On a recent trip to Vermont, we were able to spend time at Shelburne Farms. Somehow, I was not expecting much from this stop and planned it as a quick break on our way to Burlington. I was pleasantly surprised!

I knew there would be cute farm animals, but what I didn’t anticipate was the stunning grounds, impressive barn structure and eager staff ready to educate the kids on everything farm related.

We’ve spent this week in Zermatt, Switzerland. We were last here 10 years ago and can’t believe how much the town and valley have grown. The crowds in town are extreme in August, but fortunately, it’s easy to escape people through miles and miles of spectacular hiking trails.

The massive Matterhorn is ever-present and dominates the landscape. That said, almost one-third of all the 4,000 meter peaks in the Alps are grouped around Zermatt, i.e. there many breathtaking mountains and views to appreciate here.

We were hiking in Lake Tahoe a few weeks ago on the Rubicon Train (DL Bliss State Park) and came across these teen-agers jumping off big rocks into the lake. The joy of being young and fearless!

I love how the deep blue color of the lake comes through in these photos. What you can’t tell, however, is how cold the water is (hint: very).

The San Diego Zoo is one of the area’s best-known attractions. The zoo also operates a Wild Animal Park offering an array of fantastic safari-style experiences.

One of the amusing moments during our recent visit to the park was this vision of a lion sleeping on this range rover. OK, so that’s not really what happens in Africa, but nonetheless, it’s nice to see these animals so relaxed and comfortable in their environment.

The summer that I was sixteen, my dad gave me a used 35mm Canon camera. The camera was in good shape and, after a quick lesson from someone at the town’s camera store about how to load film and use the internal light meter, I was ready to start shooting.

I spent that summer my parents’ bed and breakfast on the coast of Maine. My photos from that period consist of images of the rocky seacoast …

We spent last weekend in San Diego and had the opportunity to check out the new Legoland Water Park. My favorite thing about Legoland in general is that it’s so optimized for toddlers and school-aged kids.

You don’t have to worry about rides that are too scary (using your judgement based on your kids) and unruly teens.

I haven’t spent much time in Switzerland but that is about to change. This will be the first of many posts on this spectacular country. The little village of Villette near the city of Lausanne on Lake Léman (otherwise known as Lake Geneva) is about to become my new home for the next few years!

The mountains views here are breathtaking—and ever changing. It seemed like every weather and light change brought entirely new perspective.

If you are an outdoors lover, a summertime visit to Idaho at some point is a must. The open space is vast and gorgeous, plus the number of visitors is small compared to National Parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite.

Redfish Lake (the photo at the top of the post) is at the base of the Sawtooth Mountain Range. The scenery in this part of Idaho is wonderfully rugged.

I never stop appreciating the rugged beauty of the California Coast. We’ve had a few excursions over the past few months that were pure magic. Spring is a wonderful time of year for a California beach vacation—days can be warm with crisp with bright blue skies versus the summer months when fog may be an issue.

We spent spring break at Montage Laguna Beach and Terranea Resort in Southern California. Both properties are oceanfront with mesmerizing views.

I know many people think Napa with kids is an oxymoron, but we love to escape to the wine country at least a few times a year as a family. The colors in the spring and fall are gorgeous, and over summer months it’s an easy way to escape foggy San Francisco (save winter visits for romance) for perfect swimming weather.