CalActive.com Activities Blog

So for all you mothers out there, I’m sure you’re excited to be treated like a queen next Sunday, and for everyone else, you’re probably still thinking about what to do! It really is just around the corner, so you better come up with something good. After all, our mothers brought us into this world, and while they deserve to be treated like queens every single day, they definitely deserve something truly special and unique on their day.

While some moms are physically active and enjoy getting out there and doing something fun and outdoorsy, others just want to relax and be pampered on their special day. Both sound absolutely fun and fabulous! One thing I would suggest is maybe not taking her out to dinner. That’s one of the most common and expected things you can do, which is why it’s one of the busiest, money-making days of the year for restaurants. There are so many other fun and unique ways to say I Love You to your momma. In fact, I found an interesting blog with several cute and affordable ideas for Mother’s Day gifts.

Aside from giving gifts, take your mom out for the day and do something fun. We live in Southern California, for crying out loud, so why not take her out on a duffy boat or maybe a sailboat. It’s so relaxing, but at the same time, it’s exciting and a great idea for the whole family to enjoy. I know my mom would absolutely love going out on a boat because she’s never really been on one before.

Another idea is a brunch or dinner cruise, which we offer in Newport Beach, Marina del Rey and San Diego. Although a less intimate setting than a duffy boat or sailboat charter, brunch and dinner cruises are fun and come with an amazing, gourmet meal and beverages.

If your mom has a serious case of seasickness, take her up on a hot air balloon ride over Southern California’s wine country, Temecula Valley. How fun would it be to go ballooning and then wine tasting afterwards?!? Sounds like a fabulous day to me!

For the more adventurous mothers, get out and ride some jet skis around the harbor or out in the ocean. Although it’s still springtime, the weather is heating up and it’s the perfect time to start getting out in and on the water. Let your mom shine and show off her skills by ripping it up on a jet ski or waverunner. What a blast!

Whatever you decide to do, make it a special day that your mom will never forget. Give her something unique and surprise her by taking her out to do something she’s never done and would never expect. Taking her out to dinner and giving her flowers is special, but very common. Moms, expect the unexpected this year. You deserve to have a unique and memorable experience with your loved ones. You are all so wonderful and we love and appreciate you unconditionally. Thank you for being you.

Okay, so after reading this blog, I’m dying to go paragliding! For me it’s hard to imagine the feeling of flying thousands of feet in the air… and not in an airplane. The adrenaline rush, the fear, the excitement, the euphoria, the gratification one feels after just going out there and doing it. It takes some major guts to paraglide, but for millions of people around the world, it’s on their weekly agenda.

Luckily for me, we just added paragliding to our extensive list of activities. I think it’s time for an “Activity Day”, eh? First activity on my list: flying! Who hasn’t wanted to fly sometime in their lifetime? And the great thing is that there are so many beautiful places to fly in Southern California. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get high…..

Up until about a year ago, I had absolutely no interest in drinking wine. The look on my face the first time I tried wine must have been priceless. It just tasted like…. well…. old, bitter grape juice. Doesn’t sound very appealing when you think about it. I can’t quite remember the label, but I do know that it was red, maybe a Cabernet Sauvignon. Probably not a good idea to start off with a red, especially a Cab, but I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

It took me a little while to really get into wine. I loved champagne/sparkling wine though, which was really the closest I would get to wine. But eventually, the champagne kick wore off and that didn’t seem to be my first choice anymore. Now I love wine and would order a glass of Pinot or Grenache any day over a glass of champagne (or sparkling wine). However since I’m still fairly new at this, I usually stick to the California wines as they’re nice and juicy.

I wouldn’t say I know a whole lot about wine, but I read an interesting blog from someone who seems to know quite a bit about different varietals and regions. You’ve got some of your common regions like Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, France, Oregon, Washington, Australia, Italy, Spain, etc. Would you ever consider Mexico to be a good wine-growing region??? I would’ve never guessed, but apparently some of the best wines are grown just 70 miles south of the border. There are three regions where the largest wineries in Mexico can be found - San Antonio de las Minas, San Vicente Valley and the Santo Tomas Valley. Some of the common reds grown in the Baja region are Cabernet Sauvignon, Ruby Cabernet, Zinfandel, Grenache and Mission. Whites include Chenin Blanc, Palomino, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Saint Emilion and Malaga.

I have never tried many of those varietals, so I think I need to make a trip down south and do some wine tasting!!! Who’s with me?

So my boyfriend Josh is learning to sail with a friend of his, and they started off on a Lido 14, otherwise known as a bathtub. Some of his trips have been calm and easy, but others not so much. Needless to say I wanted to wait until he really got the hang of it before I joined him for my first time sailing.

It was a fairly calm and absolutely beautiful Sunday afternoon, and Josh had already been out on the water with his friend for a couple of hours. I met them at the Balboa Yacht Club around 1pm and we were off. I was slightly nervous for a couple of reasons - the boat was tiny, and there were about 30 sailboats quadruple the size of ours racing from Newport Harbor. We were basically dodging these 50 ft boats as we made our way out of the bay and onto the high seas. Being the complete wimp that I am, I suggested that we go out just far enough to see the seals on the buoy, basking in the sun.

Some parts were rough, but most calm. At one point I thought the boat was going to flip because the wind got so strong. It was a great experience though, and I learned a lot about sailing. Although I was a bit nervous at first, I had an absolute blast and can’t wait to do it again. The best advice I can give to a first-time sailor - Watch out for that boom!