This past weekend we headed up to Sonoma for a little rest, relaxation, and vino. We’ve been up there so many times before, pre-baby days, with my family and just the two of us, that we were interested to see what it would be like with a little one in tow. We went back and forth as to where we wanted to stay for the weekend (3 nights to be exact)… did we want to stay at one of our favorite hotels (last seen here) or did we want to rent a house (something we have had success with in the past). After weighing out the pros and cons of both, for a family with a baby, we opted for the house and stumbled upon this adorable VRBO. I was sold the moment I saw it.

Something we were super nervous about was the flight. We talked to a bunch of friends who provided us with advice for how to fly with a baby, and I also received a lot of excellent advice on instagram (thanks everyone!). The night before, we packed everything up, set our alarms, and prayed that we would make it through the travel day. We certaintly made it, but not without a little bit of adventure. With 5 bags (I’m a notorious over-packer) a few nice people took pity on us and helped us navigate to the check-in counter… then when it came time to pack up the stroller to check it at the gate a nice man, about my dad’s age, offered TJ a tip… after watching him for 10 minutes break a sweat trying to fit the stroller into the bag (which I highly recommend)… he said, “I think those wheels pop off.” Then, since Harper missed her morning nap, she started crying as we were boarding the plane (TJ and I looked at each other and immediately said, “Maybe this wasn’t the best idea….”). Yet, the minute the jet engines turned on, her eyes closed and she slept the entirety of the flight. Crisis adverted.

Once we made it to our final destination (the rental) we couldn’t have been more relieved. We popped a small bottle of champagne and said a toast to our first flight as a small family. The rest of the weekend was wonderful. We enjoyed visiting with one of my dearest friends (who met Harper for the first time!), bbq-ing, watching the sunset, rich conversations over a bottle of wine (after Harper had gone down for the evening), and simply being away from reality for a little while. It was something TJ and I promised ourselves we wouldn’t give up once Harper was born. We committed to continued travel… to live our life and bring her along. This felt like such a huge accomplishment in that promise to one another. Was it easy? Um, no… travel as a childless couple is a cinch in comparison. Was it worth it? 100%!

In case you have a fun trip to the Napa/Sonoma area planned I wanted to share a few favorite spots! We didn’t eat out much this trip, as we found it easier to bbq in our backyard with a little one, so if that’s up your ally I recommend visiting the Sonoma Market or Whole Foods. Both have an excellent selection, but I would say the Sonoma Market wins in the area of cheeses (you should see the selection) and meat/fish. Both days we opted for a pic-nic lunch and picked up sandwiches from The Sonoma Cheese Factory (highly highly recommend).

Some of my favorite wineries to visit include the following:

Gundlach Bundchen (excellent spot for a picnic… delicious rose)
Scribe (make reservations to taste a month in advance, very popular and gorgeous spot… loved their chardonnay and I’m not a chardonnay fan)
Chateau St. Jean (gorgeous grounds)
Chandon
Mumm
Domaine Carneros (gorgeons setting, excellent sparkling wine flight… the rosé is my favorite)

{I simply loved our little house. It was a 2 bedroom, 1 bath home, with a gorgeous kitchen and amazing backyard. We loved coming home at the end of the day, cooking a delicious meal, watching the sunset, and sipping a little vino.}

{We spent our evenings doing pretty much the same thing…}

{In the morning, we enjoyed a yummy brunch and then headed out for a walk through the vineyards (leggings, sweater, baby carrier)}

{We spent part of the first day visiting with one of my dearest friends from college and her husband, who drove from the city out to see us. We packed up and headed over to gun bun for a little rosé on their sprawling grounds. It was such a gorgeous day, and we had so much fun chatting and laughing… and taking selfies (dress, shoes, harper’s dress}

{We spent the last day at Scribe and Domaine Carneros. It was my first time at Scribe and I highly recommend it, as well as advance reservations. We came back and enjoyed some appetizers and another bbq for our last evening. Tank, Harper’s Top, Harper’s Shoes, Blanket}