Disclosure: This content is sponsored by adidas. I received compensation in the form of a gift card for creating this content. All opinions expressed are my own.

I feel like I should preface this post by saying that my blog isn’t turning into a hiking blog. Even though it might seem like it since my last three posts have been about hiking, being outdoors or traveling in general! I should be back to posting about fashion soon. Although, my new adidas x FARM backpack is quite the fashion statement, all on it’s own! It was the perfect size for carrying all of our necessities for our dayhiking adventures.

Every year when we visit family in Northern CA, we try to explore someplace new. This time we hiked McCloud Middle Falls. There are actually three falls but I had read that Middle Falls was the most impressive. Especially if you’re looking for a great waterfall photo opp! It did not disappoint!

We had originally considered checking out Burney Falls again. But after reading that McCloud Falls tends to be less crowded, it was an easy choice. The hike to the waterfall is a half mile (one way). And there is a paved parking lot right at the Middle Falls overlook/trailhead. If you want to go for a swim (I’m not one for swimming in any body of water these days…lol), you will have to climb some pretty large boulders. But it’s do-able.

WHAT TO BRING IN YOUR BACKPACK FOR A DAY TRIP TO MCCLOUD MIDDLE FALLS: water, sunblock, swimsuit & towel (if you plan to swim), band-aids (just in case), hat (some portions of the hike are in direct sunlight), bug spray ( mosquitos are possible in Summer months) and snacks if you plan on hanging out for a while.

My backpack is currently sold out but adidas has a great selection of backpacks for all of your hiking (or back to school!) needs.

Disclosure: This content is sponsored by adidas. I received compensation in the form of a gift card for creating this content. All opinions expressed are my own.

Well, it’s official. May grey and June gloom are officially upon us! Especially near the coast. So even though we knew it was going to be a cloudy day, we decided to make the best of it and head to the beach. You may remember me mentioning Annie’s Canyon in another post about some of my favorite places to hike.

My son got a new camera and wanted to take pics so we headed over to Annie’s Canyon to capture the beautiful slot canyons. There are plenty of wildflowers and wildlife near the lagoon to photograph as well.

It’s hard to believe we have this right here in Solana Beach. It feels otherworldly. The hike is super easy but climbing up the ladder to get out seemed much steeper that I remembered! There were little children navigating it just fine. But I felt every bit of fifty when trying to climb up with a backpack on my back and a line of people behind me!

I probably shouldn’t have worn my white sneakers but they’re my most comfy hiking sneakers so I wore them anyway! Have you been to Annie’s Canyon yet?

TIPS: There are multiple trailheads to get to Annie’s Canyon. My personal favorite is to drive all the way to the end of N. Rios Ave and park on street parking. I recommend going early and on a weekday if possible to avoid crowds.

Last month I joined my son for his 8th Grade Washington, D.C. trip with Worldstrides. When we first decided to do this trip, I paid in full without asking any questions. It was presented to us with a big red bow and I could not wait to experience this memorable trip with my son. Then I made the mistake of reading the reviews. And of course, I started with the negative reviews. Now having returned from our trip, I wanted to share our experience. I’m happy to report, that we had a great time.

I have to preface this with the fact that I am not a traveler. So to not have an itinerary, hotel info or flight information until two and a half weeks before the trip…was very unnerving. And my phone interactions with WorldStrides left me feeling even more frustrated. I wanted information/details and WorldStrides would not give me any. I was told that all communications had to be with our team leader.

Upon receiving the itinerary, I was relieved to see that we at least had direct flights. The only problem is that the first leg was a red-eye. So coming from CA, would have us arriving at 2:30 in the morning (our time). And then it was a two hour bus ride to our first stop. Needless to say, we were all zombies for the first whole day. And that first day was PACKED full of activities. But it ended up being a great day nonetheless.

The Good:

All of our tour guides were fabulous. Shout outs to Ashleigh and Gail. And an even bigger THANK YOU to Larry Clark. He is a history buff, super knowledgeable and a MD native so really knew his stuff. He kept the kids engaged with fun trivia on the long bus rides and does an awesome Trump and Clinton impression. Sounds JUST like them! Even though none of the kids recognized Clinton…the adults all chuckled. He also made sure that I found my way to a Minute Clinic when I fell ill during our trip. He even checked up on me the following day via text when I was stuck at the hotel sick all day. It was greatly appreciated. Our bus driver (Ali) was also awesome. He got us everywhere safely and provided waters for us the entire trip. The on deck WorldStrides employees at the hotels were also helpful and kept us on track and organized when shuffling through the hotels for breakfast, etc. Super impressed with everyone on the WorldStrides teams while we were on the actual trip. All of the stops/museums, etc. were super informative & educational and fun was had by all! Rappin’ MC who taught us all about the early American “practice” of medicine is a true gem of a human. She had us all in “stitches”…no pun intended. I may have a special place in my heart for her because she reminded me of my grandma! Oh, and many of the reviews said that their groups were split up and sat amongst strangers on the flights. They kept their promise that I was seated with my son on both legs of the flight. We are both nervous flyers so I was very relieved that we were in fact seated together. Phew!

