Activities
- Adventure
- Beach
- Food
- Hiking
- Museums & Monuments
- Skiing
Bay Area
- Hikes
- Marin
- Peninsula
- Pescadero
- San Francisco
- Santa Cruz
California
U.S.
- Arizona
- California
  - Hikes
  - Davenport
  - Fort Bragg
  - Lake Tahoe
  - Marin
  - Mendocino
  - Palm Springs
  - Pescadero
  - Point Arena
  - San Diego
  - San Francisco
  - Santa Cruz
  - Yosemite National Park
- Hawaii
  - Big Island
  - Kauai
  - Maui
  - Oahu
- National Parks
  - Joshua Tree National Park
  - Yosemite National Park
- South Carolina
Everywhere Else
- Asia
  - Hong Kong
  - Japan
  - Thailand
- Canada
  - Whistler
- Caribbean
- Central America
  - Costa Rica
  - Panama
- Ireland
- Mexico
  - Cabo
  - Punta Mita
- Oceania
  - Australia
  - Fiji
- South America
  - Ecuador
  - Galapagos
Favorites
Work With Us
About Us

1 posts

South Carolina

Rainbow Row! Charleston, South Carolina

Your Guide to an Epic Week in Charleston with Kids

February 11, 2021
by Carrie

Search for:

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

Of all the days I could have planned to arrive in

Of all the days I could have planned to arrive in Porto, I picked June 23rd: when over 500,000 people flock to Porto to celebrate Festa de São João (Festival of St John). It’s a huge street party - flags are hung throughout the city, people grill sardines on the street and dance, and everyone walks around carrying a plastic hammer hitting complete strangers on the head in good fun.

As the sun sets, people began lighting lanterns and sending them up into the sky - hundreds of them! The crowds began to move towards the river in anticipation of the midnight fireworks which were stunning over the Duoro River.

To be completely honest, I didn’t even learn about this celebration until a couple of weeks before we arrived and I was actually really bummed about it. The city would be totally crowded and many shops & businesses were closed, and restaurants were booked. I wasn’t sure how to navigate the festival & where we should go.

BUT - we just embraced it - we finished dinner around 10pm (because Europe) and just followed the crowd. The kids asked for plastic hammers and quickly got into the spirit hitting strangers (and each other). We took everything in and just enjoyed it. Were we in the best spot? No. Did it matter? No. Because we had no expectations we had the best time. Being a part of this festival was a highlight of our trip! Now I tell everyone: Go to Porto for the Festa de São João!! That’s when I’m going again!

#saojoaoporto #oportocity #travelinportugal #portocity #summerinportugal #visitoporto #oportoportugal #chooseadventure #travelwithteens #familysummertrip #travelingwithteens #adventureswithkids #familytraveladventures

🇵🇹Things to do in PORTO with teens: ✔️Vi

🇵🇹Things to do in PORTO with teens:
✔️Visit the UNESCO-listed historic city center, where you can see the Porto Cathedral, a grand structure and the oldest building in Porto
⛪️Take a tour of Igreja de São Francisco, or Church of St. Francis.
🌼Check out the gardens & city views at Jardins do Palacio de Cristal
🍮Take a food tour! I recommend @portofoodtours. They have the longest running food tour in Porto and take you beyond the popular tourist attractions. They also have a ton of great local tips on their blog.
⚽️Tour the FC Porto Stadium - better yet, watch a match!
🚲Rent bikes and ride along the coast to beaches, parks & restaurants
🛥️Take a cruise on the Duoro River - learn about the 6 bridges or cruise up to Duoro Valley for a wine tour

If you have more time:
🍷Take a day trip or spend a few days in the Duoro Valley. Did you know the Duoro Valley is the only place in the world that can legally produce what’s called “port wine”? But they make other varieties of wine as well.
🥾Head to Parque Nacional Peneda-Gerês- the only national park in Portugal - for some outdoor adventure: hiking, kayaking & canyoning. Check out @oportoadventuretours
💦Go white water rafting on the Paiva River

Bonus!!
🇵🇹Go for the Festa de São João (Festival of St John) - thousands of people flock to Porto to pay tribute to St. John the Baptist. The festival culminates the evening of June 23rd and continues into the 24th with huge parties in the streets, lanterns in the sky, music, and fireworks over the Duoro River. We coincidentally arrived in Porto on the 23rd and joining in on this celebration was a highlight of our trip!

I broke one of my travel rules on our summer trip.

I broke one of my travel rules on our summer trip.

When we travel, I aim to spend a minimum of 4 nights in each spot. Over the years, I’ve found 4 nights in one place still allows us to stay in multiple destinations, but we don’t feel like we’re packing up and moving almost daily. When we arrive somewhere new, we always have a list of things we want to do, but once we’re there we usually discover additional places we want to explore. Staying 4 nights gives us the opportunity to see some things on our list while still being flexible to add new things in - and of course have some downtime too! I can only think of a handful of times when we felt like 4 nights was too much!

If we wanted to fit in everything my son asked for on this trip, we had to move more quickly than usual as we were time constrained on both ends of our trip: last day of school on the frontend and my daughter’s surgery on the backend. The upside was we got to see a lot, the downside was we didn’t explore as in-depth as we would have liked. We left most places feeling like we wanted to stay longer and explore more, but honestly, we could have stayed in each place a month and still felt that way!

Of all the stops we made, we all agreed Porto deserved more time and requires a return trip soon! 🇵🇹

Do you have any rules or guidelines you try to stick to when you travel?

For us, the first few days of any trip after cross

For us, the first few days of any trip after crossing multiple time zones is always a bit of a blur (San Francisco to LISBON!). We landed in the morning and hit the ground running - aiming to keep our days packed to help us forget how tired we were!

We left a lot unexplored in Lisbon, but these were our highlights!

❤️Walk through all the streets and explore! Praca do Comercio - the main town square in Lisbon (grab a beer at Museu da Cerveja), Lisbon Cathedral, Castelo de S Jorge
💚Take a walking tour through the historic Alfama District
⛵️Cruise on the Tagus River - see the sites from a different perspective
💚Ride the Santa Justa lift!
🚋 Ride the iconic Lisbon No. 28 tram - or just watch it as it goes by!
❤️Belem Tower & Riverside area
💚Jeronimos Monastery
🍴Eat at Timeout Market
🍸Enjoy the rooftop bars & restaurants

One of my favorite parts of Lisbon was the colorful tile covering many of the buildings. We found this gorgeous blue one in the Alfama District near the Lisbon Cathedral (Sé de Lisboa).

The last few months have been a blur! In June, my

The last few months have been a blur!

In June, my oldest graduated from high school 🎓, and as is our family tradition, he picked the destination for our summer trip: Portugal 🇵🇹, Spain🇪🇸& Morocco 🇲🇦! It was an ambitious itinerary, but we pulled it off. At the end of our trip, he met up with friends in Paris and continued traveling around Europe for 3 weeks while the rest of us returned home.

2 days after we got home, my daughter had surgery to repair her ACL which she tore playing soccer in April. A devastating injury and a grueling recovery process, but we are optimistic she’ll be able to return to the field this spring ⚽️

And finally we got my oldest packed up and moved into his dorm in Los Angeles 🏫. And now everyone’s back in school, routine & order have been somewhat restored, and I’m feeling like I can breathe again.

Don’t get me wrong! I love summer and I enjoyed every second of it - especially riding around Marrakech on the back of a sidecar! I’m excited to finally share all about our trip! Get ready….lots of pictures & trip details coming!

5 Day Trip Adventures in the Bay Area! 🎢 Santa

5 Day Trip Adventures in the Bay Area!

🎢 Santa Cruz - Beach Boardwalk, Mystery Spot, Natural Bridges State Park, Wilder Ranch, Hike to a swimming hole in Henry Cowell State Park, bike along West Cliff Drive

🌁 San Francisco - Bike through the Presidio; Walk or bike across the Golden Gate Bridge; tour the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company; Explore the Cable Car or Disney museum; Golden Gate Park: Academy of Sciences, Botanical Gardens, paddle boat in Stow Lake; walk along the Embarcadero; eat at the Ferry Building; Go on an urban hike; Explore cool staircases; Zip down the Seward Street slides.

🚲 Marin - Bay Area Discovery Museum & Cavallo Point; Bay Model Visitor Center; Ride bikes in Tiburon to Blackie’s Pasture; hang out on the deck at Sam’s Anchor cafe; cruise to Angel Island: ride bikes & explore; spend the day in the Headlands hiking and playing at Rodeo Beach; check out the Muir Beach Overlook, hike along the bluffs then stop at the Pelican Inn for a drink; Kayak in Bolinas; Point Reyes

🚂 Berkeley - Tilden Park - ride the train through the redwoods, check out the carousel and many hikes; Berkeley Marina & Adventure Playground; have deep dish pizza at Zachary’s; Lawrence Hall of Science; Grizzly Peak; Check out the UC Berkeley campus

🌊 Half Moon Bay - Hang out at one of the many beaches, Surf, Go tidepooling, Hike along the coast or on the bluffs above, Have fish & chips at Barbara’s Fish Trap, Stroll through the cute downtown shops; Check out local farms and go berry picking

If you’re pretty much anyone but my kids, then you’re probably already on summer break. My middle schooler finishes next week, and my 2 high schoolers wrap up this week. This weekend my oldest graduates from high school! I’m 100% in denial, but I’m also ready for summer! ☀️

Backing up my claim from yesterday that Marin has

Backing up my claim from yesterday that Marin has the best Bay Area hikes!

Swipe for more details on some of my favorites! I promise, these hikes won’t disappoint!

🦅Hawk Hill
🚢Tennessee Valley
🦉Owl Trail
🌿Dipsea Trail
🌁Slacker Hill

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.

Load More... Follow on Instagram

Follow me on Pinterest

Pinterest

Follow me on Facebook

Follow me on Facebook

Recent Posts

Ultimate Guide to the Big Island Hawaii with Teens
Hike to Slacker Hill in Marin for Golden Gate Views
Epic Winter Activities in Whistler
The Best Things to do in Pescadero
The Best Dog Friendly Hikes in San Mateo County

Never Miss a Post!

Enter your email address and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Email Address

Privacy Policy

Exploring The World One Day at a Time

Search for:

Input your search keywords and press Enter.