Building Trails

Author: Katie Klumpp

  • Exploring Maui

    Exploring Maui

    Hawaiian adventures with two spirited young children

    Our family loved Maui. Ariel continues to ask for us to move to Hawaii. We miss the sun, sand, ocean, and pool. Our explorations took us down to the beach and up to Haleakala Crater.

    On a typical day we spent the morning at the beach and the afternoon at the pool. Our kids our young so we had quite time at the condo after lunch. After dinner and getting the kids to bed, we sipped wine, wrote in our travel journal, watched the sunset, and planned the remaining trip. 

    Our favorite beach was Kamaole Beach II. It was a short walk from our condo and we found a favorite spot with shade in the morning. We also explored Kamaole Beach I, Big Beach, and even Little Beach. At the beach, our kids enjoyed running into the waves and playing in the sand. Ariel would eventually “sunbathe” on one of the mats with a towel over her. J and I took turns going snorkeling. My first time out I froze as I saw something dark approach me. A shark!? No, a sea turtle! She swam right under me. By the time I got back to shore, I was shaking with excitement to share my encounter with my family. Eventually J saw one as well plus an octopus. There was generally plenty of life to see underwater.

    Pool time was more active for the kids than beach time. Despite being unable to swim at the time, both kids loved the pool. They enjoyed moving around the kid pool, floating around the grown up pool, and jumping in to a parent’s arms.

    Our family adventures included a driving to Lahaina for a ride on the Reef Dancer and inland to hike Haleakala Crater. The first was a good fit for our two younger kids. Ariel seemed to enjoy watching the scuba divers more than the wildlife. J and I had fun watching the kids take it all in and seeing some wildlife ourselves. After the boat trip we explored Lahiana. We especially loved the Lahaina Banyan Tree. We did not watch the sunset at Haleakala Crater but we still enjoyed clear skies and perfect views. We did a decent hike down (and back up) the Sliding Sands trail. Our favorite piece of trivia from the day is that the Haleakala Crater is really an Eroasional Valley but Haleakala Erosional Valley is not catchy name. Despite recommendations, we did not do the aquarium. We saved it as a good rainy day activity, but we didn’t have any rainy days. We focused our visit on enjoying the island’s outdoors and good weather.

    J and I each did one adult activity. He did a spearfishing outing and learned some free diving. I did a snorkel excursion. Most of the excursions were on big boats and took eight hours hours. Luckily, I found a two hour excursion to Malaki. It was on a fast boat that got us there in only 15 minutes. Due to currents, we snorkeled on the outside of Malaki. I still saw a huge school of fish and heard whales singing underwater. I only wish I wore a wet suit top. I was shaking from the cold near the end of my time in the water.

    Speaking of whales, we saw many from land. Watching them emerge from the water and their tail as the swam back down was pretty amazing for all four of us.

    Last to mention are restaurants. We typically ate one meal out a day and the other two in the condo. Our best dinner out was probably the Luau at the Grand Wailea. The buffet style allowed for our kids to try a variety of Hawaiin food and enjoy dessert. The show was the highlight. Ariel enjoyed getting to dance onstage during the lesson and we all especially loved the fire eater at the end. The show is long but kept our attention the whole time. They did have ahi at the luau which was good. However, we were happy that we first had ahi from South Maui Fish Company. I was pregnant with my second when ahi became popular in Seattle. Once she was born, we decided to save ourselves for Hawaii. The ahi from South Maui Fish Company was worth the wait and was a reasonable price. It is a food truck so brought the food back to the hotel and dined by the pool. Ariel was not big on ahi but our toddler devoured it.

    A few more restaurant recommendations:

    • Breakfast at Kihei Caffe
    • Dinner and Mai Tais at Monkeypod Kitchen
    • Lunch or dinner at Three’s Bar & Grill
    • Beach Street Maui Shave Ice

    We are currently planning to go back to Maui next year. We plan on visiting the beaches and pool. On more hiking. And maybe next time I will be able to enjoy an entire Mai Tai, or two.

  • Getting to Maui

    Last winter we went to Maui with our toddler, Sebastian, and preschooler, Ariel (nicknames chosen by our oldest). We had direct flights, making life much easier, but over-packed and had two car seats, making travelling not easy. We changed much about how we pack since that trip. I want to share a mix of what we did and what I wish we did. More on where we stayed and what we did in Maui will be shared in other posts.

    Getting to Maui

    What to pack

    Renting car seats would have been a good option for this trip after we saw that Sixt offered safe looking car seats at an additional cost of only about $100 total for our ten day trip. We checked our car seats as soon as we got to the airport but we still had to get them on and off shuttles and maneuver them in and out of airports. We typically travel with our car seats and have since purchased car seat bags, which help with maneuverability.

    We also had one large suitcase, one medium suitcase, one small carry one suitcase, Ariels’s Trunki suitcase, one backpack, and a couple of small bags with miscellaneous items including dinner. It was embarrassingly too much. The small carry on suitcase had everything we needed for the first night and day in case our luggage was lost. We did not want to be in Hawaii without bathing suits. The backpack had diaper changing supplies, appliances like the laptop, and stuff for the flights (kindles and magazines). If we have followed the below list of what we should have pack, we would have skipped one of the smaller suitcases and the miscellaneous bags.

    Clothes and shoes per adult

    • 3 warm and 2 cool weather outfits (at least 1 of each dressier)
    • 1 jacket
    • 2 bathing suits and 1 bathing suit cover
    • 1 sunhat and a pair of sunglasses
    • Running gear
    • lip flops and comfortable sandals good for longer walks
    • Plenty of underwear

    Clothes and shoes per kid

    • 4 warm and 2 cool weather outfits (at least 1 of each dressier)
    • 1 jacket
    • bathing suits
    • 2 reusable swim diapers for the toddler
    • 1 sunhat
    • Water shoes and shoes good for longer walks
    • Plenty of undies for potty trained kiddos
    • Enough diapers for the first two days

    Other

    • Sunblock for adults and kids
    • Mattress cover for potty trained kid
    • Toiletries including preferred kids’ toothpaste
    • 1 small backpack per kid with items of their choosing
    • Computer, kindles, journal, and magazines
    • One snorkel set for the adults (no fins)
    • One snorkel set for the older kid (no fins)
    • Medicine (daily vitamins, children’s Tylenol, adult Tylenol)

    Not included

    • Diapers for the entire trip
    • Beach mats and toys – may be left behind by past guests and available at the hotel, worth buying there otherwise for a reasonable cost

    Settling into Maui

    We arrived in Maui pretty late. We picked up our bags and luggage, took a shuttle to the car rental, and drove to our condo in Kihei. We felt lucky with our condo. We had two bedrooms, one with a queen and one with a set of twins. We had a kitchen, dining space, living room, and balcony with a partial ocean view. Especially important to us and impacting our revised packing list was the in room washer and dryer.

    We got in too late to do needed kid proofing so we did the minimal amount needed to have the kids sleep in the living room just outside our bedroom the first night. It was a little scary when I awoke to the toddler calling for me and trying to open the front door.  Coming from Seattle, we were uncomfortable with none of the furniture being anchored and did what we could to prevent potential deadly falls. The first night we blocked the dresser with the TV with the heavy coffee table. The next day we had to put their dresser in their closet, moved their beds against the wall, and put the toddler’s mattress on the floor.

    Our first morning we were exhausted but happy. We awoke to paradise. We discovered our view, our pool, and the nearby beach that was only a walk away. We first went to the beach with just beach towels and had fun discovering the water and sand as a family.

  • From Nashville to Gatlinburg

    From Nashville to Gatlinburg

    Tennessee 2019

    We had a family reunion in Gatlinburg but did a little extra Tennessee exploration the weekends before and after. We enjoyed exploring Nashville and the Smokies. And we learned both how wide Tennessee is and that it crosses two time zones.

    We stayed at Courtyard Nashville Green Hills for the first weekend. The hotel felt nice and new. We were not expecting there to be zero parking in the area and had to pay $25/night for the hotel valet parking. We typically find cheaper parking near our hotel. The staff was friendly and gave each of our kids a gift from their treasure box. And we all enjoyed the rooftop pool. We needed to drive to explore Nashville but the drive from Green Hills was typically pretty short. The Bluebird was nearby, which we didn’t visit this trip but hope to in the future.

