A Midday Train to Oakland & Plank Restaurant Jack London Square #Amtrak #JackLondonSquare #Travel

My teenager and I took a midday train to Oakland. It was a first for us both riding Amtrak and an adventure for sure! We started in Roseville; we took an Amtrak bus from Roseville to the Sacramento station. We easily found the correct platform to board our train to Oakland. 

Not only did we avoid the traffic and stress of the Sacramento to the Bay commute we experienced a new perspective on the way there. We went below spots we previously were on top of, saw behind the Chocolate factory that we have seen hundreds of times, side by side to the ocean at ground level in some places seeing local fishermen and wildlife. Heck even some of the graffiti was amazing! 

We watched people along the way get on and off at their stops. Some looked like college students from Davis and Berkeley, other looked like commuters to work and lots of people looked like they were also on an adventure. We were headed to a wedding.

If you are trying to get to San Francisco city itself, you will not get to see Jack London Station in Oakland. You would be getting off at a few stops before and taking the Amtrak Bus to the city. We however needed to be in Oakland. Jack London Square was our first place to visit after getting off the train, after taking our luggage to the hotel of course. I try to teach my teenager to be travel savvy like don't wear your flashy jewelry, don't put on headphones and keep your face in your phone (plus you will miss the cool stuff if you're not fully paying attention to the experience) and to never put your luggage in the trunk the wander off to explore. These to me are simple ways to stay situational aware and still enjoy your time. But if you do need to leave luggage in the car in any big city its best to park in a paid parking garage.

One of the days we were in Oakland there happen to be a Farmers Market at Jack London Square located across the way from the train station. I was delighted since I love Farmers Markets! We also discovered while walking the market many of the great restaurants located in Jack London Square. Sadly, one of the restaurants we visited is now closed so I won't include that info BUT thankfully a very vibrate open air seating place Plank is still there and thriving.

While waiting for our train that would not arrive for a few hours we decided to sit down and enjoy brunch at Plank. My son being the teenager he is ordered Mac N Cheese with Streak.

I opted for a sweeter option by ordering the Churro Waffles with strawberries and chocolate with a pink lemonade to drink.

We had delicious food, it was a beautiful day, and our server did not make us feel rushed. It was wonderful! We sat there with our luggage and enjoyed watching sports on the big screen TVs outside. I did notice on the dessert menu that they had a NEW lemon-flavored dessert. I under no circumstances cannot try something lemon flavored that I have not tried before and being in vacation I splurged. It was WELL worth the money. Lemon Tres Leches Cake was soooooo good! Even topped with blackberries it was divine!

After hanging out at Plank we decide to check out the arcade a bit then head back to Jack London train station. It is so architecturally beautiful inside. The high ceilings, shiny floors and huge windows filled the space with light. It was so clean inside as well as super clean bathrooms. 

I found some stowaways in my backpack, it was a Monday so hopefully Garfield did not mind being on vacation. 

The Jack London station had maps to show you how the different train lines can take you all over California. The rails of adventure definitely are calling to my heart to travel by train more.

The staff was super friendly and the space calm and inviting. We were able to wait inside comfortably for our train since they had info boards and announcements about arriving and departing trains. Also, a vending machine for grabbing a water before boarding was helpful.  

For our train ride back, we did not need to take a bus. This train took us all the way back to Roseville where our epic journey had begun. I oddly did not take as many pictures while on the train than I thought I had; I attribute that to being caught up in enjoying the scenery. I had to comment when I saw cows, make sure my teenager looked at the cows and wowed at how close to the oceans edge we were traveling. It was an easy was to travel from the Sacramento area to Oakland and it stopped at other parts of the Bay Area. If you are looking for a new way to see the places you have before I say, take a train you will be delighted! I look forward to the next epic train adventure my teenager and I go on. 

California H20 Water Challenge for Classrooms #ad #SaveH20 #MomsMeet

*I am writing this sponsored post for Moms Meet (momsmeet.com), May Media Group LLC. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to share this information and post my honest opinion on my blog. The opinions posted are my own.

As a Californian I know how important our water is to the state. We need it for farms, for homes and for business to function. We take pride in our ability to conserve and protect our watershed. Even in our school system we teach how Californians use water and how important it is to us all. I just completed teaching my own son the ways we use water in our state and how to use less of it.

In our home we make sure we turn off water while brushing our teeth, we don't over water our garden, we only wash dishes and laundry if its a full load and we limit our use of water wasting activities like washing the car.

Jenkinson Lake Drinking Water Reservior 

Many of our beautiful lakes and rivers are an important part of our drinking water that are also our outdoor activities areas. We are extra careful when we are out enjoying our local waterways as to not pollute it or cause waste.

The California Water Service hosts an annual contest to challenge teachers and students to learn more about water conservation through project based learning that aligns California Common Core Standards curriculum.

