adventure – VEG VIBES

Australia!

Published on May 6, 2026May 10, 2026 by ashley@vegvibes1 Comment

For the past year or so, our family has been anticipating a trip to Australia to visit Mike’s sister. We visited in 2014/2015 for an epic 3 weeks traveling around the country. Now, over a decade later, we’re up 4 kids in the family – for a Party of 10 – and came together again in the land down under. We saw Wendy and kids 2 summers ago when I was pregnant with Kenna (read about it!) but haven’t seen Andy since Spain in 2022 (read about it!).

The timing of the trip ended up coinciding with a house move on our end, which means things were really crazy busy leading up to leaving. But alas, amongst packing up our lives/house, we also loaded up 3 suitcases, some backpacks, so many snacks, our new JetKids BedBox , and set way to The Gold Coast.

First we hopped on a quick flight from SFO to LAX and then boarded the 14 hour flight to Brisbane. We bought the BedBox specifically for this trip and could not be more pleased with the purchase. It was expensive but Cam used it through all of the airport walking we had to do and Kenna was able to sleep 8+ hours on our long haul flights. Worth every penny.

We arrived at 5am local time and felt energized at the allure of vacation ahead of us. We rented a car, repeatedly said “drive on the Left!” for Mike, and arrived at Wendy’s about 2 hours later. Kenna has met her Nana and Papa but this was the first time she got to see her aunt, uncle, and cousins (a more traditional first meeting than Cam had in the midst of the pandemic in 2020).

We enjoyed smoothies on the pool deck and tours of Wendy and Andy’s new (to us) house. They moved from Melbourne to the Gold Coast at the end of 2025 and have an amazing 4 bedroom with a pool, hot tub, and resort-style landscaping. 🙂 After a mashup of unpacking, lounging, a walk to the store for some stables (berries, cheerios, milk), and Kenna napping at a surprisingly convenient time for adjusting to a new timezone, we had the Trader Joe’s viral dumpling dinner and called it a night.

Day Two

Of course, morning came early for Kenna girl – even by Gold Coast standards, which apparently leans heavy on morning culture. Kids and timezones are so tricky, especially when you are traveling and not in the comfort of your home. Mike and I took a walk for a mini, “controlled” nap in the stroller (Kenna wakes up the moment it stops moving so we use this trick when a quick nap is needed) around 9am. Our plan worked and she fell asleep; we were able to enjoy a nice stroll, iced coffees, AND get her on a pretty regular nap/sleep schedule for the reminder of the trip. Whoo-hoo!

After nap, the whole family caravanned down to Broadwater Parklands, about a 10 minute drive. Here Cam got to experience a bounce pillow for the first time!

Day Three

We started the morning with a trip to the mall to try to maximize the good fx and get some shopping done!

In the afternoon everyone went to various water activities (Mike and Cam to the beach we were at the day before but this time to try an aquapark – more on that later!) while I stayed home for Kenna’s nap. ..Kenna’s very long nap that let me sneak in yoga by the pool and an indulgent few chapters while dipping my toes in. I was really hoping to finish one book/a quarter this year – for a whopping, yes, 4 books/year – and am so close to completing this gorgeous one!

We also made a quick dusk run to see KANGAROOS! We were there for only about 10 minutes and saw a bunch of them (although it was hard to get a decent picture). Also a bunch of bites from mosquitoes. Why do they love me!?

Day Four

We finally hit the beach! I didn’t snap any great pictures on this day – I loveee the beach and it is chaotic with kids, especially with a toddler. The waves were a bit big at Main Beach, where we were, but Cam got some time in the water. And, importantly, some time with his “best cousin” Ollie. Cam and Ollie were almost inseparable for the majority of our trip. It was really cute to see them bond! They are only 2 years apart and seem to get along really well whenever they spend time together.

Day Five

BLUEY’S WORLD! Ok this one was for the kids but, honestly, also for me and Mike. We love Bluey and SHE IS FROM BRISBANE. We took Cam and Kenna to the 60 minute immersive experience that tours the Heeler family home and oh, what joy. It was done so well. Each group had a magic garden gnome tour you through the “house,” while also on an adventure to find one of Bingo’s lost stuffies. All of the rooms were so impressive, immersive, and fun. It felt like you were in the show. We ended with a proper Aussie sausage roll from the cafe and let the kids play on the indoor playground after. 10/10. No notes. Go if you can!

After Bluey’s World, we met up with the rest of the family at a brewery where we ordered chicken sandwiches and samples of beer. We took the ferry to a public pool that sits on the river that was FREE to use. We commented a few times how unlikely something like that would be in the States… Again and again there were undertones of things just being …more pleasant there. The people seem so kind and just pretty unfussed about most things. Vibes are high down under folks!

Cousin Ella rocking a sleeping baby Kenna about to get on the ferry

Day Six

This was probably my favorite day of the trip. We went to Burleigh Heads for a costal walk and then an afternoon at the beach. The day kicked off right when an amazing parking spot right next to the trail entrance and a bathroom. The walk was about 20 minutes to a place where you could turn around or continue onward at an incline. Kenna fell asleep so Ella and Wendy turned around with her while the rest of us continued up into less stroller friendly sections of the trail. We went from a beach-y walk to almost a rainforest hike as we made our way farther into the hike.

Pastries and smoothies on the beach were next. The older kids played out on a paddle board on a sand dune, which made a small shallow section in the middle of an ocean pass-way. Mike and I also swam across to the other beach across the way, which I’m always a little impressed with myself when I swim in the open ocean so like to document it. 😉

Day Seven

We took a quick drive to HOTA (Home of the Arts) on Sunday, which coincided with food trucks and vendors in the parking lot adjacent. We couldn’t resist buying a loaf of banana chocolate chip bread, fresh squeezed OJ, peaches, and oh yeah, the kids squeezed us for some ice cream too. 🙂

HOTA dubs itself as “the home for all things creative” and/or “a cultural precinct.” We weren’t able to explore much of it but it was a beautiful place – big and modern and airy. The kids were able to do a little craft which is always appreciated. My sister in law seems to visit galleries and exhibits often; and I have to say it has inspired me to try to do more of it back here at home. Until then, I made Mike snap this extremely artsy picture of me and the kids inside the gallery:

Day Eight

Cam and Mike had such a good time at the aqua park earlier in the trip, they wanted to do it again. This time Nana watched babygirl Kenna so I could join too. You check in, get a life vest, and have 50 minutes to go absolutely nuts on a bunch of inflatables in the bay. Mike mentioned Cam was a bit timid the first time and I can see why – you definitely need to get used to the pace out there! People seems to be professional aquaparkers? running around, play tag, etc. I caught eyes with Wendy ~5 minutes in, who was still on the beach, and gave her a huge thumbs down and shook my head. Haha

Luckily, once I got a bit more comfortable out there – looking out for people speeding by and opting to just jump in the water sometimes vs. wrangle my way through a crowd – it was actually a lot of fun. And Cam LOVED it. So that was the really fun part.

We got professional pictures as a whole fam at the beach that afternoon/evening. It was fun to dress up and twirl and splash around in the waves. I can’t wait to see the results in a few weeks! We also had this moody little sunset capping off our time – which hopefully made for some fab photos.

In dramatic sad news, I accidentally left my sunglasses on the beach there; that I have had for over a decade (!) and has traveled the world with me (Bali, my bach in New York), survived a pandemic with me, graced my face on many walks with both of my newborn babies. Ughhh. I’m obviously SO bummed about it. But that’s the rub with special things; you use them and risk losing them or just keep them locked away to collect dust…

At least she had a good life, full of adventure? 😎

Day Nine

We spent the first half of the day mini golfing with Cam and Kenna at a public golf club on a whim. I found this place via Google maps. What a find! There was a decent cafe where we split sandwiches and smoothies on a slopped, shaded little patio WITH A BOUNCE HOUSE for the kids. Cam was entertained (Kenna still too small to go in but had fun enough running) and we were thrilled to have something for him to do while we waited for our food.

After lunch, we stayed for a round of mini golf while Kenna napped in the stroller. We took our regular stroller with us on this trip exactly for afternoons like this – when we were out of the house but could tilt Kenna back in her big comfy stroller and let her snooze.

This golf course was so pretty without all of the animated windmills and castles. (Which I’m not necessarily against, it was just nice to have a change of pace…) Cam seemed to have a great time and improved a lot since Canada the summer before when he couldn’t really hit the ball and was so frustrated because he also DID NOT WANT HELP.

That evening Nana and Papa braved watching all four of the kids so we “kids” could have a dinner out. We went to a nice beach side restaurant with a gorgeous view of the ocean and a few surfers trying to catch the last waves of sunset.

Unlike Spain 4 years ago, we passed on the shots of tequila this time and we’re back home by 9pm. Less of a hangover the next day but no less good times had!

Day Ten

On our final full day, we went to Dream World, an amusement park 15-20 minutes from Wendy and Andy’s. A good amusement park with kids is gold; there is something to do for everyone! Even for baby Kenna, who found and LOVED a little splash pad area while the others rode rides.

Via multiple combinations of parents and cousins and grandparents and aunts and uncles, we finagled our way through the park and had a great time enjoying rides and different attractions.

Before we left for the airport, we had a final brunch at a local surf club. After breakfast sandwiches and smoothie bowls, we splashed in the waves for a bit before smooching our vacation and a glorious 10 days down under goodbye.

Looking back, it is crazy how quickly the days flew by – we were always busy with a beach or a hike or a coffee or a dip in the pool. It was such an amazing time spent with family in a beautiful place.

Legoland!

Published on February 27, 2026 by ashley@vegvibes1 Comment

Last week was ski week for Cam but instead of visiting the snow, we flew south for a sunny(ish) weekend near San Diego! Specifically we visited Legoland on a 2-day pass, staying at the Legoland hotel; conveniently located right near the park entrance. We took Cam to Legoland when I was ~7 months pregnant with Kenna but opted for an airbnb then. With two littles in tow this time, it was fun to stay at the actual hotel. It is VERY kid-centered but that worked well for us this trip.

We arrived on Saturday afternoon after a stressful flight down, having realized we forgot Cam’s booster seat in the car once we were already checked in, through security, and at the gate. Luckily Mike found a carseat rental place that was a 15 minute walk from the rental car place at SAN. But this meant we had to take the airport shuttle WITH ALL OF OUR THOUSANDS OF THINGS to where people rent cars for me to sit with Cam and Mike to walk with Kenna to get the carseat and then request a Lyft to come back and pick me and Cam up; who was then safely tucked into a booster seat for our 40 minute drive to the hotel/Legoland. Whew, what a start.

My mom and stepdad joined us on this trip and were already settled into their room. After we scoped out our room, which had a lot of fun details and surprises for the kids, we hustled to dinner before bath and bed for Kenna. We usually book suites when we travel so the kids have their own room to sleep in while we stay up in the living room. Here, instead, we had one big, long room with bunkbeds in the front, the bathroom, and then the king bed. The bathroom offered some kind of division between the two sleeping areas but I wasn’t sure how we would all do.

While I gave Kenna a bottle, Mike took Cam to the nightly 6:30pm dance party off of the lobby. The hope was for her to be asleep by the time the dance party was over so Cam could come back to the room and quietly get ready for bed himself. However, like when we were in Half Moon Bay, K girl wasn’t thrilled about being going to sleep. Instead of fighting it, I took her downstairs and we explored the lobby with all of it’s Legos for a bit and then all went back to the room together. She went to sleep quickly after our little adventure and Cam followed shortly after. Mike and I sat reading in dimmed lights, eating chocolate and drinking sparkling water in bed. Pretty chill & cozy if you ask me.

My mom was the reservation MVP of the trip and had us a table for breakfast at 7:15am. You get a free HOT breakfast with your hotel stay and it’s actually pretty cute with a kids buffet station short enough for them to access everything on their own, with options like muffins, fruit, pancakes, and pastries to pick from. Cam stacked his plate high with pancakes while I stood in the coffee line with the other parents.

We also got early entrance by staying at the hotel too. Although access to the different lands was a bit confusing and we weren’t able to maximize the perk… Nonetheless, our first ride was fun: a sunny coast cruise through a scenic loop of Legoland.

The rest of the day was a mash up of park play (not my favorite at an amusement park where there are RIDES but seems to be Cam’s preferred thing to do), BBQ lunch, and “digging for fossils” in Dinoland. Kenna was able to go on a good amount of rides, considering she is only one year. This was appreciated although, of course, the lines for said rides were a bit challenging.

The end of the day was gloomy and getting cold, a foreshadow for day two… We walked the short distance back to the hotel for dinner and another dance party for Cam. I’m not sure when you age-out of dancing solo in front of your parents but my guess is it is around the corner for Cam, so I am glad we went now and got to soak in all of his moves!

Mike and I indulged in to-go drinks in bed after the kids were asleep and whispered our way through looking at all of the photos from the day; these small vacations sprinkled throughout the year feel really special because of the amount of condensed time we get to spend with the kids on them.

Torrential downpour threatened day two but we had a few hours in the morning to try to get the most out of Legoland. We were first in line to get in because my mom wasn’t messing around and camped out (having explained to the people behind her that the rest of her family would be joining soon so no one was surprised ha). The rest of us scrambled to get ready and joined her in time to rush into the park before it opened to the public.

Parents – myself included – seem to default to slightly unhinged in these situations; the thrill and anxiety of getting your kids to move fast enough for the promise of a slightly shorter line reduces us all. Despite our best efforts, and constant urging to “hurry up! the line is going to get long” we had disappointing results in our first 30 minutes… first, run/walking to a ride that was closed (uggh) and then having a ride close for maintenance when we were NEXT IN LINE. Cue the carousel. 🙂

My mom and I took Kenna on the same boat cruise we rode the day before, even with the bad weather looming. After a short line, we boarded the boat and immediately felt a few fat raindrops fall. We considered getting off but thought, how bad could it be? Of course, right as our little boat launched, the skies opened. We were drenched in seconds and poor Kenna kept repeating “uh-oh, uh-oh” as rain splashed down on her tiny head. Luckily a very generous dad let us borrow a spare raincoat that I was able to maneuver around her somewhat as a shield. Nonetheless, she was not happy to be trapped on that boat in the rain.

We went back to the hotel after for her nap, and to wait out to storm. While she slept, we decided our best next move was to order rum and cokes and do dance tutorials together as a family!!! Yes there is video evidence and yes it is some of my favorite.

After nap we explored the aquarium – which was the perfect thing to do on a stormy afternoon and just steps away from our hotel at the entrance of Legoland! It was way better than I thought it would be; going on and on with more to explore around each corner.

The rain calmed and we were able to do a few more rides before ending the day with a buffet dinner back at the hotel. We were all starving by that point and, although the buffet was outrageously expensive, the food was already ready so ended up being worth it since we didn’t have to entertain hungry children.

Cam scooped his plate high with mac n’ cheese, while Kenna sampled everything from our plates. It was bath* and bed time after. We had such a great few days, despite some lackluster weather. Next we’re’ hoping for sunny skies on a family trip to Australia to visit Mike’s sister and her family!

*as mentioned, the Legoland hotel is centered all around kids! each room included a box of legos that we ended up using as bath toys every night – an entertainment hack I hadn’t thought of before.

and, speaking of hacks, if you’re like me and need rooms DARK to sleep, I discovered band-aids are the perfect way to cover unexpected pesky little hotel lights, like this one:

checking in + 5 year anniversary trip

Published on May 22, 2024May 22, 2024 by ashley@vegvibesLeave a comment

Oh, hi there. It’s been over 3 months since I’ve posted anything here. Since I mostly maintain posting to remember more details about the day to day, I’ll do a quick check in before diving in for our annual Tahoe anniversary post!

Since Hawaii back in January, we’ve celebrated Cam’s 4th birthday! Instead of throwing a classic party, we opted to go to Safari West with family and close friends who have a little one too. We stayed in an airbnb too, so it felt like a nice weekend getaway.

Mike and I spent ~24 hours in Vegas to surprise a friend celebrating his birthday. Highlights included staying at the Bellagio, seeing a zombie burlesque, and drinks at a dueling piano bar. This was the first time we’ve spent a night away from Cam that involved a flight so that felt like a milestone.

Another trip was a weekend up to Reno to visit my grandparents and celebrate my grandma’s birthday! We spent the day visiting a farm that had tractor rides, bounce houses, food trucks, and tulips to pick.

Now it’s May and we are just back from Tahoe, spending the weekend celebrating 5 years of marriage in our longtime spot (and recently rebranded), Everline Resort & Spa. Per usu, right after we arrived we had a takeout dinner from Sandy’s Pub on the big, open grass area. There are a ton of lawn games there, which means entertainment for both Cam and Mike. 🙂

We love visiting this resort in May because it isn’t as busy as peak snow sport season or the hot days of summer. The only downside is the weather is a bit unpredictable. Last year was colder than we’ve experienced, with enough snow to still go sledding. This year was pleasantly warm! After dinner we went to the pool to soak in the mountain view and test out the water temp. Luckily it wasn’t too chilly and we spent the evening dipping our toes in and prepping for the weekend ahead of lots of pool time!

The next day was our actual anniversary. That day 5 years ago we were surrounded by our family and friends, having the best time celebrating under the stars. Flash to present day, we decided to try something new in Tahoe and drove to Meek’s Bay. When we first arrived, the parking attendant ($12/day to park there) told us the property was rundown with unreliable bathrooms (not a great sell) but we were free to go next door and utilize that beach instead.

He didn’t have to tell us twice. We didn’t even bother checking out that beach, opting to drive straight next door where there was a snack shack and clean, working bathrooms. The views were incredible and I love the photos we have here. But we all know pictures don’t paint the whole… well, picture. The sand was really rocky and hard for Cam to walk on. There were a lot of bugs. And the water was freezing, although that part is expected. Nonetheless, we spent a few hours huddled on our beach blanket (that I snagged in Spain – I love getting very functional things on vacations like beach blankets, hand soap, etc. so I have little reminders of our travels often). Cam of course loved throwing rocks and sticks in the lake while Mike and I enjoyed cheese, crackers, and kombucha on the beach.

That night, my grandparents – who live ~45 minutes away – offered to come to the resort to watch Cam while we went to dinner. So, after some afternoon pool play, Cam had quesadillas and played dinosaurs with his great grandparents. Mike and I got some 1:1 time and celebrated with salad, steaks, and a s’mores desserts. A great time for everyone!

Mike hit the slopes early the next morning so Cam and I spent a lazy morning getting ready and exploring the resort before taking the shuttle to meet daddy for lunch. Cam loves riding shuttle buses (adorably reminding us to “put our buckle seats on” each time) and this particular one had lollipops onboard for kids. Lucky ride! We ate at Tremigo, just like last year, expect this year the food wasn’t as good. Waah, I hate it when your expectation for something doesn’t match reality.

A new treat was the ice cream truck located across the way, which was great for Cam. They offered $3 mini scoops – I haven’t seen this anywhere else but loved it. Perfect size, good price. Mike did some sale shopping after while Cam and I chilled out and listened to a bit of live music in the middle of the village. Doesn’t live music make every experience just that much better? And then we were back to the resort for more pool time, of course. This is also when I was able to crack open a new book. The best.

After a long day and lots of sun, we were all tired. Cam went to sleep hard and fast after his bath BUT 30 minutes before his usual bedtime. Which we found out later might have been a mistake…

Mike and I ordered Reubens and Caesar salads to-go and watched House Hunters, trying desperately to make it at least until 9pm before falling asleep. Then, around 8/8:30pm, Cam woke up and we knew his bedtime had been too early. Because we were on vacation (or, more likely, because we were tired ourselves) we let him watch a show on the iPad when he requested one. He still couldn’t fall asleep after so we caved again and decided to have an official sleepover, moving our House Hunters to the bedroom we were all sharing to fall asleep together after one last episode. Maybe some people will think this is terrible parenting but looking back, I actually love this memory. I hope Cam does too.

On our final morning, we took one last lollipop shuttle ride over to the village for coffee and fresh pastries with a beautiful mountain view. Then it was back to pack and hit the road home with another great anniversary trip in the ~~books~~ blog! See you next time!

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