Things to do when staying in Port Isabel & South Padre Island, Texas.

So you found our cute little kid friendly beach bungalow via an Airbnb search or stumbled across our Instagram, liked what you saw and decided to book a trip with us. Yay! Now, you are probably going to start working on that itinerary, being the planner that you are :) so instead of spending hours surfing the web, we rounded out the top things to do when you are staying in Port Isabel or our neighboring city South Padre Island, Texas.

Glady’s Porter Zoo: an oasis nestled in the center of Brownsville, Texas (about 30min away from Port Isabel). With 27 acres of lush tropical plants and some 1,500 animals, the Gladys Porter Zoo is known for its successes in breeding endangered species of wildlife. For tickets and pricing, click here. After you spend the day at the zoo, grab a coffee for that afternoon pick me up at 7th & park.

JuiceUs: located in Brownsville, this cute little healthy eatery has everything from craft smoothies and juices to refreshing poke bowls, salads and wraps. Don’t forget to leave room for their sweet (and healthy) treats! Order in store or online here.

Grapevine Cafe: if you’re looking for vegan and gluten free food options, Grapevine Cafe is for you! Located in South Padre Island, just 10 minutes from us, this cafe has options for all (their fish tacos are a must) and they even roast their own coffee! Kid-friendly restaurant, so bring your kids along, as kids eat free from noon-3pm. Free and healthy?! Doesn’t get much better than that!

SpaceX Boca Chica Facility: just across the bay from South Padre Island is the SpaceX Boca Chica launch site. Here is where you’ll find some of the most advanced rockets being tested for everything from near orbital satellite deployments to the Mars mission. After visiting the facility take a drive to Boca Chica Beach and have the beach all to yourself while watching rockets launch right behind you. Truly a one of a kind experience not to be missed!

A Texas Beach Vacation.

Now that the holidays are passed us, I’m sure you are slowly starting to plan a family vacation during the summertime. If you are looking for something tropical, affordable, kid-friendly and within the United States, we have the perfect solution - how about a Texas Beach Vacation?!

You may be thinking to yourself, do tropical and Texas really go hand and hand? The answer is YES! Welcome to Port Isabel, Texas. Located at the very southern tip and surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico, it feels like you are IN Mexico but without the hassle of actually going TO Mexico. Ok so now that I have your attention, here are a few more details on our Waterfront Vacation Escape…

Come escape the stress, relax and unwind in the Gulf of Mexico! This is the ideal retreat for families and groups of friends. We've included all the necessities for those traveling with kids, so you can lighten your load when packing: pack and play, booster seat, noise machine and night light, utensils and serving dishes, games and toys! In addition, our waterfront beach house bungalow includes the following:

2 Bedrooms / 2 Bathrooms / Kitchen / Dining Room / Living Room / Patio

COMMUNITY AMENITIES: Pool & spa, basketball court, playground, fishing pier

MAIN FEATURES: Waterfront location, patio w/ seating, charcoal grill, picnic table, 2 Smart TVs w/ Netflix, dining table, ceiling fans, board games.

KITCHEN: Fully equipped w/ stainless steel appliances, breakfast bar w/ seating, cooking basics, dishware & flatware, drip coffee maker, toaster, Vitamix blender, knife set, kettle

GENERAL: Central A/C, washer & dryer, laundry detergent, complimentary toiletries, linens & towels, keyless entry, beach towels, hair dryers, iron & board

Our Waterfront Beach House in Texas is conveniently located within 10 minutes of public beaches, fishing charters, South Padre Island and 20 miles from Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport.

Breezy beach days and cozy nights spent listening to waves and a crackling fire are calling your name at this boho-coastal inspired retreat! Click here to book your stay today!

The Ultimate California Family Vacation.

After having our third and fourth child, distant traveling seemed to be a thing of the past for us. With 2 kids, hoping on an airplane or taking a long car ride seemed do-able, but now, its much harder. After we got our boat, we realized how much we loved being around lakes and mountains. We also realized that it would be smart to get a vacation home in California, something we would be able to use in the present and future, that would be far enough away to feel like an actual vacation but close enough to our home in Orange County so we didn’t have to hear screaming babies for hours and kids asking repeatedly “are we there yet”?

If you are like us and live in Southern California, than our kid-friendly cabin is the perfect family vacation for you! It’s about 1-1.5hrs (depending where you are traveling from) but when you arrive you’ll feel like you are in a completely different state. Our cabin is surrounded by pine trees and nature that allow you to escape the daily hustle and bustle back down the mountain. There are countless of hiking trails nearby, a village to stroll, fantastic restaurants, but our personal favorite thing to do is stay in for dinner, bbq, sit on our deck, let the kids roast marshmallows, play games and take in the beauty of the surroundings. Doing nothing while enjoying the outdoors, to me, is the ultimate California family vacation.

Top 5 things to do in Lake Arrowhead.

As you all may know, we are from Orange County (born and raised) and yet a little over a year ago we had no idea Lake Arrowhead even existed! We’ve been to Big Bear several times but never Lake Arrowhead, so it’s funny to me that we purchased a cabin in an area we had little knowledge of. So if you’re like us and have never been to Lake Arrowhead and looking for things to do, whether you are staying at Piva Casa for the weekend or just looking to make a day trip (did I mention Lake Arrowhead is only 1hr 15min away from Orange County!) here are our Top 5 Things to Do in Lake Arrowhead:

1. SkyPark at Santa’s Village: SkyPark at Santa's Village is an Outdoor Adventure Park in the Skyforest section of Lake Arrowhead, California. One all-day pass gets you access to all their open air activities like mountain biking, hiking, fly fishing, rollerblading (ice skating in the winter), rock wall climbing, zip lining, archery, plus fabulous restaurants (we loved Billy’s BBQ house), pubs & sweet shoppes.

2. Explore Lake Arrowhead Village: The village is a quick 10-minute drive from our cabin. The village has great entertainment and restaurants, including a few of our favs like The Lakefront Tap Room (pub style eats & drinks with views of the lake), Belgian Waffle Works, ice cream for the kids at Village Ice Cream Shop and wine and beer tasting for adults at The Grapevine and Lake Arrowhead Brewing Company. Ferry rides are also available with stunning views of the lake!

3. Local Hikes & Parks: If you are a nature lover, there are some great nearby hikes! Will Abell, Dogwood and Heartrock to name a few. Check out more details on the All Trails app. We also love taking our kids MacKay Park where they can zip-line and parents can enjoy breathtaking views from atop of the lake!

4. Skiing at Snow Valley: With 13 lifts and 240 acres of powdery terrain, Snow Valley has something for every level skier and boarder. We took our 6 year old daughter (at the time) for lessons here and had a wonderful experience. The Edge Terrain Park offers more than a mile of downhill fun with numerous hits, spines, and tabletops. Snow Valley features a wide variety of skiable and rideable trails and terrain. A favorite of skiers and boarders of all ages!

5. Visit Lake Gregory: We went to Lake Gregory for the first time this past summer and had such a fun experience! During the summer months, they have huge inflatables and a giant water slide for the kids, that provided hours of entertainment at a reasonable price. They also offer many other activities, like fishing, personal boat launch, nature trail loop, skate park and a variety of boat rentals (duffy, pedal, row, kayak, SUP, canoe, aqua-cycle and e-cars). You really can spend the entire day here!