My favorite way to celebrate a birthday is to travel. As I turned one more year old this September, my husband and I took our two kids, a three-year-old son and a 1.5-month-old daughter, together with their grandparents, to Sequoia National Park. We traveled with another friend’s family who also has a 3-year-old for four days and three nights.
Accommodation
Location and comfortable space are my top priorities this time because the kids need space to play around and can not be on the car for too long at a time. We stayed at a cabin in Three Rivers, which is a 10-minute drive from the Sequoia National Park gate.
This spacious house has a beautiful deck where the kids can watch deer early in the morning and see the stars at night. The only drawback is the third room downstairs, which has AC, making it impossible to sleep in. Practically, it has only two bedrooms.
Foods
My friend, who is an excellent cook, helped with meal planning and grocery shopping. We cooked every meal and packed Vietnamese food to go, so the kids could enjoy good food both on the way and at the Airbnb house.
Itinerary
Day 1: Drive to Sequoia National Park
Day 2: General Sherman Tree & Hanging Rock I
Day 3: The Giant Forest, Crescent Meadow & Hanging Rock I
Day 4: Drive back home
General Sherman Tree & Hanging Rock I
After breakfast (and for me, pumping), we could not wait to start showing the kids and our grandparents the great Sequoia National Park. First stop is General Sherman Tree.
We took our time walking around the tree as the kids played along the trail and I fed my daughter as needed. Just as simple as that, the morning was filled with laughter and beautiful pictures.
We wanted to get to Crescent Meadow for lunch, but decided to stop at the Hanging Rock trailhead, seeing the incredible view there for lunch (and it was lunch time already). We ate instant noodles and Vietnamese bánh mì. After that, the group hiked up to Hanging Rock I top while I pumped the milk for the baby, and my mom fed her expressed milk that was warmed up. I’ll share how we accommodate the around-the-clock feeding for my 6-weeks-old daughter at the end of the post.
The kids giggled all the way up and down the trail until the rain caught us. It poured, so we all got into the car to drive back. The weather was nice as we got closer to the cabin; we took the kids to the spring nearby before dinner time.
The Giant Forest, Crescent Meadow & Hanging Rock I
Everyone loved The Giant Forest. Walking among these giant trees made us all feel so small, as we pondered the wonder of the world. Our toddlers had a blast playing with logs and trees. The parents and grandparents got tons of great pictures.
We headed to Crescent Meadow, where there are many picnic tables for lunch. After pumping and feeding our baby, we explored the trail to Crescent Meadow. The trail offered so many picturesque views that we wished we had more time to explore and that we had brought our professional camera with us. I highly recommend this easy short walk.
Tunnel Log is very popular, and was jammed with cars wanting to take pictures and videos, so we skipped the log this time. Instead, my husband insisted that we hiked the Hanging Rock trail again because it was a very short hike with a fantastic view at the top. Kudos to my husband, who carried the car seat with our daughter inside all the way up and down so we could have a wonderful family picture there.
Lake Kaweah Recreation Area
As we headed home , we stopped by Lake Kaweah Recreation Area because of its mesmerizing scenery. I highly recommend you to check it out.
How did I travel with an infant?
I pumped and also breastfed my baby, which gave us the flexibility to be on the road trip. Having the right tools really made the experience easier and more enjoyable. Below are what I used and loved. I hope these items help you take your baby travel with you as well!
- Kindred Bravely Sublime Seamless Nursing Bra: It was incredibly convenient for both nursing and pumping. I pumped while in the car and stored the breast milk. I am lucky with a good supply of breast milk, so I only need to pump four times daily to feed my daughter. The material is of high quality. I actually purchased these bras while feeding my first child three years ago, and they are still like new.
- Medela Breast Pump Freestyle Flex: The product is pretty durable, as I used it exclusively to pump and feed my son three years ago and can still use it daily now. The only extra parts I needed are the flanges because my size has changed. Together with it, their storage bottles are also of very high quality.
- LaVie 2-in-1 Warming Lactation Massager: These massagers literally saved me three years ago and still work wonder now. I use them in every pumping session. This is one of the best purchases I’ve made.
- Medela Breast Milk Storage Cooler Bag with Contoured Ice Pack: This is how I store my milk on the go, also from three years ago.
- GROWNSY Baby Bottle Warmer: I recently purchased to use at home and on the go because our car has an electric outlet. If you do not have electric outlet, you can try bringing hot water in a thermal bottle.
- Medela Quick Clean Breast Pump and Accessory Wipes: I brought them to clean the pumping parts and bottles on the road if needed.
- Ergobaby Embrace Baby Carrier Newborn to Toddler: I loved this one, very suitable to infants. The material is soft and it looks good when carrying a baby as well!
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If you have any other recommendations, please let me know!
Giggles & Getaways 
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