Information About Cal Water H2O Challenge’s Classroom Challenge:

• The students of participating classrooms initiate, develop, and

implement a 4-8 week-long project (or longer at teacher discretion),

focusing on caring for water. This class-based project explores water as

a global resource and as a local resource, while tackling a local water

problem in an individual and community-based endeavor.

• A handbook can be found at challenge.calwater.com/resources,

including a guide for the flow of the project, and sample lesson plans.

• Upon completion of the project, students create a final portfolio

documenting their work. This portfolio, along with accompanying

cover sheets, student reflections, and a teacher reflection, constitute

the final submission. Sample Portfolios can be found in the resource

section.

• Early Registration closes Dec. 31, 2017. Final Registration closes Jan 31,

2018. Submissions are due February 28, 2018.

• Curriculum Alignment: Common Core State Standards and is

complementary to the Next Generation Science Standards. In aligning

the curriculum, sample lesson plans were developed incorporating

these guidelines.

• Project-Based Learning: Developed with the help of the WestEd /

K-12 Alliance and the North American Association for Environmental

Education, their project-based learning model offers an effective

and engaging manner to inspire students to community action while

achieving curriculum standards.

• Objective Rubric: Judging of the competition will be conducted by a

panel of experts working in education and/or an environmental field.

It will use an objective rubric, developed with the help of the West Ed

/ K-12 Alliance. This rubric evaluates the water topic choice, project

goals, action plan, and outcomes, long term benefits, integration with

student learning and curriculum, student participation, impact on

student learning, presentation, and impact on teacher practice.

You can learn more about the Cal H20 Water Challenge here.

Here is a video of last years winners of the Cal Water H20 Challenge:

Winners of the Cal Water H2O Classroom Challenge will receive:

Grand Prize
Class Celebration: Classroom tent-camping trip to the Santa Monica Mountains with NatureBridge
Class Funding: $3,500 grant
Extras: Cal Water prize packs for every student

2nd Place
Class Celebration: A Pizza Party
Class Funding: $2,500 grant
Extras: Cal Water prize packs for every student

3rd Place
Class Funding: $2,000 grant
Extras: Cal Water prize packs for every student

4th Place
Class Funding: $1,000 grant
Extras: Cal Water prize packs for every student

All Participant Prizes
Student Recognition: An official certificate of participation for every student
Teacher Recognition: A teacher certificate
Teacher Gift: An AMEX gift card

Waterfall at Lake Jenkinson

Fall Road Trip Visiting Oceanside California #beachlife #Oceanside #California

For the last few years my family and I have made it a tradition to take a road-trip to Southern California in the Fall. I grew up in Southern CA and love to see how its changed over the years. Each time we take the trip we make sure to experience a day at the beach. I enjoy searching for a different beach each year. The beach experience in the Fall is different than a Summer trip but just as fun. Last Fall the beach we selected was Oceanside CA.

Oceanside is located halfway between San Diego and Los Angeles. The beaches are beautiful and the people were so friendly! I like Oceanside since it was not as crowded as some of the bigger beaches. We played in the sand, the waves and even the cool play ground right on the beach.

The Oceanside Pier was our main focal point to visit. Growing up in Southern CA I have a love for piers and the activities all around them. Many families were fishing from the pier, beautiful sea birds were walking around and even a 50's style restaurant at the end of the pier. The pier is 1,954 feet long, extending about a quarter of a mile into the water making it one of the longest piers on the west coast.

The main street along the beach is called "The Strand". I honestly love the beach style of all the surfers with their boards, the tourists walking around and the beach cruiser bikes going by the local shops and restaurants. The Strand is 4 miles long and lined with palm trees. There are clean bathrooms and changing areas for swimmers or in the case of my kid wave jumping in his clothes. 

We spent hours playing in the waves and sand. I could sit in the sand all day and watch my son with his big smile on his face jumping, splashing and getting covered in sand. I now know the joy my own Mom felt each summer when we went to the ocean. 

For lunch we ate at The Tin Fish Restaurant on the Strand. I always have to get clam chowder in a bread bowl anytime I visit the beach. I loved every bite of it, when my son asked if he could feed the birds with part of my bread bowl I had to say no since I could not let the deliciousness be shared plus we should not feed wild animals. 

After resting our bellies we decided to rent a surrey bike from Wheel Fun Rentals. I remember doing this as a kid with my family in Santa Barbara and wanted my own son to experience the fun of riding one by the ocean. I had more fun than I imagined I would. My husband did most of the pedaling on the bike and I was enjoying the view and giggles of my son. It was a perfect Fall day to be at the beach on a surrey bike. We rented ours a little later in the day saving us a bit of money of the rate.

The nice thing about Oceanside is the ability to use the beach even after dark. In the Fall it gets darker much earlier and we did not want our day of fun to stop. I went back to our car parked nearby to get a blanket to sit on and some snacks to watch the sunset over the ocean. We saw many families taking firewood to the cement fire pits on the beach and decided we were going to also have a bonfire. We had firewood in our trunk from a recent camping trip that was perfect for this. I was telling my husband how it was not good for gas mileage to have the wood in the trunk before we left on our trip and he replied with "You never know if we might need it on a road trip". He was so right and I was so glad to have it with us. Oh how I wished someone had been selling the stuff for s'mores on the beach!

Fall Outdoor Play Hiking to Hidden Falls #YearRoundPlay

*Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the Voice of Play.

Growing up in Southern California for most of my childhood I was lucky enough to have many warm to cool Fall days that would allow for us to play outside all of the Fall season. I have fond memories of jumping in leaf piles, walks up and down bumpy sidewalks of Pasadena and trips to the park. My Mom was always making sure we spent plenty of time outside having fun.

For my own son growing up in Northern California we deal with more rainy to cold days than I did as a kid but we always find time to get in outdoor play even on cloudy days. We enjoy going on hikes as a family to get in our outdoor fun and exercise. We are a busy family like most people so we try to sneak in having dinner or lunch at the end of our hike to be able to enjoy sitting together with no distractions out in nature. 

Living in Placer County California I am surrounded by mountains, trees, rivers, steams and many other amazing natural features. I consider myself blessed to have a beautiful area to go on hikes, visit local parks and even go camping in. We often search the internet and ask friends for new places to discover. Many people and reviews mentioned Hidden Falls Regional Park in Auburn as a great place to hike. We packed our dinner into a back pack, grabbed our coats and drove up to Auburn for a few hours of outdoor fun.

We explore our surroundings by looking at plants, rocks and other clues to what is around us. My son loves running around and exploring new things outside. I like that he can be free to jump, run, be loud and just be a boy when we are outside. 

I feel it is very important to allow for outside time for our children and for ourselves. We spend so much time inside and on our devices we sometimes can neglect getting outside together as a family. A local trip to a park or open space area can always be fun to explore with your kids and keep them playing all year long.

How do you enjoy Fall Outdoor Play? 

You can go to IPEMA's Voice of Play website to learn more ways to encourage Outdoor Play with your family.

The post is brought to you by Activate by Bloglovin and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

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Legoland IS Awesome! Park and Hotel Review #LEGOLANDCA

*Disclosure: I received complimentary passes to Legoland.  This is not a paid post. All opinions expressed are my own.

~by Laura

Over time celebrating my son's birthday has turned into an annual tradition to take a road trip to an amusement park. To celebrate my son's 7th birthday we decided to plan a trip to Legoland CA. Legoland has only recently come onto my radar of cool places to go since at 5 my son started to have interest in Legos. My son and husband now play a Lego video game called Dimensions and it has been the cutest thing ever to see them both get into a video game so much. They build stuff together, they play games, they watch the movie all the time and we knew Legoland would be a perfect place to celebrate his birthday.

As we began to plan our trip I would ask other parents if they had been to Legoland and did they have any tips or advise on planning a trip there. Most parents that had been said they loved it and would ask how old my son was. I realized after going most people asked how old he was since it is a park geared at younger kids.

The park is awesome! Everything was made out of Legos, the rides had Lego themes, the decor was Legos too. Everything from Ninjago, Nexo Knights, Chima, Lego City and our favorite Star Wars, was there. As huge Star Wars fans we were thrilled with all the cool displays in Lego Miniland. I was really Wowed by this place. I had no expectation for it since no one I know closely has been there. We did not watch any videos of the park as to not spoil the surprise of what would be there. I did however download the Legoland app. It helped tremendously for showtimes, food choices and the best part, coupons for savings on merchandise.

I loved that the majority of the rides were family friendly. We love going on rides together, my son can be a little apprehensive of rides when we first arrive at a park so being able to go on as a family warmed him up to going on the kid only rides. We definitely have our favorite rides. My favorite ride is Skipper School were you get to drive a Lego boat through twists and turns in the water, there are no tracks so I was able to speed by my husband and son in their boat. My son's favorite is Driving School, where he drove a mini Lego car through a Lego town, he rode it a few times.

My husband loved the Pirate theme area and Captain Cranky's Challenge was his favorite. It is a big pirate ship that is on a U-shaped track that makes you feel like your in the sea swaying in the waves. Police and Fire Academy ride was a family favorite of ours. Its super interactive as you have to push up and down on a handle as a group to get your car going, then jump out of the ride when you reach the town "on fire" using a water cannon to blast the building. Its a challenge of your family vs another, it made it competitive and fun. We were laughing so much and giving it our all to beat the other families. We also LOVE the characters that walked around. We met Benny from Lego Movie, Kai from Ninjago and Lance from Nexo Knights.

