Surfing is a great sport for kids. It gets them out in the fresh air, surf and sun, teaches them balance and is something the whole family can do. But you don’t want to take them out into the big surf without being prepared. Waikiki Beach in Honolulu Hawaii is where surfing was invented. There’s a great section of the beach that for all intents and purposes makes for a perfect bunny hill for wave riding. There are non stop lessons going on everywhere you look. We visited Waikiki to check out the surf and we weren’t disappointed. We got together with friends and took lessons through Big Wave Dave’s Surf Shop. It was a great day of mom and daughter bonding. At one point we even got up on the boards at the same time. That’s something we’ll never forget. Big Wave Dave is where my friend, a Hawaii local takes her kids for lessons and I couldn’t recommend them more. Prices are reasonable and you can get a package of professionally shot photographs (with a long range telephoto lens) to capture the moment. Click here to sign up for surfing lessons 
Category Archives: Summer Adventure
Taking The Kids on A Whale Watching Adventure Canadian Style
If you’re like me, you’ve probably gone on at least one whale watch in your life. Maybe it was a big tour boat, while at the Jersey shore. But if you are ready to up your game in some serious adventure-quality whale watching, then you need to take a ride to Les Escoumin in Quebec. It’s about a 12 hour drive due north of New York City so a four day weekend, is definitely doable.
Les Escoumin is a little town of about 2000 people located on the St Lawrence River that offers so much for the adventure seeking parent. It’s one of the oldest “high north country” towns on the river. There’s fishing, hiking, mountain biking, camping, scuba diving, kayaking, and blueberry picking, but today we’ll focus on whale watching. In my opinion, whale watching is particularly awesome in Les Escoumin. For starters you can take a ride in a zodiac, the kind you see GreenPeace zipping around in to get between the whaling ships and whales. They are rubber dinghys with a motor and they allow you to get super up close to whole pods of whales. Here’s a good video I found that shows what you can expect. The boat launched from a nearby town.
For your adventure you’ll don an survival suit (The St Lawrence is super cold with Arctic water). Yes, a survival suit. The next thing you’ll do is zip out with the crew to find the whales. There are minkes, blues, beluga, orca, dolphins, and seals. When I went I didn’t know which way to look first. If you really want to get eyeball to eyeball with a whale this is the place.
At LES ÉCUMEURS DU SAINT-LAURENT, the season is from May 30 to early October. Prices at start at $48 Canadian for adults and $38 for kids under 14.
When you are finished with your amazing whale tour, you’ll be happy to know you are in French Canada. And what are the French known for? Food! There are wonderful restaurants, cafes and bakeries in Les Escoumin.To book a room or find out more about Les Escoumin, click here.
Summer Adventure Ideas For Families
Summer Family Fun
Summer of course, is a perfect time, no matter how big your family, to take the kids on an adventure. Here are some ideas on what to do when everyone’s out of school and the weather is great.
1) Take a hike
Yes this is an easy one but it’s often overlooked, or put off because “we can do it tomorrow.” But time goes by fast in the summer, so there’s no time like the present. Check your local area for trails, what parks are around? Pack a lunch. Put some decent hiking shoes on, slather on the sunscreen and bug repellent, print out a map and just go. Don’t forget to check the weather.
2) Go kayaking
The world is filled with lakes, streams and oceans and kayaking is a great way to not only get exercise, but access to things you might normally not be able to from a road or even a hiking trail. Check out your local kayak, sports or outrigger shop to get ideas on where to take the kids.
3) Watersports
There are so many take your pick. Rent a waverunner and put your child on the back. She or he will think you are the coolest parent ever. Rent a sunfish and go sailing. Learning to tack together is a great way to bond and get some rays in. Kids will love to be able to be in control of a vehicle. That goes for sailboards as well. Renting a boat and doing some waterskiing is also a great way to spend some time on the water. Check out your local boat shops for information on where to rent or take waterski lessons together. For those who don’t just can’t figure out how to get up on skis, well there’s always tubing.
4) Biking
A family that bikes together, gets out and has fun together. Bikes are just the perfect vehicle. Whether it’s a road bike or mountain bike, it’s a faster way to get where you are going and to see the sites. Now more than ever cities are installing bike lanes and really paying attention to their bike loving visitors and citizens. Check your local city or area online and look for bike trail maps. As for mountain biking it gets your whole family out in the woods, burning up some extra summertime energy that collects when the kids are geeking out on their video games and computers. Just remember the bug spray as Lyme disease is no joke. And neither is getting lost so bring a printed map as back up even if you have a GPS enabled device.
5) Swimming
It’s a great way to beat the heat whether you are at the beach, in a pool or a lake. Just make sure to use common safety practices. Don’t assume the lifeguard is watching your kids. No one will be more diligent about your kids than you. If you are not a strong swimmer, make sure your kids at least are and get them in a water safety program and swimming lessons. And then get yourself in one as well.
photo credits: Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash
Photo by Tower Paddle Boards on Unsplash
Take The Kids to The HighLine in New York City
The Highline has been one of the best things to hit New York City in recent years besides zipcar. It is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. It runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues. Check it out. There’s nothing else like it. I don’t know how they keep it so beautiful and clean but they do.
High Line Kids Programs Kick Off in July
Your favorite High Line Kids programs are back for the summer! In July and August, families are invited to build, play, and explore during weekly drop-in programs. Explore the natural world through hands-on activities during Wild Wednesday, Wednesdays 4:00 – 6:00 PM; enjoy a delightful morning of storytelling, sing-alongs, bubbles, and blocks during Lawn Time for Little Ones, Thursdays 10:00 – 11:30 AM; and create sculptures that turn, move, and roll during Arty Hours, Saturdays (except August 30) 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Biking with the Kids in San Francisco
There are some great kid-friendly bike trails all around the San Francisco, California area. Here’s a great round up of ideas. If you are from out of town it’s easy to rent a bike or take a tour. Or if you have your own bikes, by all means, get out on them with the kids and ride.
School Tube Video: Brothers 9 and 6 Race in Triathalon, One With Cerebral Palsy
This amazing story of Connor Long and his brother Cayden Long, reminds us of what the real meaning of sports and team work, and family, are all about. Sports Illustrated Sports Kids of the Year for 2012, these boys aged 9 and 6 raced together as team mates in a triathalon. A triathalon! Cayden has Cerebral Palsy so his brother helps him along, and together they are invincible.
Watch this School Tube video to really see what the human heart, even a very young one, is capable of.
An Adventure for the Brain. Visit the Birth Place of the World Wide Web at CERN
Not every adventure has to be high octane physical exertion. Here’s one for the brain. If you’re heading off to the Alps for some family fun on the slopes, and come in via Geneva, Switzerland, make a pit stop to CERN, to see where the world wide web was born. There’s an interactive exhibit that talks about the big ticket item under ground, the Hadron Collider, which is helping to research how life began (as in Big Bang theory). Of course, my favorite part was seeing the original NeXT computer built by Steve Jobs during his temporary ousting from Apple. Tim Berners-Lee put up this little pet project called the world wide web on it. My favorite part was “Do Not Power Down” written in sharpie on a very ordinary looking computer tower. I didn’t know if I should say a prayer to it or something. But if you have a burgeoning Bill Gates in your midst, wow him or her with your unbelievable coolness. Keep in mind to score a tour of the actual collider plan a few months ahead. Visit CERN