** UPDATED WITH 2023 DATES ** We are so lucky to be in the Bay Area where there is a wealth of festive events and twinkling lights during the holidays. While the biggest, most popular events like Christmas in the Park, Gilroy Gardens Holiday and IlluminOdyssey typically do not permit dogs, there are still many…
Summer is almost here! Which means it’s time to start planning some summer road trips to visit national parks! We’re continuing to celebrate this year’s National Park Week (April 22-30, 2023) theme of “Your Park Story” by sharing our special connections with national parks since adopting Kona. While it seems natural to allow dogs to…
Well, here we are, again, with our next set of back-to-back atmospheric rivers in 2023. Apparently we’ve already seen at least 11 of them this winter season! I’ve lived in the Bay Area my entire life and have never experienced this much chilly, damp weather. While my natural instinct is to stay indoors and burrito…
Whenever we’re down in SoCal visiting Ryan’s family and friends – but still working remotely during the day – we try our best to explore a few trails before the sun sets. Since this typically leaves us with only a short 1-1.5 hour window of time, we opt for shorter neighborhood hikes or strolls that…
It’s finally the holiday break! We drove down to SoCal on Christmas Day to spend the week with Ryan’s family and friends. Kona and I had never experienced the holiday season in SoCal before, and to say we were excited to sunbathe again after weeks of Bay Area gloom was an understatement. Sunshine here we…
Without a doubt, the best neighborhood of holiday lights in the South Bay — and possibly even in the entire Bay Area — is in Willow Glen, a charming community centrally located in San Jose. It is a MUST SEE for us every holiday season. And not just once or even twice. This year we…
I am not a fan of the cold – I guess that’s what happens when you’re born and raised in California. Yet, there really is something so magical about a winter stroll through a display of dazzling holiday lights that makes it absolutely worth braving the cold for. The Fantasy of Lights Walk-Thru in Los…
Dog friendly holiday fun this year range from lighted boat parades to outdoor holiday festivals to tree lightings and neighborhood lights. Best of all, these activities are all FREE unless noted otherwise…
Montalvo Arts Center, also known by locals as Villa Montalvo, is a unique experience located in the hills of Saratoga that you and your dog won’t want to miss. This former estate of Senator James Phelan is now a 175-acre public park with dog friendly activities like hiking through redwood forests, picnicking on…
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is one of the only California state parks where dogs are allowed to adventure beyond parking lots, picnic areas, and campgrounds. I worried the redwood forest experience would be a thing of the past for us after adopting Kona since…