Even having visiting some pretty incredible places this summer (like Paris, Lake Tahoe, and Maui, for example), I’d count this day trip as a highlight of the season—one of the more awesome things we’ve done.
Up near Nevada City, where Route 49 (the “Mother Lode-” or “Gold Country Highway”) crosses South Yuba River, a series of swimming holes form when the river flow is low—perfectly cool on a hot day, which most summer days around here are.
Our friends showed us this spot, roughly an 1hr45min-drive from Davis, and reminded us why again it’s so exciting to have the chance to get reacquainted with Northern California.
It was Labor Day weekend when we went, and while we certainly weren’t alone (it’s a popular local spot), there is plenty of riverbed and boulders to spread out along if you’re prepared to do some ambling and/or swimming. That said, it was a bit of a challenge to get to the spot we spied with a two-year-old, a bag of picnic supplies, and a slightly-less useful pregnant lady. (It was nice to have a strong husband and some good friends to share the burden of crossing the water with kids—and then, crossing back again!) In other words, best to be prepared.
Once we found our spot and laid down our things, however, it was perfect! There was some current and you could swim downstream passing through and around the rocks, or you could eddy out into a smaller pool and just enjoy the scenery.
One of our favorite discoveries was this whirlpool (i.e. back massager) in a narrow, but fairly deep hollowed rock. Even Hudson took his turn standing in the small pool. When you were sitting inside, you couldn’t hear anything but the pounding water!
In the spring, when water levels are high, the current would be too fast (and the water too cold) for swimming. Here’s a site with flow data, but in general, late summer (and very early fall) is probably the best time to visit. The South Yuba River State Park association has more information.
Spots in the shade are hard to find along the river, and so while I wouldn’t recommend carrying too much if you plan to move around, do be sure to bring plenty of water and some sunscreen if you visit! Oh—and some non-slip water shoes! I wish I had done so.
A perfectly exhausting day in the sun. Even In-N-Out couldn’t rouse Hudson, who completely collapsed from all the fun.
You might recall, we tried out a new stroller—the Bumbleride Flite—in Paris, and left our own (a Bugaboo Bee) at home. As much as I love our Bee, I’d always been curious about umbrella strollers—especially for cities where one might be using a lot of public transportation—and Bumbleride got in touch to see if we wanted to give the Flite, their most lightweight and travel-ready stroller, a spin.
I was immediately impressed. Because I have to admit, I love our Bee and think it’s pretty darn awesome (newborn to toddler, lightweight and compact, long and extendable handles, yada yada), and I couldn’t help but compare the two non-stop. But it’s an expensive stroller—nearly $700 before you’ve even bought the carseat adapter or added in extras like a cupholder. So when I found that the Flite, which costs $270 and includes the carseat adapter and cup holder, boasted many of the same features I had sought in the Bee, I was pleasantly surprised!
Here are some key stats about the Bumbleride Flite, in case you’re interested.
Weight: 14 lbs
Capacity: 50 lbs (which I found was 50th percentile roughly around 6 years, even if it’s highly unlikely you’ll use a stroller at that age)
Seat dimensions: 12′ wide, with a backrest height of 20″ but a seat to canopy range of 25″ (which is quite tall!)
Pros:
Lightweight, especially for such a feature-driven travel stroller (3lbs less than the comparable Maclaren Techno XT and 4lbs less than the Bugaboo Bee)
Tall handle bars—40″ from ground—slope back at a steep angle for long strides. (Aron is 6’8″ and could push it fairly comfortably.)
Deep recline.
Universal carseat adapter included (along with raincover and upholder). Be sure to check website for your infant carseat, however.
Collapses easily with automatic lock and has an attached side handle and an attachable shoulder strap for carrying on-the-go.
Lockable front and back wheels.
Attractive color choices, with a sturdy SPF 45 canopy. Includes a peek-window.
Good price point, especially when compared to other strollers with such a wide age range. (Newborn to four or five?)
Cons:
Strap-recline rather than levers. Fine once you get used to it, but we found it a bit harder to get as tight and upright with the strap.
Shallow basket (which could also be made of stronger mesh). You’ll notice we’re usually using a backpack with the stroller; we could only usually fit our Ergo and a few other small items (a jacket or bottle of milk) in the basket—but I do believe this is fairly typical of umbrella strollers.
5-point harness has a breakaway feature—which is intended to be a pro to prevent entanglements or to allow for 3-point use with older children, but we found this a bit cumbersome at times.
Hudson is at the age now where he’d generally prefer to walk (or, as you saw in our Paris travelogue, jump), so we increasingly go places without a stroller. But it would be nice knowing that this one could grow with a child (even a tall one like Hudson, at the 90th percentile for height) for a few more years—especially for instances like travel abroad, when an umbrella stroller is a nice option.
It’s definitely a model I’d suggest to a friend looking for a great all-around, lightweight travel stroller that doesn’t cost an arm-and-a-leg.
Now the best news: Bumbleride is giving away one Bumbleride Flite to a lucky reader!
A Few Details on the Giveaway:
You can earn entries in a multitude of ways. Just check the contest widget below and follow instructions there.
Contest only open to US residents.
Only requirement for entry is to visit the Bumbleride website and then leave a comment here on the blog with which color of Flite you’d like if you’re so lucky as to win.
Be sure to use the widget below. It’s how I’m tracking all the entries for the giveaway (and you’ll have some additional ways earn entries!).
Thank you to everyone who weighed in on a playlist for Saturday night—and for all the well-wishes! It was a big help; I listened to everything and discovered some great new music (and came up with a playlist that I’ll use on road trips, no doubt, for years to come).
I mentioned we were having dinner at a farm to celebrate my birthday, and here are a few favorite photos from what turned out to be an amazing evening in the Capay Valley, at lovely Full Belly Farm.
