The last two days of our Twizzlers trip were filled with long days on the road. While day 4 was extremely long, it also featured some of my favorite highlights of the entire trip.

We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge one last time (making sure to give a packet of Twizzlers to the tollworker) and bid farewell to San Francisco with our sights on San Jose. It was here that we met up with some friends for breakfast at a fun restaurant called Scramblz. The restaurant is open until 3PM daily and serves breakfast, it’s speciality, the entire time.  Portions are huge (plenty to share) and the atmosphere is very family-friendly. As a matter of fact, there is even a toy chest in the waiting area for kids!  Unfortunately, breakfast was the extent of our time spent in the South Bay because we had so much road to cover.

After a nasty bout of traffic in route to the Monterey area and Highway 1, we finally cleared the crowds and began enjoying the dramatic central coast. It was my husband’s first time driving along Big Sur and it was extra special driving the road with a first timer. We stopped at the first few turnouts so he could hop out and take pictures, though I reassured him that the views would go on for hours. Who could blame him? With views like this it is hard not to want to pull over and take it all in.

My daughter insisted we pull over when she spotted a herd of cattle feeding not far from the road. Watching the cattle graze, I couldn’t help but think of those “Happy cows live in California” commercials.  A cool, grassy field alongside some of the most scenic coastline in the country is definitely not a bad place to be a cow.

One spot I knew we couldn’t miss was Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. A short 1/4 mile trail ends at a viewing point overlooking the most beautiful beach on the California Coast. What makes this beach so special?  Well besides having blue-green waters, dramatic cypress trees perched on surf-slammed rocks, and a perfect little cove that is usually deserted, the beach also has a waterfall that drops down onto the sand and into the sea!There is no reasonable way to actually get down to the beach unless you are into taking life-risking climbs down the side of an unstable cliff.  The empty sand, minus a few birds taking a bath in the waterfall, makes the scene even more picutre perfect.    

Our final stop of the day was just north of San Simeon, home to Hearst Castle. As much as I love Hearst Castle, there was no way I was going to take my four-year-olds on a guided tour of a mansion filled with priceless artifacts. Instead, we stopped at an elephant seal rookery on Piedras Blancas beach, just four miles north of the castle entrance.  Back in the 1800′s, elephant seals were hunted for their blubber and thought to be extinct by the 1880′s. Luckily a small group of 20-100 elephant seals managed to survive on Guadalupe Island, off the Baja California Coast. Now there are 170,000 protected elephant seals worldwide, all decendents of that very herd.

If you have never had the chance to sit and watch a heard of elephant seals interact, I would definitely put it on your to-do list. They lay on the sand like lazy lumps of blubber and frequently squabble about all sorts of elephant seal issues including: stepping on each others’ flippers, looking at each other the wrong way, and generally just existing near one another. The sounds they make are highly entertaining and the brief moments of exursion followed by flops of exhaustion onto the sand are comical. There were several white furry babies in the group, all of them being worthy of an “Aww” moment. My kids loved watching the seals interact so much that I  literally had to drag my daughter to the car. I would have been happy to hang around a bit longer but the sun was setting and we hadn’t even reached our hotel room yet.

That night, we stayed at the Sand Pebbles Inn in Cambria. As soon as I walked in the door to register, I knew we were going to love this place. The woman behind the desk could not have been nicer and her kids were hanging out wearing PJs, playing board games, and quietly singing  Adele songs. A bucket near the door was filled with sand toys for visiting children to take across the street to Moonstone Beach.  I was walked to my room, asked about my day, and graciously helped when I asked for dinner suggestions. As a matter of fact, the innkeeeper even told me where to sit and which waiters to ask for! Our room had 2 queens beds, a fireplace, and an incredible ocean view for only $279. On a Saturday. In August! I was incredibly impressed.  Every single person working at the property wass incredibly welcoming and friendly, and the complimentary breakfast the next day was very tasty. I can’t speak more positively about this wonderful little inn.

Day 5 of our trip didn’t leave me much to write about. Since I had been feeling under the weather during the last two days of our trip(and my daughter was showing some of the ame symptoms), I wanted to just head home and get some rest. Unfortunately, we were heading home on a Sunday and many other people must have had the same plan. Our 4 hour drive turned into a 6 hour drive, and we didn’t hit a bit of traffic through Los Angeles! Tonight, I had to break it to the kid that the Twizzlermobile was being handed off to another family in the morning. My son didn’t take it well. I think he really enjoyed driving around in his “candy car”.  I know we all did.

