Active Family Magazine | October 2022

Publisher/Editor

Tracie Brown Vollgraf

Travel Editor

Elizabeth Kang ekang@activefamilymag.com

Local Life & Style for the East Bay Area

Social Media Manager and Sales Manager

Trista Cambra-Flanders

Design/Production

Teresa Agnew Craft

Active Family is published by TAG Marketing Group Mailing Address | P.O. Box 5158, Pleasanton, CA 94566

Contributing Authors

Amy McCready

Elizabeth Kang Dr. Laura Markham Trista Cambra-Flanders

Advertising Inquiries | 925.789.0709 Email Address | info@activefamilymag.com

Editor’s Note

October is always a busy month for parents. Costumes, class parties, trick or treating and plenty of candy. If you are looking for a spooktacular family outing, be sure to visit a few of our favorites; Joan’s Farm in Livermore and Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp Resort. Turn to page 26 to learn more about Jellystone. Offering hours of fun, we highly recommend kicking off the Halloween season with a visit to both!

If Mom and Dad are looking for a kid-free getaway, we encourage you to read our La Quinta Resort and Spa travel feature on page 10. The quintessential weekend away, you will find amazing golf, delicious food, a spectacular spa and plenty of opportunities for relaxation and rejuvenation.

Wishing you all a Happy October!

Tracie Brown Vollgraf Editor info@activefamilymag.com

Dr. Meeker is a pediatrician, who has practiced pediatric and adolescent medicine for 25 years. She is the author of six books including the best-selling Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: Ten Secrets Every Father Should Know; Boys Should Be Boys; Your Kids At Risk;, The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose and Sanity; Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: The 30 Day Challenge and Strong Mothers, Strong Sons: Lessons Mothers Need to Raise Extraordinary Men, (Ballantine) April 2014. She is a popular speaker on pediatric health issues and child-parent relationships.

Dr. Meeker is co-host and physician-in-residence of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk Radio. She is also Assistant Clinical Professor at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and currently teaches medical students and physicians in residency training. She is board certified with the American Board of Pediatrics and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Meeker serves on the National Advisory Board of the Medical Institute. She has been married to her husband, Walter for 32 years. They have shared a medical practice for over 20 years. They have three grown daughters and a grown son. She lives in northern Michigan.

6 Tips for Raising Independent Children

by Dr. Meg Meeker

It starts when your son rides his balance bike around the block–alone. A few years later, he’s off to his first sleepover.

It continues when your teenage daughter goes out on her first date

Before you know it, you’re waving goodbye as she drives off to college.

The pattern is familiar for all parents, and it never gets any easier. Loving our children means letting them go

We don’t always remember this in the thick of things when our children are so dependent on us.

I mean, it’s hard to imagine that little toddler in fire truck pajamas riding his bike to school or leading his cub scouts to their campsite. It’s just as difficult to grasp that your daughter, once in a high chair flinging pasta around the kitchen, is now on that first dinner date.

But 10-20 years from now–if all goes according to plan–we’ll have raised our children to be independent.

But what’s the best way to impart independence? Which tools can we utilize now to help our kids one day succeed outside our domain?

At Positive Parenting Solutions, we are all about tools. My online course has over 36 of them that can help in almost every parenting predicament. We’ll discuss a few of them here, and you can learn even more through our FREE PARENTING CLASS

But positive parenting is also a philosophy–one that naturally equips kids with the skills needed to grow in their independence.

Even so, ensuring our kids will successfully soar in the soon-to-be real world is easier said than done.

Here are 6 strategies for raising independent kids (as hard as it will one day be to see them go).

1. DON’T DO FOR YOUR KIDS WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR THEMSELVES

It begins by simply offering help. Maybe it’s tying their shoes, pouring their milk, or doing their math homework Then, we keep helping.

Before long, they either expect us to help or don’t believe they can do it themselves.

To a large extent, assisting our kids is part of our job description. We’re supposed to help toddlers zip up their winter coats and guide sleepy kids toward their soft,

warm beds. We’re meant to place curfews on teenagers still learning to make wise choices.

But a pattern of regularly doing for kids what they can do for themselves makes them further reliant on us. According to Adlerian Psychology –the basis of positive parenting–our primary job as caregivers is to move our kids from complete dependence to complete independence. If we don’t, we inhibit their progress (and make our lives harder).

It’s so tempting to do things for our kids, either through generosity or even to get the task done faster. But the best advice I can give you is to resist this urge and encourage self-sufficiency.

“A dependent child is a demanding child. Children become irresponsible only when we fail to give them opportunities to take on responsibility.” – Rudolf Dreikurs and Margaret Goldman.

Take Time for Training

Even still, you may be wondering, “If we aren’t supposed to do things FOR our kids that they’re perfectly capable of doing for themselves, how do we ensure things get done completely and efficiently?”

Instead of unintentionally instilling a sense of helplessness by overly assisting our children, we can Take Time for Training and TEACH them they can do most things for themselves.

Parents often underestimate this simple tool. It can feel burdensome because it does take time. It may even take several repetitions for kids to grasp something–like a toddler carefully cracking an egg into cookie batter or a tween getting ALL the grime off those dishes.

We don’t always have time to interact with our kids faceto-face and calmly teach them what we know. But this is one of a parent’s most crucial jobs. Besides providing for our children, we need to teach them to provide for themselves.

Kids as young as two or three can be encouraged to do

as much as possible for themselves. This includes getting dressed, making their beds, and helping themselves to food in the refrigerator.

And naturally, the older kids get, the greater the responsibilities.

The Take Time for Training tool gives our kids the confidence and encouragement to develop the skills so crucial for independence. It also replaces expectation and entitlement with a healthy dose of responsibility.

Which leads me to that never-ending quest for help around the house…

2. FOCUS ON FAMILY CONTRIBUTIONS

Every member of a family plays an important role in a successfully running household.

If our goal is to raise independent kids, there are basic skills they’ll need as a functioning adult. Learning how to clean a house, cook wholesome meals, and change a baby sister’s diaper now saves kids time and training later.

From folding their laundry to picking up toys, when we expect kids to contribute in age-appropriate ways they realize they are indispensable to the family team. This builds their confidence and encourages them to do even more to help out!

What also helps is to label these tasks as “Family Contributions”–because “chores” is a word more associated with boring, undesirable, and begrudging work. Plus, by switching up our language, we drive home the fact that our children’s contributions have a greater purpose.

Once they’re on their own, kids who are well-rehearsed in completing contributions will be experts in home economics. After all, cleaning a bathroom isn’t something we just know how to do. Nor is cooking a healthy, unpackaged dinner. It’s something that needs to be learned and practiced!

Plus, while we want our kids to be brilliant and great at their future jobs, let’s face it–if their houses are a pig-sty and they can’t cook a pancake, they are at a disadvantage.

The earlier kids share a portion of daily duties, the better for everyone.

3. MAINTAIN A DECISION-RICH ENVIRONMENT

Every single day is filled with hundreds of choices. Pizza or pasta? Red skirt or blue? Violin or cello? Four-year college or two?

Allowing our children to make age-appropriate choices throughout the day gives them a sense of control and dominion over their lives. And–you guessed it. Decisions also lead to independent thinking and independent actions.

Kids need practice making choices and weighing pros and cons. Plus, when making their own choices they take ownership of those choices. They learn from their bad decisions and can’t blame anyone else for them.

The key is to make decision-making a normal part of your family’s routine and environment. This could mean anything from stocking a bin in the pantry with healthy snacks for your 4-year-old to letting your 12-year-old plan-out her after-school routine.

It’s not a free-for-all–you’ll set up the choices and get the final say. But by purposefully building decisionmaking opportunities into each day, your kids will get used to the expectation that they’ll be thinking for themselves–not only now, but once they’re grown and flown.

Also, that pasta tastes SO much better because they picked it!

Provide an Allowance

Another excellent way to flex children’s decision-making muscles is to offer them an allowance. Besides granting some fiscal fun, an allowance can teach kids to budget

and manage future incomes.

As we all know, monetary self-sufficiency is one of the most crucial aspects of independence.

Maybe there’s a toy they want to buy, new skinny jeans–even a used car. Having an allowance to work with teaches kids how long it takes to save for things they really want.

On the flip side of the coin, an allowance teaches them how quickly and easily money can be spent.

One day, they’ll likely need a down payment for a house. They’ll also want to take that once-in-a-lifetime vacation–all while also paying their bills.

If we allow some practice with a small budget (even just a little piggy bank), our children will know what kind of hard work and patience these goals require.

Please Note: Be conscious of not tying allowances to Family Contributions. Although the concept can be tricky, allowances given in exchange for ordinary help around the house can be confused with rewards. Ideally, an allowance is for budgeting alone.

Giving our kids real-life choices, whether major, minor, or monetary, helps prepare them for all the other choices that lay ahead.

4. ENCOURAGE EFFORT…AND CELEBRATE FAILURE!

That perfection thing? It’s overrated and causes kids a LOT of anxiety. Some kids are so locked into the fear of failure, they don’t even try.

Imagine how this might play out in the real world–the place where your child needs to take risks. Whether applying for college, interviewing for jobs, or bidding on their very first home, they’ll need to be prepared for disappointment and poised to learn from it.

To help kids overcome this when they’re independent adults, focus on the quality of their EFFORTS while they’re still under your roof.

If your son studied hard for his biology test and still got a C, it’s the hard work he put in that counts. If your pottytraining toddler failed to make it to the toilet in time, her steps (literally) in the right direction are commendable.

We can also focus on efforts by encouraging kids to try new things, get out of their comfort zones, and be creative–all to foster their sense of independence without the pressure to succeed or be perfect. Encouragement is never about the result.

Instead, it embraces the process.

When we laser-focus on our kids’ efforts and bravery–

especially through their willingness to take risks–they’ll be less intimidated to work hard and take chances in the future. Ideally, they’ll learn not to fear failure at all, because failure isn’t even the point.

Effort is what will keep them on their own two feet.

5. PROMOTE PROBLEM-SOLVING

It’s SO hard to curb the parental instinct to jump in and fix our kids’ problems. But when it comes to encouraging them to do things on their own, this includes problemsolving!

We can assist them, instead, by giving them the chance to find good solutions.

One way to inspire this is to ask our kids “How?” questions.

“How could you make your sister feel better (since you took her action figure)?”

“How will you make sure you get up in time to catch the bus?”

Just like in a Decision-Rich Environment, if we want kids to think for themselves one day, we can’t provide all the answers. We can assure them we’re available for suggestions or assistance but that it’s best for them to reach their own conclusions.

Avoiding the tendency to jump in with our answers to their problems helps our kids feel confident in their abilities.

What we DO want to offer, however, is a safety-net that allows kids to problem-solve in a controlled environment. With this structure and support in place, bad solutions won’t face serious consequences.

For example: Let’s say your eleven-year-old left his retainer at his friend’s sleepover last night. If his solution is to walk across the neighborhood at 9 pm to retrieve it, you can respond with, “I appreciate your plan to walk over there,

but it’s your bedtime and probably pretty close to your friend’s bedtime, too. Let’s wait until morning when it isn’t dark out and your friend is up and around.”

This way, less-than-ideal solutions can become learning opportunities.

Before long, your child’s problem-solving skills will be prepped and ready for long-term, real-life action.

6. NOURISH YOUR CHILD’S “SPIRIT”

It can be shocking how early our kids’ personalities shine through. Maybe your baby fusses easily and loves being the center of attention. Perhaps your bubbly toddler is as stubborn as she is talkative.

One of the best things we can do for our kids’ independence–especially if we want them to be confident in their abilities and comfortable in their own skin–is to work with these unique strengths and characteristics without defining them.

This includes abandoning any preconceived notions of what we think our kids are like or what we want them to become.

It helps if we start by not labeling our kids. Even if we notice strengths or weaknesses early on, we don’t want our kids to feel defined by our perceptions. Extroverted parents might have an introverted 6-yearold that likes to play alone and would rather not talk to other kids. When she refuses to talk to friends and extended family, they tend to call her “shy”–right within earshot.

Even if certain behaviors or characteristics are true, they aren’t necessarily set in stone, especially at such a young age. We don’t want to define our kids, nor do we want them thinking that certain characteristics are bad.

In her alone play, the same introverted daughter could be honing her LEGO engineering skills or developing a wonderful, outside-the-box imagination. Both are skills and strengths that, regardless of any overt social

hesitancy, should be embraced.

Even when parents feel the need to explain a child’s characteristics, like, “I’m sorry, my daughter will talk your ear off if you let her,” a better phrase would be, “My daughter is excellent at communication. She’s really open about her experiences and feelings.”

Kids that hear positive feedback spend less time retreating from their traits and more time expanding upon them. And when they’re ultimately out on their own, being well aware of these strengths will help them choose suitable lifestyles, careers–even partners.

All in all, nourishing a child’s spirit makes confident, strong-minded thinking just that much more inherent.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As parents, it feels good– great even–when our kids need us. We love it when they turn to us for guidance, affection–even for that peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Don’t worry, your kids will always need you in one way or another.

We do have to remind ourselves, however, that our long-term parenting goal is to guide our kids from being totally dependent on us into becoming independent thinkers and doers. And that’s no overnight task. Raising kids to take a proactive role in their every day lives might be a little scary at first. But believe me, encouraging your kids’ independence is a gift that will keep on giving.

I can’t promise you won’t crumble after sending your recruit off to boot camp or cry buckets when your daughter chooses an out-of-state college. You will lose part of your heart when you send your children into the “real world.”

But knowing that you’ve raised them to be independent will give you the confidence and strength to let them go…and conquer.

www.joansfarm.com

HOTEL SPOTLIGHT: La Quinta Resort & Club

A Golf & Spa Oasis in the Sweeping Coachella Valley

by Elizabeth Kang

Nestled at the base of the Santa Rosa mountains, and just 30-minutes from Joshua Tree National Park, La Quinta Resort & Club is a destination-worthy getaway to recharge, relax, and enjoy an epic game of golf.

Sitting on 45-lush acres, this grand resort features a whopping 41 temperature-controlled pools, 21 tennis courts, eight pickleball courts, five acclaimed golf courses, a full-service spa, and five delicious eateries.

La Quinta is an oasis refuge in the heart of the Coachella Valley, with so much to experience that one can easily spend a week enjoying its offerings without experiencing all the resort has to offer.

Spacious Accommodations

The Casitas, Villas and Luxury Suites are all spacious and tastefully decorated in minimal, rich decor with mahogany woods, creamy, fresh paints and colorful, desert-themed artwork of local flora and fauna. Many rooms feature a fireplace, private patio and separate living area, and all rooms include the usual amenities one would expect from this caliber of a resort, i.e., high-speed wifi, coffee-makers, high-end toiletries, ect.

Guests can choose a room with a garden, mountain or poolside view, and some of the larger villas feature generously sized private pools — perfect for cooling off after a day on the course.

Fun, Yet Challenging Golf

There are five golf courses to choose from at La Quinta, all within 15 minutes from the resort. Each course has its own clubhouse and instruction available, and resort guests are able to book tee times within one year of their desired play date.

We were able to play the PGA West Stadium Course during our stay, home to the Desert Classic Golf Tournament. This 72-par stadium course was designed by Pete Dye, and is ranked among the best courses in the world. In Fact, Golf Magazine ranks this course as one of the top 100 courses to play, and Golf Digest rates it as one of the top 50 toughest courses to play in America. Even so, we found it to be a ton of fun, too, and every bit as challenging as it has been described.

The course condition is immaculate, and

the greens are smooth and roll true, despite having plenty of undulation. As one might expect from a Pete Dye course, the Stadium Course uses a lot of water and railroad crossties. Although every hole is a challenge, they are also a joy to play, and will make a player both grit their teeth and smile.

Hole number 17 is the signature hole, and requires the player to hit a tee shot from an elevated tee to an island green built on boulders, and is completely surrounded by water. This course requires you to make the shot, as there is no bail out area and you’ll most likely lose your ball, otherwise. It may sound tough, but it’s an exceptionally fun hole to play.

Refreshing Pools and Cool Drinks

After a long day on the greens under the desert sun, there is no better way to cool off than in the pool, with a refreshing drink in hand. To that end, La Quinta has you covered, with a staggering 41 pools in the resort.

There’s a pool for every personality, from peaceful, adults-only pools with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains, to lively, all-ages pools where splashing, music, and fun abounds. There are also private pools in some rooms, as well as lap pools for exercising. Many pools offer cabanas for rent, and poolside service to enjoy a favorite cocktail.

A Bevy of Dining Choices

When it’s time to dine, there’s no need to venture off property, because La Quinta offers a delicious variety of restaurants and feel-good cuisine.

Adobe Grill boasts mouthwatering authentic Mexican cuisine in a casual atmosphere. Don’t miss their handmade tamales, and signature margaritas made from a choice of over 100 tequilas.

Morgan’s in the Desert is a go-to for upscale, fine dining, serving up contemporary American cuisine. Expect fresh seafood, USDA steaks, and seasonal, local produce along with a generous selection of fine wine.

Twenty6 is a relaxed American Bistro and bar serving comfort food with a twist. This popular eatery serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Centre Court Cafe is located by the main pool, and is the perfect spot to grab a quick burger, salad, or frozen cocktail.

Photos courtesy of the La Quinta Resort & Club

Serenity at the Spa

After a delicious meal, one might be inclined to take a nap, but we’ve got a better idea. An invigorating facial or rejuvenating massage may be in order, and Spa La Quinta is just the place to experience a relaxing spa treatment you won’t soon forget.

La Quinta is renowned for their spa facility, and guests would be remiss to miss out on a luxurious treatment. The spa menu offers a large selection of thoughtful spa treatments, such as their 80-minute signature massage, incorporating essential oils made from organic, natural desert blends. The facility is soothing and spacious, with guest access to the private spa pool, sauna, steam room, and much more.

Whether you indulge in a spa treatment, relax in the pools or get active on the greens, La Quinta Resort & Club is the perfect place to recharge, unwind, and pamper, all under one roof — or in this case — one desert sky.

LA QUINTA RESORT & CLUB

49-499 EISENHOWER DRIVE LA QUINTA, CA 92253

(760) 564-4111 www.laquintaresort.com

Dr. Laura Markham is the author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University and has worked as a parenting coach with countless parents across the English-speaking world, both in person and via phone. You can find Dr. Laura online at AhaParenting.com, the website of Aha! Moments for parents of kids from birth through the teen years, where she offers a free daily inspiration email to parents.

Helping Your Child Adjust to Middle School

by Dr. Laura Markham

When your child starts middle school, they're faced with all kinds of adjustments, from increased academic pressure, to finding their way to different classes all day long in a bigger building, to shifting relationships with peers. That means they have bigger problems to solve than they did in elementary school.

But they also need a different kind of help from you as their parent, to learn how to manage these challenges. Most of the time, you'll need to refrain from intervening on behalf of your child. This is the time for your child to learn

more about how to navigate the world themselves, and about how to be their own advocate. They don't need you to be their snowplow, removing all obstacles. They need to develop the problem-solving skills and resilience to overcome the obstacles they'll face, with you as their advisor rather than their problem-solver.

That means that your child needs you to be their sounding board, so they can blow off steam and sort through options. They need you to ask good questions and help them consider what the results might be if they take various actions. And they need your support to feel comfortable asking for help and to figure out where to go for help for different kinds of problems.

In other words, parenting in the middle school years is more coaching and less direct advocacy. Here are some top tips to coach your child as they face the increased pressures and learning opportunities of this phase of life -- and to make the transition to middle school easier for both of you.

1. More academic pressure.

Middle schoolers have more school work than in earlier years. The work is harder, so it's imperative not to fall behind. And since the assignments are bigger, your student will often need to work on an assignment over time. That makes it harder to stay organized.

You'll want to teach your student these skills:

• Review assignments after school but before leaving the school building, to be sure you have all the books you need for your work that evening.

• Use a planner. You as the parent can be helpful in checking in with them for the first month to help them develop a routine to use a planner effectively.

• Every evening when starting homework, review both short and longterm assignments to set priorities wisely.

• Develop a relationship with your teachers, so you can see them during office hours or at some other time to ask questions.

• Become an efficiency expert. Do your best and then let it go. There's no need to be perfect, and no need to obsess.

2. More social pressure

The teenage brain is very oriented toward peers and social standing. Your middle schooler's friend group will change as the kids grow and change. Unfortunately, this is often a time of social drama, since kids this age are developing their identities -- and part of that process involves looking at others and deciding what they don't want to be. ("I don't want to be like HER!")

Encourage your child to:

• Give peers the benefit of the doubt.

• Take a deep breath and some time before responding to situations that appear to be social slights.

• Express what they need without passing judgment on anyone else.

• Before school starts, make an arrangement to travel to school with an old friend, and to eat lunch with an old friend, the first day, or throughout the first week.

• Look for the opportunity to make new friends at your new school. Extracurricular activities are a great opportunity to get to know other students who share your interests.

• Invite classmates for pizza study dates, which gives a low-pressure opportunity to get to know each other while also solidifying learning.

3. More Logistical pressure.

For most kids as they start middle school, it's a new challenge to move from classroom to classroom throughout the day. Discuss with your child the importance of getting to class on time and prepared. Then ask them what might get in their way (chatting with friends, losing track of time, going to their locker for a book they forgot) and help them consider solutions.

Support your child to:

• Practice opening their combination lock at home so it's easy for them to open their locker quickly.

• Review their schedule using a map of the building to plan their route. Where is their locker? The closest bathroom? When will they have time to get to each?

make it easier to fall asleep.

All of these pressures are learning opportunities for your child, so resist the urge to solve them. Your job is to coach, not to play the game for your child.

• Get to bed in time to get their essential nine hours of sleep, so they can wake up on time in the morning without an alarm or a parent (except as backup.)

If they don't wake on their own, they aren't getting enough sleep.

• Develop a mindfulness practice to manage stress, like listening to a guided meditation before bedtime to

Your most important parenting skill at this age is listening without over-reacting or trying to solve the problem for them. Preteens and teens who feel they can talk to their parents are happier and healthier on every measure.

If your child can come to you and feel heard -- without you jumping in to tell them what to do -- they will share more with you about what's important to them and the challenges they're facing. That means that both of you will learn more from your ongoing conversations!

A VISIT TO QUARRY PARK ADVENTURES

by Trista Cambra-Flanders

Our family recently visited Quarry Park Adventures and it was an adventurer’s paradise — truly a sight to be seen. This expansive park is a must-visit if you have energetic family members who love to climb, run, balance and jump.

Quarry Park offered a little something for everyone, from a kids’ playground and thrilling zip line, to relaxing paddle boats and spectacular rock climbing. The nation’s only adventure park built within and atop a former rock quarry, makes for an unforgettable and unique day spent outdoors. Among the exciting activities experienced were the “Aerial Adventures,” “Free-Fall Experience,” rock climbing, and “Kidz Kove" - a playground unlike we’ve ever experienced, which included mini zip lines for kids, paddles boats, rappel, and Via Ferrata (protected climbing) around the Quarry and Zip Line.

and they were all incredible. The paddle boats are an old-school style boat in a beautifully landscaped setting which made it even more special, with ducks and other wildlife around. When you participate in any of their adventures, the highly trained staff at Quarry Park provides helpful safety training prior to your activity, and there are guides all around the property to assist. They have coolers all over to make sure you stay hydrated, which was key on the hot day we visited.

A quick drive from the Bay Area, Quarry Park Adventures makes for a perfect day trip. If you choose to stay the entire weekend, check out the Holiday Inn Auburn. This lovely and affordable hotel has a wonderful pool, breakfast buffet and is a quick 15-minute drive the to the park. The staff is amazing and will happily assist in planning your entire stay. A great recommendation from their team was Old town Auburn. The quaint town offers tons of history, shopping, and restaurants.

The park offers different types of tickets available, so you can have a customized experience that will work for your family or group. Quarry Park Adventures is a perfect destination to host a birthday party or large group event. During our visit we were able to experience each activity

QUARRY PARK ADVENTURES

5373 Pacific St., Rocklin, CA 95677 (916) 824-1680 www.quarrypark.com

OLD TOWN AUBURN www.oldtownauburnca.com

FAMILY FUN AT YOGI BEAR’S JELLYSTONE PARK

CAMP-RESORT

Looking for a memorable way to celebrate Halloween in a safe, family friendly place? The search is over at Yogi Bear’s Jellsytone Resort, just an hour away in Lodi, California. Serving up extra sweet treats and zero tricks, Jellystone is our favorite way to celebrate the Halloween festivities, from hay rides and costume contests to good old fashioned trick’ or’ treating.

Whether you like to camp, “glamp" or bring along the trusty RV, this well-equipped camp-resort has you covered. Read on to discover why Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Camp-Resort is the best way to make spooky memories during the Halloween season, and beyond.

Enchanted Lodging

One of the best aspects of Jellystone resort is its flexibility and variety when it comes to lodging. Because there are spaces for tent camping, RV camping and fully equipped cabins, any style of camper is comfortable. And if you’re camping with friends or extended family, those without an RV or those who prefer not to tent camp won’t be left out of the fun. All Cabins and RV sites provide outdoor grills and water hookups, and the tent sites include water and electric, as well as a personal picnic table.

— TOWER PARK

by Elizabeth Kang

Jellystone is equipped with spacious, deluxe cabins that sleep up to eight people, boasting full kitchens, private bathrooms, and a comfortable queen bed, bunk bed and loft sleeping area. The cabin kitchens include everything needed to make a warm meal, including a full-sized fridge, range and oven, as well as a sink, utensils, cooking pans, cups and plates.

Spooktacular Fun

Halloween is such a fun time to visit Jellystone, when the resort is brimming with spooky activities, themed events and planned parties every weekend in October, and the first weekend of November.) This time of year is also one of the busiest times at the resort, thanks to great weather and memorable activities.

There are costume contests with prizes given for best group, pair and individual contest, among other categories. There’s a terrifying haunted house, trick’or’treating throughout the camp (campers are encouraged to decorate their RV site, tent site or cabin) and a glow stick dance party. The resort also hosts a kid-friendly movie night under the stars, and a pumpkin-carving contest. Little ones won’t want to miss the magical pumpkin hayride, where they plant magic pumpkins seeds only to find full-grown pumpkins that have “magically” grown overnight!

Wicked Amenities

Aside from all of the fun events going on, Jellystone offers a wide range of year-round amenities to enjoy. On sunny days cool off in the lazy river, or enjoy the

heated swimming pool year-round. The new splash park boasts two kiddie slides, a 750-gallon hydrostorm, water cannons, and two water slides. Scavenger hunts, arts & crafts, and a variety of other fun activities are also available for families to participate in.

There’s also laser tag, mini golf, playgrounds and gem mining on site. The giant jumping pillow is a hit with the kids. At the marina, children can play at the sandy beach, or have some fun in the new bumper boats, partaking in a water fight battle! There’s also kayaks, paddle boards, mini speedboats and electric boast to rent, which is such a nice way to spend an afternoon on the Delta.

(For an additional cost, families can rent a golf cart to

easily navigate this expansive campground — which many kids find to be the highlight of the weekend!)

Jellystone Camp-Resort is super dog-friendly, too, so be sure to bring Fido along on this family vacation! Some of the cabins are specifically pet-friendly, so just request one when making your reservation. Your dog will have blast running around the “Bark Park” fenced-in dog park, which even has obstacles and toys to play with.

YOGI BEAR’S JELLYSTONE PARK CAMP-RESORT

AT TOWER PARK

14900 West Highway 12 Lodi, CA 95242 (209) 800-2279 www.towerparkresort.com

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