2018: A Year in Review

Do you ever look back on the previous year and think, what the heck did we do? It seems like for all of the wishing and planning, we never get to the trips on the list.

That is, until I ask Steven to send me a list of all of the adventures we have been on this past year… and then I realize that we actually did more than I remembered!

I’m not exactly sure why we forget how much traveling we were able to do, but I think it’s because we’re so often caught up in “every day” life – work, parenting, family obligations, etc. – that we overlook just how much we were able to accomplish in 365 days. These honestly feel like little blips on the radar until you write them down. And now that I’m writing these out, I’m amazed at how much we accomplished!

(Note to Self: Start documenting more of our adventures as they happen!)

In January, Steven kicked off the New Year with his good friend Daniel in Yosemite National Park for two days. Daniel and Steven are kindred spirits, but they don’t see each other often as Daniel lives in New York. So when he came to visit, it only made sense for those two to catch up uninterrupted over a quick trip in Upper Pines campground.

Later that month, we had big ambitions to head northeast and camp out of the van near Ice House Reservoir. That didn’t work out so well… we probably should have known by the name of the place! There was a TON of snow, and given that we didn’t come prepared, we made our way back down the hill and settled for an overnighter at Sly Park Recreation Area at Jenkinson Reservoir. The good news is that we discovered a sweet little spot, which isn’t too far from where my BFF Laura lives in El Dorado Hills. We definitely made a mental note to bookmark this place for future trips.

Usually every Summer we head up towards Pinecrest with my parents and brothers’ families. This year, we thought it would be fun to try something new – like going to the snow earlier in the year. So in mid-February, we rented a cabin in Bass Lake and hit the road. Unfortunately, it was pretty warm that weekend, so we didn’t have any snow play. Another downer was that my brother Lucas’ entire family was suffering from some bug, so they had to skip the trip. ? On the bright side, we had a fun time with my new Instax mini camera, trying new face masks, napping with Grandpa, watching Coco and exploring Bass Lake (or lack thereof – the lake was bone dry!).

Only a few weeks later in early March, we headed back to Bass Lake with our dear friends Bryan, Lauren and their daughter Grace (who’s the same age as Harvey, and also his future wifey ?). It’s always a blessing to have great friends who love to get out there and explore. Once again, we were hoping for snow! (Hey – when you live in a place that never snows, you’re always in search of it.) And this time, Bass Lake delivered… the second day, we woke up to fresh powder! The kids were STOKED. We also trekked up to Fish Camp, where we donned all of our snow gear and sled down the hills. Hands down, it was one of our favorite trips this year. We laughed so hard and had so much fun!

In April, we headed west to Santa Cruz, where we stayed a couple of nights at the KOA there. We actually didn’t intend to stay at a KOA, but most of the other beach campgrounds were booked solid. (We have a tendency to take impromptu trips, which leaves us in these types of predicaments.) The kids LOVED the KOA. Where else can you find a jumping pillow, a pool, a playground, LOTS of other kids, and a train that chugs through the campground every day? For Steven and I, it was great to see the kids so happy… if we exclude that two-hour meltdown Harvey had. But we’re not exactly fans of asphalt camping. Regardless, we made the most of it!

In May, Jenkinson Reservoir was calling our names again. If you’ve never been and you’re in California, we highly recommend it! It’s so peaceful and pretty. It was Mother’s Day weekend, which has quickly become a favorite tradition to pack up and head out. (Sorry Mom and MIL!) When we arrived, the weather was gorgeous! We had a nice lakeside stroll, and I distinctly remember shedding layers to get a bit of a tan. Next thing we knew, Steven’s parents surprised us with lunch! After heading back to our campsite to relax and chit-chat, dark clouds rolled in and it started to rain. And then it started to POUR. Mind you, we were camping out of our van… so cramming into a small space made for a lot of laughs! Soon it started to settle down, which was perfect timing as Steven’s parents headed out. By that time, my BFF Laura and her hubby Joe met up with us, bringing some delicious steak and chayote, which is a Mexican squash that’s to die for. We BBQ’d it up and enjoyed each other’s company.

Steven and I had crazy aspirations to #vanlife it for a week. Partly because it sounded like fun, and partly because we wanted to see how we’d all do in cramped quarters for seven days. So in early June, we packed up the van and headed to the Eastern Sierras! By far, this was one of our best trips as a family. It also warrants its own blog post, given that we crammed quite a bit into the time we were there. We explored Mammoth Lakes, which is beyond beautiful. And there’s so much to see there! There we found a new staple meal for us at Food Cache Café – avocado bowls! We now make these on the regular. We spent the day at June Lake – also a gorgeous spot. Not a ton of people, which is surprising given the incredible views. (The water is always pretty cold, though!) In Bridgeport, we settled at a super cute spot to camp that we found on Hipcamp called Paradise Shores. Needless to say, we fell in love. (If you ever head out that way, say hello to owners Alan and Veronica for us!) We also checked out Bodie State Historic Park, which is a LEGIT ghost town, and Travertine Hot Springs. Both are must-stop spots if you’re in the area. I could go on and on about this trip, but the main takeaway is that 1) it’s become one of our favorite places to be; and 2) we survived 7 days living in the van. ?

Towards the end of June, Steven was starting to prep for his solo hike on the John Muir Trail, slated for mid-August. It’s a bit tough for us to get hiking time in, as we’re at least 1.5 hour away from decent trails. Knowing this, Steven was able to plan a quick solo trip out near Pinecrest, called the Gem Lake Loop in Emigrant Wilderness. While he isn’t a newbie when it comes to solo trips, it was a good refresher. And Ruby got to join in on the fun!

As we do with the Dias clan, the Nascimento family also plans an annual Summer weekend getaway. This year our trip fell in mid-July. We always do Pinecrest, which is a quick and familiar spot that everyone loves. Whether it’s cooking meals as a family or hanging out at the lake, this is one tradition that brings us all closer.

One weekend after our Pinecrest trip, I headed up to Murphys for our annual girls weekend. My closest girlfriends and I plan a weekend together where we let loose and basically laugh all weekend long. Trust me when I say that this type of trip is GOOD FOR MY SOUL. If you’ve never been to Murphys, Calif. I highly recommend it! It’s a great little wine town.

August was a BIG month for us! Steven completed his 9-day, 200+ mile solo hike along the John Muir Trail. And I survived one week solo with the kids! I honestly can’t do that trip justice, as it is Steven’s story to tell. (Trust me, I’ve been hounding him to capture it in writing. But you can watch Steven’s entire trip on our Instagram Highlights!) Once Steven completed his trek, we met up together in Bridgeport, where we once again sought refuge and relaxation at Paradise Shores. This time though, we splurged on staying in one of their beautifully decorated campers, which was AWESOME. It was also a very special trip because Steven’s parents came with me to surprise him post-hike. We got to show them around one of our favorite places, which brought us a lot of joy.

Because no girls trip goes without the guys griping, Steven and the boys headed up to Pinecrest again to camp with our friend Jaime, his brother Tony and our nephews in October. Basically, the guys drank beer while the little boys ran around like wild things. And in typical guy fashion, Steven took only a couple of pics. ?

In mid-October, we were all itching to get out of the Central Valley and go explore. We saw that the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees in Yosemite had recently reopened, so we took off towards Yosemite. We had trouble finding places to camp, so it ended up being a pretty quick getaway for us! The boys had a blast exploring these massive historical trees.

In November, we headed out to Calaveras Big Trees State Park to celebrate Steven’s birthday. It’s a great spot for little ones! Unfortunately, Harvey was suffering from the early stages of an ear infection. After one night, we thought it would be best to pack it up and head home.

And finally, our last trip of the year we went to Yosemite with our nephew Jaxon in December. Since we got the van, Jax has been asking to join us on a camping trip. Once again, we were hoping to see some snow, since Yosemite is breathtakingly beautiful when covered in white powder. Unfortunately, we didn’t find much snow in the Valley, but we found a little bit up at the Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area. The best part of this trip was also a first for us – we stayed at our first tiny house! Located in Midpines, it was a bit too far outside of the park for our liking, but a fun experience nonetheless.

With all that said (and yes, I know we’ve said a lot!), it really does go to show that you can pack quite a bit into one year. We’re excited for 2019, which undoubtedly will offer us the greatest adventure of our lives.

What was your favorite trip of 2018? And where will you go in 2019?