Disclosure: I have been chosen as one of the Twizzlers Traveling Families.  My trip (gas, hotel, food, and incidentals) is being paid for by Twizzlers. I have received no other compensation and opinions stated are entirely my own.

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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.

Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA

My family only had one full day to spend in San Francisco so we set out to make the most of it.  The day began at House of Air, a huge trampoline-filled building located at San Francisco’s Crissy Field. I take that back- the day began with us scrambling to find enough spare change in our wallets to make bridge fare ($6.00 is obsene!) followed by our GPS leading us deep into the city and far from the true House of Air location. We we reached the Financial District, I knew something was very wrong and after some research I discovered that the House of Air website actually warns that GPS will take you to the wrong location. Oops! Luckily, my husband is excellent at manuerving the crowded and crazy city streets and got us to our destination just 5 minutes late. Phew!

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As soon as we parked, we lept out of the car and ran to the entrance to make as much use of our hour long session as we could. We noted that the House of Air has an incredible view of the Golden Gate Bridge (a reaccuring theme in this trip) but didn’t have time to fully enjoy the vista. We had to get inside and jump!

I can’t begin to explain just how much fun House of Air truly is. My daughter was a bit nervous to jump on the super bouncy trampolines at first  because they propelled much higher in the air than the typical bounce castle. Luckily after about 5 minutes, she was completely sold on the experience. Although I can say with 100% certainty that my kids had a blast, I think that my husband and I may have even had more fun. There is just something about letting loose and bouncing to your heart’s content that is good for the soul. It didn’t take long for my husband to find his way into the dodgeball room. It was truly hysterical to watch my 6’5″ husband play dodgeball in a room filled with teens and preteens. He must have looked like a giant with a menacing red ball to the kids on the other side of the court.  While an hour doesn’t seem like very long to spend at a trampoline house, I assure you it is plenty of time. Bouncing is a great workout but our aging joints and bladders were definitely feeling a bit jossled by the end.

After all that bouncing we had worked up a good appetite so we headed up into the Marina District and had burgers at Barney’s, which has won awards for serving the best burgers in San Francisco. The atmosphere was casual and family friendly but the burgers were gourmet all the way. Besides having a menu with about 15 different topping combinations, the restaurant also gave diners the option to choose a beef, chicken, turkey or veggie patty for their burgers. Being the purists that we are, both my husband and I went with the beef patty, which was large and flavorful. I dined on  a very spicy chipotle burger, which was definitely up my heat-loving alley. Paul must have been dreaming of  more tropical temperatures because he went with the Maui Wowie, which he gave two teriyaki splattered thumbs up. The kids weren’t in a burger mood but the kids menu had many burger-free options such as hot dogs, girlled cheese, and chicken fingers.

After lunch, we decided that no trip to San Francisco was complete without a ride in the Twizzlermobile down Lombard Street. I have been to San Francisco dozens of times but had never actually driven down the street, famous for being the most windy in the country. I always had the “that’s what tourists do” mentality but today I face the reality that I am, in fact, a tourist. Riding down Lombard Street may be touristy but its also pretty fun. I think some of the most fun I had was when I hopped out of the car and tried to race down the hill through the crowds to get a good shot of the Twizzlermobile winding its way down the road. I felt like a member of the Hershey paparazzi.

We spent the afternoon at the Exploratorium, a hands-on science museum and San Francisco institution located at the Palace of Fine Arts. I have fond memories of enjoying the Exploratorium without my kids but this was the first time they were old enough to enjoy and understand the exhibits. Though my preschool-aged children weren’t interested in everything inside of the museum (many of the exhibits are geared towards ages 7 and up) , they did find plenty to keep them occupied during our 2 1/2 hour visit. My son was attracted to anything that related to balls including levatating balls, launching balls, and running marble balls down kid-created tracks. My daughter loved the exhibit that allows kids to create art using a wooden stick to manupilate sand on a spinning table and making the time lapse move forward and backward in the life cycle of a fungus. My favorite will always be the volcanic sand which has magnetic properties and is just so fun to play with!

We ended our day with family and friends who met up with us at Off the Grid, a popular weekly food truck event that is held at Fort Mason on Friday evenings. It was here that I was able to meet up with Liling and Brennan, the masterminds behind Trekaroo. It’s always great to have our little Trekaroo family together, and good food only sweetens the pot. Though my family enjoyed all the food we sampled from the different trucks, we concluded that Chairman Bao had the leg up on the competition with some amazing pork belly buns. The only downside to Off the Grid is that the lines are long and the seating is sparse, creating an environment that is not ideal for little kids. That being said, my kids love food trucks (they have been well-trained) and enjoyed the company of our group until Mr. Sandman started pouring extra doses of sleep dust into their eyes and it was evident that it was time to pile back into the Twizzlermobile and head back across the bridge for the night. Tomorrow, we take on Big Sur!

Sharlene and Liling at Off the Grid

Disclosure: I have been chosen as one of the Twizzlers Traveling Families.  My trip (gas, hotel, food, and incidentals) is being paid for by Twizzlers. I have received no other compensation and opinions stated are entirely my own.

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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.

Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA

Today wasn’t high on activities but it most certainly was high on excitement.  We made the four and a half hour drive from Avila Beach to San Francisco in the late morning, after enjoying some rousing games of ping pong at the Lighthouse Suites, or as my son called it “the best hotel ever!”. We enjoyed the rolling hills landscaped with vineyards and vegetable fields, but after a few hours on the road, rolling hills covered in rowhouses  and a foggy mist were much more exciting.

Win a Landmark Trip of your Own
and lots of other Prizes from Twizzler

San Francisco has always held a special place in my heart. So many of my favorite memories of early adulthood are set in  this diverse city by the bay.  Originally, we had planned to spend all of Friday afternoon in Golden Gate Park but a friend reminded us that the Outside Lands Festival was taking place in the park this weekend and trying to get in and out of the park would be a near impossiblity.  I was a bit frazzled at the notion of having to change our plans at the last moment but thankful to not accidently stumble upon a traffic nightmare. 

Though we only had about 90 minutes on Thursday to spend in the park before everything shut down (most concessions close at 5PM), we were able to take a fun paddleboat ride around Stow Lake. The last time I paddled my way around the lake my husband was simply my boyfriend, and he was successfully wooing me with a romantic day in the park. It felt nice to come back to the park and once again paddle side-by-side, but this time with two little ones enjoying the ride in the back seat.   We couldn’t help but notice that it was much harder to paddle the boat this go around and I am sure my gluteus maximus will be throbbing in the morning, but sharing pink popcorn with the kids and laughing at the ducks who were following our boat in hopes of snagging a bit of our sweet treat made it worth all the work.

After the park we decided to cross the Golden Gate Bridge, our official landmark in the Twizzlers Landmark Summer event. The bridge and I have a funny relationship. I have a pretty big fear of bridges but I have always loved the iconic beauty of the Golden Gate.  I love it so much that I have spent time admiring it from nearly ever angle, including a brave walk across the bridge itself.  While walking the bridge is completely safe and certainly an experience I would recommend to anyone visiting San Francisco, driving across it today and seeing people peer over its edges reaffirmed by decision to make that a once in a lifetime experience.  I would much rather view it from the lawn of our incredible hotel, Cavallo Point Lodge.

I have stayed at some pretty amazing hotels, but this hotel may just take the cake when it comes to amazing views and historical relevance. Cavallo Point is situated on Fort Baker in Sausalito, CA. Fort Baker is part of the National Park system, and the buildings which were formerly officers quarters  built between 1901 and 1915, now serve as lodging.  Sleeping in such gorgeous buildings filled with rich history and offering incredibly scenic views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate makes for quite the lodging experience. The other bonus is that there are several suite-sized options on-site which give parents some separation from the kids at bedtime.

For dinner, we decided to head back into the city and enjoy some pizza at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in North Beach, San Francisco’s Italian neighborhood. Unfortunately, they told us the wait was almost 2 hours to try a slice of Tony’s world champion pizza and there was no way our four-year-0lds were going to last that long. The nice thing about the pizzeria is that Tony will call your cell phone when it is time to sit down so if you want eat here (and everyone who has tasted this pizza agrees it is worth the trouble) be sure to send someone earlier to make the reservation. We ended up at Calzones, an Italian restaurant specializing in homemade pastas, pizzas, and you guessed it- calzones! The food wass good but I can’t help but wonder what I was missing at Tony’s. It’s a good thing we didn’t decide to wait because my son ended up falling asslep at the table. We were all exhausted from a long day’s travels. Luckily tomorrow is short on car time and big on fun!

Disclosure: I have been chosen as one of the Twizzlers Traveling Families.  My trip (gas, hotel, food, and incidentals) is being paid for by Twizzlers. I have received no other compensation and opinions stated are entirely my own.

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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.

Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA

Put down the iPads, iPods, cell phones and laptops (but not until you finish reading this post)and enjoy one of the oldest outdoor adventures together as a family!  Trekaroo has put together a great list of some of the best whitewater rafting trips with kids. Whitewater river rafting is an adrenaline pumping extreme sport where you crash down rivers in an inflatable raft circumnavigating rocks and boulders and soaring through open bodies of rough white water.  Luckily for families less likely to take on extreme trips, there are 6 different classes of rapids, making finding the right trip for your family easy.

Whitewater Classes

Class 1:  Few, small areas of rough water with very little maneuvering, if any. (No experience necessary).

Class 2: Some maneuvering through semi-rough water.  (Good to know basic paddling).

Class 3: You’ll maneuver through white water over small waves and maybe a small drop.  (Should have experience paddling).

Class 4: You’ll maneuver through white water over medium size waves, some rocks, and medium drops.  (Previous white water experience is helpful).

Class 5: Large rocky waves, huge volumes of water, rough rapids, big drops.  (Must have white water experience).

Class 6: Expert level!  These rapids have everything previously mentioned and more.  Chances of getting hurt are likely, so proceed with extreme caution!

Most outfitters list age and skill level requirements for families wanting to experience rafting together.   Many  provide helmets to use and all provide life jackets.  If you decide to take a full day trip or a multi-day trip, almost all outfitters provide meals and camping equipment.  Some even have lodges or cabins!  The best part about all of these trips, is the bonding time you’ll experience together.

Best ½ Day or Full Day Trips

• Rock Gardens Rafting in Glenwood Springs Colorado has a white water rafting adventures for all ages and abilities! Enjoy a mellow family float on the Colorado River or Roaring Fork Rivers, or a whitewater adrenaline trip on Glenwood Canyon’s Shoshone Rapids.  They have half-day, full day, and customizable trips available.  After beating the rapids, unwind in the world’s largest hot springs, the Glenwood Spring’s Colorado Hot Springs Pool.  It was voted the #1 place in America to cool off by the Travel Channel.   At night, get some shut eye at Glenwood Canyon Resort.  They have a great selection of lodging, with modern facilities, in a serene and gorgeous setting.
• For an unforgettable half-day trip, Rafting In The Smokies, Pigeon River Trips are definitely entertaining and fun for the whole family!  First, spend a few hours battling class 3+ rapids or floating down the river with your younger kids.  Then, venture across a suspended bridge to their very own private island where you can participate in a canopy tour, race your kids on a zip line, or push your toddlers on a swing!

• The Truckee River has always been a favorite of mine!  Spending most summers in Tahoe, my family and I looked forward to its leisurely floats on rafts or even tubes. Truckee River Rafting Company has rafts available for 2-20 people.  They also have free shuttles running and offer lifejackets for kids ages 2+.  Bring your own lunch (no Styrofoam or glass) or raft to the end and lunch on the patio at the beautiful River Ranch Lodge!
• In the heart of Colorado is Noah’s Ark Rafting Company on the scenic Arkansas River.  Noah’s Ark has 1/2 and full day trips with added excursions if you wish.  Raft in the morning and soak in hot springs for the afternoon, or trek with lamas, off-road in Jeeps, or hike and rock climb!  They have a lot of experience not only providing quality trips, but with youth groups, ministry adventure trips, and family vacations as well.

Best Multi-Day Trips

• ROW Adventures in Idaho operates on the Salmon River.  River Jesters will accompany the guide on multi-day trips.  The River Jesters provide games, activities, and explorations for kids while the guides navigate you through the rapids and point out different must-see sights along the river’s edge.

• ARTA River Rafting has special 2 day family trips running along the South Fork of the American River.  Often times, they’ll designate a “kid raft”, throw an “un-birthday party” or have a “no-talent” show!  To keep their menu kid-friendly, they substitute in peanut butter, marshmallows, and pancakes so even picky eaters will enjoy their food.
• Enjoy a fun-packed adventure with Wildwater Rafting in South Carolina.  Wildwater’s Chattooga Ridge Adventure Center & River Canopy Tours is one of the wildest and most beautiful whitewater rivers in the country for families with children ages 8 and up.  While on multiple day rafting trips, families can sleep in Yurts or cabins with comfortable beds, coffee makers, ceiling fans and more.  The adventure center also has kayaking, climbing walls, paddling clinics, and a variety of lodging and food options.
• Raft down the Grand Canyon with REI Adventure!  Fly in an airplane to spend your first night at Bar 10 ranch where you can horseback and be treated to wonderful country hospitality.  The following morning you’ll take a helicopter ride into the Canyon.  Then you’ll raft over 13 medium-to-low-intensity rapids, hike canyon walls, and explore the desert wonderland before zooming across Lake Mead by boat.

