Choose Your Own Adventure – Summer Lovin’

Hey friends! So summer is upon us. Like, hello it was May and now it’s June. Whoa! I remember when my kids were babies and I felt like the days were soooooo long and now the hours, days, months and years are going by so incredibly fast. #amiright

Another school year is behind us. As my kids get older, the summers are a bit tricky. I enjoy the time off with my big kids but I also want to keep them busy and engaged without it being all about running wild and playing video games. If you have teens, you might understand this. When my kids were so little, I wondered how I could keep them busy all day. Then as they hit those mid-years, it became easier to do the things. They were engaged and entertained. We could do the fun day trips and adventures. Then the teen years crept upon us. These are the years of eye rolls and independence. My oldest wants to do things like hang out at the lake with his friends. Sigh. The lake? Without me? He’s 6’2 and super independent and pretty mature {sometimes} but still. On his own without me? Giving your kids age-appropriate independence is so hard for this mama and probably any mama. So beyond the ramblings of my stressed out brain, let’s discuss some ideas for fun summer things to do with all the ages and stages, shall we?

Take a hike! We recently went to Cronin Ranch and enjoyed the scenery and trails.

Find some water. We love finding local lakes and rivers to explore. This is Caples Lake in the Sierras.

Echo Lake is another favorite spot for us. This was in October when things were pretty much shut down for the season. It was so peaceful and breathtaking without a soul in site.

Hit up a National or State Park. Last year we checked out the Calaveras Big Trees. You can also buy State Park Passes. This has been great for us because we kayak often and each entry into a local park costs us $10. This pass pays for itself pretty quickly.

We have a couple of ‘big’ trips on the horizon. We are doing our first ever trip to Kauai. I’m so excited! I know it just flooded there. It was on the opposite side of the island and our resort has assured me that all is well and gorgeous still. We went to Maui 6 years ago and L O V E D it but we wanted to try something a bit different since A) big vacays are few and far between for us B) I want to see so many different places and not repeat the big stuff till I’ve seen all the big stuff, ya know? We will also be headed to Lake Almanor for the week of July 4th with my sweet sis in law and her hubs. Lake Almanor is a beautiful place in Northern California. It’s about 3.5 hours from here. It’s all about games, lake time plus food + drinks. All the fun that summer brings will be happening that week.

Finding fun activities is always a great way to fill up your summer days. Last year we had a blast at Lake Tahoe Treetop Adventure Park.

San Francisco is an easy day trip for us. This photo was from last summer, just outside of AT&T Ball Park.

We went to Hope Valley for Father’s Day weekend. It was beyond gorgeous. I couldn’t get over how green everything was and the temps were perfect. The mountains had a bit of snow on them and we could hear the roar of the river from our trailer which was so soothing, especially as we sat outside around the fire and star gazing.

We camped at Olema last summer and we popped over to Cowgirl Creamery in nearby Pt. Reyes Station and had one of their signature root beer floats. Hello yummy!

I even tried my first {and probably my last} BBQ’d oyster. Hey, I am SO proud that I actually finally tried one of these slippery little suckers. My hubby was proud too.

The in-between will get filled up with day trips to Lake Tahoe, kayaking on new lakes, going on hikes and of course exploring some fun new places. Day tripping is one of my favorite things to do. It only costs you a tank of gas and food. No lodging required.

O U R   S U M M E R    A D V E N T U R E S

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• Oakland Zoo
• Muir Woods
• Alcatraz
• Truckee River Rafting
• Kayak Fallen Leaf Lake and Silver Lake
• Be a tourist in San Francisco, Petaluma, Truckee and any other fun spots that strike our fancy. You know how much I love day trippin’ if you’ve been following me for awhile. Click on my adventure tab above and you can see some of the places we’ve gone.

F A V O R I T E   T R A V E L   R E S O U R C E S

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• Sunset Magazine – They always share places local to your region including restaurants, travel suggestions, etc.
• Pinterest – A quick search for areas near you, ie: Northern California would be my pick, will give you loads of suggestions.
• Groupon – This is a great way to find deals near you or if you so desire, far away!
• Trip Advisor – This site offers inspiration and deals.
• Vacation Idea – This site shows vacay ideas in all the regions.

C E L E B R A T E

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In September my hubby and I are headed to San Diego to celebrate a couple of sweet friends 40th birthdays. It’s an adults-only getaway with several of our favorite couples renting two houses and we will be partying it up, grown-up style. I can’t wait!

G I R L F R I E N D   G E T A W A Y S

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I am so excited to have not one but two awesome girls weekends on the calendar.  Both involve live music.

I’ll be headed to Lake Tahoe in July to see Keith Urban with 5 girlfriends. Harvey’s Lake Tahoe is one of my favorite summer concert venues. We will be staying at Base Camp which is right across the street.

In August, I am hopping on a plane to visit one of my oldest and dearest friends who lives outside of Seattle. We will be seeing Steve Miller {who was a fave of our in our teen years – we listened to his greatest hits on repeat} and Peter Frampton at Chateau St. Michelle winery in Woodinville, WA. The PNW is seriously one of my favorite places to visit and my girlfriend is an awesome tour guide.

S T A Y  H O M E 

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We can also often be seen walking down the street to our good friends with our arms full of cocktails and food. It usually starts as an afternoon swim and turns into, ‘hey, let’s eat dinner together’ which usually entails gathering whatever food we all have in our fridge and freezer to make a meal. Sometimes it’s just throwing all of our leftovers together and calling it a potluck. Those are the nights that I really treasure and they are free + easy! We usually play some Farkle while the kids swim. Plus, cocktails and walking home is totally my jam.

I N S P I R A T I O N 

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Jones Design Company – Emily and her family took off to travel the U.S. for 3 months in an Airstream Trailer. She documents the trip on her blog and she was also featured in The Magnolia Journal.

Household Number 6 – Heather and Joe are selling their home and belongings, uprooting their family and embarking on a road trip with their kids. Follow along to see where they go!

mission50states – I love Erin’s {who also has the awesome blog Lemons, Lavender and Laundry} fun idea of visiting all 50 states before her kids are grown. I wish I’d thought of that when my kids were younger.

S U G G E S T I O N S

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Check out resources for your state. Every state has its own website or several. Just do a search for ‘what to do in _______’. Enter your city or state and it’ll definitely pull up lots of options.

Here are a few more suggestions:

• National Parks
• Museums
• Rivers & lakes – kayaks + paddleboards are so fun, especially when the weather is beyond hot.
• Farmers markets
• Summer concerts
• Drive-in movies
• Camping
• Berry picking
• Visit local fairs
• Go to a baseball game
• Visit the seashore

If you are a California native, check out this website for all the things to do in our gorgeous state.

What do your summers look like? Are you a traveler, daytripper, or a staycation kind of person? What summer holds the best memories for you and why?