Our road trip to Lake Tahoe last weekend marked the beginning of a long anticipated summer break for our family. But, as you can see, the weather had other ideas. Winter weather was upon us as we drove along Interstate 80 towards Donner Summit. Images of the family kayaking in the lake and biking along the Tahoe Rim Trail faded away as snowflakes the size of dimes ceased to fall from the sky.

We packed sunscreen, bathing suits, hats, shorts, and flip flops for everyone. We were not prepared for playing in the snow. I had to quickly let my expectations go – Snow angels it is.

Upon his arrival sometime in January, we whisked him off to a cold, wintery adventure in New York City. Flat Stanley came with us everywhere.  Here he is at snow-covered East River State Park in Williamsburg with a great view of Manhattan.  We were only steps away from the waterfront but it was too cold and windy to walk any further.  Poor chap.  He didn’t bring his winter outfit. Why go to New York in the middle of a snow storm, you ask?  We were wondering ourselves the same thing. 

The subway was the best way to get around the city. Flat Stanley couldn’t have agreed more.  Here he is snuggled in a pocket.  We didn’t want to lose him!

Central Park Zoo was a big hit, but I’m not sure Flat Stanley liked being up so close to a fuzzy bird almost his size. 

It was fun running in between and underneath tall buildings at High Line Park, an historic freight train line turned urban open space. 

There was alot of running around and exploring to be done at High Line Park.  But first, we wanted to enjoy our breakfast picnic of bagels with cream cheese and whitefish!  

After our New York trip, we asked our friends to show Flat Stanley around San Francisco.  Then, he was off to South Carolina.  Bye Flat Stanley!  We hope you, or one of your other worldly counterparts, visit us again soon!

This post is part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.  Click on over for more Photo Friday fun!

First, the Mountains…

We are renting a cabin in North Lake Tahoe with a hot tub! 

Next, a City…

Portland, Oregon has the most flourishing and organized street food scene in the West Coast.  I am dreaming about wandering in and out of Portland’s food cart pods and eating my way through the city.  This site will be our guide.   I’m excited about all the savory and sweet treats we will be discovering, but I am also looking forward to cooking some meals at our home away from home — We’re swapping with a family who lives in NE Portland for a week!

Can you guess where Cosimo and I will be headed next? 

Las Vegas, Baby!  To visit my parents.  This will be our first trip together, just the two of us. I’m looking  forward to Tatay’s (Grandpa) cooking, indulgent buffet dinners at Studio B  (located inside the new M Resort, Spa, and Casino) and wandering around Spring Mountain Road, the Chinatown of Las Vegas.  I am told that the best ramen in town can be found here.   I might take Cosimo to my old childhood stomping grounds, Circus Circus.  Or maybe not.  

Instead, we’ll go 15 miles west of Las Vegas to Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area. 

Then, just before school starts again, the Ocean…

We snagged a campsite in Big Sur!  Three nights at Limekiln State Park, located right along the coast, and one  night at Pfeiffer State Park.  Sadly, Limekiln SP is slated for closure in September due to state budget cuts.  Our camping trip is in August, so we just made it.  The boys are excited about their new camping gear, specifically the head lamp and I’m excited about our new, palatial family tent. 

What are you looking forward to this summer?

From now on, travel to Philadelphia will always coincide with the Annual Pennsylvania Dutch Festival (usually in August every year) at the Reading Terminal Market.  Unknowingly, we were wandering into heaven.  Donut heaven.

You see this tool?  This special rolling tool makes donut rings AND jelly donuts! 

 It’s mesmerizing…

The anticipation is great…

But, you realize that a perfect, golden donut requires much patience (a lesson both a parent and child must learn).

Then, just when you think that the waiting will never end…

You’re at once confronted with a choice.  Will it be Sugar? Jelly-filled? Glazed?

These babies go fast!  Better get one quick!

