Bucket list item: Bioluminescence Tomales Bay

Activity: 4 hour night kayaking tour in bioluminescence Tomales Bay

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Website: Bioluminescence Kayaking

Description:  Bioluminescence is defined as:  "the biochemical emission of light by living organisms such as fireflies and deep sea fishes."  There is no easy way to describe the experience except to see it in person. In the meantime I can attest that it is by far one of the coolest things to see in nature. 

First, you arrive at the point of departure for the tour (bundle up!). There are only a few places in the world that have these bioluminescence tours so if you live in the bay area you have no excuse because there is one close by- Tomales Bay/Point Reyes. The other locations include Maldives and Puerto Rico. From pictures these locations are more spectacular because conditions lend themselves to brighter beaches full of bioluminescence, however I still recommend going to Point Reyes for this tour.

Once you arrive at the destination there is a safety and introductory section. Then you and your partner (kayaks are tandem) suit up in jackets, pants, and skirts (that go around the kayak to prevent water from coming in) and start the journey to the beaches. If you go from Point Reyes you will pass Hog Island. As you are kayaking it becomes very dark (this is standard as these tours only go during the summer and into Oct). After a few hours of kayaking, you arrive on a beach to take a break and learn about bioluminescence with some hot chocolate. Once the instructor has described the experience (ours said it would look like "fireworks, diamonds, or glitter!") you get back into the kayaks to go to the cove with the most activity. Once your paddles are in the water again, the area starts to glow. You can put your hand in the water to see it light up and make designs of your own.  There are even fish that swim around in bursts of light. I can not describe how incredibly beautiful and interesting it is to see this in action. 

Recommended: couples, groups of friends, outdoorsy people who are not afraid of the dark

Weekend getaway: Shasta Lake water sports adventure

Activity: House boating on Lake Shasta

Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars

Website: http://www.houseboating.org/Lake-Shasta-Houseboat-Prices

Cost:  $100 per person for the weekend, excluding food and activities

Description: A friend found a deal on houseboats through Travelzoo and we booked 4 total for a weekend in July. The link above includes other boats that are available to rent.

Accommodations: The boats were not luxurious, but it had all the necessary amenities. There were four bunk beds, two larger than the others and a pull out bed. There was a full kitchen with refrigerator, stove, coffee machine etc. Pre-planning our meals made it very easy to coordinate food supplies prior to arriving. We also brought speaks for music, electric pump for floaties, and plenty of trash bags/paper towels/bug repellant.  The nights were really warm during the summer so I recommend to pack light clothing and a light sleeping bag. 

There was plenty do to for one weekend: swimming, lounging on floaties, wake boarding, skiing, and playing games with friends. The wake boarding and water skiing was an additional cost, but relatively inexpensive. We rented a speed boat for the water sports and the docking station rented out the sports equipment for those that did not bring their own. 

Recommended:  Great trip for large groups of young friends.