The Datersons' California Adventure
Hey there friend! Welcome to our website! I’m Nate Daterson, and this is my wife Kate, my Son Tate (short for Tatum), and my daughter Peyt (short for Peyton). We are the official spokesdates of California Date Company! Woot woot! Go us! 🏆
And we're just like any other family...
"The Truest Story ever Told"
We like to hang out, work together, go on trips, and experience the good stuff in life! Speaking of which, we literally just got back from our latest family trip and it was so insanely nuts that the founders of the company, Brian and Ryan, asked us to tell you all about it. And since they're the bosses, that's what we're gonna do 😎. So go grab a drink and your favorite snack and get comfortable because this is gonna be awesome! You're coming with us on our raddest trip yet - The Datersons' California Adventure!. Oh man, where do I even begin?
Kate, you wanna start this off?
Sure babe. Hey folks, I'm Kate Daterson. To get started, I'll tell you a little bit about our family. The kids are also itchin' to give their side of the story—so this'll be a bit of a Daterson family effort 👨🏽👩🏽🧑🏽👧🏽
We are desert dates... Well of course we are! And just like any other dates we ❤️❤️❤️ the dry, hot, arid climate! We're California natives - born and raised in the Coachella Valley. Yep you read that right - the same place where the music festival happens every year 🎸.
It's a family favorite of ours.
Anyway, one morning recently, Nate and I decided that it was time we rounded up the datelings and took one of our sweet roadtrips. So, we polished up our family car (Nate calls it The DateWagon 🙄) and set off on a California escapade that would end up being like no trip we've taken to date!
Leaving The Coachella Valley
But first, we wanted to get back to our roots and stop at my mom and dad's house to have some family time before we hit the highway.
We didn't tell the kids where we were going first so it was a blast to see their little eyes light up when we pulled into the driveway.
"Nana! Pep-Pep!" they shouted as my parents came down the steps to greet us.
We all relaxed in the living room while downing chilled glasses of Mom's home brewed Date Punch with Cali Date Syrup and the kids told their grandparents about the roadtrip we were about to embark on.
Nana and Pep-Pep regaled us with old folktales of how the Coachella Valley’s fertile soil had turned our ancestors - the humble date palm seeds into the sweetest fruit in the world. The kids didn't understand him at all but they thought it was funny that their Pep-Pep insisted that they were “the cream of the crop” (whatever that meant). And Nana said that every family reunion was “ripe with nostalgia.” 🌴
But unfortunately our time with the folks was limited. So we all said our goodbyes and as we walked back out to the car Nate threw his arms up and proclaimed, "We've got a date with destiny!"
Holy moly! My dad says the cheesiest things - no cap!
Hey y'all, I'm Tate. And I'm gonna tell you all about the first part of our Cali Adventure. We went to Joshua Tree National Park. It's like this desert-planet-kinda-place with all these sick boulders to climb on. Probably one of the coolest places I've ever been!
I've always seen these weird, prickly trees all over our hometown but I never knew they were called Joshua Trees. Mom said they're actually not even trees; they're like some type of grass or something that looks like trees. Bruhhh, so weird... Anyway, there's a whole national park where like billions of these things grow! I mean forests of them! It was one of the dopest things I've ever seen.
As Dad drove through the place it was such a crazy landscape. And the rocks - don't even get me started on the rocks! They looked like melted ice cream - I've never seen anything like it! Anyway, we cruised on this super-long road and finally Dad pulled the car over so we could get out and check out everything for ourselves. Mom made us put on our hiking clothes and boots. And we even found these long sticks we used to walk with that Dad said were from another gnarly-looking spiky plant called Yucca! I couldn't even believe how light the sticks were. Even Peyton was able hold hers easily.
The Datersons Visit Joshua Tree National Park
My dad collects all this old junk he finds in antique shops - I think he calls them Curio Shops - but he's weird. Anyway, he brought this really old camera with him from like probably 50 years ago. He says it gives the photos character.
