Beautiful Things to See and Fun Things To Do in the San Francisco Bay Area and Napa Valley...

Today I thought I'd take a little departure from the usual home posts, and share some pictures from our road trip down to Northern California (from Seattle) last week. I wanted to share some beautiful things we saw, as well as suggest some fun things to do in the San Francisco Bay area in case you have a chance to visit. (The gorgeous gate pictured above belongs to the Stone House in the historic district of Sonoma.)

I grew up in Walnut Creek, California, which is about 30 minutes from San Francisco, and 40 minutes from Napa Valley. Walnut Creek is near and dear to my heart, and the backdrop to so many childhood memories. I'm not the only one who has grown up... Walnut Creek now has amazing shopping and lots of great restaurants. If you're in the area, you'll want to check out the huge Anthropologie (this location also features Terrain).

We decided to stay in Napa on this trip because it was going to be a little warmer there than on the coast - and we are sun-starved at home in Seattle this time of year.

Amazing Places to See (Near Seattle in Summer)...

It's officially summer! I hope yours is off to a great start... 

We recently returned from a little getaway to the Olympic Peninsula. The Olympic Peninsula is a spectacular place to visit and take in nature. While we were there, we explored the forest, ocean, rainforest, lavender farms, mountains, hot springs, lake and waterfalls. We saw bald eagles, a herd of elk and deer. 

(All this and we were only gone for two days! :)

We ate lunch and spent time here at Crescent Lake Lodge. It feels like stepping back in time in all the best ways.

The water ranges from turquoise to a brilliant shade of blue...

Set against the mountains and trees, you can't help but stop and stare at the beauty!

These sweet little cabins are where we look forward to returning to, just steps from the lodge and lake - a good choice for loud  active families like ours. Be sure to book early, as they usually fill up 3-6 months in advance!

Canoes can be rented by the hour...

We went on to the forest where we hiked up to Sol Duc Falls.

Our modest (yet still surprisingly pricey) little cabin and our three amigos, enjoying breakfast.

The guys indulged me in a little stop in Sequim, where we visited a lavender farm. My husband and I had visited Sequim once before our boys were born. They have a lavender festival in July where you can tour all the lavender farms, pick lavender and buy all sorts of lavender products and treats (including lavender lemonade and ice cream ~ yum!)

We did a 3-mile hike on the beach, enjoying the sound of waves crashing and smelling the salty sea air. The boys collected and filled (my) pockets with shiny, smooth stones.

We loved watching our three run free. The joy of childhood summer...

It was a fun family adventure... but it's always nice to come back home!

If you're not already following Little Farmstead on Instagram, I hope you will join us here!

Have a wonderful day,

Xo

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