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South Carolina

Rainbow Row! Charleston, South Carolina

Your Guide to an Epic Week in Charleston with Kids

February 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

⭐️Davenport, CA is a tiny coastal town along H

⭐️Davenport, CA is a tiny coastal town along Highway 1, just 9 miles north of Santa Cruz. If you blink, you might drive right by it! ⭐️

But here’s why you should stop - just for an hour or make a whole day of it:

🌊 Beaches tucked in between stunning bluffs covered in coastal shrub
🦈 Shark Fin Cove - a beach with a huge rock shaped like a shark fin jutting out of the water
🌊 Explore the remnants of Davenport Pier with a cool swing tied to one of the footings
🍓Farmstands with U-pick berries & scrumptious goodies to take home
🍔 Quaint restaurants serving delicious food with super-friendly service

Have you been to Davenport? Check out the link in my bio for lots of details on what to do and things to see!

The more we explore Santa Cruz the more we love it

The more we explore Santa Cruz the more we love it! Only an hour south of the Bay Area, it feels like a real getaway:

🌊 Stunning coastal bluffs
🏄🏼‍♀️ Gorgeous beaches for tide-pooling, surfing, boogie-boarding
🎢 Famous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk with rides & games
🌲Nestled in the Santa Cruz mountains with awe-inspiring redwoods
🥾Hiking & outdoor adventure

Link in bio for more details for an awesome Santa Cruz itinerary!

⭐️Add these stunning SF peninsula hikes to you

⭐️Add these stunning SF peninsula hikes to your list! ⭐️

📍Mori Point | Pacifica | 2.5 miles | Varied terrain from an easy flat walk along the beach to challenging climbs along cliffs & bluffs while enjoying stunning views of the Pacific 🦮

📍Maverick’s/Pillar Point | Half Moon Bay | 3 miles | Hike right along the edge of the bluff on this easy dog friendly trail🦮

📍Sweeney Ridge | Pacifica | 3+ miles | Hike up to the ridge covered in coastal shrubs for views of the Pacific on one side and the bay on the other. We often start in the fog and climb into the sun. Check out the old Nike Missle site and an old bunker with colorful graffiti. Multiple places to begin: Skyline College, San Bruno, or along Highway 1 🦮

📍Mussell Rock | Daly City | 2 miles | Short easy hike with awesome views of the ocean and paragliders in the sky. Hike down to enormous Thornton State Beach - we saw a whale! 🦮

📍San Bruno Mountain | San Bruno | 3.3 miles | Love this hidden gem with views spanning from SFO to Mt Diablo to the SF Bay Bridge & downtown all the way to the Pacific Ocean with glimpses of the Golden Gate Bridge.

#bayarearidgetrail #sweeneyridge #sanmateocounty #pacificacalifornia #californiacoastline #SanMateoCoast #moripoint #sanbrunomountain #pillarpoint #sanfranciscobayarea #dogfriendlyhikes

Things to know when renewing your kiddo’s US pas

Things to know when renewing your kiddo’s US passport! 🌎✈️

We just renewed the kids’ passports last week. Here are some tips for making the process easier:

🌎 Don’t wait until the passport expires to renew it! Many countries require that a passport be valid for at least 6 months after the date of entry! Our kids’ passports expired in April ‘23 which means they may not have been valid for travel after October ‘22. We have an international trip coming up in February so we needed to get them renewed now!

🌎 Check your passports every year and note which ones are due to expire within the next year. I put a note in my calendar to begin the renewal process 9 months before each passport expires (getting new pictures, scheduling the appointment, gathering documents)

🌎 Be sure to plan the appointment around any upcoming international travel as you will need to submit your current passport with the renewal application. Standard turnaround time for a new passport is currently 8-11 weeks. There are ways to get an expedited passport but this is more expensive and can be stressful.

🌎 Minors (under 16 years old) must reapply in person, including anyone whose most recent passport was issued when they were under 16

🌎 Both parents must be present to renew a minor’s passport. If not, the absent parent must sign a separate notarized document for each minor stating they approve of their child obtaining a passport. (There’s a form for this and we’ve actually had to do this multiple times - including this last time!)

🌎 While kids 16-17 are not considered “minors” they do need to apply in person but only need one parent present. My oldest fell into this category - I had his birth certificate (to prove guardianship) and the notarized doc from Mike but we didn’t need either.

🌎 Passports issued for kids 16+ are valid for 10 years 🎉 Passports for kids under 16 are valid for only 5 years. My daughter turns 16 before her current passport expires, but we went ahead and renewed hers now even though it will only be good for 5 years.

Any other tips on renewing passports? Lessons learned the hard way?

🇮🇪From our trip to Ireland’s School of Falconry @ashfordcastle 2015 🏰

Have you heard of the Ridge Rider Coaster at Heave

Have you heard of the Ridge Rider Coaster at Heavenly Ski Resort?

Things to know if you go:
It’s seasonal - so double-check the operating dates to make sure it’s open
In addition to the mountain coaster, there’s a rock wall, zipline, gemstone panning, hiking trails, and a restaurant.
The price for one ride is ($93/adult; $80/senior or teen; $63/child). I thought it was expensive but it does include the cost of the gondola ride which is required to get to the top. Note that the ticket price for season pass holders (all ages) is $35.
Anyone 3 years+ can ride the coaster, but to ride alone you must be 54”+.
To get the most out of your time/money, I think it’s worth it to spend more time at the top of the mountain if you can. We did this on our way out of town and only had time to ride the coaster.
We enjoyed the coaster but thought it was too short especially since you can only ride it once.
Worth it? Yes! We’d never done anything like this before and had a blast. I’m not sure we’d do this particular one again though, I’d love a longer coaster with maybe a 3-ride option.

Have you ever ridden a mountain coaster? WHERE? Let me know!

#southlaketahoe #heavenlyskiresort #tahoesouth #laketahoelife #visitlaketahoe #keeptahoeblue #explorelaketahoe #laketahoecalifornia #laketahoeadventures #heavenlymountainresort #californiaadventures #nevadaadventures #outsideadventures #adventureswithkids #adventureswithteens #adventuretravels #travelwithfamily #familyadventure #westcoastadventures #mountaincoaster #explorecalifornia #outdoorfamily #chooseadventure #lifeisbetteroutside #adventuremom #familytravelblogger #hiddencalifornia #adventurefamily #adventuremama #chooseadventure

SANTA CRUZ ADVENTURES with kids & teens 🌲Mount

SANTA CRUZ ADVENTURES with kids & teens

🌲Mount Hermon Adventures for zip lining & ropes course
🌲Swimming Holes: Big Rock Hole, River Trail, Garden of Eden
🎢 Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
🚂 Roaring Camp: ride the Beach Train through the redwoods from Felton to Santa Cruz
🌲The Mystery Spot
🌊 Natural Bridges State Beach
🚲Walk or bike along West Cliff Drive
🌊 Wilder Ranch - Old Cove Landing Trail & Fern Grotto
🌲Maple Falls

Check out the link in my bio for more details on these adventures!

⭐️ 4 stunning hikes in Marin ⭐️ 📍Kirby

⭐️ 4 stunning hikes in Marin ⭐️

📍Kirby Cove | 3 miles | This trail provides larger than life views of the Golden Gate Bridge, a wide well-maintained fire road trail & a huge beach with impressive views of the bridge.

📍Slacker Hill | 3.3 miles | Enjoy stunning views the entire way beginning with Fort Baker, Cavallo Point and the Bay Area Discovery Museum then out towards Angel Island and Belvedere and finally views out towards the Pacific and down the San Mateo coast. 360-degree views from the top of Slacker Hill with a spectacular view overlooking the bridge.

📍Hawk Hill | 2.2 miles | More amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Sea Cliff, Lands End, Point Bonita Lighthouse, Rodeo Beach, and Mt Tam. Start at the parking lot for Black Sands Beach and follow the Coastal Trail to Hawk Hill - the view on the way back down is stunning!

📍Owl Trail | 2.1 miles | Start at Muir Beach Overlook and hike along the bluff to Slide Ranch where young kids will love the goats, ducks, chickens, and gardens. We hiked a little further down to the beach where there are great tidepools at low tide - or just admire the impressive waves crashing into the rocks.

✅ Check out the link in my bio for more amazing Bay Area hikes!

#marincounty #marinhikes #marinhiking #slackerhill #exploremarin #hikemarincounty #visitmarin #goldengatestrait
#hawkhill #marinheadlands #owltrail #hikemarin #hikingwithfamily #kidswhohike #hikingcalifornia #familieswhohike #explorecalifornia #getoutandhike #bayareablogger #7x7bayarea #outsideadventures #bayareabuzz #outdoorfamily #sfhikes #explorecaliforniacoast #hiddencalifornia #westcoastadventures

Fallen Leaf Lake in South Lake Tahoe is often over

Fallen Leaf Lake in South Lake Tahoe is often overlooked by visitors in lieu of larger Lake Tahoe. But Fallen Leaf Lake, a narrow nearly 3 mile lake in a glacier formed valley just a mile southwest of Lake Tahoe, is worth a visit. It’s open for boating & water sports, has little commercial development and the water is amazingly clear 🤩🌿💦