So, here’s a Wandering Taco recap:  DONUTS. Not just ordinary donuts.  Small batch, handmade, donuts. Planning a trip to the East Coast this year?  Then, I think a slight detour to Philly is in order.  You and the kids will want to aimlessly wander into the 22nd Annual Pennsylvania Dutch Festival, a mouth-watering event hosted by the Pennsylvania Dutch merchants of Reading Terminal Market to celebrate the traditions, foods and crafts of Lancaster County.

With the length of time that’s elapsed since our last post, you’d think that we traveled to the moon.  Or we found ourselves stranded on a deserted island with no wifi.  It’s been awhile, so we definitely have some stories to tell and pictures to share.  Keep an eye out for posts about our summer trips to Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia, and the TACO family’s first foray into homeswapping!  It’s a novel idea, I must say.

In 2007, I traveled back to the Philippines for the first time since I was five years old.   I was reacquainted with aunts and uncles, first cousins, and second cousins twice removed.   In between big meals and family feasts, we explored the city and revisited places from my childhood. We navigated the busy streets as passengers in sardine-packed jeepneys, got lost inside a wet market, and marveled at the vastness of SM Mall of Asia, the 2nd largest mall in the Philippines, and the 7th largest in the world.  After several days in Manila, however, T & I with our 2-year old toddler in tow, were ready to venture off on our own, in search of an island paradise far from the over stimulation and chaos of the city.

We found it after a 3-hour bus ride south of Manila to Batangas City and a 1-hour catamaran ride to Puerto Galera, a seaside community along the northeastern tip of Mindoro Island.  The seas were rough and I didn’t think we would make it off alive.  As I held on tightly to the side of the catamaran with one arm, and nervously hugged my 2-year old with the other, my mind devised several escape routes in case our boat were to flip over.  But then, we approached land and we found ourselves here:

We stayed at Kalaw Place where our apartment for the week was situated on a hilltop, surrounded by lush greenery, and overlooking the serene, blue waters of Puerto Galera Cove.

We braved the seas once again, but this time, in our own catamaran…

…and we landed on a secluded beach…

…where we played, swam, collected shells, and made the most of our short but memorable island getaway.

A WANDERING TACO TIP:  As much as I like adventures, I was very relieved when T found an alternative option to the catamaran for our journey back to Manila.  A car ferry or RoRo (roll on, roll off) as it is affectionately called, is big and so you can’t feel the choppy waters and you don’t have to hang on for dear life when your boat sways furiously from side-to-side.  Montenegro Shipping Lines operates a RoRo to/from Puerto Galera and Batangas City everyday.  And, the ferry has a little cafe on board that sells Cup ‘O Noodle soup to warm up the ride. 

**Wander on over to Delicious Baby for more Photo Friday fun!

As is the case with every new place we visit, a certain amount of time and energy is spent on finding the coffee house serving the best espresso in town. If you ever find yourselves in Truckee, Calif., whether you are just passing through on your way to one of Tahoe’s ski resorts, or staying in town for the night, you will not be disappointed with your options. It did not take long to find a good cup of coffee. Twenty minutes after disembarking the train in Downtown Truckee, we were in possession of a mighty strong cup of espresso, while our young travelling companions were happily sipping their hot cocoa.

Apparently, Truckee knows its coffee. The first place we ventured into, Bonzai Coffee Co., roasts its own beans. The proprietor was very passionate about his coffee and was quite knowledgeable about the artisanal microroasting scene in San Francisco. He spoke excitedly about Four Barrel Coffee, a café and roastery in San Francisco’s Mission District and De La Paz Coffee, also a San Francisco small batch coffee roasting company.

Just a few blocks from Bonzai Coffee Co., we found Elijah Bleu’s House of Coffee & Good Eats. The morning of our journey back home, I ordered an espresso mocha made exclusively with Blue Bottle Coffee and Michael Recchiutti Chocolates. Fancy! A bus ride is not so bad with a good cup of coffee.

You can find the Thai Temple here:

Wat Mongkolratanaram
1911 Russell St.
(between Martin Luther King Jr. Way & Otis St., next to the Tool Lending Library)
Berkeley, CA 94703

We have also been to the Thai Temple in San Bruno, Calif. which is right off of the 101 freeway.  Also every Sundays, you can find similar treats, but with less crowds and lines:

Wat Buddhapradeep of San Francisco
310 Poplar Ave.
San Bruno, CA 94066

**This post is part of WanderFood Wednesdays over at Wanderlust and Lipstick.  Head on over there for more fun food reads and delicious photos!

Last summer, we took the train to Yosemite National Park and stayed at one of the tent cabins in Curry Village. The highlight of the trip was the 4.3 miles round-trip hike to Vernal and Nevada Falls.  Inspired by the strenuous, but rewarding experience, and the beautiful nature of Yosemite Valley, I imagine ascending Half Dome with my teenage boys one day.        C just might be up for the challenge.  To this day, he is very proud that he hiked 3 miles total all by himself, up and down slippery granite staircases and through magnificent rainbows.  The other 1.3 miles, he clearly points out, was spent on his Papa’s shoulders.

Visit Delicious Baby for more Photo Friday!

Day One

GETTING THERE  Truckee is surprisingly easy to get to without a car.  We hopped on an Amtrak shuttle bus in San Francisco which promptly transported us to the train station in Emeryville.  There we hopped on the snow train to Truckee.  Round trip fare was $90 for each adult, $45 for the 4 ¾ year old, and free for the baby, which was perfect for our family’s budget.  A big part of the trip was definitely the train ride, as my two boys will happily attest. 

SLEEP  The Truckee Hotel has been in operation for over 130 years.  Our European-style room was cozy and the shared bathrooms were very clean.  I thought that the most interesting feature of the hotel by far was the toilet with a built-in wash basin.  There was one in each bathroom.  Flush and clean tank water runs into the built-in sink for washing hands.  It saves water and space.  Genius! 

EAT  Decent places to eat are abundant in Truckee.  For dinner the first night, we enjoyed gnocchi with duck confit, calamari, and thin crust pizzas at the very kid-friendly Bar of America, which was formerly a Bank of America building.  The Bar, oh how I would have loved to languish at the Bar, sipping my lemon drop or warming up with a hot toddy.  Next time, the plan will be to sneak away after the kid’s bedtime rituals to partake in the free-flowing libations that the Bar of America is known for.  It is right across from the hotel after all.

Day Two

PLAY  With the help of the Tahoe Area Regional Transit or TART (no worries about tire chains or driving ourselves through slippery roads!), we ventured to South Lake Tahoe where we visited a friend staying at a fancy timeshare condominium overlooking the lake.  C&O played in the snow, made a snowman, and managed to get all the adults to take turns pulling them on a sled.  Although fun was had by all, next time, we’ll spend the day in Truckee.  I heard that there is a secret spot for sledding only known to locals.  So, if you go, ask a local where it is and go where they go.     

EAT  We took advantage of the free offerings at the hotel’s Breakfast Lounge – a simple fare of bagels, English muffins, cereal boxes, and cheese danishes.  Strangely, there was no fruit to be had.  Dinner was at Moody’s Bistro & Lounge where we were treated to live jazz music, which delighted and occupied our littlest guy for a good amount time. The food was delicious and indulgent.  But that’s primarily because we ordered the Big Ass Pork Platter plus a big plate of pasta Bolognese.  Oh, and we also had a crispy pork belly and fried egg sandwich.   It was dreamy, like an Egg McMuffin, but better.  Way better. 

Day Three

We took the slooow way home.  Instead of riding the rails, we hopped on the Amtrak bus to Sacramento where we planned to transfer to the Capitol Corridor train, thinking that we could save time and get home at a reasonable hour. Unfortunately, there were glitches on portions of the track, and our bus ride was extended for another hour or two, making for a very long bus ride. My kids deserved an award for being really, really patient.  Here’s Octavio enjoying his book for the umpteenth time…

Other than the trying journey home, the Wandering Taco will definitely keep Truckee on our list of affordable and accessible places to visit again.  You should go too!