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Million Miler Mom

Hi! I’m Kristina. Join me as I share my experiences traveling with my husband and 3 kids around the globe.

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What to Consider When Selecting a Vacation Rental with Kids September 27, 2021
What is a Workcation and How to Make it Work for You September 6, 2021
Travel Review: My Stay at Civana Resort in Arizona July 30, 2021

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With yesterday being the first day of fall, I coul

With yesterday being the first day of fall, I could not be more excited for everything pumpkin, harvest festivals and dreaming of cool, crisp weather (thankfully, I have at least one trip planned where I should get this!) 🍁🍂🍃

For those in the Northern Hemisphere, what are you most excited about this fall?

📌 Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch, 2017

#pumpkins #pumpkinpatch #pumpkinpatches #pumpkinpatchkids #pumpkinpatchfun #pumpkinpatchphotoshoot #spinafarms #sanjose #bayareakids #bayareamoms #familyfun #norcalpumpkinpatch #sanjosepumpkinpatch #fall #finallyfall #fallyall #fallisintheair #fallphotography #seasonschanging @spinafarmspumpkinpatch

Do you like checking out coffee shops when you tra

Do you like checking out coffee shops when you travel? We definitely do!

Since I became a coffee-addict about 6 years ago (made it through college, grad school and several years of working without it. Being a mom of two + international business travel got me started), our daily routine does focus on stopping for a cup, or two, along the way ☕

I love finding locally-owned spots that are family friendly where we can grab a drink and some food as we start our day or as a midday refresh.

What is your go-to drink when you go out for coffee (or tea)? Mine is an iced vanilla coffee with some heavy cream. Even if it’s freezing outside….still 100% team iced coffee!

#tuolumnecounty #mytuolumne #mytuolumnecounty #revivecoffee #coffee #coffeeshop #coffeeshops #coffeeshopsoftheworld #coffeehouse #shopsmall #bakedfreshdaily #coffeevibes #dailycoffee #hotcocoa #hotchocolate #warmdrinks #falldrinks #hotchocolatetime #indulge #coldcoffee #colddrink #kidswhotravel #kidstraveling #kidtraveller #kidstraveljournal #kidstravel

🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️ Raise your hand if you

🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️ Raise your hand if you love flowers? Whether it's a neighborhood florist or visiting a farm for fresh-cut blooms, I love incorporating plants and flowers into my life.

This spot in Berkeley, California is called Moe's Flowers and it was right next to my college dorm. I used to treat myself to a few stems each week to brighten up my room.

I got a chance to visit Moe's Flowers this past August on my Berkeley Staycation with my kids. The original owner was still there and he remembered me. I bought a houseplant from him, and guess what, it is alive and thriving!

Important question today: Can you keep a houseplant alive or are they ☠ the moment they get into your house?

#florist #floral #floralshop #roses #moesflowers #berkeleyca #eastbaylove #berkeley #staycation #travellocal #supportsmallbusiness #shopsmall #familytravelgram #myfamilytravel #littletraveler #californiatravelblogger #roadtripcalifornia #exploringcalifornia #visitcali #beautifulphoto #kidsofinstagram #kidswhotravel

As September begins, I'm trying to wrap my head ar

As September begins, I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that I've been working from home for nearly 18 months! When I went home from work on Friday, March 6, 2020, I was so confident this was temporary that I left a full container of Clorox wipes on my desk!

While we've adapted in so many ways, I'm looking forward to the freedom to be more flexible and spontaneous again. I think the thing I'm most looking forward to is being able to travel without having to decipher all the guidelines and testing requirements by country! 😊

What is one thing you're looking forward to in the future when it comes to travel in the future?

《 A rare moment of my kids all holding hands (voluntarily) at the Monterey Bay Aquarium 》

#travel #travelready #travelwithkids #travelingfamily #travelingwithkids #daytrip #daycation #welcomeback #montereybayaquarium #aquarium #montereybay #seemonterey #visitmonterey #member #kidsactivities #familieswhotravel

Just north of the Bay Area is the small town of Gu

Just north of the Bay Area is the small town of Guerneville, home of to a stretch of the Russian River. It is an absolutely perfect spot for a family getaway. One of the places to add to your itinerary is @johnsons_beach

🚩Johnson's Beach is open, weather permitting, mid-May to the end of September annually. Starting August 23rd, it will now only be weekends.

If you can't get there this year, save this post so you can check it out next year.

🏕 While you can stay at Johnson's Beach (lodge, cabins and campsites available), they also welcome day guests.

⛱ Day guests can choose from socially distanced spots that are riverfront ($40), 2nd row ($25) or 3rd row ($15). Each spot comes with one umbrella and can accommodate up to 4 people. You can add on a second umbrella and beach chairs. Parking is available for a small fee. I recommend this especially if you have little ones.

🏊‍♀️ Johnson's Beach is great for kids as the water is shallow and calm. We brought with a few inflatables and some beach toys. They do rent inner tubes ($10), kayaks ($40-50) and canoes ($50).

🥪 They often have a food vendor on-site but, just in case, it's good to bring some provisions. We did a picnic lunch but you could also grab a pizza from Smart Pizza up the street to bring down.

🛶 What to bring: Beach chairs, padded beach blanket and sandals/water shoes (rocky beach), swimsuits, hat, sunglasses, towels, beach toys (buckets and some little boats were the biggest hit), inflatable water toys, life jackets for little ones.

⚠️ There is a toxic algae in the Russian River at the moment. The algae mats are blue-green color. We didn't see any but, out of an abundance of caution, we just had the kids playing in the shallow water and did not let them submerge their heads.

🚫 No dogs allowed, except for service dogs.

When you visit a river, do you prefer to float in an inner tube or paddle in a kayak or canoe?

#russianriver #russianrivervalley #sonomawithkids #sonoma #westsonomacounty #sonomacountytourism #sonomacounty #californiasummer #guerneville #monterio #forestville #winecountry #johnsonsbeach #bayarea

I couldn't possibly go to Berkeley and not visit m

I couldn't possibly go to Berkeley and not visit my alma mater. If you plan a stay at @claremonthotel (from my last post), this is just a short drive away. I actually really enjoy visiting college campuses with my kids - during school breaks, it's even better so you're not dealing with crowds! While the kids wanted to know why my school didn't have a playground, 🤣 they did enjoy running around, checking out the buildings and getting a souvenir from the student store.

If you head to the U.C. Berkeley campus, be sure to visit:

▪️Sather Tower (aka The Campanile, shown in this photo). When it's open again, you can take an elevator up to the observation deck.
▪️Memorial Glade in front of the Bancroft Library - a beautiful spot that is great to check out, especially on a sunny day.
▪️Sather Gate, right near Sproul Plaza, is a great photo opportunity and a vibrant area of the campus.
▪️Off-campus, head one block over to Durant Avenue to grab frozen yogurt from Yogurt Park and then grab some flowers from Moe's Flowers across the street.

Do you like visiting university campuses when you travel? Tell me about your favorite one in the comments!

📸: Christopher for @snappr in Berkeley, California

#ucberkeley #berkeleyca #california #berkeley #calberkeley #eastbaylove #northerncalifornia #visitberkeley #college #university #collegecampus #campanile #thecampanile #sathertower #sathertowercampanile #sathergate #sproulplaza #snappr #familyphotography #familypictures #momandkids #3kids #siblings #familyfun #summer #summertime #mom #motherhood #momlife

When you travel, do you find ways to give back to

When you travel, do you find ways to give back to the local community? I like to but it can be confusing to know what is needed, how to distribute and so on.

My favorite resources are:
▪️@packforapurpose - this non-profit has an extensive directory of destinations with names of local properties. It will show what organizations they support and what supplies are most needed. You simply drop off to the lobby of your property and they will take care of getting it to the right place.
▪️We also love the @goanddogood directory - Meg highlights properties that give back to their communities in various ways. And she finds really cool and interesting spots so you can do good and check out a new place!
▪️I've also used good old Google to find places to accept donations but it can be a bit tricky in terms of coordination. On a recent trip to Belize, we did bring a bunch of clothes and supplies and just coordinated with the manager of an orphanage to leave it on the front steps. This allowed for no disruptions to the children.

Would love to hear any experiences you've had with donating to local organizations when you have traveled.

#packforapurpose #giveback #community #travel #traveling #goanddogood #belize #donations #volunteering #meaningfultravel #responsibletravel #dogood #socialgood #centralamericatravel #centralamerica

After a day of relaxation at @civanaresort yesterd

After a day of relaxation at @civanaresort yesterday, I turned it up a notch today and opted for a little adventure by going on an early bird hike to nearby Jewel of the Creek Preserve.

Civana made hiking so easy - they had two friendly guides waiting for us in the lobby who shuttled us to the trailhead, they had extra water for everyone and we learned so much about the local ecosystem along the way. The loop was about 2 miles.

Arizona received an unprecedented amount of rain the past few days so there was a good amount of water. The monsoon also washed out a bridge so we took our shoes and socks off and waded across (only about a foot deep) but not what we had expected!

Nonetheless, it was a fun day and looking forward to the rest of my stay at Civana!

Have you ever had an unexpected detour on a hike? I'd love to hear about it!

#civanacarefree #civanaresort #carefreeaz #wellness #wellnessspa #luxuryresort #luxurywellness #arizonaspa #arizonaresort #arizonahotel #visitarizona #girlfriendgetaway #girlstrip #momcation #couplesgetaway #saguarocactus #arizonacactus #jewelofthecreek #jewelofthecreekpreserve #maricopacounty #visittheusa #outdoorusa #desertfoothillslandtrust #cactus #cactiofinstagram

NEW BLOG POST: Planning a stay at Railroad Park Re

NEW BLOG POST: Planning a stay at Railroad Park Resort in Dunsmuir, California 🚂

Did you know there's a place to stay in Northern California where your hotel room is actually an authentic train caboose? Look no farther than @railroadparkresort

Some tips:
▪️For my families of 5 out there, they have two cabooses which sleep 5 (1 Queen bed, 3 Twin beds). Be sure to plan ahead to snag one of these!
▪️Railroad Park Resort has a pool and hot tub. We love having an onsite amenity like this to keep the kids busy.
▪️So much to do in the area - head up to @lakesiskiyoucampresort and kayak, paddleboard or boat
▪️@mtshastaskipark has summer recreation including hiking, biking and disc golf ⛳
▪️From the Bay Area, it is a 4-5 hour drive so consider doing this along another destination. Need some ideas? How about Burney Falls (1 hour) or Lassen National Park (less than 2 hours). If you're OK with another 4 hours, you could do Sunriver, Oregon, Crater Lake National Park or Redwood National Park.

Have you ever visited this part of California?

#visitcalifornia #seesiskiyou #siskiyou #discoversiskiyou #dunsmuir #familytravel #shasta #mountshasta #norcalroadtrip #californiasummer #railroadparkresort #train #trainlovers #trainenthusiast #uniqueaccommodations #coolaccommodations #travelinspiration #travelideas #bayareafamilyfun #bayarearoadtrip

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