Another aspect of the park that we found fun was the Lego Mini Figure Trading. You can trade a mini figure that you have with any Legoland staff member. They have them displayed on name badges, near food stations and stores. When we first arrived at the park we asked a worker named Steve about the trading figures and where can we get one. He pulled out of his top pocket a Lego guy mini figure and gave it to my son, then said Happy Birthday. So nice of him! The hotel gave my son a Happy Birthday pin and First Time Visit pin and anytime a worker saw his pin they told him Happy Birthday, he loved the attention and birthday wishes.

I would liked to have seen more Lego themed Live Shows. We did watch all the 4D shows which were cool but I do love a live character show. It has been a few years since the Lego Movie has come out so there was not as much Wildstyle or Emmett as I thought there would be, but we did get to meet Benny the Astronaut character. I will admit we turned on the song "Everything is Awesome" a few times on my phone so we could dance to it as we went through the park.

Miniland, USA was an amazing display to see! We spent over an hour looking at the displays of cities and my son even was able to drive a Lego tug boat in the water. We saw mini Las Vegas ( we have family there so it was a cool thing to see) there was New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Hollywood and so much more.

The Star Wars displays were my son's favorite. He wanted his picture with all the cool stuff he saw. We even saw his favorite President, Lincoln.

We stayed in the Legoland Hotel and I will say its worth the money! It really made a huge difference in our experience. We were given early access to the park with the cool Lego yellow bracelets we were given as hotel guest. During the Fall the park closes early, staying at the Legoland Hotel extended the Lego infused fun. The hotel has a giant castle made out of Legos where the kids can play and build Legos in the Lego pits. There is even a Lego playing area in the lobby where you check in at. The elevator is the coolest elevator I have ever been in! My son squealed with joy and started dancing when the disco ball lit up and the music started playing as we made our way to the 3rd floor. We stayed in an Adventure themed room that had bunk beds, a treasure chest, a view of the pool and filled with many cool Lego builds like a scorpion, a monkey and a parrot.

My son's birthday happen to be on a night that the Legoland Hotel was having a Disco Party for the kids. When we arrived my son asked me if they were having the dance party for his birthday, I told him they most certainly are, go have fun! It was so cute to see him dancing his heart out including his cool break dancing moves. I even joined him on the dance floor showing off my embarrassing Mom moves! I will say I did throw in the "sprinkler", some "robot" and a tad bit of square dancing moves. We had such a fun time. Seeing him smiling as he danced around with the disco lights flashing, beams of colored lights all around him made me realize how precious moments like these are. That the time and money spent on our annual birthday adventures are so worth the cost to make memories this awesome.

The room had a locked treasure chest in it with a list of clues to find the code for the lock. We loved doing this as a family. You make your way around the hotel using clues to find numeric answers for the code to the lock. I suggest doing this treasure hunt since it will be fun for your kids to explore the hotel and there is a very special prize inside for your child. We sat outside by the firepit near the pool for a while just enjoying the crisp Fall air and my coffee. My son loved the complimentary apple juice pouches in the room too. After coffee we went to Skyline Cafe to enjoy some cake and sing Happy Birthday to my son. The receptionist at the restaurant named Kaylee was so nice and when I asked her if I could buy a cupcake or slice of cake she said it was free and for us to pick a spot to sit and she would be right out. She was so sweet, she put the number seven candle I brought with me and the waiters and her all sang Happy Birthday to my son. She even re-lit the candle after my son blew it out when they started singing. She went above and beyond for us and made it so special.

A few of the things I loved about the hotel was the bunk beds for the kids. It was so cool and made it feel like a true Adventure room. My son requested that my husband sleep on the bottom bunk, cutest thing ever to see them sleeping in the bunk beds when I woke up that morning for the Free breakfast buffet at Bricks Restaurant. Each night you stay at the hotel you get free breakfast buffet at the Bricks. It is a delicious variety of breakfast items, coffee and even a kids buffet area with huge waffles and fruit. We had fruit smoothies too! One of the Nexo Knight gals that was at the disco party was also at the breakfast buffet. She came over to talk to my son and he told her he remembered her from his dance party the night before. She was super nice to him as were all the Legoland park and hotel employees.

There was so much to do at the park and hotel that we did not get to it all! I recommend a 2 night stay and the 2 day park hopper passes. We had so much to do at Legoland we did not make it to the Sea Life Aquarium. For our next trip there we will stay more days so we can swim in the pool and see the aquarium.

I definitely recommend Legoland and the Legoland Hotel for family vacations! We had an awesome time and made priceless memories that we will treasure forever. I have so many more amazing pictures of Miniland, the rides, the food and hotel, too many to share all in one post. It fills me with joy to look back at the pictures and relive our awesome trip.