Marquez Five Adventures
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Views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco from Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands. California
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    Hikes with the Best Views of the Golden Gate Bridge

    • April 8, 2022
    • by Carrie
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    Hiking along Twin Peaks Boulevard in San Francisco. California
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      Top Hikes 2021 – Epic Hiking in Northern California

      • February 25, 2022
      • by Carrie
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      View from the top! Yosemite National Park. California. The Mist Trail
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        Hike to Vernal and Nevada Falls via the Mist Trail

        • June 26, 2021
        • by Carrie
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        Finally reached the top! Making our way over to Nevada Falls. Yosemite National Park, California. Mist Trail
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          Spring Break: 3 Days in Yosemite

          • May 6, 2021
          • by Carrie
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          "Lost Yosemite" - Wapama Falls Hike. Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
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            Hike to Wapama Falls – Lost Yosemite

            • April 26, 2021
            • by Carrie
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            Looking south towards San Francisco from the Dipsea Trail on Mt. Tam. Mill Valley, Marin County California
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              10 Amazing California Hikes

              • March 22, 2021
              • by Carrie
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              Batteries to Bluffs Trail. San Francisco, California
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                Batteries to Bluffs: A Stunning San Francisco Hike

                • March 2, 2021
                • by Carrie
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                Rainbow Row! Charleston, South Carolina
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                  Your Guide to an Epic Week in Charleston with Kids

                  • February 11, 2021
                  • by Carrie
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                  Hiking along the Bluff Trail at Mori Point. Mori Point Trail. Pacifica, California
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                    5 Stunning Bay Area Coastal Winter Hikes

                    • January 22, 2021
                    • by Carrie
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                    Pigeon Point Lighthouse. Pescadero, California. San Mateo County
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                      Exploring Pigeon Point in Pescadero

                      • January 11, 2021
                      • by Carrie
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                      Exploring the SF Bay Area & Beyond!

                      I’m Carrie, a native to the San Francisco Bay Area. I have a huge passion for outdoor adventures (hiking, kayaking, zip-lining, scuba diving to name a few) and love taking my family along with me. I love to inspire other families to get outside with their kids and find outdoor activities everyone will enjoy. We love exploring not only the Bay Area but also California & beyond! I aim to show families with busy school & sports schedules that you can still find time to adventure together!    

                      Follow me on Instagram!

                      marquezfiveadventures

                      We are always on the lookout for dog-friendly hike We are always on the lookout for dog-friendly hikes in the Bay Area. Here are some of our favorites on the SF Peninsula! 

🦮Pulgas Ridge - RWC - 6 miles of trails through shady oaks and ridgetop views plus a 17-acre off-leash dog park. 

🦮Waterdog Lake - Belmont - We love the 5-mile John Brooks trail and the shorter Lake Loop. Lots of shady oak areas, views towards the bay, spring wildflowers, and 4 abandoned cars hidden throughout. Keep an eye out for mountain bikers!

🦮Mussell Rock - Daly City - Beautiful views, hang gliders, and fabulous dog-friendly beach.

🦮Mori Point - Pacifica - Try the moderately challenging 2.5 mile Mori Loop Trail which hugs the edge of the bluff for fantastic views! 

🦮Sweeney Ridge - Lots of access points from San Bruno, Pacifica & Millbrae. Beautiful views from the ridge that sweep down to the Pacific on one side and the bay on the other.

🦮Devil’s Slide - Pacifica - Old section of Highway 1 converted into a hiking trail with amazing views of the Pacific. Wide, paved, and great for bikes, dogs, and even horses. Parking at both the north & south ends of the trail. 2.6 miles out-and-back.

🦮Gray Whale Cove - Gorgeous 2.2 mile out-and-back coastal hike just south of Devil’s Slide. 

🦮 Rancho Corral de Tierra - Moss Beach - 4 miles and moderately difficult with 1500’ elevation gain. Trail starts through an equestrian center, then into a eucalyptus grove and opens up to expansive views of the hills and ocean. 

🦮 Mavericks - Half Moon Bay - An easy 2.5 mile loop. Hike along the bluff and enjoy expansive views. Great for kids and dogs (dogs allowed on the trails, not on the beach). 

🦮 Windy Hill - Portola Valley - The 7.2 mile Windy Hill Loop is tough but worth it for all the different habitat types and the view at the summit where on a clear day both the Pacific and the Bay are visible.

🦮 Coal Creek - Woodside - Gorgeous preserve off Skyline Road in Palo Alto. We like Cloud’s Rest Trail to Meadow Trail (approx 2.2 miles), or the slightly longer Crazy Pete’s Road & Alpine Road Loop. All of these trails are dog friendly, but the rest of the Preserve is not. The views from Cloud’s Rest Trail are 🤩
                      West Coast Hiking….which one will you choose thi West Coast Hiking….which one will you choose this weekend? 🙌🏻

🌁 Kirby Cove - Marin Headlands
🏙 San Bruno Mountain - San Bruno 
🌲 Big Hole Rock - Santa Cruz
🌊 Cowell-Purisima - Half Moon Bay
💦 Wapama Falls - Yosemite
🦅 Hawk Hill - Marin Headlands
😍 Rancho Corral de Tierra - Moss Beach
🌼 Mori Point - Pacifica
🪁 Mussell Rock - Daly City
🐶 Sweeney Ridge - Pacifica
🥾 Lake Tahoe

#wonderfulwestcoast #explorecalifornia #californiaadventures #californiacoastline #californialesstraveled #visitmarin #visitsantacruz #visitsanfrancisco #highway1 #hwy1 #7x7bayarea #bestofbayarea #thesfpeninsula #sanmateocounty #sfpeninsula

#familyadventure  #chooseadventure #adventurefamily #outdoorfamily #hikingcalifornia #adventureswithkids  #kidswhohike  #hikingfamily  #adventureswithteens #lifeisbetteroutside
                      🌊Awesome Things To Do in Santa Cruz with Kids & 🌊Awesome Things To Do in Santa Cruz with Kids & Teens🎢

🌊Natural Bridges State Beach - a great spot for surfing, boogie boarding, swimming, spotting whales & otters, flying kites, and tide pooling. 

🚲West Cliff Drive - Starting at Natural Bridges State Park, walk/bike/scooter along the path to Lighthouse Field (4.8 miles out-and-back) - amazing views and a great place to spot surfers & kayakers in the water.

🎢Beach Boardwalk - Founded in 1907, this is California’s oldest surviving amusement park. It’s known for the Giant Dipper - a historic wooden rollercoaster, but there are a ton of games & rides - plus it’s right on the beach!

🌼Wilder Ranch (pictured) - Hike the 2.3 mile Old Landing Cove Trail (it’s a loop) and enjoy amazing views of the ocean, wildflowers, beaches, harbor seals, and a fern grotto!

 💦Hike to Big Rock Hole - A beautiful hike in Henry Cowell State Park with redwoods and river crossings. The best part is the beach and large swimming hole complete with a rope swing, right along the San Lorenzo River!

🟡Mystery Spot - A gravitational anomaly located in the redwoods just outside Santa Cruz. Take the 45 minute tour and experience the puzzling variations of gravity, perspective & height. Is it a hoax? My Fitbit screen had been on the fritz for days and as soon as I was in the gravitational circle it started displaying again, so……🤷🏼‍♀️

🌲Mount Hermon Adventures - Super fun ropes course and zip-lining located among the redwoods in Felton. Must be at least 10 years old.
                      ⭐️When was the last time you tried something N ⭐️When was the last time you tried something NEW? ⭐️

Kids try new things all the time, but as we get older we tend to not want to do things if we won’t be good at it. But trying new things gives us permission to NOT be good and to just have fun. It’s nice to be good at things, but it’s kind of freeing to just have fun too!

I finally got to fulfill my dream of sandboarding! I was scared - mostly of getting hurt. My first attempt was a complete wipeout - I ended up on my back with my head pointed down the hill. But I eventually figured it out, felt a lot more control, and made it down without falling. 🏂
                      🌟Awesome Coastal Hikes on the SF Peninsula 🌟 🌟Awesome Coastal Hikes on the SF Peninsula 🌟

🌊Mori Point - Pacifica - Try the moderately challenging 2.5 mile Mori Loop Trail which hugs the edge of the bluff for fantastic views! Dog Friendly

🌊Devil’s Slide - Pacifica - 2.6 miles out-and-back along an old abandoned section of Highway 1. Wide, paved, great for bikes, strollers & dogs. And learn about why this section of land keeps eroding into the ocean from all the informational signs.

🌊Cowell Purisima - Half Moon Bay - 7 miles out-and-back along a mostly flat well-groomed trail. Gorgeous views, beaches, bridges to cross, and watch out for banana slugs! Great for bikes. No dogs.

