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Caribbean

Exploring Grace Bay, Turks & Caicos

June 9, 2017
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

Does Marin have the best Bay Area hikes? I hate t

Does Marin have the best Bay Area hikes?

I hate to pick favorites, but I’m going to say YES 🙌🏻

⭐️The hikes are stunning, dramatic, and plentiful
⭐️Impressive urban views of the Golden Gate, San Francisco & Sausalito, ocean cliffs, beaches, redwoods, waterfalls
⭐️The trails are typically well-maintained and well-marked
⭐️There are challenging hikes - like Stinson Beach to the top of Mt. Tam; and easier hikes like a stroll out to Point Bonita Lighthouse

I grew up hiking in Marin. We often stuck to our favorite hikes, but there are still so many I have yet to discover. I never did much hiking in the Headlands and only recently discovered Slacker Hill. LOVE this hike!

Coming north from SF or the peninsula, it’s one of the first Marin hikes you’ll come across. I think my favorite part of this hike is the view of the Golden Gate Bridge🌁 Most view it from the east, but here you’ll view it from the northwest. I never tire of admiring this bridge - give me all the angles and moods.

**Check out my new post on hiking to Slacker Hill (link in bio) - including some nearby hikes and points of interest that we love too!

https://marquezfiveadventures.com/hike-slacker-hill-marin-golden-gate-views/

📍Mt Hermon Sequoia Aerial Course in Felton, CA

📍Mt Hermon Sequoia Aerial Course in Felton, CA

🌲Book a time slot for 10 people. If you have more than 10 then book consecutive slots
🌲2 hours includes safety briefing, getting suited up, and tons of time on the course
🌲3 different levels of increasing height and obstacle difficulty
🌲Move at your own pace
🌲Gorgeous redwood forest setting
🌲Minimum age: 10 years

Pro Tip: Don’t wear airpods on the course…one of the kids learned that the hard way!

#mounthermonadventures #santacruzbucketlist #californiaredwoods #aerialadventure #adventureswithteens #adventurecourse #chooseadventure

🌁6 hikes with amazing views of the Golden Gate

🌁6 hikes with amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge 🌁

Marin Headlands:
🥾Kirby Cove
🥾Slacker Hill
🥾Hawk Hill

San Francisco:
🥾Lands End
🥾Batteries to Bluffs
🥾Crissy Field to Fort Point

🌁This view is from Kirby Cove Road 🌁

📍Mori Point in Pacifica never disappoints 🌼🌼🌼🌊🤩

#sanfranciscobayarea #sanmateocoast #moriridgetrail #visitpacifica #discoverpacifica #moripoint #californiasuperbloom

🌼🌼Well now you’re just showing off🌼🌼

🌼🌼Well now you’re just showing off🌼🌼

On Mother’s Day we headed to Pacifica to hike Mori Point Loop Trail.

This hike is stunning no matter when we go: foggy & cold in winter, hot & dry in the summer. But I’d never seen it covered in wildflowers before - and this just might be my favorite!

We got to the trail early (for us) at 9am, but it was already quite crowded. We usually park in the Fairway Park neighborhood and begin at the Old Mori Point trailhead which heads straight to the beach and then we veer up Bootlegger’s Steps and go out to the Point.

The Point is where you’ll find these crazy yellow flowers (and the crowds) - but don’t stop there! Hike the entire 2.5 mile loop trail which heads out along the Bluff Trail with dramatic coastal views towards Rockaway Beach 🌊and then back toward the Old Mori Point trailhead. You can also hike up to the peak which has amazing 360 degree views 🤩

We found that it was extremely crowded near the flowers but then thinned out as we continued hiking the loop.

✅Go early on a weekday if you can.

🦮Bonus….this hike is dog friendly!

My youngest celebrated his 13th birthday in March.

My youngest celebrated his 13th birthday in March. To mark the occasion, we took him and 9 friends to @mounthermonadventures in Felton where they did the Sequoia Aerial Adventure course which includes 40 elements and 2 zip lines. It’s a beautiful course nestled high in the redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains 🌲🌲

This is the second time we’ve done this course. I highly recommend it! The setting is magical and the course is designed more like a web rather than point-to-point so you can repeat obstacles you love and skip those you don’t.

If you prefer ziplining they also have a redwood canopy tour - we haven’t done it yet, but we want to!

This course is actually well suited for onlookers. I didn’t participate but I did want to watch. There are hiking trails that criss-cross under the course and some lookout spots were I could watch the boys tackle the obstacles.

I know it’s almost summer ☀️🏝️ but for

🌊Papakolea Green Sand Beach - Big Island, Hawai

🌊Papakolea Green Sand Beach - Big Island, Hawaii 🌊

There are only 4 green sand beaches in the world and 1 is on the Big Island! It’s located at the southern tip of the island and is the southern-most point in the 50 US States!

The beach is in a bay cut into the side of Puʻu Mahana, a cinder cone that erupted about 50,000 years ago. The sand is green due to the presence of the mineral olivine 💚You can swim at the beach, but be alert because the waves are big and the current is strong, there are no lifeguards and it’s far from any services.

To get here requires a bit of planning, but I thought it was worth it!
🏝️From the Kohala Coast, it’s about a 2-hour drive just to get to the parking lot/trailhead
🏝️From the trailhead, it’s a 2.8 mile hike (one way) to get to the beach
🏝️The hike is mostly flat and easy.
🏝️The trail is more like jeep tracks in the dirt and it’s not well-marked but if you follow the tracks and stick close to the shoreline you’ll get there.
🏝️We went on a Sunday and there were plenty of other hikers. There were also people offering rides to the beach in their jeeps for $20/person.
🏝️This part of the island is notoriously windy, but I actually appreciated it. We went on a sunny day and the trail is entirely exposed so the wind kept us cool.

I think this hike is good for older kids/teens. Sure, younger kids can hike it, but considering this isn’t a calm beach where kids can play freely in the water, the payoff may not be worth it. My teens were all old enough to appreciate the uniqueness of this beach & setting. My sister and her family (4 & 7yo) opted out. We climbed down to the sand, everyone gave their input on whether they really thought it was green, explored a bit, put our feet in the water, ate lunch, and headed back out.

Our favorite activity on the Big Island was a heli

Our favorite activity on the Big Island was a helicopter ride over the Kohala Coast with @bluehawaiianhelicopters. We saw ranchland, rainforest, lush valleys filled with waterfalls, and stunning cliffs plunging into the ocean. But the best part was landing beside a remote 900’ waterfall. We had it all to ourselves at it was magical! 🚁😍🌺🌴💦

What an amazing way to see the island!

#bigislandhawaii #visithawaiiisland #adventurealoha #islandofhawaii #kohalacoast #bluehawaiianhelicopters #bigislandvacation #thingstodoinhawaii #hawaiiadventures #flybluehawaiian

Must Do Big Island Hike! Pololu Valley Trail | .9

Must Do Big Island Hike!

Pololu Valley Trail | .9 miles roundtrip | 344+ gain

Gorgeous hike through the rainforest with stunning views of the Pacific and lush Pololu Valley.

The trail ends at a large black sand beach covered in lava rocks. The water is rough and not good for swimming, but it’s a fantastic spot to explore & linger.

Fun Fact: Black sand beaches are formed when lava flow hits the ocean, instantly hardening and shattering into tiny pieces. Some pieces are small enough to be considered sand while other pieces are larger lava rocks 🌋

Things to Know:
🌴Take Hwy 270 to the end of the road in North Kohala. The road ends at a viewpoint so you can’t miss it.
🌴There were a few parking spots designated for hikers, but they were all full so we parked on the side of the road.
🌴There’s a map at the trailhead. The trail is straightforward and easy to follow.
🌴The trail is steep, rocky, and uneven. Wear sturdy shoes and step carefully, especially on the way down to avoid rolling an ankle.
🌴It’s about a 20 minute drive from the town of Hawi - the drive alone is stunning and going to the lookout to admire the view is worth it (if you don’t want to hike).
🌴Lots of cute shops & restaurants along the way.
🌴Make it a day and try ziplining or drive an ATV

Do you have a happy place?