So he lugged this camera with him on our hike and at one point he put it on a rock and said that he was gonna set the timer so we could take a family picture.
I'm really glad he did that because even though the picture quality is like really bad, I see what he meant by the camera giving the pictures character.
We couldn't stay long. Dad said we had way too much road to cover. So we piled back in the DateWagon and kept driving 'til we made it to the park's exit. I saw a sign at the visitors center that talked about how Joshua Tree National Park had been a sacred place for local Native American tribes and later inspired famous rock bands and artists. Overall, I loved Joshua Tree and can't wait to camp there one day!
The Datersons Visit Death Valley National Park
Hey, what's good? I'm Peyt! I like Peyton better than Peyt, but Dad says it was hard finding a girl's name that rhymes with date because Mom's name is already Kate 🤷🏽♀️. I'm 7 years old but I'm super smart. You can ask me anything! I like Barbies, LOLDolls, Squishmallows, Taylor Swift, pizza, puppies, and my friends! So I wanna tell you about the next place we went to. It was so hot, I couldn't even believe how hot it was. Me 'n Tate were kinda scared. Seriously!
All's I gotta say is when Mom said we were going to Death Valley, I was really frightened to go there. That sounds way too scary for kids. Death Valley? I think my parents like it when I have nightmares!
I texted my friend Emma that we were going to Death Valley because I wanted her to know she could have my Legos if I didn't come back. But the dang text didn't even send! And when we got there I was like, "huh?" It just looked like all the other deserts we drove in. I couldn't even understand why it was called Death Valley.
Anyways, so we kept driving and driving, and after like seriously infinity hours, Dad finally parked the car.
And Oh Em Gee! Like immediately it started getting really hot in the car. So we all got out and then WOW! Where were we? This wasn't fun at all. Why did Mom and Dad take us here? It felt like fire and I started getting dizzy and all weak in the knees.
But Dad was like, "Don't worry guys, we have plenty of water in the trunk." And then he started setting up his camera again to take another family picture.
Next thing I know, Mom is like, "Nate! Where's the case of water?" And Dad was freaking out big time and saying things like, "Let's get this picture taken and get the heck outta here!" And I was okay with that cuz some like it hot, but I don't!
That old camera timer went off before we even were ready. I think the picture is funny.
The Datersons Visit Hollywood
Thanks for the levity Peyt. You're too much, you know that? 🤣
Huh? What the heck is levity? I'm just a kid.
Alrighty then... So hey everybody - Nate here. I'll give you the deets on the next leg of our California Adventure. It has to do with a hill, 9 ginormous letters, movie stars, glitz, and glamor. Can you guess where we went next?
We went to Hollywood, Dad!
He wasn't taking to you dummy. Geez Peyton, sometimes I wonder about you...
Shut up TaterTot! You're dumb.
Will you kids pipe down? Tate, don't pick on your sister. Peyton don't use that language!
Okay Mom.
Alright Mom.
So yeah, like Peyton so easily said, we went to Hollywood, Tinsel Town, The Movie Capital of America!
As we toured the strip I have to admit I got a little choked up when we passed places like The Whiskey A Go Go, The Roxy Theatre, and The Rainbow. I'm such a music lover and so many rockstars got their start at those places. So many people who made a difference in my life and changed the world in their own awesome ways.
Hollywood - so rich with history. All the movies - all the entertainment. It was amazing to actually be there. And Kate and I felt that if we'd already come this far, we might as well try to get as close to the sign as we possibly could. We didn't even know if it was possible, but we figured what the heck? Let's go for it!
What are they gonna do? Arrest us?
Some locals we asked said to just hike up Runyon Canyon, and that we could get pretty close to the sign that way. But others told us to go up to Lake Hollywood... that the people in that area don't want tourists around, but we might be able to get realllly close to the sign.
So that's what we did. And we did get pretty darn close! I got a great snapshot of the sign and of the kids taking selfies for their Instagrams.
But I wanted to get closer. I was determined - nay - obsessed!
This was a dream come true, and no way was I going to let some nosey, self-righteous residents dictate my success level on this quest. So at 2 AM, in our black sweats, we climbed a few fences, and more than once nearly created a rockslide. But eventually we made it right up to the sign itself. With a shaky hand I reached out to make physical contact with this worldwide symbol of the film industry! To bridge the gap between today and the Chaplain-era of yesteryear!
With hindsight being 20/20, maybe it wasn't the greatest idea I'd ever had?
The Datersons Visit Disneyland
Hey, it's Kate again! Don't worry—even though Nate dragged me and the kids into his Hollywood obsession, we didn't really get in trouble. I thought we did though at first - and I was seriously ticked off. But it turns out that the police who 'arrested' us are big fans of California Date Company and especially Cali Date Syrup! They recognized us and had to at least bring us down to the station to file a report. They let us take a few hilarious photos like the mugshots above, and these pictures of Tatum and Peyton behind bars.
Haha Mom I had so much fun in jail, I wanna go back! Can we go back Pleeeaasssee?
No Peyton. You're never going back to jail. Don't ask again.
But I want to go to jail!
Nobody wants to go to jail!
I do!
No you don't!
Yeah I do!
NO YOU DON'T!!!
ARGHHH!! JAIL! JAIL! JAIL! JAIL! JAIL! JAIL! JAIL! JAIL! JAIL! JAIL! JAIL!
THAT'S ENOUGH! What is wrong with our daughter?...
Ahem! So anyway, back to our roadtrip. Disneyland was our next stop, and the kids had never been there so we knew it was going to be quite the 'thing.'
I've gotta say, Disneyland was the best place I've ever been to in my life! I can't even imagine a better place. I'd spend the rest of my life there!
♬ ♪ La la la! It's a small world after alllllll!!! Lalala
Peyton! For the love of God!
Ya know kids, your Pep-Pep used to work at Disneyland in 1966.
Seriously? Thats so cool! What was his job?
Well, oddly enough he was the morning-shift ride operator when It's a Small World first opened!
Hahaha!!!
The moment we walked in I knew that I had finally come home! Everywhere I turned there was something amazing to eat or fun to do! My favorite ride was Space Mountain!
Of course it was... It's the fastest ride in the park, dude.
Yeah it was so sick! And then Peyton made me go on It's a Small World - twice! That ride took forever and that song is still stuck in my head because Peyton won't stop singing it!
Pep-Peps 1st Job!
Pep-Peps 1st Job!
The Datersons Visit Big Bear Lake
Everybody knows that I love going to the snow!
Peyt, before we went to Big Bear you had never even been to the snow silly.
Um yeah I have Dad! There was like all these people running around doing stuff and these really big walking robots that looked like dogs and...
That was The Empire Strikes Back®! What the heck?
Tate, I was there and I don't even know for sure what you're talking about!
Well I know FOR SURE that you're nuts sister!
But yeah, when we left Disneyland Dad was like, "We rented a cabin in Big Bear!" So I'm thinking like what? Like a log cabin like Abraham Lincoln built? How are we gonna stay warm in a log cabin? But I have to admit I was tired, and the thought of being able to sleep in a bed was great! So I went along with it.
But first, I passed out in the DateWagon. When I woke up it was like 1:30 AM and I could barely see outside the car it was so dark.
I could see everything out there no problem man.
How could you see anything? We were driving up a mountain and it was pitch black out?
Because I bought these badboys off Wish! They have like IR, and UV, and errr LIDAR I think...
Are you serious? I can't believe you did that! Let me check 'em out later!
So we kept driving and driving. Finally Mom parked the car at some house. And when we got out, there was snow everywhere! But we were all too tired to even think about really anything but going to bed. So Dad somehow unlocked the door to the house and we went inside and within like 15 minutes we were all asleep on the couch in the living room.
In the morning it was like we were in a different universe!
First off we were in this weird (but super cool) house that Dad called a "cabin." And secondly, it was a full-on winter wonderland outside! OMG we instantly got in a snowball fight, and Peyton slipped and hit her elbow on a pine tree stump, but we were having so much fun we didn't really care.
And then Mom told us that breakfast was ready and I was like starving so badly! And she gave us eggs, and pancakes with Cali Date Syrup, and fruit, and bacon, and it was the best morning ever! And then Dad said that we were going skiing! I was so happy that I started dancing and moshing 🤘🏾.
But me 'n Tate didn't want to ski because thats for babies and old people. We wanted to snowboard and do nollies and tail grabs and like, elbow carves.
Hahaha yeah! I've always tried to convince Mom and Dad that videogames are educational for kids. And now I finally have the proof! We both had never even been to the snow before but we knew what we were doing on those slopes, right Peyton?
Totally! Cuz we play Shredders on PS5 all the time so we were ready for anything! I'm pretty sure we could win at least 2nd place at X Games!
We kicked butt on our snowboards all day while Mom and Dad basically crawled on their hands and knees on the bunny slopes, and afterwards we went back to the house, err—cabin, and had dinner and watched a movie and went to bed - this time in our own bedrooms 🛌.
You guys went to bed. I went out in the forest with my spy goggles 🌲
Hang on a second, you went in the woods by yourself at night?
Heck yeah I did! And I met some new friends out there!
Peyton, who are you talking about? What new friends?
Yeah, Peyton honey, please tell us exactly who you are talking about. This is very important.
The people in the woods Mommy. They were very thin - like their moms didn't give them enough food. And they have these really cool big black eyes. I took 2 photos with them but one didn't show up very good.
You guys wanna see?
The Datersons Visit Huntington Beach (Surf City, USA)
Uh Dad?! Those might not've been people she saw... 👀
Hmmm... Ok Peyt. Don't show this picture to anybody else til your mom and I figure out what to do about your new friends, okay?
Ok Daddy 😇
Moving right along. So we packed up the DateWagon and began our journey to Surf City, USA! The seaside town of Huntington Beach, California. I couldn't wait to get there. I did a bit of surfing in my day and so I definitely had a date with the waves.
When we arrived, it was a bit overcast, but certainly appropriate weather for HB. So we stopped at Freds' for some Mexican grub, and walked around Main Street for a while to check out the shops before hittin' the sand.
Ok ok, wait a minute... It's really difficult to concentrate on telling you about our Huntington Beach visit knowing that our rugrat daughter was out galavanting in the woods at night with extraterrestrials.
Exactly! Peyton, did these new friends do anything to you?
No Mommy. All's we did was walk around. I showed them some trees, some leaves, and even some poop on the snow. They were soooo interested in that. I don't think those guys go to the bathr...
Alright we got it Peyton!
Peyton, you said you took 2 photos with them... Show us the other one.
Okay yeah, alright. That's something you don't see every day. Um, Peyton, we'll discuss this later.
Okay Daddy. But oh yeah! Do you think they can come live with us?
I don't think the desert climate would be good for their skin Peyton.
We can take them to Ulta® for moisturizers! Girl's day Mommy! 🙂
No words kiddo. I just don't have words for you...
Okay so we spent the day surfing and basically just chillin' on the sand. Kate made some amazing food right there at the beach.
Thanks babe! I made a 'Grilled Peach and Burrata Salad with Cali Date Syrup Vinaigrette' and a bunch of 'Sweet Glazed Lemon Chicken Skewers.' If you're reading this and you want to make those for your family, you can get the recipes right here on our website!
So all-in-all, we really enjoyed our stop in Huntington Beach.
But we were only ramping up for the next leg of our California Adventure! It was about time we got on the water and headed out to California's hidden tropical paradise - Catalina Island! But I had a little surprise in store that nobody could have imagined...
Dude, Dad! Tell them about the boat!
I will Tate. Great Scott that was heavy!
The Datersons Visit Catalina Island
So I wanted to blow the kid's minds, and I knew exactly how to do it... A while back when me 'n Kate were starting to plan this vacation I reached out to an old buddy of mine. He likes to remain anonymous but let's just say that he's a scientist... So I told him that we were going to need a ride over to Catalina Island and he offered to bring us over in his brand new and latest experiment. So we pull the DateWagon up to the extended parking lot at the docks and then we saw it.
OMG OMG OMG - it was the coolest boat on Earth! It had all these hi-tech gadgets on it, and these wing-doors, and it sounded like a spaceship!
No it didn't Tate! I heard what spaceships sound like when my friends left.
Shut up Peyton! Well it sounded like what I imagine a spaceship sounds like. And Dad's friend - the guy who built it - I'm telling you he looked so familiar! And so did his dog. But I don't know where I know them from.
So we pile into the boat and it's pretty much a spectacle as we maneuvered through the harbor. Everybody was standing around looking at our boat. I think they had their suspicions about whose boat it was. And then suddenly we rocketed forward, throwing us all back in our seats! All the computers and lights and things were blinking and doing their thing.
It was a blast! We couldn't have asked for a cooler ride over to the island! The boat cut through the water like a hot knife through butter. So smooth!
My buddy was a bit quiet though during the trip. He was muttering all sorts of calculations under his breath. Sometimes it sounded like he was finding ways to get around paradoxes. Whatever he was doing we all gave him his space.
And then, when we got to the island, he kinda pulled against this wooden dock and the door swung upward. He and Dad gave each other a hug and Dad wished him good luck on his experiment. We said thanks and "see ya" to the guy and got out of the boat. And as the door closed we could still hear him talking quietly about math equations and other science stuff. And then the boat began moving away from us. And when it got like a little bit far from us it took off and suddenly disappeared in a big flash of light. I just couldn't believe it man.
So what did you kids think about that?
It was so cool!
It was uh-mazing!!!!
Hey Dad? Yeah sport? Who was that guy?
A friend of mine from another place - and another time...
Okay enough of that, let's tell 'em about our day on the island!
Good idea Kate!
So we spent the rest of the time walking around looking at the shops. After that we went on the Zipline® - which was great except for one thing... Peyton the pipsqueak was far too light for the thing to make it to the other side.
So she came to a stop about halfway through the longest run and was hanging about 300 feet over the valley below like a Peyton piñata.
We were freaking out, but she loved it. In fact, she was trying to bounce the line up and down despite screams of utter horror from us - and the frenzied commands from the Zipline® staff. And she was really going for it and there wasn't anything we could do about it.
That's great Peyt! Sounds like a lot of fun! 😀
😱Nathan, call Dr. Silberman tomorrow. He's supposed to be the best for psychiatric patients. Our daughter is certifiable.
I don't know if he's still practicing. He was never himself again after Sarah Connor was busted out of Pescadero State Hospital. But I'll dig around for his number. Either way, she's gonna have to talk with somebody. Or get on something. I don't want her creativity getting squashed but this is getting dangerous.
Anyway, after the Zipline® staff rescued Peyton we kept both feet on the ground for the rest of our stay in Catalina and just lounged around on the beach sipping cocktails and virgin daiquiris. It was the safest option we could think of.
I heard there was a glass-bottom boat where you could see all the fish below you. But we didn't get a chance to go on that. Maybe next time 🤷🏾
Definitely next time Tate! Dad and I just figured that we'd see Peyton swimming around under the boat somehow.
The next day we packed our things and headed to the heliport in Pebbly Beach to fly back to the mainland and continue our California Adventure. Next stop Malibu!!!
The Datersons Visit Malibu
The Datersons Visit Santa Barbara
The Datersons Visit Solvang
The Datersons Get Their Kicks on Route 66
The Datersons Visit Sacramento
The Datersons Visit Sacramento
The Datersons Visit Sacramento
The Datersons Visit Sacramento
