The [New Year PAXE] Adventure

There is almost nothing better than visiting family, especially if you are newly married and get to share the guest room for the first time!

Alex and Paige were the perfect first newlywed stop on our long list of visits.  In their usual fashion, their house was beautiful, the room (which they called the "honeymoon suite") was perfectly inviting and Paige had made us a cute sign welcoming "Mr. and Mrs. Schweiss."  It was lovely.

It was such a treat to be there for longer than the usual quick weekend trip, and to get to spend some truly relaxing time with them all.  We also had the chance to visit with Bugs and Peggy for much of the trip, which was a great treat not only because they are very fun to be around, but because they have traveled seemingly everywhere in the world and have great travel advice about Europe in particular.

We managed to pack the week full of a perfect combination of adventures--some relaxing, some not so relaxing but wonderful all the same.

We arrived in Mill Valley on the night of New Year's Eve, but Alex had a better idea than to stay up until midnight...  Instead, we all went to bed at a more reasonable time, and then woke up at the crack of dawn to go on a short hike and toast the New Year with mimosas as we watched the sun rise on 2012.  It was a fantastic idea (though it was very cold) and we hope we can do it wherever we may be every year.

Then there was some relaxing at home, strolling around Mill Valley and concerts by the brilliant young musician...

He is such a ham.  Tree hugger. 

He sure knows how to get a reaction... 

On one of the mornings, we drove into the city with Alex and explored a bit while we waited to meet him for lunch and see his awesome office complex.  We walked up the 500+ steps to Coit Tower and then went to the top for some of the best views of the city on a clear day.

We also all ventured to Sonoma for an afternoon for some lovely wine tasting.  Though the food was fantastic and the views were beautiful, we couldn't help but remark that the wine country in Oregon is much more striking and beautiful.  But it was a nice way to spend an afternoon.

Our biggest adventure of the trip was walking the Dipsea--a 7-mile trail that goes from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach, over Mt. Tamalpais.  Inspired by the fact that Mom and Dad used to run the Dipsea race, we decided to go on the hike as a whole family, and enlisted the help of Mike and Lyndsey for baby-carrying and great company.  Though the trail seemed to be never-ending, it was gorgeous, a fantastic workout and well worth the effort.

Ready to go, unaware of the pending torture...

Mike and Lyndsey doing yoga at the top of the mountain while they waited for the rest of us after they ran up...

Gorgeous view from the top, but not quite half way yet!

Though we had so many fun outings during the week, the most wonderful part of it all was spending it with the people we love so dearly.  It was a wonderful week--a true gift--and we will always remember and cherish that time.