Happy 2021, friends! We are so excited to wish farewell to 2020 and to start a new year of adventures with you. No matter who you were or where you lived, 2020 was probably a tough year. And while it had its challenges for everyone, there were also a lot of amazing things that came out of those difficult times. We seemed to all feel a big shift towards what really matters, like family, nature, and self-care. The adventures we took in 2020 probably looked different than how we imagined them when planning. But, we still managed to make the most out of it and spend some time outside together. Today, a few members of our Creative Team are here sharing a little bit about their favorite adventures from 2020. Here are a few memories we’ll never forget.
Leslie – @c_l_allofus
Our family plan for 2020 was to spend the year clearing our newly acquired homestead land and beginning the process of building our house and barn. Even in our personal lives, not much else went we as expected in 2020, but that basic plan of spending the year working together outside never changed. It stretched and challenged us as we cut trees, burnt massive piles of branches, put in our driveway, and passed out endless snacks to our pint-sized helpers. Our kids learned to help with whatever jobs they could, to stay clear of moving equipment and falling trees, and to discover endless ways to create their own adventures on our homestead property. They found favorite climbing trees, built forts and hidden playhouses in the west thicket, and made playgrounds out of just-dropped trees. I love the above picture because it shows our whole family working and playing together–our three-year-old plopped down with her coloring book and crayons in the dirt driveway while the two older girls play in the dirt, our son and his dog dig up a groundhog hole, and my husband works with the mini excavator.
We’ve spent the year trying to balance work and fun, stopping to enjoy the little moments and accomplishments together. We camped out on our property, dreaming about the many nights there in our future. We’ve watched the sun set across the field and fog lift over our meadow. The autumn leaves have fallen and we’ve learned which trees have the most spectacular color. We’ve watched trees bud and left footprints in the snow. 2020 may not have held epic visits to exotic locations for us, but it’s been full of beautiful adventures right here on our own homestead.
Kristen & Jared – @kristcx & @bikeshikesbiners
Our favorite adventure this year was getting to take our kids on a road trip to visit a handful of National Parks. One of those parks was Arches National Park. My husband and I had visited this park on our honeymoon 12 years ago. So, getting to come back to explore it with our new little family was such a great experience. We made so many new memories together as a family. We loved getting to see our kids explore new terrains and experience a different region from our own, learning as they went and opening their minds to what else was out there. It really fanned the flame of our sense of adventure and we can’t wait to see where 2021 will take us!
Stacey – @familyroots.photo
2020 was a crazy year for everyone! It brought highs and lows to all of us. Our family is so grateful to have had some wonderful memories come from it. Here’s a photo of my kiddos and their cousins at the top of the deer loop trail. This trail is right down the street from our cabin in Vermont. It’s about a 3.5 mile loop and the kids absolutely love exploring this trail. We’ve gone multiple times this year, over various seasons – spring, summer, and fall. And it was right here at the top, with this beautiful view of Pico mountain, where they took their very first solo ski down the mountain. It was a memory I’ll never forget and one of our favorite adventures. I hope you and your families can dwell on all the good memories this year has brought you all and cheers to a happy + healthy new year!
Nichole – @coleyraeh
This year was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Unlike anything any of us have experienced. But for us, it was also a year of “level up” adventures. We weren’t able to travel quite as much but I decided to dig deep into shenanigans close to home. Lucky for us, Arkansas is full of adventure. My favorite adventure this past year was a canoe and camping trip, to a floating platform on a river in central Arkansas. Yes, my kids and I CAMPED on a platform, in a river, surrounded by massive cypress trees, blue herons, egrets, owls, and Pileated woodpeckers.
The experience stretched all of us – for me, loading and unloading the canoe from my car (by myself, thank you very much) and for my kids paddling in a river, and against a headwind on our return trip. We also learned the best way to pack the canoe to balance their weight with mine. My son slept in a hammock (with a bug net) and couldn’t stop talking about the stars. We also spotted a snake mid-meal, with the still croaking frog hanging out of its mouth. It was memorable. And yes, we even jumped on the Ocean Spray cranberry juice/Fleetwood Mac challenge, making our video while floating down the river. I’m so excited about where our canoe will take us in 2021!
If you’re interested in reading more about this trip, I wrote a post about it on my blog Luckey Wanderers.
Michelle – @wonderclubexplorers
I have to say, picking just one favorite outdoor adventure from this past year was tough! If nothing else, 2020 was a year that taught us to count our blessings and get creative, especially here in Southern California where safer-at-home orders kept us, well, home. Sort of. In search of new vistas and fresh scenery, we perfected the art of Sunday drives this year. Our destinations were always somewhere new and different filled with interesting roads and places to explore.
One of our family’s most favorite and memorable Sunday drives was to the Anza Borrego Desert in California. Here in the desert, we found more than 100 sun-bathed metal sculptures amidst the cactus plants, tumbleweeds, and sandy earth. As my son ran wild from sculpture to sculpture in the desert, he proclaimed that “This day was the most fun ever!” I have to agree, and as we waved goodbye to the dinosaurs, dragons, and wild horse sculptures on our drive home, I looked back and indulged in a cotton candy-colored sunset. How lucky are we to have this beautiful earth to explore?
Araceli – @roaminggonzalez
I read an article that described 2020 as the year that offered us a “reset”. That is the biggest lesson I am taking away from this year. Although it was difficult, lonely and some days were impossible, I am walking into 2021 with a grateful heart. We grew closer than ever as a family. I realized how over-scheduled life was for us. This year gave us an opportunity to slow down. Our days were filled with all the simple things that matter most and that is what I plan to take into the new year!
We are also unbelievably grateful that we were able to recreate responsibly throughout the year. Whether it was exploring where we live or camping along the coast we treasure what the great outdoors offered us this year more than ever. Sunshine, fresh air, and time together as a family. ADVENTURES are truly the best gifts. We remain hopeful for a better year.
SarahRuth – @kindle_togetherness
The devil came down to Georgia. Seriously, you’all. The devil came down here. This guy made 2020 his year. Maybe it wasn’t just Georgia, but can I tell you something? We had a hurricane. In the Appalachian Mountains. Pause there and let that settle for a minute. Five and a half hours from the nearest beach, our family lost power for four days. Our community had massive flooding, hurricane-force winds, and more. With three young kids and a camper hanging out in our driveway, we figured if the devil came here to Georgia, we would head to North Carolina! In a frenzy, we packed up enough clothing to get us through, tossed the bikes on the truck, and ran!
If 2020 was anything, it was unexpected. As we drove a couple of hours away, we laughed, we cried, and we counted our blessings. Not everyone could run away from 2020 for a few days and fish, ride bikes, count the stars. But, if they could, they should, right? So we did! And we had the time of our lives. If I learned anything this year, it’s that circumstances don’t determine outcomes. Often time, you can switch gears and change the atmosphere of a situation. It is hard to defy your feelings. Super challenging to go against the crashing waves of fear and anxiety….but when you do it, you don’t regret it. Instead, you walk away a victor. I’m all about bringing my kids along for that!
“Challenges are what make life interesting, and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” – Joshua Marine
Meghan – @meghangarriott
We had a lot of growth in 2020 at the Garriott home. Our boys grew and grew and so did our garden! The initial shutdowns across the US due to COVID 19 just happened to be the same time to start a lot of my seeds indoors. This year we grew Roma tomatoes, grape tomatoes, bell peppers, and jalapeños from seed. With all our added time at home it worked out perfectly to be able to care for our little seeds and expand our garden. As the weather warmed we planted green beans, carrots, green onions, basil, mint, and cilantro.
Our extra time at home over the summer ended up making for a much larger and better cared for crop than in years past. We were able to freeze over 20 quarts of carrots, canned and froze 15quarts of tomatoes, and 20 quarts of green beans all while also eating fresh throughout the summer. Our time in the garden gave us some much needed physical and mental exercise. My boys loved helping me dig and water the garden, they were less thrilled with weeding but I took what I could get. I can’t wait to see what our garden brings in 2021 with all that we learned and expanded in 2020!
Ashley – @sage.and.summit
Gaga – @groovybananaphotography
2020 has been a very weird year. We did quite a bit of international travel in the beginning of the year, then the borders to our island were closed because of COVID. As wedding, engagement and family photographers, we had much less work coming in, as people were not allowed to travel overseas for destination weddings. Incredibly, our island was very lucky to not get hit by COVID and we lived quite a bit of the year in a normal bubble where we could still hang out together. Having more time not working gave us more time to spend with friends, and above all, with our kids.
My favorite outdoor adventure of the year was probably our trips to Tanna, another island of Vanuatu. One time we went for a couple photoshoot on the top of a volcano and another time to cover a huge cultural event. In both cases, we went exploring the volcano ash plain which offers out of the world landscapes. It was the most amazing playground and a trip we’ll never forget.
Sara – @sara_mccarty
This may be a very unpopular opinion, but I did not think 2020 was the worst year ever. Yes, it was tough, challenging, infuriating, and heartbreaking. But, it was also beautiful, eye-opening, transformative, and resetting. When the world shut down, it forced us to reevaluate and reprioritize our actions. It was disappointing having to cancel adventures, trips, and extra-curricular activities, but it forced us to get creative and explore our local surroundings in a whole new way. We were scared and apprehensive, but spending time together as a family in nature seemed to make things feel more manageable.
In 2020, we did a lot of fishing, a family canoe trip, some camping, quite a few hikes, and more creek play than we knew what to do with. One of my favorite adventures from this past year was a 2-day getaway to a nearby lake, where my two big kids (6 and 8) and I rented a tiny cabin in the woods. We fished during the day, made a bonfire each evening, and spent our time enjoying the beautiful fall colors and nature around us. The weather was perfect and the kids got along the entire weekend (which is a miracle in and of itself after all the “togetherness” we’ve had). The kids also discovered a newfound love of kayaking and I could barely get them out of the water to eat or go home. It was amazing to see their confidence grow with each trip out and we can’t wait to do it again. It was a bit of a last-minute trip, less than an hour from our house, but it was just what we needed to re-energize and reconnect.