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Great Places for Families to Visit in Southern CaliforniaGreat Places for Fa

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California is one of the most popular states to visit in the entire US. From the mountainous, northern regions, down through the Bay Area and onward to the coastal south, there are countless activities and sites to see that would entertain someone of any age. However, it is Southern California that has stolen the spotlight from the rest of the state. The culture, climate and overall atmosphere in this area have made it very popular with out of state visitors. Here are some great places for families to visit in Southern California.

1. Carlsbad

Located near San Diego, Carlsbad is home to a stunning array of sites and activities for the whole entire family. The Flower Fields is located in the Carlsbad Ranch and is home to nearly 50 acres of beautiful flower blossoms in the springtime. South Carlsbad State Beach is another popular family destination known for the swimming, surfing, camping and outdoor activities that are available. The San Elijo Lagoon is another great outdoor attraction with beautiful hiking trails along the waterside. For those looking to get away from the heat, the SEA Life Aquarium is a great place to see a wide variety of marine life. To learn more about all the fun things to do in Carlsbad, check out the official site for Carlsbad tourism info and travel recommendations.

2. Death Valley National Park

Although the name doesn’t sound welcoming, the iconic Death Valley National Park is a wonderful place to visit in Southern California. This national park is located on the border of Nevada and sees some of the hottest temperatures in the entire United States. The natural rock formations have been an attraction at this park for hundreds of years. The park is also home to famous salt flats and has an abandoned town. Even a short drive through Death Valley National Park is enough to capture the immense beauty that this place has to offer.

3. San Diego

There isn’t a better place to visit on a family trip to California than the San Diego Zoo. This zoo has been rated the top in the United States several different times. The San Diego Zoo boasts over 3,700 animals and 650 different species. The open-air exhibits were actually first designed by this zoo, offering a truly unique experience. The San Diego Zoo is also one of the only places in the world to successfully breed the giant panda. Members of the entire family will enjoy a whole day exploring the vast sites that this zoo has to offer. This is also famous for the skateparks in San Diego, which are popular among those who love skateboarding.

4. Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica Pier is another great attraction for the whole family to visit when in Southern California. The pier features a host of attractions including a Ferris wheel, arcade center, an aquarium, pubs and restaurants, trapeze school and more. During the summer, there are more activities such as concerts and movies taking place along the pier. Although the evening is a popular time to visit the Santa Monica Pier, any family could easily spend the entire day enjoying all that this place has to offer. Santa Monica Pier is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean and is over 100 years old.

Southern California is one of the most popular places for families to visit in the entire United States. The mild climate, laid-back atmosphere and host of fun attractions make this region the perfect family vacation. All of the places listed are great fun for the entire family and should not be missed on a trip to Southern California. More exploration of this region will reveal even more hidden gems.

10 Camping Essentials To Remember On Your Next Trip

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Taking your family camping is a great opportunity to spend quality time with them and reconnect. Here are 10 camping essentials to remember on your next trip.

An increasing number of families are choosing to spend quality time together on camping vacations.

It’s easy to see why going on a camping trip as a family is so popular. You get to reconnect and bond together while spending time in the great outdoors.

But for all the fun and excitement of going camping as a family, there are also so many different things to bring camping.

Even if you pack your car full of camping gear, it’s easy to forget some camping essentials back at home.

To make sure you have everything you need on your camping trip, we’ve created this list of the top 10 essential camping gear for you to use on your next trip. Keep reading to find out more!

1. First Aid Kit

On any camping trip, there are always bumps and scratches along the way. They’re nothing to worry about if you’re prepared with a first aid kit.

You can either purchase a first aid kit or create your own wilderness version, with the essential items.

If you go on any day-trips and venture away from the campsite, make sure you take your first aid kit along with you.

2. A Box of Matches

Unless you know how to start a fire out of nothing, you’ll definitely need to take a box of matches with you.

After all, a fire is a great way to keep warm during the evenings. It can get quite cold out there in the wild. Sitting around the campfire singing folk songs and telling scary ghost stories is a tradition.

With a fire, you can cook lots of different things. No camping trip is complete without marshmallows on the open fire.

It’s simply not worth the risk of camping with a box of matches handy. They’re also cheap and small. So you can easily keep plenty of matches in your camping bags for years.