The Not So Good:

Red-eye flights with a group of 8th graders is never a good idea. I would have gladly paid more to have arrived at a decent hour and had a good nights sleep prior to 5 days of activities. The itinerary is over booked. Yes, you get to see a million destinations…but 8am-10pm every single day is too much. The kids desperately wanted some down time to relax and hang with their friends after a long day. Our hotels were both an hour away (if not more) from the daily activities. It would have been nice to have actually STAYED in DC so that at least one of the days we could have walked to our destinations. The WorldStrides website and customer service employees said that we would be put up in 4 star hotels. We were at a Sheraton one night and a Holiday Inn for the remaining 3 nights. Neither of them are 4 star hotels. Especially the Holiday Inn. It is a 2.5 star rated hotel at best. The kids are 4 to a room and adults/chaperones are 2 to a room unless you pay for a single room which I did. Nobody wants to share a room with a complete stranger! And the price they charged me was for a 4 star hotel NOT a Holiday Inn.

I would be remiss if I didn’t share where WorldStrides really shined for me personally. I became ill halfway through the trip and had to use their 24/7 dedicated in case of emergency number. I spoke to their on call doctor but had already located a Minute Clinic near one of our tours so I was able to slip out and walk a few blocks to get tested for strep throat. I wanted to get antibiotics had that been the case. WorldStrides offered me a voucher to pay for an uber ride to the clinic as well as a ride back to the hotel should I need it. They called and checked on me on several occasions. I ended up having to miss out on all activities all day/night on Friday and we were scheduled to leave on Sat after another full day of activities. I was so sick that I had to stay at the hotel again on Saturday. Worldstrides arranged for a late checkout for me (at no extra cost) and sent me a voucher to uber directly to the airport to meet up with our group. I GREATLY appreciated this!

Final Verdict:

My son had an amazing time and it was a trip he will never forget. I would have also (and even overlooked the red-eye) had I not gotten sicker than a dog. Seriously…I hadn’t been sick in almost five years and of course it happens the ONE TIME I fly! I am so grateful that I was able to experience this trip with my son. Even though he acted like he didn’t know me..since what 8th grader wants their mom tagging along. 😉

Disclosure: This content is sponsored by adidas. I received compensation in the form of a gift card for creating this content. All opinions expressed are my own.

Hiking is one of my favorite things to do when we go on any vacation. I don’t mind if it’s by the ocean, in the desert or high mountains. In fact, maybe I should change my blog name to The Stylish Mountaineer. Ha! Just kidding. I wouldn’t go that far. But I do love to get outside and explore.

Annie’s Canyon, Solana Beach CA

One of my favorite local trails is right here in San Diego (Solana Beach). Annie’s Canyon is a sandstone slot canyon with panoramic views of the San Elijo Lagoon at the top. It is an easy trail to hike but once inside the canyon, it is quite narrow and if you have claustrophobia, this hike may not be for you. You also have to climb a tiny ladder to get out and there is no turning around to get out because people will be behind you. BUT…it is worth it (now that I’ve scared you). Ha! It is such a hidden gem.

Palm Canyon Trail, Palm Springs CA

Next up is another super easy trail. But I will be talking about the lighting under these palm trees for the rest of my life! I wish I could bottle it up and bring it home with me. It almost feels like you are on the set of “Land of the Lost” (the show not the movie)…if you are old enough to remember that! I don’t know if it’s because I love the desert or palm trees, but it is definitely worth the small fee to hike the trails. There is also a stream that runs through the canyon and picnic tables if you want to pack a lunch!

Eastern Sierras, CA

Another place we love to hike is in the Eastern Sierras. Each time we visit, we try to hike a new trail. The Parker Lake trail is probably our favorite. Even though I am looking over my shoulder the whole time terrified that a bear is close by. I have an irrational fear of bears so my family thinks it’s funny to pretend they see one every five minutes. I swear I still enjoy hiking though!

I’m in desperate need of some new hiking shoes…actually we all are! So I’m thinking of surprising the fam with some new shoes before our trips this Summer. These adidas tracefinder trail running sneakers are the perfect color for the dusty trails. I know my husband would love these.

Check out more trail running shoes at adidas.com.

Believe it or not, I bought this dress in 2020 and just wore it for the first time in 2024. I originally bought it thinking I would wear it for Valentine’s Day. But I ended up wearing it during Christmas last year. I am shocked that it is still currently available. That never happens! So if you are on the hunt for the perfect Valentine’s outfit, look no further.

The dress is half hot pink and half red and has a tie waist. I paired it with my Cult Gaia Hero Nano Shoulder Bag. Although I don’t know why they call it a shoulder bag. The strap is a little short to carry it like that! But it sure does sparkle like no other.

Shop the House of Harlow 1960 x Revolve Lotta Dress and more below: