Plan B… again

So it seems that I am becoming quite skilled at pivoting an entire travel itinerary. We had been planning since last Thanksgiving a family cruise to Alaska. We were going to have 15 of us fly into Vancouver, cruise through Alaska, explore Anchorage and Denali, then return back home. Unfortunately, the evening before we were suppose to fly out, the cruise line canceled our sailing due to engine trouble. To say I was heartbroken and disappointed would be a huge understatement. A few tears were definitely shed that evening.

This is not the first time I have had to face extreme disappointment of a change in travel plans, but I’ve had to decide to either shutdown or pivot. The first time was in 2020. I had been working with my parents and in laws on an epic 4 week road trip to the Grand Canyon and back. We had been working on the plans and booking all of the campgrounds for over a year and a half. Then, 2020 hit. I was so disappointed to have to go through and undo all of the work and time I had put into planning that trip. Thankfully, in 2021, the Lord gave us the opportunity to redeem part of our plans. Travel prices were so low that we were able to fly out to Las Vegas for practically nothing and road trip through Utah. We were able to experience the “Mighty Five” national parks in Utah. Plus the crowds were nonexistent. Our Plan B was so much better that what I had initially mapped out.

Then again in 2021, we had worked for months to plan a trip with our friends to Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton National Park. We had everything set and were so excited to take out kids to see these amazing places. Two weeks before we were to leave we all came down with COVID. I was heartbroken and frankly angry. Thankfully we all recovered well, but the trip was canceled. We then had plane ticket credits that would expire in just a couple of months. We brainstormed of a new location to explore. It was winter and we had to use our tickets in the US. We didn’t want to go anywhere cold, so we decided to pivot and go to Hawaii. The plane ticket prices were not much more, so we went for it. I dove head first in new plans. We ended up having one of our most magical and memorable trips ever as a family. Our kiddos still talk about it and ask to go back all of the time. Had we not had to cancel the first plans, we would never have had the opportunity for the unbelievable blessing of Maui.

I share all of that to say when plan a falls through you just may be surprised by an even better Plan B. The Lord has always been so kind to us and had protected us in so many ways by a change in plans. It doesn’t mean that I’m not upset or disappointed, but I know He is working things out according to His plan and timing.

So Alaska was a bust and we had less than 24 hrs to decide to cancel everything or try to plan something new. We decided to pivot. Since we already had the flight to Vancouver, we decided to start there. We would stay two nights and explore the city. We would then cross the border and travel down the west coast. Our target stops were Seattle, the Oregon coast, the Redwood forests in California, Napa Valley, Yosemite National Park, the California coast, and fly home from San Francisco. My in laws are adventurous troopers and joined us. We set off that morning with only our flights booked and a hotel for two nights in Vancouver. It was a little nerve racking and exciting to not have everything planned out.

Vancouver

This was our first time flying with our children internationally. They were so excited to have their own passports and to see a new country. We really enjoyed Vancouver. We stayed at the Best Western Premier Chateau Granville. It was nice and very centrally located. We arrived around midnight after a long and tiring travel day. The next morning we set out to explore the city. We rented bikes from Cycle City Tours. They were amazing. All over the city are designated bike lanes with much of them separated by a concrete barrier. This put my anxious worries at ease with having my kiddos pedaling around traffic. We headed toward Stanley Park. This place is huge and beautiful. They have totem poles, bridges, beautiful coast lines with beaches, and bike paths galore. We rented the bikes for a few hours and ended up riding around ten miles. This was a highlight for my kiddos and me. It was a fantastic way to see the city. We also walked around the shops at Granville Island after taking the smallest water taxi. It felt like a little toy boat. Vancouver also has a steam clock that plays a song on the hours. We had a very full day touring most of the city.

Washington

Our next stop was Washington. It was a fraction of the cost to rent a car in Vancouver and return it to Seattle, and then pick up a different car to return to San Francisco. Unfortunately, we underestimated the time it would take to cross the border and swap the rental cars. This ate up all of our morning. We had hoped to make it over to Mt. Rainier, but we just didn’t have time. We drove past the iconic Space Needle, and had lunch in the Pikes Place Market. This place was amazing. There were so many venders with fresh fruits, veggies, fish, and all other kinds of goods. It was a lot to take in but so fun. We continued on and stayed the night in Olympia. At this point we were booking hotel rooms while driving down the road usually the morning of our arrival. I have to say I was very thankful for Priceline.

Oregon

My mom had visited Washington and Oregon several years ago and told us of a waterfall that we couldn’t miss. She was right. I’m so thankful we made the stop at Multnomah Falls in Oregon. It was right off the highway and not too far of a detour. It is the tallest waterfall in the state at 620 feet tall. The water cascades down two falls with a scenic bridge at about the mid point. The hike to the bridge is short and easy and worth the view from mid-falls. We then headed towards the Oregon coast and Coos Bay. Once we made it through the urban areas the landscape changed to open farmland and dense forests. The coast was spectacular. There are even massive sand dunes right along the Pacific Ocean. Shore Acres State Park was just outside Coos Bay. They have gorgeous cliffs that fall into the ocean, tide pools that my kiddos thoroughly enjoyed, beautiful gardens, and a symphony of seals, sea lions, and elephant seals. We watched the sunset to this soundtrack, found a delicious local restraint for fresh halibut, and hit the bed hard.

California

The Redwood Forest and National Park is expansive. We stopped first at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. This park had wonderful reviews and highly rated hikes. We were all blown away at the sheer size and grandeur of these magnificent trees. To see them in person just blows your mind. Pictures can’t do it justice. One of the trees we stopped by was so large that our entire family including my in-laws (9 people) could not hold hands and reach all around this tree. We hiked an easy trail called the Grove of Titans. It could not have been named more fittingly. It was like walking through Jurassic Park, but instead of dinosaurs it was giant redwood trees. Every corner you turned opened up to a new surprise and spectacular view. It was so difficult to even capture these giants with pictures. They just didn’t fit. On our way to the Redwood National Park we had to stop by a little roadside attraction of the Drive Thru Tree. It was a tight squeeze and only a few minutes, but totally worth the experience of driving thru a tree! We even spotted a herd of elk! That was an unexpected surprise. We enjoyed another little hike through the forest and then made our way to Eureka for the night.

We had a few hours drive the next day to Napa Valley. This section of California reminds me so much of Tuscany and is the perfect conditions to grow some of the best grapes for the best wine. We stopped in Calistoga to eat lunch and walk around the shops before our wine tasting. We had made reservations at Castello di Amorosa. I had researched that this was one of the best places for a tour and wine tasting with kiddos. It offered a self guided tour of its castle along with the tasting. The owner spent 15 years constructing an authentic Italian castle from imported stones that were handcrafted by Italian craftsmen. The property and grounds were impressive. We had a wonderful tasting experience in the castle’s courtyard. The kiddos especially enjoyed their tasting of moscato grape juice (non-alcoholic of course). It was a wonderful way to enjoy the afternoon and the beauty of this spectacular place.

Just a few hours to the southeast of Napa is Yosemite National Park. This park has been on our bucket list for some time. It is just a little difficult to get to, so we hadn’t made it yet. I was so excited to explore this national park. To be honest, I hadn’t had much of a chance to really research what all this park has to offer. However, upon driving in the beauty and lure of this place came to life. The park is enormous, but the main things to see are really centrally located in Yosemite Valley. I will warn you that the road system in the park can be very frustrating. It is a one way loop with very few cross points. They were also doing some road construction that closed some of these crosspoints and made navigating challenging. Their signage could also use some improvement. If you missed your exit, too bad. You were now on a 20 minute journey around the loop again. Really, other than that the park was amazing. We enjoyed the view and hike to Bridal Veil Falls as well as Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. El Capitan was astonishing especially seeing the climbers hanging off its edge. This was even more exciting to see them at night. All you could see was the light from their flashlights on the face of this 7,573 foot mountain. The visitors center was wonderful, and my kiddos enjoyed earning their junior ranger badges. A trip to Yosemite wouldn’t be complete without a view of Half Dome. My husband and I were able to take a solo hike up to Vernal Falls. This was a hard 4.5 mile hike due to the elevation gain, but it was worth it. My husband and three boys went out on an epic and all day hike to Clouds Rest. This was a 16 mile hike that began at Tenaya Lake and ended in Yosemite Valley. My boys said this was the hardest hike they have ever done. It was miles of near straight up and down. They were exhausted to say the least. We spent two nights at Sequoias West which was a town home just about 30 minutes outside the valley. This made getting into the park super easy. Yosemite Valley is located about an hour to an hour and a half from the park entrances.

Our next stop was to the California coast. We made our way to Santa Cruz. This is a fun little surf town with a laid back vibes and a cool pier. We had lunch on the pier and enjoyed an up close encounter with the sea lions. We even found a sea lion who reminded us of our golden retriever Phoebe. They had the same coloring and facial expressions. My kiddos named her Seabe. We had talked with some locals and heard about a place called the Garden of Eden in the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. You hiked down a ravine and there was a little swimming hole in the river. The kids enjoyed the cool water and some time to just let loose.

Our last full day of the trip we spent the morning stopping at several places along the California coast. There were so many fun places to pull off the road and enjoy the beach or take in the sights of the magnificent cliffs that seem to just jut into the ocean. We even passed a Taco Bell that is located ocean side on the top of a cliff. A Taco Bell with a view, who would have thought? We spent the afternoon hitting the highlights of San Francisco. We indulged in a sundae at Ghirardelli Square, walked Fisherman’s Warf, watched the sea lions on Pier 33, and admired Alcatraz from afar. We also stopped by the Painted Ladies, because I grew up watching Full House and my girls love Fuller House. We all enjoyed the crookedest street in America, Lombard Street. This was really fun to drive down. The kids were mesmerized by the crazy steep hills. We eventually made our way over to the Golden Gate Bridge. We stayed our last night in Pacifica.

As we flew home, I was incredibly grateful for this sweet time with my family exploring and experiencing new places and new things. I love the adventure. This was not the initial trip I had worked months to plan, but it was full of excitement and gorgeous places. It is one we will all remember. Plan B wasn’t so bad after all.