we head inland to the mountains. Today also means saying goodbye to Dad, who sadly has to go back to work (womp, womp). But for Jeanne, the boys and I, our adventure continues with our first stop in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park where we will be meeting my sister Amy and her family for a week of full blown camping. We are headed to the mountains to sit among the giant sequoia trees. Here there is no electricity, no

Today was an incredible day! As we traveled North with my family in the RV, kids in the back laughing, great music playing, the amazing scenery around us, and Jedediah there to appreciate it all with me; if I could have willed the sun to stay out longer, I would have. I wish all days were as stunning as today was. We started our journey heading North on the iconic Highway 1 up the coast. Because of a long wet winter, much of the highway further North was closed due to landsli

I have found the beach of my dreams located on the coast in Malibu. I knew I wanted to stop here because not everyone loves the ocean, so beaches with interesting places to climb and explore are a perfect compromise for my vastly different children. Sebastian is happy in the waves, Holden along the waters edges and Asher safe and dry climbing on the rocks. After exploring this incredible beach, Jedediah and I immediately began feeding our fantasy and looking up real-estate a