🌊Pillar Point - Half Moon Bay - An easy 2.5 mile loop. Start at the trailhead on Airport Rd where there is more parking.Take Pillar Point Bluff Trail north to the Jean Lauer Trail and then enjoy the expansive views all the way to Ross’ Cove (near the famous “golf ball”). Great for kids and dogs (dogs allowed on the trails, not on the beach). Bikes are also ok but I think the trails are quite narrow and too close to the edge for kids. 

🌊Gray Whale Cove Trail Loop - Moss Beach - Amazing and mostly easy 1.9 mile loop offering fantastic ocean views the entire time with one big hill. Spot the old bunker at Devil’s Slide. Dog Friendly.

🌊Rancho Corral de Tierra - Moss Beach - 4 miles and moderately difficult with 1500’ elevation gain. Trail starts through an equestrian center, then into a eucalyptus grove and opens up to expansive views. We had the trail entirely to ourselves. While not right on the coast it had fabulous views all the way toward the coast and the Pillar Point golf ball. We even found a swing that made up for the elevation gain in my kids’ minds! Dog friendly.

🍔🍺Where should you stop to refuel afterwards? Try @mossbeachdistillery
@hmbbrewingco @thebarnhmb - all are dog friendly! 🐶
                      It’s true. Nothing clears my mind faster than go It’s true. Nothing clears my mind faster than going for a hike. Often I find my pace starts out fast & furious, but as I take everything in around me and process my thoughts I begin to slow down & relax.

It’s great for kids too! Let them take the lead - allow them to take time to pick up rocks & sticks, hunt for lizards, admire flowers, scramble up rocks, walk across logs, jump across streams, or just sit and observe…..I guarantee they’ll come back happier too!

**Maple Falls Trail - Forest of Nisene Marks - Aptos, California 🌲💦

#aptoscalifornia #santacruzca #nisenemarks #santacruzmountains #santacruznow #visitsantacruz #castateparks #forestofnisenemarks #maplefalls #californiastateparks #happypeoplehike #wehiketoheal #trailtherapy #getoutandhike #redwoodforest #redwoodcoast #santacruzhikes #postprotected #exploresantacruz #californiaadventures #explorecalifornia #hikingcalifornia #lifeisbetteroutside #outsideadventures #hikingfamily #adventureswithkids #kidswhohike #santacruzbucketlist
                      I LOVE researching and planning travel. In fact, I I LOVE researching and planning travel. In fact, I get almost as much joy from planning and anticipating as I do actually traveling.

I always thought using a third party to plan a trip would feel a little bit like cheating. However, there are definite benefits to letting someone else do the work for me 🙌🏻

📚Deep Local Expertise - travel companies work with local experts to help plan authentic experiences. They help you find the best activities, attractions, restaurants & hotels that meet your specific requirements and may still be under the mainstream radar. 

When we traveled to Kenya, it was important to us to stay in camps that focused on sustainability & conservation and also supported the local communities. @roarafrica helped us to plan the perfect itinerary which met all of our needs.

📝Complicated Itineraries - We traveled to Africa during peak Covid which came with additional complicated logistics. Roar Africa helped us prepare for required vaccinations, covid tests, visas & documentation to travel between countries. 

🧘🏼‍♀️Eliminates Stress - I can plan an extremely detailed itinerary, but there is always stress related to organizing complicated logistics and dealing with inevitable surprises. When someone else takes over that aspect of the trip, I can truly relax. If my kids are unhappy with an early wakeup time or a long drive then I just blame it on the “itinerary” 

🎉Connect with others who share similar interests - There are so many organized trips that focus on bringing together people with similar interests. My recent trip with @macs_explore highlighted this for me. I was expecting to have adventures & learn new skills, not necessarily walk away with new friends too, but that’s what happens when you share a common interest. She also runs some family group trips that look amazing.

Other companies we’ve used:
@thomsonfamilyadventures - their itineraries have different focuses: young kids, teens, collegiates, and even multi-generational. We have done 2 of their “active family” itineraries to Costa Rica & Panama.
@butterfieldtravel - we worked with them to plan a bespoke trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos 

Continued in comments…
                      My recent trip to Utah was full of so much adventu My recent trip to Utah was full of so much adventure! 🌟

Our first day in Kanab, we met up with @eastzionexperiences and went canyoneering in Peekaboo Canyon. Slot canyons & canyoneering had been on my to-do list for a long time! We did about 8 rapels and a lot of walking through the canyons. We went in the afternoon so the light was just gorgeous. Our amazing guides were helpful & patient explaining to each person how to get through some of the more technical rapels! The whole time I kept thinking how my family would LOVE this! I’m going to need to take them all back here!

📸 @tarynlangloisphotography
                      A few weeks ago, I did something scary… I joine A few weeks ago, I did something scary…

I joined up with 19 other women, who I had never met, on a 5-day travel photography retreat in Kanab, Utah. A few of these women I “knew” from Instagram, but I had never met them in person. In theory, the idea of this retreat sounded amazing - learning from my mentor @macs_explore about photography & growing a business while going on awesome outdoor adventures! But in reality I was super nervous about what I was getting myself into - what if I got there and instantly regretted my decision?

Here’s why I decided to go:
⭐️The last year has been extremely difficult. I have put my own needs on the backburner as I have been almost entirely consumed by sick, aging & dying parents. Every part of me wanted to take on this caregiver role but I quickly learned that I can’t run on empty. I needed to do something for myself, to replenish my energy so I could continue to be there for others.

📚I have done a lot of research this past year on the aging brain. 2 of the most important things to help prevent mental decline are keeping your mind active by learning new things and social interaction. Many seniors lacked these 2 things during the pandemic and saw the negative effects (my parents certainly did). Continuing to learn new things and stay social have become priorities of mine. If I’m not learning, I quickly become bored. This retreat checked so many boxes for me - I improved my photography skills, gained new experiences, set some aggressive goals, connected with 19 new amazingly supportive friends who share similar interests but each had unique stories & backgrounds.

🙌🏻 Epic Adventure - All the networking sounded important but I was also super excited for the adventure: Canyoneering through a slot canyon, sandboarding, ATVing & hiking through Zion!

Every time I think about this trip it puts a huge smile on my face 💗A HUGE thank you to everyone I met and especially Christina who planned & organized the whole thing. This won’t be the last trip like this I take! 

What are you waiting for?? This is your sign to jump on that thing you’ve been hesitant about!!

📸 credit: @wechoseadventures
                      Summer’s almost here and I’m still not even su Summer’s almost here and I’m still not even sure what we’re doing 🤷🏼‍♀️

Usually by this point in the year, I have our summer pretty well planned out. We always leave on our big family trip in mid-June right after school wraps up. This summer things are different. We couldn’t commit to a big trip as things were up in the air with summer obligations at home - and we’re still trying to figure everything out!

In general, I need a plan. Without one, I quickly become overwhelmed with so many options that I end up doing nothing because I can’t decide 😜I do know that we’ll be in DC and New York, and maybe Tahoe and San Diego as well. I’m planning as best I can for what I do know and putting together options for everything else. 

We will also spend a decent amount of time at home in the Bay Area. There’s always a lot I want to do and explore at home. So instead of focusing on “when” I’m going to do everything, I’m just focusing on “what” I want to do. Once my dates are solid, I’ll just pop things onto my calendar. 

This is helping me feel like I have some control and some sense of a plan, even though so much is still up in the air. 

Are you a planner or more “go with the flow”?
                      My current crush is the Golden Gate Bridge 🌁😍

She is gorgeous from every angle! This view is from Battery Wagner, just off Kirby Cove Road in the Marin Headlands.
                      Morning kayak on Lake Keowee in South Carolina 🛶

Kayaking is one of my favorite ways to spend time on the water. We got out early to beat the boat & jetski traffic. It was just us in our double kayak and some quiet fishermen. We paddled along the shore admiring all the homes and then out to some islands in the middle of lake where we beached the kayak and explored a bit 🥾🌲

We rented our kayak from @hartwellkeoweepaddleboard. If you need a kayak, paddleboard or boat, I highly recommend them. They weren’t technically “open” in April when we were there, but allowed us to rent a kayak, were very responsive & easy to work with and, super flexible with our timing. 

If I lived here, I’d have my own kayak, and as my daughter pointed out, “this could be your morning every day”. So tempting!
                      Ocean 🌊 or Lake 🛶? I love the ocean - liste Ocean 🌊 or Lake 🛶?

I love the ocean - listening to the sound of the waves crash and the smell of the salty air. I love walking along the beach or hiking along bluffs that overlook the ocean and I appreciate the vastness of it all. But if I had to choose I think I’d have to go with a lake. I prefer the calm water, accessibility, and vibe - with kayaks, SUPs, lazy tube floats, water trampolines, and pontoon boats. 

Bottom line - I need to be around water and could be happy just about anywhere. Whether it’s the ocean, a lake, or a river doesn’t matter as much as the fact that I’m near water 💦 

What about you?
                      Do you take 1:1 trips with your kids? School sche Do you take 1:1 trips with your kids?

School schedules threw us a curveball this year with 3 different spring breaks. We embraced it and planned 3 different 1:1 trips. While taking one spring break trip as a family of 5 would have been my preference, there are a lot of great reasons to take 1:1 trips. 

🌊 Plan a trip based on their interests. My kids enjoy traveling more when the trip aligns with their interests. My youngest wanted to learn to snowboard so he took lessons and learned new skills. My HS Junior wanted to visit college campuses which would not have resonated with my younger two. My daughter wanted a relaxing warm-weather vacation near water.

👍🏻Flexibility - It’s much easier to be flexible and meet needs when traveling with only 1 kid. If she wanted burgers for dinner then we had burgers. If she wanted to go to the beach instead of the pool then we did. When she was done kayaking we stopped. When traveling as a family of 5 it’s unlikely everyone's preferences are met at the same time.

👯‍♀️Connection - We had a lot of uninterrupted time to connect. At home, we have lots of distractions and commitments which are mostly removed when we travel.

💰Cheaper - It’s much cheaper when only 2 of us are traveling.

While I did have some say in what we did, each kid pretty much dictated the pace of the day. And I even found that because I said “yes” to most everything they suggested, they usually said “yes” if I suggested something. I am usually met with resistance when I suggest a hike, but my daughter was happy to oblige when I found this short hike to Waldrop Stone Falls on our recent South Carolina trip. She even suggested we pick up sandwiches and then have a picnic lunch near the waterfall - it was a win-win! 🙌🏻
                      🤩The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery East 🤩The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery East Lookout Point🤩 

We hiked here from Baker Beach along the Batteries to Bluffs Trail. It’s also accessible by walking up from the SF Bay Trail along Crissy Field - or you can even drive and park at the GG Bridge Welcome Center and walk across the bridge. 

Did you know?
🌁The bridge first opened in 1937 and the toll was 50 cents. Today it costs $9.05 (or $8.05 with FasTrak)🤑

🌁There are 300 shipwrecks just outside the gate! If you hike along Lands End Trail, there are maps pointing some out. At low tide a few are even visible ⚓️

🌁Orange was not its intended color. The US Navy wanted to paint it black with yellow stripes to warrant visibility of passing ships. Eventually, they settled on international orange because it increases its visibility in fog, complements its natural surroundings, and creates an illusion that the bridge is massive 🧡

🌁The bridge is named not for its color, but for the strait it passes over: The Golden Gate Strait 🌊

🌁It was named one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World 🌎
                      ⭐️ Hikes with the best view of the Golden Gate ⭐️ Hikes with the best view of the Golden Gate Bridge ⭐️

The best hikes have a hook - something that makes them memorable and worth doing again. What better "hook" than amazing views of one of the most iconic bridges in the world - The Golden Gate Bridge 🌁 

These 5 hikes have the most spectacular views of Goldie!

⚓️ Lands End Trail - 3.5 miles along the western edge of SF. Dog & Kid Friendly and fabulous views of the bridge. Explore a rock labyrinth, the Sutro Baths & Mile Rock Beach. Learn about the Cliff House Railway & the many shipwrecks that happened right in the channel.

🌸 Batteries to Bluffs Trail - 3.5 miles from Baker Beach to the Bridge. Stunning views and a gorgeous trail that winds along the bluff, up & down 470 stairs, and traverses 6 Batteries as it approaches the bridge. 

🏄‍♂️Crissy Field to Fort Point - 4.5 miles from East Beach to Fort Point which sits at the base of the bridge. This is a flat & easy trail filled with runners, walkers, bikers, strollers & dogs. You’ll likely see kids & dogs at the beach, kite surfers, surfers & fishermen. Stop at the Warming Hut for coffee or hot chocolate.

🏙 Slacker Hill - 3.3 miles roundtrip (Coastal Trail to SCA Trail to Slacker Ridge Trail). 360 degree views as you wind your way up: Cavallo Point, Fort  Baker, Alcatraz, Angel Island, San Mateo coastline, and finally the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline. 

🦅 Hawk Hill (pictured) - 2.2 miles roundtrip. From the Black Sands parking lot follow the Coastal Trail up Conzelman Road and then up an impressive staircase to Hawk Hill. Fabulous & jaw dropping views of the bridge & SF, Point Bonita Lighthouse & Rodeo Beach to the west, as well as down the coastline. 

Check out my newest blog post (link in bio) with more hike details and let me know if you have any other hikes I should add to this list!
                      We have skied in Tahoe a lot over the years and fe We have skied in Tahoe a lot over the years and feel like we have a pretty good handle on things. 

But I made one BIG mistake when I planned our most recent trip…. 

I booked us a place to stay at Northstar Village. My plan was to stay in the Village and walk to everything: ski school, lifts, restaurants, the gym, pool & hot tub. Easy!
After I booked our place, I looked at ski school and then decided I’d figure that out later.

When I went back to book ski school a week before our trip everything was SOLD OUT! Group lessons, private lessons - ALL WEEK! I panicked! The whole reason we were taking the trip was so Ben could learn to snowboard and I certainly couldn’t teach him! I checked @diamondpeak and luckily was able to find a private instructor who had 5 hours of availability spread over 2 days. I booked it!

We have skied at Diamond Peak before and it’s a great resort, but it’s about 25 minutes from Northstar. So my whole plan not to drive for the week backfired. Truthfully it all worked out though. Ben’s instructor was fabulous and having a break in between his lessons gave him the chance to go out and practice on his own. 

And the great thing about Diamond Peak is their beginner chairlift, Schoolhouse, (where Ben spent his first day) is right next to the parking lot which was essentially empty because it’s spring. While Ben rode the chairlift and boarded down the slope, I walked up & down next to him making sure he was ok and cheering him on. Luckily at 12, he wasn’t totally mortified by my behavior 😬The rest of the week I was out there on the slopes with him ⛷🏂

Turns out, the lessons were sold out not because there were so many kids looking for lessons, but rather there were very few instructors available at the end of the season. Ben’s instructor was the ONLY snowboard instructor at Diamond Peak during our stay.

So always book your lessons EARLY even if it won’t be crowded! And spring is a great time to go - It wasn’t freezing, we never waited for a chairlift, and had the slopes much to ourselves which is fantastic with a beginner who gets nervous when others are close by.
                      Are your kids competitive with each other? Mine Are your kids competitive with each other? 

Mine are not overly competitive with each other, but they do have their moments. I think it helps that there are 5 years between our boys with a girl in the middle to temper things. 2 years ago my daughter switched to snowboarding and within a few days was able to attempt Burnout, a fairly mild black diamond run. I didn’t remember this, but Ben did. His goal snowboarding last week was to be able to go down Burnout just like her.

Part of me didn’t want to let him do it, but I decided to let him take the lead. The whole reason he improved so much was because he pushed himself, so I decided not to get in his way. 

It was nice that he had the whole week to work on this goal without the pressure of his sister being there. I don’t mind when they compete with each other as a way to motivate themselves and push each other to do their best. There’s nothing like someone nipping at your heels to make you work a little harder. What I don’t like is when they do it as a way to make the other one feel inferior which unfortunately happens sometimes. We’re still working on that, but I do think that as they get older their competitiveness is usually more of a positive than a negative.

**Big smile on Ben’s face at the top of Burnout before he takes the plunge!
                      “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courag “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day, saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’” - Mary Anne Radmacher

So proud of this kid. He has been skiing since he was 4 and decided that for his spring break, he wanted to go to Tahoe and learn how to snowboard. I was the reluctant one, selfishly thinking that skiing is one thing our family can all do together, and having him start over again would set us all back. 

But guess what? Every day he went out there excited to learn. I never saw him get discouraged - and each day he got better. By the third day he was comfortably snowboarding on intermediate runs 🟦 and by the fourth day he was on black diamonds🖤(um, where’s the black diamond emoji??). I admire his willingness to start over and his determination to master a new skill 🏂

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found myself less willing to start over or make a change when something is comfortable. But I’ve also been more aware lately that as we get older it’s more important than ever to keep learning and challenging ourselves both mentally and physically. I also need to remind myself that mastering a new skill takes time so sometimes I just need to get out of my comfort zone and keep trying - just like my kiddo!
                      This is my kid who thrives in cold weather, loves This is my kid who thrives in cold weather, loves rain & snow, and says he’s moving to Canada when he gets older. His spring break is coming up - I’m ready to head to warm weather and soak up the sun. He wants to go to Tahoe and learn how to snowboard.⁣
⁣
All 3 kids have different spring breaks this year so we’re letting them plan their own trips. Youngest kid wants to go to the snow, middle kid wants the beach, and the oldest wants to look at colleges. They are all so different - I guess it’s kind of nice they can each do their own thing this year!
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