Now that gift guides are all out the way (and I’m sure your shopping is complete – HA!), let’s continue with the China trip recap, shall we.

If you are just joining us, I’ve already shared part one here.

We left off loaded up in a van a mere 17 hours after landing in Beijing. Jet-lagged beyond belief, we started the drive to the Commune at the Great Wall where we’d be staying overnight.

The Commune is nestled in the Shuiguan Mountains a little over an hour outside of Beijing’s city center. It is comprised of forty contemporary villas designed by 12 Asian architects. It also has three restaurants, a kid’s club as well as an outdoor pool and tennis court.

Upon our arrival we were greeted with the most luxurious accommodations and a delicious spread.

We sat down to a feast at the Terrace Lounge upon our arrival and ate and drank way to much for what we would undertake next…the WALL.

I can honestly say that I had no idea how intense our climb to get to the actual wall would be. We followed a private path that led us to an untouched portion of the Great Wall and what we saw can only be categorized as breathtaking. 

The climb from one side to the other was intense, but the kids were absolute champs the entire time! 
I think Everett was especially happy because once we got to the other side he got to have two cups of hot chocolate. 

Using a stroller was not even remotely an option, so Fitzie had to be carried the entire time. Again, eating and drinking so much at lunch was indeed a bad decision. Although, I’m pretty sure we all worked it off by the end of our excursion.

After we all took a break and recovered from our journey we headed back to the same restaurant for dinner that evening. Everett was so tired and jet-lagged that he fell asleep in my lap for the entire meal which is why I do not have any photos. All I can say is that we experienced hot pots for the first time and it was epic!

The next morning we enjoyed a nice breakfast spread at our villa. How cute are the kiddos in their matching panda jammies?!

After breakfast the little ones headed to the amazing Kid’s Club facilities. While there, they painted kites, baked cookies and played games. In the meantime, mama had a much needed in-room massage that pretty much cleared all remaining jet-lag. 

Shortly after lunch, we loaded up and headed back into the city to continue our adventure…