Four hours of our day will be spent volunteering with Save Our Shores, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of California’s coastline and the health of its beach habitats. We give back with a beach clean-up project, helping prevent garbage from floating off into the Pacific Ocean.

Next, we’ll head inland toward Yosemite National Park. We won’t be hanging out with throngs of tourists, though; instead, we’ll escape the summer heat and crowds and head to Fresno Dome, sitting above 7,000 feet in elevation. Learn the ins and outs of rock climbing on the smooth Sierra granite; you’ll even get to belay your peers! Fun fact: Climbing legend Royal Robbins spent much of his time developing routes here.

After a day of climbing, we’ll pile in the vans and take a short drive to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, where more than 500 of the world’s oldest evergreens reside. Their branches are up to eight feet thick, while their bases can reach 40 feet in diameter! Just north of Mariposa is the famous Yosemite Valley, where we’ll marvel at the 3,000-foot-tall granite walls and hike Nevada Fall, which towers almost 600 feet above the valley floor. Its turbulent, powerful waters create a refreshing mist that’s sure to cool you off after a day of hiking!

Don’t be intimidated by the South Fork of the American River’s rapids named “Troublemaker” and “Satan’s Cesspool”—you’ll drop these lively class III rapids with ease with the help of professional raft guides. On the calmer sections, you’ll get to try your hand at stand-up paddleboarding! Hemmed in by the rolling hills of the Sierra Nevada, you’ll see relics of history: Gold discovery on its shores triggered the California Gold Rush of 1849.

Known by locals as the most beginner-friendly surf spot in the area, we’ll spend two days on Stinson Beach receiving professional surf instruction. You’ll learn techniques, water safety and awareness, and etiquette before paddling out to watch for the perfect line. These mellow waves are so reliable, it’s not unusual to catch 20 to 30 lines in a day!

We’ll finish our northern California adventure with a tour of historic landmarks, including the infamous Alcatraz Island. See reminders of the American Indian Occupation carved into the stone of “the Rock,” and walk in the shoes of notorious criminals like Al “Scarface” Capone during a prison cell tour. We’ll see friendlier sites as well, like the West Coast’s oldest operating lighthouse and the beautiful Gardens of Alcatraz. Then we’ll walk the entirety of the 1.7-mile-long Golden Gate Bridge before admiring Ghirardelli Square (possibly picking up some namesake chocolate!) and Fisherman’s Wharf.