Most Unique Trips

• The Pirate Adventure by North Woods Rafting is complete with eye patches, swords, a treasure hunt and more!  Join the crew and embark on a pirate adventure of a lifetime down the mighty Androscoggin.  This trip meets up at their base in Milan, NH, but with only a few dates available, you’ll want to sign up soon!

• If you love dogs, how about trying a Muddy Paws Sledding & Rafting Trip in New Hampshire.  They cleverly combine a half day whitewater rafting trip in the morning with a dog sledding adventure for the second half of the day.  Now that’s a combination!

Best Budget Trips

• Dinosaur Expeditions offers an amazing deal for families where 1 kid ages 8-10 can ride free with one paying adult!  They have trips ranging from afternoon adventures to 5 day treks through big canyons and fun rivers, even some through Dinosaur National Monument!

Questions To Ask Outfitters

• Is the trip family-friendly?
• If you’re looking at a specific trip, what ages are allowed on that trip?
• Do they provide meals/snacks/drinks and if so, will they adjust the menu if your child has special dietary needs?
• Is there extra storage in the raft for the kid’s items (toys, towel, extra clothes, etc)?

What To Bring

• Sunscreen
• Goggles or a strap to keep prescription glasses from taking a dive out the raft
• Closed-toed shoes or close-toed sandals made for outdoor adventures
• Plenty of water for each person (if not provided)
• Hats & Sunglasses (with strap)
• Waterproof camera
• Sand toys for kids (if space isn’t a problem)
• Rash guard & swim suit
• Medication (if necessary)
• Towels & change of clothes (might have to leave them in the car)

Heather Reed (aka slofamilylife) is the Texas Destination Guroo for Trekaroo.  Her passion for travel stems from adventures she took growing up with her family.  She and her husband are thrilled to be exploring the globe with their four children and incorporating their love of learning into every adventure!

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Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA

Star Wars Miniland is the newest addition to my favorite section of Legoland California in Carlsbad.  Miniland is simply mind-boggling to the LEGO-lover in me. I once saw a Brick Master discuss the challenge of making round shapes out of square and rectangular bricks. I’ve never looked at LEGOs the same way.

Read Trekaroo member reviews of LEGOLAND.

I heard from mom friends that the Star Wars Miniland was awesome. I also heard that it took the place of the Nascar racetrack that my kids loved. I expected to see a Star Wars scene occupying the same small parcel that held the racetrack. Boy, was I wrong!  There were actually SEVEN separate new display areas grouped together with each area representing planets like: Hoth, Tatooine,Geonosis, Naboo, Endor, etc.

Within each display, Star Wars fans will recognize different scenes and details from the episodes. It was fun to see and even entertaining to photograph. If your family is into Star Wars, then it demands a visit.

Need a place to stay? Read reviews of kid friendly hotels in Carlsbad.

LEGO Star Wars Days (June 18-19th) – We’ve attended this event in years past and it really is worth the trip. I still have photos of my little guy with a bunch of clone troopers, Jedis, storm troopers, and Darth Vader from 2008.

Splash Zoo at LEGOLAND Water Park - The DUPLO® themed area, located next to
DUPLO Splash Safari and Kid Creek, features interactive spray pads, fountains, a teeter totter and interactive DUPLO animals geared specifically for guests ages 1 to 3. It’s a great addition to the 5.5. acre family water park.

Read reviews of the LEGOLAND Water Park.

Octopus Garden at SEA LIFE Aquarium – An interactive exhibit introducing families to the amazing world of cephalopods featuring their almost supernatural abilities including camouflage, ink clouds and jet propulsion to surprise and delight adults and children alike.

Read reviews of SEA LIFE Aquarium.

Fun Town Police and Fire Academy – Regulars will recognize this classic LEGOLAND ride where families pile into a fire truck and power it by pumping levers up and down as they race other families to put out the “fire.” Now there are police cars in the mix and two separate entrances with trucks racing on both sides of the wall. Even if you don’t ride it’s extremely entertaining watch.

Hero Factory – Located inside the I-Zone. In this next generation LEGO story, heroes are designed, equipped and built depending on specific missions that beam in from across the galaxy and across time. They are dispatched in hero pods to defeat evil and take on a variety of missions.

My insider advice would be to arrive early and start at Star Wars Miniland before it gets busy!

Michele Whiteaker blogs at FunOrangeCountyParks.com where she promotes play and encourages family outdoor activity.  She’s also a 2011 Superoo who’s taken to putting “-roo” at the end of anything travel-related.

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Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA