Joshua Tree National Park

It’s on our family bucket list to take the children to visit all the National Parks. Joshua Tree is right on your way from Phoenix to  just about anywhere in California. Try a day hike on the Lost Palms Oasis Trail like we did or pack food for an outdoor picnic. Either way you’ll enjoy the peacefulness of the desert and the feeling that you’re on another planet with the big boulders and spiky trees. We used our America the Beautiful pass to get in. I’ve mentioned in previous posts it’s definitely worth investing in if you love visiting National Parks. Hikers beware there is no shade. So avoid hiking or camping during hot summer months.

Carlsbad

This charming beach town was our main destination and it won over our hearts. We would love to visit Legoland but it was closed during our visit. No fear, we found plenty of safe and free outdoor activities. Enjoy a free beach day at Carlsbad State Beach. The beaches were so clean and beautiful with green space and paths for walking too. Do you have an animal lover in the family? Visit the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Discovery Center. This was our children’s favorite activity on the entire trip. The discovery center is free to visit but they accept donations to support their programming. Our oldest son is an animal lover and will hold just about a creature. Our educator Andy was incredible! He interacted with our children and helped them to be safe with all the animals during their hands on learning experiences. He was so knowledgeable about the animals and extremely patient with our youngest son who is still learning about gentle touch. You can’t miss a visit to The Flower Fields in the spring. In fact, the blooming of the beautiful ranunculus signal Spring has arrived in the area. New this year you can also pick your own blueberries in the patches for $5 a pint. Unfortunately, this was such a popular activity that the patch was completely picked within the first week. There is an entrance fee for adults and children and you must reserve tickets online in advance due to Covid protocols. Being photographed in a flower field was on my bucket list so for me it was worth the cost. The children loved the adorable playground with tiny houses and mushrooms. They also offer tours of the farm by tractor but we preferred to walk it and not pay the additional fee. In the mood for a beach picnic lunch? Pack Board and Brew’s huge sub sandwiches and don’t forget to stop by The Goods for the best doughnuts you’ll ever have. After all the eating, try a free hike around the Lagoon on the Batiquitos Lagoon Trail. Or if you’re into water sports head to the Agua Hedionda Lagoon to rent paddle boats, paddle boards, and other water crafts. We loved Carlsbad and will definitely be returning as California continues to safely reopen.

San Diego

Downtown San Diego is still mainly shut down during the time of this post so we enjoyed taking the kids to the Seaport Village waterfront to shop and watch the boats go by. We spent the whole morning outside in the grassy parks and visited a few toy shops. Our youngest son loved watching the trains and the boats go by. The boys were exhausted from running around and all the fresh air. Soon after they were sleeping on the long car ride home.

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We had filmed for a client in the past at this venue and the video was so much fun! We can hardly believe Easton is three and has since started preschool. He has handled his new routine very well and is adjusting to new caregivers, wearing a mask, and interacting with peers surprisingly well considering COVID has severely impacted his experiences. He’s shown so much courage and we couldn’t be more proud of him.

We love making birthday films and it was a tough decision but ultimately we decided it was more important for Shawn to be part of the day instead of filming. We did snap a few photos to capture our celebration with a few close family members in attendance. If you’re interested in filming for your little ones party, check out our birthday package; we’d love to capture your special party.

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Summary

We hope these five tips are helpful for taking better photos of your family. If you have specific questions we would love for you to ask them in the comments below!

Examples

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When most people think of Page, Arizona they plan to spend the majority of time on beautiful Lake Powell. If you can rent a house boat, or any type of boat for that matter, or if you own one, then that will be an excellent way to explore the stunning rock formations and enjoy the cool water. But maybe your budget is too tight for a boat or you dislike being on the water. Don’t worry, there are plenty of short (better for children) activities for you to enjoy while visiting Lake Powell.

Lake Powell is about a five hour drive from the Phoenix Metro area. We did the drive straight through only taking a brief stop in Flagstaff for our toilet learning toddler. Since the children are most excited on the first day of travel we decided to avoid planned stops along the way and instead save a fun activity for the return trip. Our first free activity when arriving to Page, Arizona was a small hike to the Glen Canyon Dam overlook. Hikers beware, some areas are steep but most of the area is steps and there is a railing for support. Our seven and two year old were able to do it slowly however the heat was intense in June and we weren’t able to enjoy the overlook as you would during fall or winter. If you’re of decent health, bring water, good shoes, and a camera since the views will not disappoint. This short little hike helped to get the wiggles out after traveling and passed some time until we could check into our hotel.

If you get hot then the obvious thing to do next is get wet. We decided to check out Wahweap Beach for water play and swimming. If you’re planning to take this trip or visit any other National treasures we highly recommend the purchase of the America the Beautiful Pass. This pass allowed us free access to Wahweap Beach. If you’re not ready to invest in a pass, no worries, the cost is just $30 for a non commercial vehicle for seven consecutive days. Since we visited during the summer the parking lot seems to fill quickly so plan to head down to the lake early to secure your spot.

The swim area is excellent for children with plenty of sandy beach to build sand castles. The restrooms near the parking lot were well kept and perfect for changing. If you have kids, then you’re inevitably hauling stuff, please be advised that it is quite a long trek from the parking area to the lake. Now that our oldest is seven years old, he’s responsible to help haul stuff in his children’s CO op backpack from REI. Click here to see a similar one. Just down from the large beach area we found a smaller beach that was more secluded. The views were like nothing we’ve seen. The lake is cold. Your kids won’t mind. You’ll want to visit during the summer when the hot temperatures give you no choice but to dive right in with them.

Another fun family activity is a visit to the Carl Hayden Visitor Center. Due to the current pandemic situation the the visitor center was closed but typically tours of the dam are just $5. We did stop to film the dam and allow the children to see the area. There is no parking fee and the view is worth the quick stop.

You’re dying to see Horseshoe bend on this trip and you should. It’s definitely affordable! Use your America the Beautiful pass to get in free or plan to pay $10 per vehicle. Horseshoe bend is an excellent hike for children and families. The paved path was easy for our children. They enjoyed leaving their mark by building small rock piles along the way. Bring water and enjoy the peaceful desert walk in the early part of the day before the sun is blazing and Instagrammers take over.

If you’re looking for affordable lodging in Page I highly recommend the Best Western Lake View. We felt this location was a steal for just $70 per night. Granted, travel and tourism is down due to the Covid Pandemic so rates may change. The views from the hotel balcony were stunning. We spent the evening sitting around the fire pit with a pizza and the children enjoyed a dip in the pool and hot tub as well.

Going home always feels sad when you’ve had so much fun exploring a new place. Brighten their mood with a stop to see the Dinosaur Tracks discovered on the Navajo nation land. This activity was free and made our Dino-obssesed toddler’s dreams come true. You can tell from the video we experienced extremely high winds and some dust so sunglasses and a face covering is helpful if these conditions are present.

We hope our family video gives you a better idea of what to expect when visiting Lake Powell country. We’ve never taken a more affordable road trip with kids while still experiencing so much.  If you haven’t already, please subscribe so you don’t miss our next family adventure!

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Need a special gift for a father in your life?  Let us help you celebrate your father by creating a special video message just for him to tell him how much he means to you. Or schedule to have us film his next birthday bash. He will cherish having all his love ones captured on film.

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Raising boys has unique challenges. I want to encourage them to be exactly who they are but at the same time model empathy, sensitivity, and kindness so we raise boys who will grow up to be responsible and aware men. People often ask me if I wished we had a girl and I’m quick to always reply with “no.” While it may seem harsh that I don’t even consider it, I’ve always felt I was destined to be a mother to boys.  I know nothing about sports and I don’t even watch them.  I don’t like wrestling or playing rough. I leave all those things to Shawn. I grew up playing with dolls and dress up. My interests were dance, and makeup, and modeling classes. So even though I’m just about as “girly”as can be I’m also strong and intelligent. So I hope to serve as an example for my boys that women are many things and most of all precious.

Wishing all the precious mothers a very happy Mother’s Day.

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Landon loves making and decorating cakes  around the holidays. His favorite part is cracking the eggs. He feels so confident when he finishes decorating and always asks us to send photos of his masterpiece to his extended family.  Easton is the official taste tester of the family and our toughest critic. We love to capture him just being himself at home. I’ve really been loving the retro photo look lately so we edited these to look like film.
Whatever your plans are this Easter, I hope you do something that you love and document it.
Happy Easter everyone!

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This  park has some interesting areas for photography. The playground was built using some recycled materials which makes for interesting backdrops and a fun play area for children. Our children loved playing in the construction materials used on the disc golf course. We had fun watching them climb inside the tunnels and captured some cute photos of them playing.

The park is elevated due to being built on top of a landfill so the morning views are simply beautiful. We consider this a fun and interesting little park for child and family photography.  The plant life, as well as, the mountains, make for some beautiful photography backdrops. This is a busy park with a dog park, archery range, and large playground so if you want the best shots you’ll want to get there early.  See some of our candid family photos below and leave a comment with your favorite picnic spot.
If you love park play and family time as much as we do we would love to photograph your lifestyle family session. Book your family session now by submitting a quote through the pricing calculator.

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Here’s a little update on Landon: He continues to love making art and explore the outdoors by going on hikes with the family. He is the most joyful and loving little human being and he is a huge help to us with his little brother. He loves caring for his brother and trying to hug and snuggle him as much as he’ll allow. We are looking forward to all he will learn and share with us this year. Happy Birthday sweet boy. You are so loved.

If you’ve never considered videography at your child’s party you should definitely give it a try! The children are having so much fun they barely notice they are being filmed. We often use multiple cameras but only use one videographer onsite which means you won’t have a team of people in your way. Our children absolutely love seeing themselves on video so it makes an excellent gift for any child to keep and enjoy for years to come!

Click the “Get a quote tab”on the home page for more details on pricing for your next birthday party.

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