Not knowing much about farming, and goat farms in particular, I had no idea what to expect. After we arrived, the owners Suzanne and Lanita greeted us and Lanita gave us a tour of the farm. We were introduced to the animals; milking goats, packing goats, many baby goats, and also chickens, pigs, a horse and several dogs. The tour also included a run-down of the vegetables growing in their garden which we were invited to pick. Frozen foods and milk (yes, goat milk) were available in their single-room store. Having arrived right around dinner time, we went ahead and picked out a package of home-made sausages and a half dozen fresh eggs. The kids helped me pick some fresh veggies. Thus we began our first farm stay with a fabulous dinner. 

Willow-Witt offers several lodging options to the overnight guest. There is a small apartment built directly next to the farm owners’ house. It has two queen beds in an upstairs loft (the stairs are quite steep!) and a pull-out couch downstairs. This guest house has a full kitchen and everything you need to cook with. Also on the property is a canvas tent with a queen bed, and other campsites where you can pitch your own tent. This tent area has a communal kitchen nearby. It is a bit of a trek to and from the main farm, probably about a ten minute walk. 

What I most looked forward to was being able to participate in some of the farm chores. Directly after dinner we were able to catch up with Jake, one of the employees, milking some of the goats. Chores are done once in the morning and once in the late afternoon. They include feeding the animals, moving pens (which allows the animals to feed on fresh grass), gathering eggs (and chicks who have managed to get out of their enclosure), and goat milking. Though I had in mind to come out for chores each day, the kids were not quite as enthusiastic. I tried to engage them even in watching others doing chores, but aside from the first night, they preferred playing together with some of the sticks they found on the ground. During part of our stay I watched other families who included older kids participate in the chores. They helped scoop food into buckets, gathered eggs, and one boy got very good at catching stray chickens. Though I had hoped my kids would jump at the chance at new responsibilities, I don’t mind at all that at this age they simply enjoyed the open space to play.

As guests we were given access to roam the farm whenever we wanted. One of my favorite parts was visiting the goats. The uncovered part of their living area was a large field. If you wandered through the field, a majority of the herd would follow you around the field. Again, this was far more fun for me than it was for my three-year old, who was about the same height as most of the goats. For the most part the goats were friendly, but some didn’t think much of what we consider “personal space”. Their tendency to crowd and natural inclination to taste your clothing was a bit much for Josh’s comfort level. In a few years he may fall in love with those big eyes as much as I did.

I couldn’t have asked for more from our stay at Willow-Witt. Lanita and Suzanne are obviously passionate about what they have built at Willow-Witt, and immediately I felt welcomed to enjoy and partake in it. I have since learned that the owners also bring local school groups and church groups onto their farm and teach them not only about how to care for the animals, but also how to care for the land. Part of the 40 acres is being restored as a wetlands and they have discontinued the practice of allowing cattle to graze on their land, in order to allow the native plants to thrive. This was a great experience for our family, one I hope to repeat in the next few years.

Our stay was partially compensated in exchange for an article on our experience at the farm. This article is an accurate reflection of our stay.

Ashland Vacations

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Personally, I think heading underground to see what caves look like is pretty cool. Especially when there is a string of lights already installed and a guide who knows the way out. I wasn’t sure that the boys would think so as well. There are a lot of stairs, it’s dimly lit, and it’s cold. They might very well remember all this from our last trip. I practiced a few lead-ins before informing them where we were headed. “I bet Batman might live in a place like this…” or “we can find some things inside that are more than a thousand years old.”  Turns out I needed no help. When I told them we were going to check out some underground caves, they were almost as excited as I was.

Lake Shasta Caverns, located 17 miles north of Redding, Ca., is a great place for the young cave explorer. The first clue that it is kid-friendly is the play area in front of the office. Here you can practice your climbing skills on a six foot climbing wall or hide out in a tree house carved from oak. At the office you can purchase a bag of mining rough and hunt for gems using the mining sluice. Look for quartz, ruby, sapphire, emerald and other gems or fossils.  After purchasing tickets for the caverns, head down the hill to the shore of Lake Shasta. Here a boat ferries you for a 15 min. trip to another part of the lake. Then hop onto an air-conditioned bus which goes up another mountain to the beginning of the tour.