    Skipping to the arts district
    Spying downtown

    In summary of our weekend in Nashville:

    • We loved breakfast at Biscuit Love in the Gulch. We found it worth the wait even with two small children with us. We did cheat by taking turns exploring and visiting murals while in line.
    • We parked at the east end of the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge and walked over to the arts district.
    • We loved the live music and found the chaos of downtown fascinating. It was midday and already every other car seemed to be a truck carrying a dancing bachelorette party. We checked out sights on our walking tour, browsed cowboy boots for our kids, and listened to some live music.
    • Milk and Honey was also delicious and probably worth a wait, too. We got there early enough on Sunday to skip the line.
    • We enjoyed the murals. We have a variety of photos of us and the kids interacting with the murals in the Gulch.
    • There are many options for music but we found the Wildhorse Saloon to be a good fit for our little family. We stopped by for one round of beers, some live music, and a dance lesson. It felt more kid friendly than other options.
    • Some other restaraunts we enjoyed are Puckett’s and Edley’s Bar-B-Que. Edley’s was amazing but you have to get there early. They were already sold out of a couple items when we arrived.
    • We visited the Parthenon, making for fun photos with the kids. We didn’t explore inside because it was closed so I hope to on another trip. We didn’t visit a festival occurring in the park that looked fun but our kids got some energy out at the playground.
    #nashvillegulch
    #whatliftsyou

    We made the long trek to Gatlinburg. We expected a sleepy village in the Smokies but arrived to a town-sized boardwalk. We stayed in a house near downtown with extended family. We were walking distance to the aquarium, mini golf, arcades, t-shirt shops, and more. We did a little exploring downtown and took our kids to putt putt. The kids also visited the aquarium. Our favorite part of our visit to Gatlinburg, besides the pool at the house, was the Smokies. We only did a few hikes but even in the rain the hikes were beautiful and busy.

    Downtown Gatlingburg
    Smokies

    We headed back towards Nashville after Gatlinburg for a night in Brentwood. We met up with some old friends that now live on the east coast. We didn’t see more of Nashville and spent most of our time in the hotel – enjoying the pool, the continental breakfast, and catching up with our friends. We did enjoy dinner at Uncle Julio’s and getting a glimpse of the litte Franklin downtown when we went out for lunch. If we were planning to move back east, this area would be tempting.

    Our trip to Tennessee felt quick. I hope to go back to see a more of Nashville and the surrounding area. And I hope to spend more time in the Smokies one day; more likely in a tent in the woods for the full Smokies experience.

    Goodbye Nashville

  • Exploring Vancouver Island

    Family Road Trip 2018

    For our 2018 family vacation, we did a road trip to Vancouver Island with our almost three year old Ariel and our five month old Sebastian (Ariel and Sebastian being the nicknames chosen by our mermaid loving three year old). We focused on Victoria and Tofino but spent a little time in a few other spots to help break up the drives. We also spent a few days in Vancouver so one of us could run a half marathon before heading back to Seattle.

    Heading to and exploring Victoria

    We planned to take the ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria but did not complete the reservation. We were on the road when we realized the mistake and it was too risky to get stuck in Port Angeles. We made a last minute change and drove to Vancouver and took the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay ferry. We reserved a spot on the way and ended up with plenty of buffer time to explore the nearby area and get lunch. We even tried visiting Point Roberts but the line at the border was too long. Once we made it to the port we realized we should have hung out there. There were food options and a playground. On the ferry, we walked around, visited the playroom, and enjoyed the views. After we arrived in Victoria and settled in at the Royal Scot Hotel & Suites, Jared took Ariel for a swim in the indoor pool and I went for a walk with the baby. The weather was clear and the water calm. There was a small protest, street music, and tourists and locals alike heading for happy hours and dinner. I joined back up with the rest of my family for dinner at Red Fish Blue Fish where the long line (with kids!!) was worth the fish and chips.

    On our first full day in Victoria we headed to Butchart Gardens because we did not want to miss the chance to explore the gardens with good weather. Our expectations were surpassed. We loved the sunken gardens and enjoyed afternoon tea time at The Dining Room. We requested a table by the window in our reservation and were placed next to a window overlooking the Italian Garden. We split one afternoon tea and a lunch entree and walked away full and happy. The rest of the day involved our hotel pool, visiting a playground nearby, and cooking dinner in our hotel room. It is worth noting that we reserved a room that included a kitchen so we could eat in at least once a day. We were happily surprised to be upgraded to what was basically a one bedroom apartment with a full kitchen. This made our ‘room’ easy to decompress and eat in with the kids.

    Sunken Garden

    Goat!

    It was down-pouring the next day, but we still explored Victoria with a self guided walking tour. Luckily, the kids napped in the BOB and the carrier for our longer than expected walk to Spinnakers for lunch with a view.

    Our last full day we went on a long walk to the farm at Beacon Hill Park, Ogden Point Breakwater, and Fisherman’s Wharf. We loved getting up close with the peacocks and baby goats in Beacon Hill Park. The baby goats would even climb up our backs and jump down. The grown ups were just as excited (if not more) as the kids. We were especially happy we got there in time for the morning goat run. From there, the Breakwater was a bit far with two kids but luckily we brought the BOB. The Breakwater was picturesque and the Fisherman’s Wharf was colorful and lively. 

    Heading to Tofino

    Even though it is only about four hours from Victoria to Tofino, we split the trip with one night in Parksville. We were worried that four hours would become eight after potty breaks and diaper changes. Leaving Victoria, we stopped in Chemainus for lunch, a self-guided mural walk, and time at the playground. The murals were fun, but the town was very quiet. 

    Water wheel mural

    Once in Parksville, we were are able to enjoy the water and views and have a low key dinner in our AirBnB.

    Exploring the water

    Exploring Tofino

    Tofino was our first true beach vacation as parents and we loved it. We stayed in a water front hotel with a balcony to enjoy the view when the kids were sleeping. Ariel loved playing in the sand and watching the ocean from the children’s swing.

    Swinging to the beach

    We even met our first Velella! Luckily we took one photo the day we arrived because it was the last day they were around.

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    We spent most of our time relaxing at the beach and tide pooling but we also managed to go whale watching.  Sebastian hung out in the carrier while Ariel spotted the whales with mermaid tails. It was chilly and windy so the kids had to retreat indoors. Afterwards we grabbed a waterfront lunch so we could continue enjoying the view but stay warm.

    Looking for whales

    Heading to and exploring Vancouver

    Heading out we stopped for a short hike and picnic. We didn’t want to take any risks with a three hour drive before the ferry so we stayed the night in Qualicum Beach before taking the ferry the next morning. Each parent took the opportunity to go on a evening beach walk and we all enjoyed a little beach time in the morning. The ferry ride was similar to before except we were a little frustrated that the television in the playroom could not be turned off. This was difficult for us when we keep our kids screens free. Luckily there were other kids to play with and plenty of boat to explore.

    Sunset from our patio

    We somehow managed to visit Vancouver on a yearly basis. We usually stay downtown but for this trip we stayed near South Main. It was a short walk to Jared’s race start in Queen Elizabeth Park and within walking distance to playgrounds, shops, and restaurants. We did a mix of eating in and dining out and made it to our brunch spot in Vancouver: Twisted Fork.

    Post trip reflections

    We were a little worried that we were crazy for doing a road trip with two young kids. We were more conservative than needed with breaking up the trips, but happy we played it safe. Staying in places we could cook reduced the need to dine out, which can be overwhelming with kids. We couldn’t get a kitchen in Tofino, but managed to have a refrigerator so we could do very simple lunches or dinners in our room. We look forward to visiting in the future when the kids are older. It will be the same places with new experiences.

  • Prepping for a Baby

    I put this list together for a friend and updated it after our second daughter. I don’t include clothes since you tend to receive plenty from family and friends. On our first, we did make sure to start with a set of short sleeve onesies, set of long sleeve onesies, cozy pants, socks, and hats. I sprinkle in a few bits of advice and insight on our personal experience.

