Mama Loves Family Travel – Our Malibu Staycation

Posted on Oct 18, 2015 | 0 comments

Family Travel is not about how far you go, or even where you go.

Family Travel is about taking time to explore and experience something new together as a family.

Even if it is right in your own town!

There are so many fun things here in Malibu that we have always wanted to check out and never seem to have the time to do. So we decided it would be fun to check into The Malibu Beach Inn for a weekend staycation… and to share it all with you!!

Since we already knew we wanted to stay at The Malibu Beach Inn, we made a list of all of the things we really wanted to do in Malibu.

The next day I set about researching on google, contacting places and by the end of the day I had the following itinerary outlined.

Our Malibu Staycation Itinerary – Things to do in Malibu

A Family Weekend in Malibu Itinerary

The basic plan:

Check-In Friday evening, after dinner. Relax with a walk on the beach. Try to get the kids to sleep by 8:30ish and then sit out on the back balcony with a drink enjoying each other’s company.

On Saturday we will order room service from The Carbon Beach Club for breakfast upon wake-up, check out the yoga class and/or take a family walk on beach collecting unique rocks and shells. Then we plan to take the Trolley to tour The Adamson House and Gardens, have lunch at Café Habana in the Malibu Country Mart followed by shopping/playground time, have a Stand Up Paddle Board Lesson with Malibu Surf Shack and dinner on the Pier at Malibu Farm ending the evening with drinks on the private balcony once kids are asleep.

Sunday we will wake up, get dressed and packed and head down to the Carbon Beach Club for breakfast on the back deck with breathtaking views. We will then check out, grab the car and stop into the Malibu Farmer’s Market (open 10-3) and get some yummy treats for a beach picnic (and some bits for the week!). Next hopefully we will get lucky with a good parking spot and be able to snag a prime spot on the famous Surfrider Beach to end our Malibu Staycation!

What do you pack for a trip to Malibu?

Click on the following links to get printable versions of my packing list:

Girls Packing List for a Weekend in Malibu

Boys Packing List for a Weekend in Malibu

Dads Packing List for a Weekend in Malibu

Moms Packing List for a Weekend in Malibu

You can usually plan for the weather to be around the high 70’s during the day and low 60’s at night. The ocean breeze is amazing and will always keep you cool. Lately, we have been having really warm weather one week and cold the next so layers are the way to go for a visit to Malibu!

I like to include the kids in my packing process, it helps us all build excitement! So on the bottom of the list is a separate kids list for them to pack in their own little bag!

How was the Weekend in Malibu Experience?

Our Friday check-in came quickly and we were all excited! We packed up, piled into the car and drove over to The Malibu Beach Inn.

The Malibu Beach Inn is so welcoming. We entered and instantly relaxed with their contemporary, beachy décor and friendly staff. We experienced true Family Style Luxury at The Malibu Beach Inn and really enjoyed our stay.

Our room was on the 3^rd floor and had a queen bed, a pull out couch, a fireplace and a balcony with a stunning view. It was clean and cozy with plenty of room, a great wine collection and a big flat screen TV. They offer Molton Brown products so you don’t have to bring your own! The restaurant is called Carbon Beach Club and has fantastic service and views. We love to eat here!!

The sleeping arrangements worked out great. The couch pulled out into a very comfortable bed that my kids had plenty of room in and was right next to the fireplace, which helped lull them to sleep! Or it could have been the sound of the waves kissing the beach and spraying that lovely salt into the air. I’m not sure, but either way, both of mine fell asleep quickly and comfortably allowing us to have a quiet drink on the private balcony together – both nights! It was heavenly!!

The Adamson House was a great experience. We all learned a few things about Malibu and got to see an immaculately designed home from the 1930’s where no detail was spared the utmost attention. The quality speaks for itself as all of the original tiles and unique furnishings are still in pristine condition today.

Lunch at Café Habana was amazing as always. This is one of our favorite spots. It’s chilled out atmosphere on the patio is perfect for family dining and their entire menu is mouthwatering. Seriously. We love their modern Latina design and the food is always delicious. Perfectly located in the Malibu Country Mart, we were able to get some shopping and playpark time in after lunch!

Our Stand Up Paddle Boarding Lesson with Malibu Surf Shack was soooo much fun, definitely a highlight of our trip. Not only did they show us a great time, but they gave us a new family hobby. My kids had the best time paddle boarding. We rented 2 paddle boards and signed up for a lesson with Troy. Troy took my daughter onto his board and my husband took my son – I was left to fend for myself!!

Of course my husband popped up quickly – I was just glad I made it out through the surf on my knees without falling in!! Once out to the end of the Pier, they talked me through it and I stood up – without going in the drink! It was so fun!

The kids were having a blast and it made my whole day to see all of their giant smiles. This moment is what family travel is all about. Doing something new together, laughing together, playing together, having an adventure together. That is my happiness.

Dinner at The Malibu Farm on the Malibu Pier was good and we had a fun time walking the beach back to the Malibu Beach Inn.

After another great night’s sleep, it was time to pack up.

We had an amazing breakfast at The Carbon Beach Club overlooking the ocean and the Pier. We then checked out and headed over to the Malibu Farmer’s Market to pick up some food for a picnic on the beach and had a lovely beach day.

This was one of the better, more relaxing trips that we have taken in a long time. We all slept great, relaxed together, played together, found a new hobby we can all do together and learned a little about this cool town of Malibu!

Check it out: