Three hours north of San Francisco up the Northern California Coast where US Highway 1 winds along the beach past towns like Bodega Bay, is a place called The Sea Ranch. The Sea Ranch is where my husband used to go for weekend getaways with his family as a child and was the location for our family vacation. With redwood forests, stretches of beach, the Gualala River, and a population of 280, The Sea Ranch offered plenty of diverse outdoor activities for our family and a much-needed chance to unplug.
Inspired by Austin-Lehman Adventures, we used our trip to The Sea Ranch to seek out active adventures for fun during our vacation such as…..
 |
| Learning how to fly a kite |
 |
| Shell collecting during walks along the beach |
 |
| Getting a lesson on skipping rocks in the Gualala River before floating in the warm shallow waters in an inner tube |
 |
| Exploring tide pools and getting up close with starfish, anemones,sea urchins, pelicans, and sea lions |
 |
| Morning hikes in the fog through the giant redwood trees in the forests right outside our window and finding hawk and wild turkey feathers, snakes, deer, a flock of wild turkeys, and banana slugs. |
 |
| Perfecting the art of sand castles |
 |
| Enjoying sunsets over the water |
Austin-Lehman Adventures (ALA) is the #1 rated adventure travel company with tons of family tours and even though summer is coming to an end, we’re already looking forward to an ALA trip in our future.
ALA provides the kinds of vacations that we look forward to taking as a family now that our children are older and are well seasoned travelers who seek adventure and love to learn during our trips. I love the convenience of ALA’s all-inclusive trips that accommodate children as young as 7.
With trips designed to deliver surprising luxury, adventure, and fun for the whole family, I don’t feel like my husband and I will have to sacrifice our expectations for a vacation just to accommodate traveling with our children.
Having been to Costa Rica for our honeymoon, it’s always been on our list of places to return to, especially with our children. One advantage of ALA’s week long Costa Rica Family trip is that they accommodate children as young as age 5 so we could head there next summer for some hiking and rafting fun while enjoying the beauty of the white sand beaches, rainforests, and the hot springs of Arenal.
I’ve been fortunate to travel the world and accumulate stamps in my passport but this is a recent goal of Little Miss Techie. One place that I haven’t been and would love to visit is South Africa for a safari.
 |
| Austin-Lehman African Safari Photo credit: Austin-Lehman |
ALA offers a 10 day/9 night trip to Namibia that sounds divine according to the description:
With sweeping deserts, traditional culture and remarkable flora and fauna, Namibia is among the world’s best kept secrets. Track the desert-adapted black rhino, elephant, zebra, giraffe and kudu and predators such as lion, cheetah, leopard and spotted hyena on a 4×4 safari on the Palmwag Concession.
- Relax under a swaying palm in the desert oasis of Palmwag Lodge
- Scan a breathtaking horizon for elephants while taking a dip in the pool at Mowani
- Marvel at the bushmen engravings at the Living Museum of the Damara
- Watch at close quarters as wildlife congregates around a flood-lit water hole in Okaukuejo
- Traverse the massive mineral plane of Etosha Park on the hunt for elephants, giraffe, rhino, and lions
- Get up-close with cheetah and leopard on a visit to AfriCat, a foundation that’s rescued over 1000 predators over the past 17 years
- Dine in an open-air lapa, toasting to an incredible day in the bush before calling it a night in Okonjima’s luxury bush camp
One word: wow!
If Costa Rica and Africa aren’t destinations you’d choose, Austin-Lehman also offers family adventures to Europe, National Parks, and other gorgeous places within the United States like Montana.
Another reason I’d like to do a family vacation through Austin-Lehman is due to the size of their groups. ALA trips are also a nice size to accommodate kids and adults alike. Unlike tour companies that treat their guests like cattle, with a guide who shepherds tourists in large groups using an umbrella, ALA offers 2 guides and an average of 10-12 guests. The 6:1 ratio allows for a more intimate and authentic experience, rather than that herd experience!
With school starting soon, we’d be looking to take a family trip such as the one Austin-Lehman Adventures offers next summer and you better believe that I’ll be visiting their website often dreaming of our next adventure together as a family!
Austin-Lehman provided me with a gift card to inspire our multi-sport family adventure as part of their Active Family Challenge. The majority of our expenses for our Sea Ranch vacation were personally planned and paid for.
Thanks for reading Tech Savvy Mama through your feed!
Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
©2012
So glad you had a phenomenal trip! The tide pools and the morning hikes look perfectly blissful. And Costa Rica with the kids with ALA? A dream!