    Diaper Changing

    • 1 Change pad – Rather than a change table, we put a changing pad on the dresser.
    • 2 changing pad covers
    • Pack of changing pad liners – We initially didn’t buy these but kept needing to wash the covers.
    • Small trash can for diapers. This can be for cloth or disposable.
    • Wipes and wipe holder – We use both disposable and reusable wipes. For cloth wipes, we also had a glass water bottle for wiping.
    • Antibacterial gel – We keep this on the changing table.
    • Diaper bag supplies: soft fold-able changing pad, disposable liners, wipe holder (we bought one that later broke and now use one that came free with a large pack of diapers), burp cloth, and spare clothes (for baby and you!).

    Cloth Diapers

    • We used Flip diapers for our first daughter primarily with these prefolds but also have some of the official inserts.
    • For overnight, we used a cotten nighttime prefold with a hemp insert folded in (hemp insert shouldn’t touch their skin). We then covered her diaper with wool bloomers.
    • With the second baby, we added some Grovia hybrid diapers. You can also try their trial kit, which is a good deal.
    • We also have a waterproof bag for putting dirty diapers in.

    Sleep

    • Swaddling – We could not find any the right size for  newborn other than those at the hospital. For our first, we later used swaddling blankets. We stopped swaddling much earlier with our second because she was fine without and could roll over early.
    • Crib – For our first, we kept a standard sizes crib in our room the first year (lowers chances of SIDS). But she ended up in our bed much of the time after four months. We switched out the larger crib for a mini crib for our second. Our first switched to the crib mattress on the floor not long after turning one year. The crib has only a mattress and fitted sheet (no bumpers, blankets, or pillows). Our first got a small pillow and blanket at about 14 months.
    • We did not do a pacifier but bought natural rubber pacifiers in case needed them.

    Food

    • They don’t start solids until 6 months but I recommend baby led weaning (zero baby food). The Baby Led Weaning Cookbook has everything you need to know plus recipes.
    • We got a seat on Craiglist similar to this but it depends on what is best for your dining area. The biggest issue we have is that you cannot take the straps across the lap off to clean without taking the whole thing apart with a screwdriver (which we have not done).
    • We like these bibs as well as this full coverage one.

    Bottles (and the joys of pumping)

    • You should get a pump free through your insurance.
    • We did glass bottles and liked Avent Natural Glass the most because they are simple.
    • I recommend ordering some extra milk storage bottles and storage bags. I started pumping before going to work so she would take a bottle and I to build a frozen storage.
    • I personally cannot pump without my pumping bra.
    • You will want pads, especially at work. I have disposable and reusable.
    • And each morning, I packed a micro-steam bag for each pumping session. This made prep easy, especially if there is a microwave in the room you pump in. At home, I use a reusable sterilizer.

    Nursing

    • Buy nipple cream before your baby arrives. I prefer the kind that doesn’t need to be cleaned off.
    • For my first, I used a nursing cover for the first 3 months and then went without. I never bothered covering up with the second.
    • Nursing tanks are amazing because you can wear any top and not worry about pulling out the post baby belly.
    • I got a breast friend and a boppy. Probably overkill but I like having both. The boppy is also good for tummy time.

    Seats & Swings 

    • We have a cheaper version of this sleeper locally for hanging out and napping. We call it the taco. Once she could hold her head consistently up, we got a Bumbo  with a belt.
    • We had a swing because we got it free but never used it. That said, others have found it to be a godsend.

    Moving Around

    • We did the Chicco Bravo Trio System but you should check consumer report for the current safest car seat. I don’t recommend used but if you do make sure it is not expired and never been in an accident. At 7 months we switched to a Diono Rainier, but my husband thinks it is too heavy and ridiculous and recommends a lighter one.
    • Car mirror
    • I found our sidewalks to be difficult with the regular stroller so we ended up buying a used Bob Revolution too. I may get a double too but they take up alot of space.
    • Somehow we got the following for free: newborn sling, Moby wrap, BabyBjorn, and Ergo. We barely used the sling but used the rest. The Bjorn is nice because it is easy but it is painful when the baby hits 15 or 16 pounds. If you pick only one, I recommend the Ergo with the newborn insert or something similar. With our second, we replaced the old Ergo with a Lille.

    Other things we found useful