The Dolomites in Italy have long been a bucket list travel adventure for us. But the moment we booked the trip, the worrying began to creep in: How would West do on the long plane flight? How would he handle jet lag? Would we be able to do all the hiking we wanted?
It turns out all the worrying was for naught. West loved the plane. He was jetlagged for a day. We accidentally made a stunning 9-mile loop hike.
Earlier in the summer I had questioned if we could still hike 8+ miles with a toddler. We had hiked a lot, but we never did test the higher range.
But our first day hiking in the Dolomites we started out on what we thought was a 5 mile loop hike and it turned into 9… 9 spectacular miles.
Carrying a two and half year old in a backpack is a feat. All in, our backpack setup with a child weighs close to 40lbs!
The Dolomites are made for hiking with kids though. Refugios dot the landscape, beckoning with spritzes, food, farm animals, and playground equipment. We stopped at three different refugios for a breaks on the loop and we ended at a viewpoint sipping elderflower spritzes, while West ate chocolate cake.
We were always committed to traveling with West. The roadtrips come easy for us. The international travel was more intimidating for me.
My expectations were right sized for this trip. I knew we may not tackle all the hikes we wanted. I knew West may be crankier than usual. I knew eating out for every meal might be hard with a fussy toddler and I might not get to revel in all the pasta.
But this trip ended up being one of my favorites of all time. West thrived with the novelty. He wanted to ride every gondola in sight – and there were plenty.
We hiked long and hard, but the alpacas and the refugio french fries kept West going. There was truly something for all of us on this journey. And we have raised a kid that is an explorer and a road warrior, even if that road is far away.
The lack of routine didn’t phase him. He was already familiar with adventure from all the miles we have spent on the road and outdoors. It translates.
The Dolomites are jagged beauties. Unbelievably spectacular. Sipping prosecco with my husband while West napped was a delight. Watching West dig into new corners of a big world was unbeatable.