We headed to Tahoe in mid-June for a long weekend revolving around a soccer tournament, but we made the most of our downtime. My favorite afternoon was spent at Fallen Leaf Lake. After eating at Izzy’s Burger Spa 🍔 right on Lake Tahoe Blvd, we headed to Fallen Leaf Lake, about 10 minutes away, and hiked the 3.6-mile Fallen Leaf Lake Trail. The trail hugs the lake and it took us much longer than it should have to complete because we kept getting distracted by the gorgeous views and rocky beaches along the way. There were a handful of people on the water in kayaks & on SUPs. It made me wish we had brought our kayaks - next time!

FYI…Both Izzys & the hike are dog friendly 🐶

Some highlights from our east coast trip in July:

Some highlights from our east coast trip in July: lots of lake time, swimming, tubing & kayaking; zip-lining, exploring, hiking, relaxing, and some baseball.

If you’ve been following along though you know that this trip was not all fun. There were plenty of tears of sadness & frustration; saying goodbye; obligations & commitments; some of us got covid and had to quarantine and cancel plans along the way. And to be honest, there were a couple of times that I said, “maybe we should just go home!”

But as time passes, those are the memories that are fading and the ones that remain are what you see here. As hard as travel can be with complicated logistics, thwarted plans, long travel days…..it’s worth it! Our kids learn to adjust to changing plans, be patient & accommodating, and deal with some emotionally challenging days. I think we file those skills away and remember the positive. So while these squares on Instagram capture our best moments and are not 100% of the story….they are how we want to remember the story….and that’s why we keep traveling & adventuring…..because we know that while it can sometimes be challenging, the experiences, time together & the stories we share are worth it.

#familyadventure #adventurefamily #chooseadventure #travelwithfamily #havekidswilltravel #outsideadventures #borntoexplore #adventuremama #goadventurewiththem #washingtondctravel #familytravelblogger #adventureswithkids #adventuretravels

We had the best time at this swimming hole in Henr

We had the best time at this swimming hole in Henry Cowell State Park last week!

We entered the park ($10 entrance fee) on Big Trees Park Road and parked in Lot 1 near the picnic area. From there we took the path towards the Mountain Parks store and then headed towards the River Trail - and there was this little beach with multiple rope swings. We were the only ones there….for about 5 minutes (!!) and then groups slowly started arriving. It was never too crowded as there was plenty of space to spread out. There were some kids out in the river with nets and others in floaties. The river was fairly shallow with a few deeper spots - but my’ 12yo never was in above his waist.

I was also eyeing Cable Car Beach - another spot on the River Trail about a mile farther which looks to be a beach/swimming spot. My kid & his friend had so much fun where we were that we didn’t check it out - next time!

Thanks to @silicon_valley_family for putting this fun find on my radar!

#henrycowell #santacruzcounty #castateparks #californiastateparks #henrycowellredwoodsstatepark #santacruzmountains #exploresantacruz #santacruzca #santacruzbucketlist #letsgoexplore #happyadventuring #lifeisbetteroutside #explorewithkids #outdoorfamily #adventuremom #adventurefamily #californiaadventures #goadventurewiththem #adventureswithkids #chooseadventure #goadventuretogether #explorecaliforniacoast

We are lucky in the Bay Area to have so many hikes

We always traveled when I was growing up, but when

We always traveled when I was growing up, but when I turned 14 my dad’s company relocated him to Hong Kong which was the beginning of a 10-year Expat career on 3 different continents. My sister and I continued to live fulltime in California with my mom, but we spent the summers traveling with my dad throughout Asia, Europe & Australia. As a teenager, this setup felt inconvenient and it wasn’t until I got older that I realized what an impact it had on me.

I became addicted to exploring everything - local places, new states, new countries, new cultures. The more I saw, the more I wanted to see. I learned more. I became more educated, understanding, empathetic & caring.

When I had kids I realized quickly that the gift of travel was something I wanted to give them as well. The experiences I have had have shaped me. I don’t remember many tangible gifts I received growing up, but I remember the experiences and have so many stories to tell. Now that my dad is gone, this is what I hold on to. He was a great storyteller and one of the gifts he left me was the ability to continue telling stories about our journeys together.

These are the same gifts I hope to pass along to my kids - this is why we travel ❤️

#takeyourkidseverywhere #wanderlustkids #TravelAndCulture #borntoexplore #adventurefamily #adventurefamilytravel #familieswhotravel #travelwithfamily #travelwithteens #bringthekids #familyadventure #happyadventuring #letsgoexplore #wecollectmemories #havekidswilltravel

Our last stop in New York was at newly opened @the

Our last stop in New York was at newly opened @thechatwallodge in The Catskills. I came across this lodge several months before it opened via @travelandleisure and booked it based on their recommendation. It was an amazing place to finish up our trip.