3. A Long Piece of Rope

Ropes also deserve a place on our list of camping necessities. There are so many useful purposes for a camping rope, you can’t afford to go without bringing one.

You could use it either to hang wet clothes or create a shelter from the rain. But it’s also a useful item to have if you find yourself in an emergency. For instance, if someone finds themselves in the tight situation.

But of course, you need to be able to take advantage of the many uses of ropes, by being able to tie different kinds of knots yourself.

4. Peanut Butter

Unless you have a nut allergy, you should totally make sure you bring a jar of peanut butter along with you to every camping trip.

There are so many excellent benefits of peanut butter.

It lasts for ages without going bad. It’s also a great source of protein and fat.

Whether you’re eating it straight out the jar with a spoon, or spreading it on bread, it’s a great energy boost on your camping vacation.

5. Travel Spices

Part of the joy of camping is having yummy food while living outdoors. But just because you’re living in a tent, it doesn’t mean you have to eat unseasoned meals.

By bringing a box of travel spices along with you, you no longer have to eat food without any flavor.

There are plenty of portable travel spice racks that you can take with you on your camping trip. They are easy to store away in the bottom of your backpack.

Next time you want herbs and spices on your barbeque, you’ll be prepared.

6. A Flashlight

Have you ever arrived at your campsite after dark? All your problems are solved if you have a flashlight!

Yes, I know you have your cell phone. But you really can’t beat a proper flashlight when you go camping.

After all, you never know when your cell phone is going to run out charge at the worst moment when you’re trying to get back to your tent.

The best flashlights are headlamps. This frees up your hands for doing other things during the night.

7. A Map

Of course, we have Google Maps on our cell phones now. But your cell phone GPS really isn’t as reliable as a map.

This is especially true if you’re camping in the middle of nowhere. It might be news to you, but Google hasn’t quite conquered every path in the world yet. Besides, just getting signal in remote areas is sometimes impossible.

8. Compass

That’s why you not only need to make sure you have a map, but you should also have to make sure you have a compass.

This way you’re not solely dependent on your cell phone GPS telling you the difference between your North from your South.

9. All-Weather Wear

What do you do before you set off on your camping trip? You check the weather forecast of course.

But anyone who casually follows the weather forecasts will know that they occasionally get it wrong.

Then you could be up the creek without a paddle. But also wet.

The best way to prepare for a camping trip is to ensure you’re prepared for all weather scenarios.

Make sure you pack a waterproof coat, a sun hat and a spare set of clothes if things take a turn for the worse. Find all the camping gear you need, click here for more.

10. Swiss Army Knife

Swiss Army Knives are certainly the most popular choice of pocket knife. But any pocket knife will do the job.

Whether it’s opening a bottle or carving something into a stick. It’s always useful to have a pocket knife with you on your camping vacation.

Ensure You Have The Camping Essentials

Camping is a wonderful way to spend a family vacation, or a romantic break away as a couple.

But it’s also important to make sure you have your camping essentials to ensure everything goes smoothly.

If you found this blog post interesting and useful, check out our other blog posts of travel.

Your Guide To Camping Accessories for Your New RV

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Your first RV trip is bound to be exciting. But you mustn’t forget key items and accessories to be safe and have fun. Here some camping accessories you need.

If summer for you means camping and hitting that open road with nothing but a well-stocked and fully accessorized RV, then welcome aboard!

If camping is your jam, regardless if you prefer to take only what you can carry on your back, or a bit more security, you still need camping accessories.

These can cover many areas and a few items will be a personal choice but there are a few must-haves you should consider before heading out. If you are the weekend camper or if you like to go for weeks or even a few months, you should always be prepared.

Technology is always finding ways to make our lives easier and more compact, and camping accessories are no exception. Just because we are camping doesn’t mean we can’t have a few luxuries and items that make our lives a little more pleasant.

Camping Accessories for Safety

You need to cover all the corners when taking a trip and safety needs to be at the top of your list. Here are a few items you need.

1. First Aid Kit

This is an absolute must-have. Most RV’s will have one but just having it there is only half the battle. Keep it topped up, and rotate the items. If you use it while you are out, make a note to replace those items.

Some of the items in your first aid kit can expire so be vigilant about keeping your kit full and fresh. Make a note on your to-do list about checking it each time you go out camping.

2. Flares or Warning Triangles

A flat tire, running out of gas, even the smallest of mishaps can happen. But when bad things happen to good campers, you want to be prepared. You should add flashlights to this package, as well. You always need a flashlight, to fix something, to find something, to read something.

3. Tool Kit

There is nothing more frustrating than trying to fix something with a butter knife because you don’t have your screwdriver. You don’t need a lot but a few basics can really help you out in a pinch until you can get to a garage.

RV Accessories

Some camping accessories that are just a good idea to make the trip easier and more enjoyable.

1. Water

Having some water onboard is a great idea, especially while you are in motion and don’t have water in the tank. Keeping a fresh supply of water for long trips, in cases of emergency and for stops along the way, if you want to have a bit of lunch.

Having a portable and collapsible water container is a great camping accessory. Fold it up and keep it out of sight when not in use, perfect for holding water when you have no other access to it.

2. Side Mirrors

These are great for when you are towing something, like your boat or an off-road vehicle. They can provide so much extra visual even without towing and are perfect for the larger RV vehicles.

Campsmart caravan towing mirrors are perfect for towing or just for a better view and safety.

You can buy just one, for that extra security. It’s often very difficult to see behind the larger vehicles.

3. Sealant, Tape, and Filler

Leaks happen. You need to have something that will act as an adhesive for smaller mishaps. The window frame comes loose, you knock loose your exhaust pipe or puncture your gas tank.

A few very inexpensive but extremely useful substances can help you patch things up until you get to a repair shop.

Comfort Accessories

Camping doesn’t have to mean really roughing it, so we need a few comforts to make our vacation or trip as pleasant as we can.

1. Awning

A good awning is an invaluable piece of camping accessory. You can have the slide out types, manual or electric, and they come in a variety of materials. An awning is perfect for protection from the heat, the rain, or leaves or sap from trees above.

There are also free-standing types of awnings that can be folded up and tucked away. It is the perfect way to extend your RV space and add an entirely new room. Takes meals, read, relax, cook or even sleep.

2. Cookware

It’s always fun to cook something over an open fire on a stick, but you can’t do that with an egg. Versatile and hearty cookware is a great camping accessory and a luxury.

Find cookware that is made of good quality materials, like cast iron and something that can be used on the stove top and on the fire pit.

Whether you place it on a grill on right on the flames, ala John Wayne, you want something that can withstand the flames and not have paint or coating that will burn.

3. Power Source and Adapters

Finding a good alternative power source can be a real live saver. A small generator, solar-powered chargers and regular and rechargeable batteries will come in extremely handy.

From lighting and power to catch up on your favorite show on your laptop, you need a power source to back up your power source. If you are planning to do some work while you are away, you can’t have any excuses.

Plan to Succeed

Make a list of the things you need, like emergency supplies and things you can’t live without, like your coffee maker, and a list of luxury items you would like but can live without.

Get all the necessities in first and then decide if you still want or even have space for the other items. Many things should be obvious, but if you are new to camping, camping accessories or RVing, you may find yourself coming up short for certain items.

There are great camping accessories available that can make your trip so much more pleasant. If you are planning to be gone for a long time, perhaps you are fulfilling your retirement dream and taking off for several months, you will see soon enough what you need and what you can live without.

Top 5 Cool Hiking Locations for Families with Kids

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Hiking is great for kids, it develops lots of skills and abilities, it teaches them how nature works and how they should behave in a group. If you want to take maximum advantage of all these lessons and fun you can have, you need to pick the right spot. When a hike becomes too difficult, too easy or too boring for your kids, you might see your plans shattered forever.

Goose Rock, Deception Pass State Park

Located on Whidbey Island, Deception Pass State Park has a lot to offer in terms of scenery and adventure. One of the trails you can try with your kids is the roundtrip to Goose Rock.

Children can have a quick swim before the trip seeing as your journey starts near the beach, on the western shore of Cranberry Lake. You’ll follow the North Beach Trail which gives you the chance to teach children a thing or two about the Great Depression since you’ll cross a beautifully engineered bridge from the 1930s.

The trail is amazing, you’ll see many wildflowers and lush green vegetation, you can admire Mount Baker and Cornet Bay, finding your way through grassy areas. The vegetation includes wild currant and Madrone trees that are really old. If you go there during the autumn, you can even taste some of their wild berries.

You can also see remnants of the last ice age that has sculpted the landscape at the place called The Balds. There are meadows here with mosses as well as other plants, and once you’ve admired all of them you can continue your way up to Goose Rock, where you’ll have an awesome view of the surroundings.

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Cape Disappointment, Southwest Washington

This is a great location that can be visited throughout the year. The place is near the ocean and the weather is generally very pleasant. Your kids will fall in love with the waves hitting the shore, and even the storms can offer great opportunities to learn more about the local weather. However, it’s best to teach the kids how to waterproof boots, if they’re going to be chasing the waves.

A cool hike for you and them is that to Cape Disappointment. You’ll start at the North Head Lighthouse, where there’s a quick and interesting guided tour. The most amazing thing about the place is that it was all covered by the ocean, but building the dam is how the campsite was erected.

After that, you can hike to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. You can tell kids the story of Captains Vancouver and Gray analyzing the layout of Columbia River and how they didn’t sail it in the end. That’s why you’re now climbing up to Cape Disappointment instead of Cape Content. The trail itself can be tackled either by foot or by car, but it encompasses terrific views well worth it.

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

This National Park has plenty to offer both kids and adults. For instance, the Giant Logs Trail is an awesome hike for the whole family where you’ll be in awe at all the huge trees you can see. The biggest of them all, Old Faithful, has a length of 170 feet and a diameter of 9 feet. You can admire its growth rings and teach children how you can measure the age of trees using these growth rings.

There are also lots of programs and events you can take part in with your children. Most of them relate to fossils and their importance to us from an evolutionary standpoint. Some of these fossils are actually from the Triassic Period, there’s a paleontology lab and you can see scientists at work if you’re going on a guided tour.

Besides, the Petrified Forest is another great place to visit. This can take you as far back as 200 million years ago, and your kids can learn all about dinosaurs and how the landscape looked then. You can also hike to Crystal Ridge where there are plenty of archaeological artifacts, sites, and pueblos to admire.

Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland/Virginia

There’s lots of fun to be had here too, this is a wonderful seashore park. The island between Maryland and Virginia is home to herds of wild horses and your kids will enjoy seeing them run free. But there are plenty of other activities and guided programs that you can take advantage of during your stay.

One of these things is camping. You can stay on the beach and enjoy the sun, maybe even squeeze in a swim. The Ranger Programs are amazing since they teach you all about the barrier island landscape, or you can take wildlife photographs. But show your kids how to make a paracord neck lanyard so they can carry their cameras more at hand.

Apart from that, your kids can enjoy exploring the environment on a bike, you can try a little family canoeing or kayaking, and of course, there’s the awesome horseback riding.

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Providence Canyon State Park, Georgia

Also known as the Little Grand Canyon, the whole trip is about 5 miles and of a moderate intensity. There are sandstone canyons here with abrupt walls and of different colors, and the trails themselves are sandy. That might make them more difficult to tackle, but they offer stunning views.

These walls meander their way around the canyon floor and you have miles and miles of trails you can do. The array of nuances from white and pink to intense orange and purple is a great chance for you to explain to kids how this landscape came to life.

The Canyon Loop Trail is one of the hikes you can do with your kids because it offers diverse landforms. Walking through a dark forest and a sandy riverbed, there are many sinuous canyons you can explore made out of fragile, crumbly sandstones.

Have you made up your mind?

With so many wonderful places to visit, we’re curious where you’ll be setting off to next. What great location will you choose and why? Let us know in the comments.

Author Bio

Rebecca lives in USA, but loves hiking all over the world. Her favorite is Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal. It usually takes 16 days, but she likes to slow down, enjoy mountains, company of other adventurers and take more pictures, so it took her 28 days last time. Another of her passion is the ocean, so all short and long hikes along the ocean shore bring a lot of joy. She also writes for HikingMastery.com

Fun & Cool ways to teach Kids about Nature

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There’s nothing better you can do for your kids than helping them understand how the world they live in works. Mother Nature is all around us, so it’s good to protect her as much as we can. And since kids love to use games to learn, here’s how playing can help them develop a better understanding of the world.

Take them outside

You can’t teach children about nature if you’re not going outside, right? So it’s good to plan different sorts of outdoor activities even from a very young age, like a few months. An infant, just like a toddler or an older child will adore playing with the grass, discovering new sounds, smells, and textures.

Hiking is a great activity and you can start doing that immediately after a child learns how to walk. Taking them in such hiking trips will help them understand rules as well as see different landscapes and ecosystems.

Now’s your chance to explain how volcanoes work, how glacial landforms appear as well as to discuss the fauna and vegetation of a certain place. You should also take the time to answer the children’s questions as they go. Don’t be afraid to explore either, particularly if you get the best survival watch. The children will love this new adventure, and you can get plenty of learning opportunities.

Play “what if” games

Allow your children to make up stories about the things they see. That enhances their imagination, helping them make better correlations between the things they see outside. Storytelling helps connects different plants, animals, and landforms, and the kids are doing all the guesswork.

For example, you can hike on a mountain with abrupt, calcareous cliffs, little vegetation, and scarce water sources. So ask the children how they think evergreen trees or mountain goats can withstand in this type of terrain. Ask them how they think these mountains got to have these steep cliffs in the first place and if they can find a link to the weather.

You can actually start by personifying a certain animal you see on your way, like Roger the Badger or Annie the Deer. What are their stories? Where do they live? What do they eat? What skills do they have? All these games will help kids remember more about the things they see.

Help them collect things

Collecting some of the most important things on a hike is like having a memento of all the great stuff they saw. Of course, you can always take lots of photos as well, so you can connect the dots and have the story of your hike.

You can gather leafs from the trees you saw on your way, and attach printed photos of those trees with a few background information for each. You can do the same with pebbles, snail shells or feathers.

After each trip in the wilderness, you’ll get an album that your kids can revisit anytime they want to. They can also add new information to this album, new photos as they visit the same reservation again, or start a new album from scratch.

You can also build toys from the things you collect. If you collect enough chestnuts, for instance, you can paint their white parts in different colors then use the chestnuts for various games that require teams or keeping a score.

Sleep under the open sky

If you want to combine the children’s sense of adventure with stories, awe, and mystery, then spending a few nights outside is the thing to do. You can teach kids how to set up their shelters for the night, how to build a campfire and how to make sure this doesn’t spread out into a wildfire.

You get an invaluable chance of looking at the night’s sky, to admire the stars and moon, but also to teach children a bit about galaxies, constellations named after the Ancient Gods or more advanced things like black matter, black holes and the origins of the Universe.

Teach them survival skills

This is another great way to teach them how they can interact with nature. It’s good that kids learn all sorts of information and trivia about animals, plants, and landscape, but it’s even better if they learn how to use all these facts.

The first thing children should know is how they can take care of their equipment. And since it’s not always wise for them or for you to pack a ginormous backpack, it’s great to find out how to choose and use versatile items.

For instance, you can teach them how to waterproof boots, so they can wear them in different weather. You can also teach them how to make knots that hold, how to set up a tent or improvise a shelter when they have no tent. Learning how to use a map and compass to find their location is another very useful skill to have outdoors.

Get them a pet

It’s great if you can take kids outdoors in Natural Reservations or in safaris so they can see the wildlife around them. But it’s also a good idea for the kids to have a pet, whether at home or a class pet.

That will teach them how to take care of another living being, what that pet eats, when it sleeps, and how it interacts with the world around it. If you decide to get an ant farm, this teaches children certain information about working together. Or you can help them make such a cool dwelling place for ants on their own, it’s likely they’ll feel more invested in the ants’ lives this way.

What will you do?

With so many wonderful activities you can do with your children, the ones we’ve discussed are just the tip of the iceberg. But at least you have an idea of how you can combine stores and games to raise the kids’ curiosity so they’ll want to find out more about Nature and what it can offer us.

Author Bio

Rebecca lives in USA, but loves hiking all over the world. Her favorite is Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal. It usually takes 16 days, but she likes to slow down, enjoy mountains, company of other adventurers and take more pictures, so it took her 28 days last time. Another of her passion is the ocean, so all short and long hikes along the ocean shore bring a lot of joy. She also writes for HikingMastery.com.

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We left our home in Sydney, Australia many moons ago in May 2012 and, other than a brief stint back in Perth for Christmas and a wedding in early 2014, we have been travelling the world nomadically ever since, running a business from our laptops and we’re here to show you how to do it!