Lake Shasta Caverns is a horizontal cave rather than a vertical one. In other words, there is not as much stair climbing as you find in other California caves. The descent at the beginning of the tour is not difficult at all. There are several breaks along the way where your guide alternates between describing the geology of the formations, the history of the cave and of its earliest explorers. The second half of the tour is a bit more strenuous, but an alternate exit is available for those not up to any further ups and downs. Continue along a series of tunnels until you reach the “gallery” room, my personal favorite. This room is large and opens up at least several stories high. Here are “drapery” formations that span a long wall. The curves and interesting formations play with your imagination until you are sure you can see recognizable shapes.  Before the tour ends you are asked to pose for a picture at a certain spot. The picture can be purchased for $10 at the end of the tour.

The whole trip lasts about 2 hours. If you are planning a caving tour to Shasta Caverns here are some tips to consider:

 * Though I wore flip-flops and did just fine, a walking shoe with tread is advisable. There are places which are damp and can be slippery.

 * Those with younger (and slower) climbers may want to stick to the back of the tour. The stairs require a single file line and so the slower kids may end up holding up a long line of people.

* There are many benches available for picnicking. You can bring snacks or lunch and make a half-day trip of it. Benches located under a shaded porch immediately after the tour provide some fabulous views, or use the benches at the front by the play area.  

Shasta Caverns provided my family with tickets, however the post is written solely on our family’s experience there.

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I have been on a few guided white-water trips in the past. By that I mean the kind where there are six passengers in the boat and an experienced guide who is doing the steering. Everyone wears helmets and life jackets, and paddles like crazy when you come to a class-III or class-IV rapid. It is terrifying in a fun way, but you have five other new best friends in the boat screaming with you. I was excited about our upcoming trip until my husband pointed out one major difference at this place… there are no guides. That’s right, the rapids are smaller, but you are on your own.

Cache Creek is the outflow of Clearlake, Ca. and flows into the Sacramento River. It rarely dries when many other rivers in the area do, and drops about 20 feet per mile, making it a really fun run. Because most of the rapids are categorized class-II with one class-III, the two commercial companies of the area do not offer guides in the boats. They give you a 30-minute talk before you head out on how to get unstuck should your boat lodge on some rocks and what to do if you find yourself in the water. Then you are provided with a boat (either a raft that accommodates 3-5 people or a two-man inflatable kayak), a paddle, a life-jacket, lunch, and a smile. During the safety talk you are warned of where the hardest rapid is, and told that a staff person will be pointing to where your boat ought to be to approach that rapid (as pictured). Staff are also stationed at the bottom of the two trickiest runs to pull out swimmers who may need assistance. You are given about six hours to complete the run (which took us three hours including stops) before food is provided and later, some nightly activities.

We pulled up to the parking lot on Saturday morning to learn of  another big difference. Unlike past rafting trips I have been on where you get to know the other 18-24 rafters pretty well, here there were about 500 “new best friends” joining us on this trip. It was a light weekend, according to the guy directing traffic. Often there are up to 800 people. I do give props to the staff, they were efficient at managing such a large crowd. After signing your living will – I mean your waiver – and loading your camping gear onto a truck, five or six buses shuttle folks to the drop off point where you receive some saftey instructions and your equipment. 

The website says not to bring alcohol, as “booze and rapids don’t mix”. Common sense says neither does alcohol and the nearly hundred degree weather that we had.  Regardless, this was closer to a rave in the woods than the trip of  “solitude and serenity” as described on the website. I should have guessed with descriptions of night activities such as ”dancing at the camp disco with bubbles, foggers, lasers, spinner strobes and cages”.  They also list volleyball and horseshoe as activities, but I never saw any of that. I don’t mind a party, but there were people who could barely stand up before dinner. I later learned that the ambulance siren I heard while on the river was called because someone from our group had passed out along the run. 

I mention this for a few reasons. First, if you are bringing your family here (under 12 not permitted) you may want to know ahead of time what the scene is like.

Secondly are my concerns about safety. Having several bus loads of drunken rafters heading into the water at the same time was pretty sketchy at the first few rapids. My husband and I tried to put in early, but still had rafts piled on top of us as we tried to free ourselves on the first set of rocks we encountered. I think had the staff got involved in spacing out the boats as they launched, there wouldn’t have been so many problems right out of the gate.  (The congestion seemed to work itself out further down the river, but with two businesses running about 500 rafters each, there were more than a few pileups.)

I rarely saw or got any directions from guides along the route.  Knowing that a large percentage of their clientele are inebriated and/or inexperienced at maneuvering a boat, I would have felt better knowing that at least someone was  nearby to assist when needed, aside from those points nearest the two toughest rapids.  Twice I saw rafters, floating without their boats, who needed help getting situated again. No staff person was around. At the end of the run I got caught in a current that pulled me under the water for a much longer amount of time than I am comfortable with. This scared me so much that I opted to go home before the second day’s repeat of the same run. There were plenty of boats that dumped at that spot, but still no staff nearby.

I acknowledge that I am not someone who enjoys the thrill of being scared all that much. As I stood at the beach after returning our boat, I heard more than a few people talk about one part of the run or another that scared them; getting trapped under a boat, getting caught in a fast current, etc. Maybe this is what brings them back year after year. Not me.

This run is supposed to be easy and interesting enough to be approachable for novice rafters. This may make it an attractive idea for a fun weekend. For the price you get quite a deal;  boating equipment, staff to shlep your stuff to a campsite, meals and entertainment. I can see how coming with a group of friends can make for a really good time. My advice is to be sure you have some good (sober) swimmers with you.  Maybe even make some friends on the bus and go down the river together. At least with another boat nearby you will have a direction to swim.

Today is Spotlight Thursday at Trekaroo. Check out their site for more travel highlights.

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As farm stay guests, we will have the opportunity to do some chores. Admittedly, I have no idea what exactly this entails. Are we talking about goat-milking?  From my understanding these animals are very comfortable being handled, but I wonder how they will feel about a stranger trying to pull milk from their underside. I know the kids, fans of animals big and small, will enjoy whatever task brings them closer to these creatures.

I also feel really good supporting a business that puts such an emphasis on responsible land management techniques. For example, owners Suzanne Willow and Lanita Witt decided a few years ago to stop letting cattle graze on the land, even though cows have been grazing there over the last 100 years. In addition to stopping this practice, the owners fenced off portions of their land from their own grazing goats to allow for forest and wetland preservation. 

Small, privately-owned farms are not easy to come by here in the States. In Europe the agritourism business is far more popular, but in the U.S. it is difficult to earn a living maintaining a farm. That’s why I am particularly thrilled to have found Willow-Witt, which has successfully formed its niche with goats (they even train them to be pack animals). The owners also supplement their business by selling pigs and chicken (laying hens and fryers), selling the plant and animal by-products as nutrient-rich compost, offering a meat CSA (community supported agriculture) where subscribers can get cuts of meat and sausage delivered to them on a regular basis, and of course offering opportunities for guests to be a part of it all through farm tours or farm stays. On this property we had several lodging options to choose from; a studio that sleeps four, a furnished wall tent in the wildflower meadows, or pitching a tent at the campground which offers hot showers and a full outdoor kitchen. Since we need two beds, we will experiencing the farm from the comfort of the studio.

Most of our summer trip will be spent exploring large cities. This makes planning easy for me, since I know there will be plenty of activities to choose from each day. I’m good with that. I’m a city girl who likes having distractions within close proximity. But the funny thing is, what I am dreaming of most is the connection you get from staying in someone else’s backyard. Even if I don’t meet the owners, I will be staying in a place I know is dear to them. The kids will no doubt connect with the animals they get to feed or brush several days in a row. Connections are what we remember and what may shape the paths we choose later in life.  I can’t choose what my kids will remember or will connect with on this summer trip. I suspect, though, that spending some time loving the animals and seeing the work that goes into their care day in and out will be something they won’t soon forget.

Want to see if there is a farm stay near where you will be traveling? Scottie Jones, also an Oregon farm stay provider, has recently built a great website that shows farm stay locations throughout the U.S.  I highly recommend you check and see if one is near your vacation destination or better yet, you can make a farm stay become the destination. If you have had any farm stay experiences or have read about someone else’s, send me a comment or link. I’d love to hear more about what it was like.

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Gold Bug Mine 2635 Gold Bug Lane, Placerville
A self-guided walking tour takes you from station to station using a pre-recorded hand-held listening device. Kids of all ages are welcome, 2 yrs. and under are free. Tickets also include entrance to the nearby Hendy Stamp Mill.   Small to large groups are welcome to make reservations for a guided tour. Parking is free and a picnic tables are conveniently located near the stream.  Priest Mine is also nearby, but only available as a guided tour.  If you aren’t intending to pack a picnic meal, consider Sweetie Pies for lunch. It is right across the highway on Main Street and plenty kid-friendly.

Sutter Gold Mine 13660 Historic Highway 49, Sutter Creek
Since hardhats must be worn by guests during the entire tour, it is not recommended for kids under 4 yrs. Sutter Gold Mine offers a comprehensive look into the gold mining process and its historical progression from gold panning and hydraulic mining to hard rock techniques. Besides that, it’s just plain fun to go underground and see what’s usually only seen by miners: the inside of the Earth. Although originally developed for gold extraction in the late 1980s, the mine is now open exclusively for one hour underground tours deep into the heart of the Motherlode.

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I hope you will join me in geocaching sometime in May, then post your experience about it. If you are unsure about how to geocache, you can read more about it in this post or browse through any of my earlier posts under “geocaching”.  This weekend I planned our own geocache hunt. Of course to the kids, I called it our treasure hunt. There were several geocaches within walking distance from our home. I am pretty new to this myself, so I will share with you a few lessons I learned along the way.  

Cache #1

We headed for our first cache which seemed like it would be a pretty easy find. The possible hiding locations were limited and yet, we found nothing. After going back to the website for this particular cache, I noticed a symbol that looked like a red cross sign on the far right side of the web page. This, apparently, means that maintenance is needed… i.e. the cache is gone. Also in the log notes of the cache web page several people noted that the cache was missing. DOH! Wish I had noticed that before we had set out for this spot. Lesson learned: Check for maintenance issues. This can be accomplished by either glancing at the right column to see if the cross symbol is there (it’s actually blue and white), or the cache website also lists the last date someone found the cache. If it has been a long time, there may be a good reason. The cache web page also lists “log notes,” comments left by prior cache seekers. Sometimes the notes have big hints about the cache’s location, so depending on if you want those hints or not you may decide to read the notes ahead of time.  So now, after checking the notes for another nearby cache, we went a hunting again. 

Cache #2 

After some hunting and some hints by my husband, who had been to this cache before, we found the cache of our second location. It is customary to bring something of your own to exchange for something already in the cache. Most of the items that the kids had picked out as exchange items would never have fit in this container. Luckily I had grabbed a tiny item as a back up, so we were able to make an exchange. It was a good thing too, the kids couldn’t wait to adorn themselves with the two stickers that were waiting in the cache. Lesson learned: Bring small items for the exchange. Feeling good from our success, we decided we could fit in one more hunt. 

Cache #3

This one was actually quite tricky for us. We read the description, read the cache notes (and cursed at those who added that it was a simple find), even looked at the hint. We never found the cache. I understand that urban geocaches can be more difficult sometimes than rural geocaches, simply because the urban hider has to make sure that the cache is not randomly spotted and removed. Only someone looking for the treasure should be able to locate it. Additionally, buildings can sometimes interfere with the GPS device’s ability to get you close to the exact coordinates. I felt sad for the boys that we went to three places and only found one treasure. As we had a snack at home, my oldest proudly emptied his pockets of the bottlecaps he had picked up while looking for the cache (unknown to me). Lesson learned: Treasure is in the eyes of the beholder.

It’s Photo Friday at Delicious Baby. Go check her out for more travel photos and stories!

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As east coast natives temporarily living in Davis, CA, my husband and I began planning our last weekend getaway in California by listing our priorities: combing the Pacific north coast beaches, exploring the state parks, and riding the infamous Skunk Train through a redwood forest with our three year old daughter. This affordable, family fun was all to be found near Ft. Bragg, along with an ocean view room at the Beachcomber Motel on North Main Street. As luck would have it, we would be visiting during the yearly Whale Festival held in Ft. Bragg on March 20-21st.

We chose the Beachcomber Motel  because of its proximity to Pudding Creek Beach, as well as the recently updated ocean view rooms and a continental breakfast. Rates vary according to the style of room, ranging from a 1 queen bed with no view ($99-109) to a 1 king suite with a view, fireplace, and hot tub ($179-259).

As a small family of three, we stayed comfortably in a first floor, 1 queen bed room with a view and a requested roll away bed. The staff was friendly and prompt when I requested extra pillows and towels for the room. Our room was situated in the section of the motel that has a shared picnic deck complete with barbecue grills and tables for family cookouts with breathtaking ocean views. We were therefore a bit limited in how often we could keep our draperies open because the deck was a popular dining place for motel guests. If you desire a bit more privacy, I recommend requesting rooms numbered 124 or 224 and lower. The first floor rooms have semi-private patios while the second floor rooms have private balconies with unobstructed ocean views.

Pets are welcome in certain rooms,  kitchenettes are also available, and a discount is offered for AAA members. If you require a refrigerator or microwave, make sure to ask as not all rooms are fully-equipped. The continental breakfast served in the motel lobby included apple and cherry pastries, oatmeal, apples and oranges, and tea and coffee to drink. Upon leaving, I suggested that it would be good to offer milk and individual cereal boxes for families with young children, as well as bagels instead of pastries. All rooms are non-smoking, and to the delight of my bloodhound-like nose, extremely clean.

A short walk on the Ten Mile Coastal Trail, which parallels the ocean-facing side of the motel, takes guests to the Pudding Creek Beach trail. It takes only a few minutes to make the precipitous trek down the bluff and to walk through the squeaky sand to find your ideal resting and playing spot on the expansive family-friendly beach. Families with older children and sure-footed adults could make the trek slowly with their gear for the day. Families like ours with younger children should consider driving their gear down to the beach parking lot and making the somewhat longer jaunt under the trestle bridge to the beach to avoid any mishaps on the bluff.

While driving home, we all agreed that combing the beaches and enjoying the breathtaking north coast vistas from the comfort of the Beachcomber Motel were our favorite activities together while in Fort Bragg.  The convenient Motel location near Pudding Creek Beach, downtown Fort Bragg, and the area’s state parks, made the Beachcomber an ideal home away from home for a weekend full of outdoor family adventures.  

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The most exciting part of geochacing for the kids is the idea of finding a hidden treasure. What will actually be inside? Not to disappoint the kids, but there will be no money or candy. Most caches, being small, do have an assortment of interesting trinkets. When you decide to go geocache bring something small from your own home such as a small toy, key ring chain, etc. After finding the cache, you may take something out if you also put something in. You don’t need to bring anything of your own, but in that case leave all the contents in the cache.

Some special treasure you may find, however, is a geocoin or a travel bug.  Someone has given this item a mission and it is on its way to the final destination. Geocoins and travel bugs are purchased with a specific tracking number engraved on them. The owner has likely registered this item on geocaching.com and has given a destination where they would like this item to end up. Any geocacher who stumbles upon a geocoin or travel bug may remove it, look it up by its tracking number on geocaching.com, and if they are headed toward that vicinity can hide them again in a geocache nearer to its destination. If you remove it, be sure to log in its new location so someone else can hunt for it. The website will track where it has been and how many miles it has gone.

This Monday I am hoping to find a cache with a travel bug or even stash one of my own. You can purchase geocoins or travel bugs either from geocaching.com, or they also have them in local stores as well. I got one fromTrailmix in Sacramento. To find a local bugged cache go to geocaching.com, click on the tab on the left “Find and seek a cache” and plug in your address or zip code. After hitting go, a list will be produced if nearby geocaches. An icon of a bug or coin will appear in the column describing the cache if it contains a trackable item. Click on the cache name (in the description column) to read more about the cache. Look on the right of the screen for an ”inventory list”. The name of the trackable item will be there, and clicking on that will show its mission.