🌿 We stayed in Elk Retreat which is currently their biggest suite. It had 2 bedrooms and comfortably slept 4 (5 with a rollaway). It had a large living area, a full kitchen, and a huge deck overlooking the private dock and lake. They are in the process of adding larger residences on the property that will sleep 6-7.

🌿 All meals, snacks, drinks & alcohol are included. There were snacks & drinks in our room and around the property to grab whenever we wanted. If you have teenagers this is HUGE.

🌿 The meals were amazing, created by a chef who has previously worked in Michelin starred kitchens and also at Gary Danko in SF which is my favorite restaurant ever. I think the meals are meant to be a big draw.

🌿We saw at most 4 other couples at one time (at a meal). Ours were the only kids.

🌿 Our family’s favorite part was the Rec Center which had ping pong, pool, duckpin bowling, shuffleboard, a workout room, a theater, board games & a library.

🌿 There were SUPs, kayaks and a rowboat to use on the water. They also have a speedboat & pontoon boat available to book. We went out one afternoon for a tour of the lake. The chef prepared a sandwich lunch for us - so we ate, stopped at swimming holes, and even saw a couple of eagles!

🌿 We booked a fly fishing excursion and had great success. Kate caught a fish on her first cast!

🌿 There were also bikes, croquet, hammocks and plenty of places to just relax.

I think the best thing about this property was the people who worked there. Every person we encountered, from the general manager to housekeeping, was kind, personable and genuinely seemed like they would go out of their way to make our stay amazing. The activities director asked us for our feedback every time we saw him: What did we like? What would we add? My kids had a ton of suggestions and he even showed us later how the hotel was planning to incorporate some of their ideas into the upcoming schedule.

The Gorge Trail at Watkins Glen Park in upstate Ne

The Gorge Trail at Watkins Glen Park in upstate New York was kind of like walking through a fairy tale: 19 waterfalls, a man-made spiral stone staircase cut into a turret, multiple stone bridges, ferns, moss, greenery 🌿💦🏰

I think what makes this trail so special (aside from the scenery) is how the man-made trails, staircases & bridges seamlessly blend into the gorge as if created by nature.

#watkinsglenstatepark #watkinsglen #nystateparks #fingerlakesny #nyupstate #gorgetrail #newyorkstateparks #exploreny #discovernewyork #travelnewyork #travelwithteens #havekidswilltravel #hikewithkids #familieswhohike #hikingwithfamily #hikingfamily #familieswhotravel #travelwithfamily #travelingwithteens #adventurefamily

The Gorge trail at Watkins Glen State Park in New

The Gorge trail at Watkins Glen State Park in New York blew me away! 🤩

I did a lot of research on what to do in the Finger Lakes area and this hike came up over & over again for good reason! If you are in the area ADD THIS HIKE TO YOUR LIST!

Here’s what we loved:
💦 As the name suggests, the trail is deep within a gorge and follows Glen Creek with 19 waterfalls and plenty of mist which kept the trail cool even on a hot NY day.

😍 Gorgeous views - So many waterfalls in a short span with the trail cut into the side of the stunning 200’ cliffs

💙 The trail even goes behind a waterfall!

💪🏼 Relatively short & easy - we hiked from the trailhead to the top of Jacob’s Ladder and back which was about 3 miles roundtrip.

✨ This trail was so different than what we are used to in California which made it even more special.

Things to know:
📈 While we didn’t think the trail was challenging, we had to climb 800 steps one way. The steps are fairly well spread out over the course of the trail - we thought the only challenging part was climbing Jacob’s Ladder at the very end. We grabbed water at the Refreshment hut at the top and then turned around. You could skip this section and turn around at the bottom of Jacob’s Ladder saving yourself a lot of steps. Mike & I enjoyed the extra workout - the kids did not!

🌅 It was crowded! We went midday which I don’t recommend. This trail would be even more stunning first thing in the morning (or in the evening) when crowds are thinner. The trail is narrow and we got stuck behind people at various points. However, if midday is the only time you can go - GO!

🥾We only did the Gorge Trail, but there are quite a few other trail options in the park to explore.

Have you hiked this trail? Have you hiked any similar gorge trails? Would love to add more trails like this to my list!

We rode the gondola 🚠 to the top of Heavenly in

We rode the gondola 🚠 to the top of Heavenly in South Lake Tahoe and were rewarded with spectacular views. We were actually going to the mountain coaster and got off one stop too early but none of us complained….because these views 😍😍

#southlaketahoe #heavenlyskiresort #tahoesouth #laketahoelife #visitlaketahoe #keeptahoeblue #explorelaketahoe #laketahoecalifornia #laketahoeadventures #explorecalifornia #outdoorfamily #chooseadventure #lifeisbetteroutside #californiaadventures #nevadaadventures

From the getgo, our summer plans were constantly s

From the getgo, our summer plans were constantly shifting. There were so many things I *had* to plan for my dad’s service and Ben’s ⚾️ tournament that I put off planning all the FUN stuff 🤩For most of our time in New York, I was planning meals & activities as we went which ended up working out fine, but just isn’t my style at all!

Here’s how we spent 2.5 days with teens in NYC (with not a lot of pre-planning!!)

🇺🇸 Toured the 9/11 Museum & Memorial
🍔Chelsea Market
🌼Walked the High Line
📐Checked out the Vessel
🌳 Brunch @sarabethsnyc and then a morning in Central Park
🎶 Saw Hamilton on Broadway
📚Campus tour of NYU
🛍Shopping!

The only thing that didn’t work out as well last minute was planning meals. While we found a great local pizza place the first night, a bagel place we loved, had a great brunch at Sarabeths, and lunch at Creamline, our other dinners were just ok. I also find it hard to plan dinners far in advance when I don’t know what we’ll be doing, but I think I just need to get over that so we aren’t scrambling every night 🥴

We just returned from a 3-week whirlwind trip on t

We just returned from a 3-week whirlwind trip on the East Coast. This trip had multiple purposes and only the tail-end was relaxing (mostly). It’s not the way I prefer to travel but we tried to make the best of it.

This trip was: emotional, inspirational, productive, frustrating, fun & so much more. There were highs & lows, curve balls, and changed plans.

🏡 It started in South Carolina where I sold my dad’s beautiful lakeside home and then we laid him to rest, surrounded by family and friends, with an inspiring service at Arlington National Cemetery in DC 🇺🇸

⚾️ Mike took Ben to Cooperstown to play in a highly anticipated weeklong baseball tournament with his team

🏙 Jack, Kate & I spent a few days in NYC, fit in a college tour of NYU, and then joined them in Cooperstown

⛵️After the tournament, we stayed in upstate New York living our best lake life - we all needed plenty of time to relax in the sun, kayaking, SUPing, boating, tubing, hiking, and unwinding.

❌ The major twist was that 3 of the 5 of us got 🦠 and had to quarantine at different times throughout our trip. It also meant that Mike had to cancel his planned side trip back to CA where he would have been part of filming a documentary with his good friend 🎬 I was patient zero so I hold a lot of guilt for this one 😔

I’m sure when we reflect on this trip, we’ll most remember all the good times we shared with friends & family, the emotional moments will one day bring a smile instead of a tear, and we’ll laugh at all the mishaps.

We’ve all got problems and things on our to-do l

We’ve all got problems and things on our to-do list. If I waited until all of those things were resolved I’d never get out of the the house. So I make myself leave those things behind for a bit to hike and be outside.

#bonnydoonbeach #californiahighway1 #davenportca #davenportcalifornia #cabrillohighway #santacruzcounty #santacruzca #visitsantacruz #santacruznow #californiacoastline #bayareabackroads #explorecalifornia #outdoorfamily #adventurefamily #familyadventure #chooseadventure #happyadventuring #lifeisbetteroutside #goadventuretogether #californiaadventures #adventureswithkids

It seems like everyone I know is in Europe right n

It seems like everyone I know is in Europe right now and I have a little bit of FOMO.

Every summer we take one big trip - usually to a new country. I put a lot of thought into planning and reveal the destination to the kids at Christmas. Unless it’s a milestone year for one of the kids then that kid gets to pick the destination and reveal it. This is the first summer it didn’t work out - it wasn’t a milestone year and there were too many things keeping us in the US.

But if it had worked out, it would have been MY year to pick the destination and I would not have chosen Europe. I would have picked: the Philippines 🇵🇭!!! But I won’t be picking again for awhile as we have a string of milestone years coming up for the kids: ‘23 (HS graduation - said kid has already revealed to all where he wants to go despite my rule!), ‘24 (middle school promotion), ‘25 (HS graduation).

So here’s a throwback to our last trip to Asia in 2018. Relaxing at the pool at the @sixsensesyaonoi in the middle of Phang Nga Bay. 🇹🇭Thailand remains one of our favorite trips - it’s on my list of places to return - there were so many corners we left unexplored.

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