🌺Mine is Hawaii🌺

The minute the islands come into view as we approach over the Pacific, I think, “I’m Back ❤️”

Love all the memories we made over spring break. How fast can I get back?

#thingstodoinhawaii #visithawaii #familieswhotravel #visithawaiiisland #hawaiiwithkids #travelhawaii #adventurealoha #takeyourkidseverywhere #bigislandtrip #gohawaii #adventureswithkids #bigislandvacation #bigislandhawaii havekidswilltravel

We just returned from the Big Island, Hawaii. 🌺

We just returned from the Big Island, Hawaii. 🌺 Warm weather, living on island time, and hanging out with family was just what I needed. Normally I’m prone to planning non-stop activities and exploring, but on this trip we had plenty of downtime at the beach and pool, as well as a few scheduled activities.

Some of our favorite activities were:
🌴Ziplining through the rainforest
🌴Hiking the Pololu Trail to an amazing black sand beach
🌊Boogie boarding
🐠Snorkeling
🚁Helicopter tour of the Kohala Coast including landing at a 900’ waterfall
🏝️ Papakolea Green Sand Beach. This is the southern most point in the US and one of only 4 green sand beaches in the world!

This trip reminded me how much I love Hawaii - already planning when we can return! 🌺

Add this Dog-Friendly Hike to your list! 🐶

📍Seven Springs Loop Trail, Fremont Older Open Space (Saratoga)
🌿2.8 mile loop
🌿Easy
🌿+500 elevation gain
🌿Mostly exposed, but some covering beneath the oaks
🌿Porta-potty at trailhead
🌿Free parking in small lot (we had to wait about 10 minutes for someone to leave)

There were a few small hills. The trail was mostly packed dirt and well maintained. We did the trail counter-clockwise and passed ~10-15 people & 2 dogs going the other way.

The green hills, new growth and spring flowers made this hike very pretty! The views from Hunter’s Point were better than I expected - on a clear day we could see quite far! 💚🤩🌼

The only downside is the relatively small parking lot at the trailhead. There is room for about 15 cars. When we arrived they were all taken so we waited about 10 minutes for a group to come back and pile into their cars. I would try to get there early or in the later afternoon (we arrived around 4pm - when we finished at 5:30 there were available spaces and hikers were still heading out). There is no parking along the road to get to the trailhead. We saw people walking back along the road for .5-1 mile to get to their cars.

🦮Found a new dog-friendly hike! Got out between

🦮Found a new dog-friendly hike! Got out between the storms to enjoy a fun 2.8 mile hike along the Seven Springs Loop Trail at Fremont Older Open Space in Saratoga 🥾

We arrived in the late afternoon as the light was turning golden and made everything look gorgeous! There was 💚SO MUCH GREEN💚from all the recent rains - I was in love! We listened to the reviews that said the .5 mile detour to Hunter’s Point was worth it! For a short little climb, the sweeping views of the Santa Clara Valley were stunning - especially on a clear day!🤩

#peninsulaopenspacetrust #fremontolderopenspace #sccparks #santaclaracountyparks #stevenscreekcountypark #saratogacalifornia #fremontolder #midpenos #bayareadogadventures #dogfriendlyhikes

Asking to repeat a trip is one of the biggest comp

Asking to repeat a trip is one of the biggest compliments anyone in my family can give me.

I’m not opposed to returning to a destination - we do have some destinations where we regularly return. But no two trips are ever the same. There are some things we want to do again, but also new things we want to try. Plus the activities we tend to seek out are different each time as the kids get older and their interests & abilities change.

2 years ago, my youngest and I went to Yosemite for his spring break. He was not excited because there would be “hiking” 🥾To his surprise, he had a great time exploring Yosemite and he even rated two of our hikes 10/10 (Wapama Falls & The Mist Trail to Nevada Falls). And he talked a big game about coming back to hike Half Dome with me 🏞️

This year, when I suggested Hawaii for spring break, he said we should go back to Yosemite because there were more hikes he wanted to do and he just loved staying at @rushcreeklodge. I overruled him this time, but I do want to get him back to Yosemite - and would love to take him up on his offer to hike Half Dome!

Do you repeat destinations? Or are you always seeking out a new place?

We are headed to the Big Island in Hawaii next mon

We are headed to the Big Island in Hawaii next month 🌴🌺 I’m reviewing everything we’ve previously done and all the things we wanted to do but didn’t have time for on our last trip. But I’d love to hear any recommendations you might have: Hikes, beaches, restaurants, fun activities for kids & teens. Send them my way!!!!

Some our favorite Big Island activities are:
🐠Snorkeling in Kealakekua Bay - snorkeling here is what made my youngest decide he liked snorkeling!

🚤 Manta Ray night snorkel - SO COOL!

🌋Biking on an active volcano at Volcanoes National Park, exploring lava tubes, climbing on lava rocks!

What would you add??

Riding the Skunk Train rail bikes was a must for u

Riding the Skunk Train rail bikes was a must for us when we visited Mendocino! The bikes are electric-powered making pedaling virtually effortless. We loved riding across bridges and under the towering redwoods.

Arrive at Glen Blair Junction for a 50-minute layover where you can hike through the redwoods or just relax at a picnic table. Then return back to Fort Bragg!

(Note: This was a few years ago when masks were required - they are no longer required.)

#visitmendocino #skunktrain #fortbraggca #fortbraggcalifornia #visitfortbraggca #californiaredwoods #californiahiddengems #skunktrainrailbikes

Hiking Fern Canyon to a stunning waterfall in Russ

Hiking Fern Canyon to a stunning waterfall in Russian Gulch State Park is a must do in Mendocino! 🌿💦

We tried to do this hike on our first trip in 2020 and it was closed for restoration. I was crushed. When we returned a year later, it had partially reopened and it remains this way today. We have not been able to hike the full 6.2 mile Fern Canyon to Waterfall Loop Trail, but there are still options to get to the waterfall (which is 100% worth it - especially now after all the rain!).

🥾From Russian Gulch State Park, take North Trail to Waterfall Loop Trail - also around 6 miles. North Trail pretty much parallels Fern Canyon Trail, but does not follow alongside the creek. One of the draws of this trail for us was the creek so we opted not to take this route.
🥾From Caspar Little Lake Road, take North Boundry Trail to the East Trail to Waterfall Loop Trail. There are a couple of benefits to this option. 1) It starts from outside the park so no park entrance fee is required 2) At 3.9 miles roundtrip, this trail is shorter which was a bonus for my kid. 3) There were sections of the trail that were right alongside the creek, everything was green & stunning, and we got to the waterfall more quickly!

We went last winter after a series of storms and the 36 foot waterfall was incredibly impressive. I can only imagine what it looks like right now after 12 atmospheric rivers! 😍

When I used to think of Mendocino, I’d think of

My 3 kids have 3 different school calendars which

My 3 kids have 3 different school calendars which makes planning family vacations a bit challenging. The ONE break they all had in common this school year was a mid-winter break in February. I was determined to take advantage of this common break so back in July I booked a family ski trip to Whistler! 🎿🇨🇦

Whistler-Blackcomb is AMAZING! We were out on the mountain skiing/snowboarding every day and then I planned an extra activity each afternoon.

On our first full day, my husband & 2 teens did the passenger bobsleigh at the Whistler Sliding Center. This was the real thing, on the same track used at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, and hands-down their favorite part of the trip!

🛷3 passengers + a trained pilot
🛷Race through ten twists and turns at speeds of 125+ km/hr and feel the acceleration of up to 4 g-forces
🛷This is the only place in Canada where the public can try this (1 of 6 places worldwide)
🛷This is the fastest course in the world.
🛷Minimum age: 14

Unfortunately, my 12yo couldn’t ride, but he & I went along to watch which I found to be thrilling enough. We listened to the safety briefing at the beginning and then went to the observation point along the course - this is where the bobsleighs reach their top speed and then the course turns uphill to slow it down. Before each ride, they announced who was on the bobsleigh and there was a video screen we could watch until they came tearing around this last corner.

Their bobsleigh hit a max speed of 123km/hr and took 41.8 seconds to complete the course - they finished 1.2 seconds behind the top bobsleigh (which put them 12th!!)

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