Happy hunting and hope you catch something fun!

I am taking part in the Mondays are for Dreaming series hosted by Mara at Mother of All Trips. Check out her site for more travel dreams.  Travel bug photo credit: www.southmountaintraders.com

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Isn’t that just what you were thinking about doing too? Hey, wouldn’t it be fun to do some day trips together? Oh…you live in a different time zone you say? This may be challenging, but I do have a plan. In each of our cities lie dozens of geocaches. Sometime in the month of May each of us could take a treasure hunting trip to find a geocache, write it up on our blogs, then post the link to this central location using the MckLinky feature below. Voila! You can be a part of our adventure and we can be part of yours. If you don’t have a blog you can also use the reply box to write about your adventure and it will be posted to this site as well. I will keep this page up with its own easy-to-find tab on the top of my homepage for the entire month of May. Keep checking in and join the discussion with fellow adventurers!

Why bother geocaching rather than just find a daytrip? Usually, its not an either / or situation. Even if I was heading to the zoo anyway, I could find several geocaches that I never knew were there while on my visit. The kids get out of the house, get excited about hunting for treasure, and learn the pleasure of adding something of their own to the cache stash. The grown ups get to play with cool gadgets while teaching navigational skills (hopefully to the kids, not to each other).   

New to geocaching?  It’s easy to get started. Geocaches are little treasures that are hidden in containers, big or small, and described on www.geocaching.com for you to find using GPS coordinates.  Simply set up a free account on www.geocaching.com. Once logged in you can put in your zip code and up pops a list of nearby geocaches. Pick any that sound good (you may want to refer to the difficulty column when deciding your pick) and further information about that geocache will appear. If you hit the “view map” button you will see a map of your area with each of the geocache locations pinpointed. You can also select one from this map. Clicking on the geocache picture will open up a small dialogue box with the details of that geocache.

Does this sound confusing? It’s a pretty easy site to navigate around. You can read more details about how to get started in my earlier geocaching post. As the month progresses I will post more details about geocaching including geocaching products, iphone apps, and travel bugs. You will also hear more from supporters at Trailmix.net and GoExploreNature.com. Mostly, though, I’d like to hear from you. Post any questions or suggested topics you’d like more information on in the comments section. After you have tried an adventure or two, share how it went. Come back and post as often as you want.

Now what are you waiting for? Go grab your calendar, we have a playdate to plan!

photo credit: geocats.blogspot.com and www.bbc.co.uk

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When you hear the words “theme park,” what do you think of?

Mickey Mouse?  Sleeping Beauty Castle?  Disneyland?

Most people do! When Disneyland opened in 1955, it captured our imaginations and redefined family entertainment. Don’t stop there, though. There are 20 amusement parks to enjoy across California, and each offers a unique theme. From fairy tales to agriculture to the wild west, here are a few that offer terrific family adventures.  

Children’s Fairyland, Oakland, CA

Did you ever wonder where Walt Disney got his ideas for Disneyland?  This charming little park was one of his biggest inspirations.  Filled with a variety of storybook sets and children’s activities, this is a great park for families with young children. You won’t find much in terms of rides—there are just four—but be sure to catch a puppet show.  Frank Oz of The Muppets fame got his start in puppetry performing on this stage! 

Gilroy Gardens, Gilroy, CA

Tucked away among the artichoke and garlic fields Gilroy is famous for, Gilroy Gardens is definitely worth the trip for families with children.  The park is themed on agriculture, and recognized as one of the best landscaped amusement parks in the country. Ride the Mushroom Swing, Garlic Twirl, and Artichoke Dip, and look for the two family coasters, so well hidden among the trees that they often aren’t noticeable at first. 

Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park, CA

Anyone like Boysenberries?  This was the farm that first cultivated them back in 1932.  Since then, Knott’s has become one of California’s most popular theme parks.  For those with little ones, don’t let the roller coasters scare you away; the park is also famous for its “Camp Snoopy,” a land themed to the popular Peanuts gang with attractions for young guests.  Families will also enjoy panning for gold or traversing the park in an authentic stagecoach in this “Old West” themed park. 

Photo credit: Destination 360

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