August is almost here and whether your summer has been filled with camps and vacations, or sleep mornings and even more relaxing afternoons, this is the time where the kids start to get restless and families are looking for ways to stir up your summer. Family Entourage is here with activities for every budget.
CHANGE THE SCENERY
Even if you have the best backyard, amazing park or tricked out pool, sometimes a change of scenery makes all the difference. So we packed up the car and headed to Big Bear. And what better way to stay cool, then out on the Lake. We turned to Holloway’s Marina to take in the lake with our own private Pontoon Boat for our families.
All eight of us easily fit with space to spare. Once we got the kids set in their life jackets, the waters became ours! The weather was perfect, the terrain is beautiful and we enjoyed relaxing, snacking and showing the kiddos how to drive the boat (don’t worry, we made it perfectly safe, just don’t tell the littles). Our families had such a relaxing time taking in the views of the scenery around us as we cruised around the lake. The gentle lake breeze was a welcome relief on the warm summer day. We enjoyed watching other families tubing and wakeboarding too. There’s just something about being out on the lake and in awe of nature that helps you to relax.
BE ADVENTUROUS
From creating a bucket list to setting a goal as a family, being adventurous is a great way to beat the summer boredom. This will look different for every person so it is important not to compare yourself to others. Remember what might be challenging for one person might come naturally for another. This is especially true when you are being adventurous as a family.
From mountain slides and mine shaft coasters to ziplines and ropes courses, we had the opportunity to spend a weekend doing adventurous things. Start off with something that everyone might enjoy as a warmup. We did the Alpine Slide. The slide replicates a bobsled experience. It begins with a scenic chairlift to the top of the mountain. From there, riders navigate their own individually controlled sleds, down their choice of two quarter-mile long cement tracks filled with high-banked turns and long straightaways. Everyone had fun riding. Some chose to ride with mom or dad, while others enjoyed their independence. Then we went down the Mineshaft Coaster, which is the first and only mountain coaster in California. Although we were all a little nervous starting out, the ride was thrilling and by the end everyone was asking to go again! We finished our time at Alpine Slide with the Soaring Eagle ride, which feels like a zipline that takes you backwards nearly two football fields before zipping down high above tree tops at 26 mph. There were gorgeous views of the lake and we did feel like we were soaring.
It’s important to remember when being adventurous, to have alternatives for those that might not want to participate. When we were doing the ropes course some of our group was afraid of heights. Rather than force them to go on, we said it was okay and they cheered on the group and said they wanted to try it next time! The ropes course had two levels and lots of obstacles. Whether you are a beginner or ropes-enthusiast, it had plenty to challenge everyone in our group. One of our favorite adventure stops was the Big Bear Speedway where we raced RT8 Sodi Karts. With vacuum fuel pumps and hydraulic brakes, we lived out our Days of Thunder dreams.
Our favorite part of the weekend – not only did we not hear, “I’m bored,” but we created fun memories with our families.
BEAT THE HEAT
The hottest month of the year in San Diego is August, so keeping cool is a must! From the pool to the ocean, Pool Candy is full of fun activities families can do in the water.
From super cool rafts to float in the waves or bask in the sun, to others are looking for a little more action. Now you can play everything from table tennis to cornhole, basketball and volleyball — all on the water. Plus LED light up options mean more swimming since the temps still can be close to triple digits at dark.
PoolCandy is a family-owned, friend-operated company on a mission to innovate and entertain! They are a fashion forward toy development company that produces exclusive, premium quality, one-of-a-kind products. With pool floats, rafts, games, sunning pools, tubes and more, PoolCandy is the supreme destination for all things outdoor fun. Available on PoolCandy.net at your local Leslie’s Pool Store.
EXPLORE BEYOND YOUR BACKYARD
With over 200 state parks, summer can be a great time to explore a new park or two. From Anza Borego State Park to Will Rogers State Historic Park, California public library-card holders can check out the California State Library Parks Pass vehicle day-use pass at their local public library. California has the largest state park system in the nation and now a library card will enable people to check them out.
The California State Library Parks Pass offers vehicle day-use entry to over 200 participating state park units operated by State Parks to library-card holders. The California State Library Parks Pass is valid for entry of one passenger vehicle with capacity of nine people or less or one highway-licensed motorcycle. Whether you make it a day-trip, or weekend getaway, exploring a new park can be a great way to get out of the mundane and discover something new.
Don’t worry if a bear eats your pass, the library will not charge you for damaged passes!
