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  • Family Weekend Getaways in California

    Family Weekend Getaways in California

    We love taking family getaways in California!  With a handful of major metropolitan areas, the Pacific Ocean, national parks, wine country and plenty of sun, there are endless destination options.  We have spent many weekends traveling around California but are always looking for new places to explore.  We asked fellow family travel bloggers to share their favorite California family weekend getaways and came up with this amazing list:

    #1: Death Valley National Park

    Death Valley National Park is an amazing destination to visit with kids of all ages. From the lunar looking landscapes to the massive sand dunes and expansive salt flats, kids of all ages will be mesmerized!

    The top thing to do on any family itinerary at Death Valley is to spend some time at Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes. The furthest, tallest dune is about two miles out; however, families will have fun exploring the different dunes no matter how far they go. While visiting on this side of the park, take a detour to the only interpretive trail in Death Valley, the Saltwater Creek Trail. This is home to the elusive pupfish that families will enjoy searching for along the boardwalk trail. The best bet for pupfish sightings is during the spring. Heading deeper into the park, Badwater Basin is another must visit on any trip to Death Valley. This expansive salt flat sits 200+ feet below sea level and is considered the lowest point in North America.
    There is so much to do in the park, but no visit is complete without a stop (or two) at Zabriskie Point, which offers the most iconic views in Death Valley. View it from the top before heading out the Badlands Trail to see it from within as well!

    Recommended by Karilyn Owen from No Back Home.  Find out more from Karilyn about Death Valley with kids.

    #2:  Disneyland 

    Disneyland is just 40 minutes from Los Angeles International Airport and is a must-do family two-night getaway. Sure, there are plenty of crowds and high-priced expenditures that come with this particular holiday. But, a visit to the dreamland that Walt originally built also brings with it a sort of magic.  Here’s our recommended itinerary:

    • Disneyland: Day One
      • Book the Character Dining Breakfast at Plaza Inn. It gets you inside before the crowds, and kids can bust a move with beloved characters while enjoying a decent buffet.
      • Visit original attractions from opening day (1955) like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Disneyland Railroad, Jungle Cruise and Mad Tea Party.
      • Meet Mickey & Minnie in Toontown before or after a home tour.
      • Book lunch at Blue Bayou inside the world of the Pirates of the
        Caribbean and dinner at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen
        for live music, adult drinks and NOLA cuisine in Downtown Disney.  (Note: Until the Star Wars Bar opens summer 2019, the general public can’t buy alcohol on property.)
    • Disney California Adventure (DCA): Day Two –
      • Casually stroll the boardwalk-themed waterside. Explore Cars Land.
      • Grab a cocktail. Enjoy rides as you come upon them. The feel is completely different here and can be done at a slower pace.

    We recommend staying at Sheraton Park Hotel, an off-property hotel that is a short 15-minute walk from the entrance. Guests get a break from the hustle and bustle and get more bang for their buck.  Families who book a Fireworks View Room on the Concierge Floor won’t regret it.

    Recommended by Brandy from Kid Allergy Travel.

     

    #3:  Hollywood

    Hollywood is an amazing city to visit with kids. We spent an afternoon to exploring Hollywood after visiting Warner Brothers Studios.  We parked on Hollywood Boulevard and walked the hall of fame listing all the Hollywood stars and took great delight in pointing out any Australians that made the cut. We briefly stopped at the Chinese Theater for a few photos. Next up was the famous Hollywood sign. We choose to view it from the Hollywood Bowl. The gates were open and we walked around and took some photos from the very rear seating area.   

    Warner Brothers Studios is a great tour, visitors see behind the scenes of many different sitcoms we have come to know and love. We did a quick skit on the Friends set sitting on the couch in the Central Peaks Cafe. Kids thought that was brilliant.   Universal Studios was also a big hit with the kids. Especially popular was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and all the new 4D thrill rides. The Back Stage tram ride took us around many of the sets for different films that we recognized from some of Hollywood’s blockbuster movies.  Last but not least, we took a drive through Beverly Hills and down Rodeo Drive. Would have been nice to kick back in a convertible Mustang but our trusty Ford Mondeo hire car was more than fine! 

    Recommended by Sally Lucas from Our 3 Kids v the World.  Find out more from Sally about Universal Studios with kids.

     

    #4:  Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

    Visiting the world’s tallest trees in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park with our family was like stepping into another planet. In fact, our kids often found themselves looking for Ewoks hiding among the massive tree trunks and head-high ferns during our visit. We later learned that George Lucas filmed his Endor scenes from Return of the Jedi right here in the Redwoods. Coastal redwood trees, which can grow up to 360 feet tall, are only found on the California coast, from Big Sur up to the Oregon border. There are plenty of redwood forests in California, but in our opinion, the best place to explore with children is Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.

    The trails in Redwoods are very accessible for kids, and there are interpretive programs that provide a closer look at the area’s wildlife and ecosystems. During our three-day visit, we camped under the canopy of massive trees and were able to explore many of the trails without ever getting in our car. We spent our mornings hiking through the fog, and our afternoons swimming in the gloriously cold and clean Smith River — seriously one of our top five swimming spots in the whole USA. The park is also just a short drive from the ocean in Crescent City, where we witnessed some of the most beautiful sunsets we’ve ever seen. Our weekend in the Redwoods is a trip we still talk about, and we can’t wait to go back.

    Recommended by Tara Schatz from Back Road Ramblers.  Find out more from Tara about Redwoods with kids. 
     
     
    #5:  Joshua Tree National Park

    Joshua Tree National Park is often described as ‘otherworldly’ and indeed, its peculiar landscape makes it one of the most unique and distinctive places in California.

    Located about 3 hours by car from LA, Joshua Tree National Park lies where two different desert systems meet: the Colorado and the Mojave. The park is famous for the ‘Joshua trees’, big yucca plants stretching their arms to the sky, and giant boulders that erosion has carved into elaborate shapes that act as refuge for desert wildlife.

    Despite the inhospitable climate, Joshua tree is fantastic to visit with kids. Several hikes such as Skull Rock discovery trail and Cholla cactus garden are suitable even for the youngest explorers and the rangers organise excellent kids activities such as the Dr Seuss inspired ‘I speak for the tree’ events about conservation.

    The best way to visit Joshua tree is to drive to the area and spend a couple of days exploring different trails.  Make sure not to miss the junior ranger program.  

    Recommended by Marta Correale from Learning Escapes.  Find out more from Marta about visiting Joshua Tree with kids.

     

    #6:  Lake Tahoe

    Lake Tahoe‘s laid-back vibe and abundance of outdoor activities make it my favorite place to visit with kids during any season. With stunning views of blue water and snow-capped mountains, the area is purposely underdeveloped to protect and maintain a pristine lake.  In the winter, Tahoe is a wonderland. There are several ski resorts around the lake. For families, I recommend Northstar, Heavenly, or Squaw Valley. All have excellent ski schools, plus activities such as ice skating, sledding, snow tubing, bungee trampolining, shopping, dining, and even crafts like candle- and pottery-making.

    The resorts are also popular spots in the summer, offering zip-lining, ropes courses, climbing walls, and gondola rides. But there’s so much more Tahoe offers in the summer. Every time we visit, we try to hike a new trail – and there are tons to explore! Tahoe also has beautiful beaches and every water sport imaginable. We have camped, kayaked, hiked, and biked. And Kings Beach on the north shore of Lake Tahoe has one of the best mini golf courses we’ve ever played!

    We also love exploring by car. Driving around the lake, with its winding roads and incredible vistas, is quite an experience! Driving non-stop takes about three hours, but we stopped at all the beaches and scenic viewpoints we could find. At each stop, we took pictures and collected cool rocks or some of Tahoe‘s gigantic pine cones!

    Recommended by Shannon Entin from the TV Traveler.  Check out more of her California adventures.

    #7:  Los Angeles

    Visitors could easily spend a week or more in Los Angeles with kids, however, it’s still a worthwhile trip for families who only have a few days. Weekend visitors will just have to be selective as to what they do.  International visitors will most likely fly into LAX, and it may even be their first stop before moving on to explore other parts of the USA.  LA is also the official end of the famous Route 66, so this a good place to start or end a road trip as well.

    As to family friendly attractions in LA, they are endless! Some of the more popular attractions include Universal Studios and the Warner Bros Studio Tour.   Other places I recommend for families are the Grammy Museum (great for music fans), Broad Museum (great for creative kids) and the Natural History Museum of LA County (great for little dinosaur fans).

    For free activities, spend some time on Santa Monica beach and stroll down to Venice Beach to watch the buskers.  For families who love to shop, check out the Grove a lovely outdoor mall and the Farmers Markets next door is great for lunch.

    Recommended by Melissa Delaware from of Thrifty Family Travels.  Find out more from Melissa about Los Angeles with kids.

     

    #8:  Malibu 

    Looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle of LA? Look no further than, Malibu, LA’s closest neighbor to the north. Stretching 21 scenic miles along the Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu is the stuff California dreams are made of. Malibu’s Mediterranean climate means warm dry summers and moderate winters. There are gorgeous beaches, world famous surf spots, fishing, hiking and plenty of dining, shopping, and museums to keep families occupied no matter the time of year. The best way to experience Malibu is in a car.  

    Experienced fisherman and first timers will both find the pier to be a great place to enjoy a day of fishing. We’ve been a few different times and have had great luck even enjoying an evening meal with our catch of the day. The Malibu Sport Fishing Pier is located at 23000 Pacific Coast Highway and is open daily from 6:30 am to sunset. Fishing permits are not required, and fishing rods, bait and tackle are available for rental on the Pier.

    Zuma Beach, located at the northern end of Malibu, is one of LA’s most popular beaches. The drive to Zuma is spectacular in itself, and there are almost two miles of soft clean sand, a wide variety of beach activities, restaurants, public restrooms and plentiful parking.

    An entire glorious day could be spent at Leo Carrillo State Park where activities at the park are many and include, exploring the tide pools, swimming, surfing, windsurfing, surf fishing, and beach combing. There are also caves and reefs for exploring, hiking trails, picnic tables and camping. Leo Carrillo is located at 35000 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu and is open from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm. The entrance to the park is on the East side of the Pacific Coast Highway. There are bathrooms and pay showers on site.

    I love the beach, but I don’t love eating in the sand, which makes Neptune’s Net, located just a few miles north of Leo Carrillo State Park, a great place to grab a bite to eat prior to hitting the beach. Since 1956 it’s been a favorite of motorcyclists, surfers, locals and anyone else looking for a delicious basket of golden fish and chips. Expect a crowd, especially on weekends.

    Recommended by Hilary from Hilary Style.  Find out more from Hilary about Malibu with kids.

     

    #9:  Marin County

    Marin County is a wonderful location for a family weekend.  It is separated from San Francisco by the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge but offers many great kid-friendly activities.  Our favorite is definitely Muir Woods National Monument.  This magical redwood forest features the Sequoia sempervirens, the Earth’s tallest living things.  These trees are around 250 feet tall and hundreds of years old.  A walk through these woods is nothing short of awe-inspiring.  We also enjoy visiting Point Reyes.  Point Reyes is the windiest place on the Pacific Coast and the second foggiest place on the North American continent, so it’s no surprise that its famous lighthouse had to work overtime and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Another great place to visit during a weekend in Marin County is the Marin County Civic Center, which was designed by one of our favorite architects, Frank Lloyd Wright.  Marin County is a great destination for a weekend trip.

    Recommended by We Go With Kids.  Find out more about Muir Woods with kids.

     

    #10:  Mendocino

    Mendocino is a fantastic city for families to visit in California. It is located just off the Pacific Coast Highway, three hours north of San Francisco. As a coastal small town, Mendocino boasts access to beautiful beaches, state parks and outdoor fun. Families can kayak through sea caves, bike or swim in Mendocino State Park, visit a museum downtown or hike Russian Gulch State Park. Those with smaller children may just enjoy wading in the Pacific Ocean. The dramatic cliffs make for a spectacular backdrop and one of the unique features here is that there are two rivers that meet the ocean – the Little River and Big River. Walking along the river bank and watching how the freshwater interacts with the salt water is fascinating.

    For those who prefer a more wooded area, Jackson State Park and Mendocino National Park are within 30 min to an hour away. Here families can enjoy camping, boating, and walking among the redwoods. Families looking for a continued adventure further north than Mendocino can check out the Pacific Northwest.

    Recommended by Margie from DQ Family Travel.  Find out more from Margie about visiting the Pacific Northwest with kids.

     
    #11:  Monterey

    Monterey is one of California’s most unsung treasures. Located just two hours south of San Francisco, Monterey is the perfect getaway for families traveling with children. On a recent trip, my family of four was blown away by the breadth of activities in Monterey – everything from California history, amazing marine life, hiking, and wine tasting is available!
    Every trip to Monterey should be anchored by the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. Located on the bay, the aquarium is the perfect place to spend hours discovering and exploring marine life. We enjoyed, in particular, the amazing jellyfish exhibits, the beautiful views of Monterey Bay, and, the abundant marine themed play spaces for children, which came in particularly handy on a rainy morning.

    In addition to Monterey Bay Aquarium, families should absolutely take advantage of California’s beautiful outdoors. Visit the Dennis the Menace Playground and take a paddle boat ride on Lake El Centro. Take a walk alongside the Asilomar State Beach, where the boardwalk meanders along 25 acres of restored sand dunes. And if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, Jacks Peak Park is an ideal location for families looking to hike with young children as it is perfectly manageable for little legs and the heavy forestry provides abundant shade and cool on warm days.

    If time permits, be sure to check out an integral part of California history – the Carmel Mission. Built in 1770, the Mission provides a quick primer of California’s rich Spanish missionary history and is also the final resting place of Juniper Serra, the priest who founded the first missions in California.

    Recommended by We Go With Kids. Find out more about Monterey with kids. 

     

    #12:  Napa Valley

    When we planned a family vacation to Northern California, my husband and I did not want to miss an opportunity to visit some of the country’s best wineries just because we were traveling with our two young sons.  We regularly visited Grand River Valley wine country in Ohio with them, and the rare treat of drinking grape juice even more when it was served in wine glasses.  While none of the wineries served grape juice in wine glasses and only one offered them Capri Sun, they enjoyed taking winery tours and riding an aerial tram at Sterling Vineyards, watching grape stomping at Grgich Hills Estates, frolicking in the vineyards at Andretti Winery, picnicking at V. Sattui and even taking a nap during a tasting at Beaulieu Vineyard.  But, their highlight was really our suite at the Meritage Resort and Spa.  Napa Valley may not be welcoming, but we would definitely plan a repeat trip next time we are in the area.  The scenery itself is breathtaking.

    Recommended by We Go With Kids.  Find out more about Napa with kids.

     
    #13:  San Diego

    San Diego might be one of the best family-friendly destinations in the U.S. It’s great for a weekend stay – or longer. There are both unique activities and attractions as well as beautiful scenery and beaches. For animal loving families, it’s an ideal location with the world-famous San Diego Zoo, San Diego Safari Park, and whale watching boats.

    One of our family’s favorite things to do in San Diego was spying on seals and sea lions and inspecting the tidal pools at La Jolla Cove. Legoland California is a must-do for theme park junkies and is perfect for kids under 12. A trip via ferry (or by car) to Coronado Island offers a beautiful beach, but I’d also check out the grand old Hotel del Coronado and the cute seaside restaurants and shops. Gaslamp Quarter offers some great restaurants, and don’t forget to eat some fish tacos!

    Recommended by Lori from Maps, Memories and Motherhood.

     

    #14:  San Francisco

    San Francisco is an amazing family destination because there are endless things to do – literally. Our list of things to experience in San Francisco keeps growing because new places are popping up all the time! We live here, but if anyone wants to get here, families can fly into San Francisco or Oakland airport, or there are trains from all over the country into Emeryville, right across the Bay Bridge. It is about a 7-hour drive from Los Angeles area.

    In San Francisco, families can visit kids museums, aquariums, see sea lions at Fisherman’s’ Wharf, visit Alcatraz, eat the best dim sum in Chinatown, roam around the Golden Gate Park and spot bison. There are special events happening all year round – holidays are big here in San Francisco. Also, traveling families may not consider San Francisco as a budget-friendly city, but there are over 200 free things to do with kids in San Francisco! So don’t let the average hotel price is $397 per night scare you from coming. That’s not all – there are national parks and kid-friendly wineries in every direction within an hour of a drive!

    Recommended by Emily Jenks from Henry and Andrew’s Guide.  Find out more from Emily about San Francisco with kids.

     

    #15:  Santa Barbara 

    With it’s beautiful coastline, perfect Mediterranean climate and gleaming white mission style buildings Santa Barbara is one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, coast city in California. Throw in great shopping, its many fascinating sights, including the Mission, botanic gardens, a renowned natural history museum and an adorable zoo with ocean views, it’s pretty much the perfect place for a relaxing family weekend. Just two hours from Los Angeles, Santa Barbara can also make a great day trip.

    My boys really love Santa Barbara’s many playgrounds. Many of them have fun interactive statues, great climbing trees, and there is even a beachside carousel.

    The Santa Barbara Mission is located within acres of beautiful gardens overlooking the city of Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean. Guided or self guided tours are available we enjoyed exploring the grounds on our own. I was most excited about visiting the final resting place of the heroine from one of my favorite childhood books, the Island of the Blue Dolphins.

    The city’s Natural History Museum may be small, but it packs a lot of punch.  surprised to learn that 150,000 people visit the Museum every year. We really enjoyed our afternoon here.

    The Santa Barbara Zoo is an absolutely lovely little zoo with a fabulous ocean view. The gardens are beautiful and finding your way around is relatively easy. There are many unique animals and if you’re interested you can even feed the giraffe.

    Santa Barbara is relatively compact and many activities are within easy walking distance of one another, including the zoo. However, the Santa Barbara Mission, Natural History Museum and Botanical Gardens are a bit further out and require transportation 

    Recommended by Hilary from Hilary Style.  Find out more from Hilary about Santa Barbara with kids.

     

    #16:  Santa Cruz

    “Keep Santa Cruz Weird” is a bumper sticker or t-shirt slogan often seen in the Central Coastal California region advertising this quirky Monterey Bay beach town. But is Santa Cruz really that… strange?  Bring your kids for a weekend and find out!

    A family weekend in Santa Cruz is probably going to start out with a trip to the famous Boardwalk. Here there is a small amusement park, arcades and every fried food imaginable and its right on the beach! Be sure to try the Giant Dipper coaster, which has been in operation since 1924.

    After riding the rides, head north along West Cliff Drive (Beautiful homes and stunning views) to my favorite Santa Cruz beach, Natural Bridges State Park. Relax in the sand, or take a dip in the {probably very cold} Pacific.

    After a beautiful sunset at Natural Bridges, head into town to browse the funky shops, eat at one of the cafes (I love the Saturn Café for all things vegetarian) or grab a treat or ice cream on Pacific Avenue. My kids also loved eating at Pizza My Heart, not just for the pizza, but to look at all the surf memorabilia and to score a $10 t-shirt!  For families spending more time in Santa Cruz, take a surf lesson (or watch the surfers at Cowell Beach), head to the Lighthouse at Seabright Beach, tour the campus at UCSC or hit up the famous Mystery Spot, which is a silly tourist destination, that well, I guess is a little weird!

    Recommended by Harmony Skillman from Momma to Go.  Find out more from Harmony about Santa Cruz with kids.

     

    #17:  Ventura County

    One of my family’s favorite places to visit in California is Ventura County. We get to play in the ocean, hike in the mountains, visit islands, and learn about California history. 

    Weekend visitors to Ventura County should make sure to visit Channel Islands National Park on one day. The boat leaves from Channel Island Harbor, and it takes about one hour to get to Anacapa Island. During the journey, it is possible to see whales, seals, and other marine wildlife. Once there, families can explore this tiny island on foot, easily covering the two miles of trails before the boat ride back.

    On the other day, we recommend visiting the San Buenaventura Mission and learning about the Spanish influence in this state. Ride your bike (or rent one) along the bike path next to the beach, or stroll through Ventura Harbor Village and enjoy the shops, restaurants, pedal boat rentals, and Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center. Make sure to get ice cream, too!

    Recommended by Melynda Harrison from TravelingMel.com.

     

    #18:  Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park

    Our family loves U. S. National Parks and decided to take a detour to two of California’s most visited parks during a recent family road trip. These parks are massive, and visitors could easily spend a week at each. With proper planning and research, it’s possible to enjoy many of the amazing views while bringing little ones along. Our family of six embarked on a family trip along the California coast and decided to maximize our cross-country flights by starting our adventure by visiting both Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks. We were not disappointed.  A key to successfully taking on these national parks in one weekend is extensive advance planning.  Key accommodation decisions are whether to stay onsite or offsite in a nearby town and at a hotel or camping. Advance lodging reservations are a must, especially during peak season.

    Our itinerary: We arrived in LA on an early morning cross-country flight from Boston and drove to Sequoia, making a pit stop at Salty’s BBQ for lunch).  At Sequoia, we visited the Giant Forest and hiked the family-friendly Big Trees Trail.  We left Sequoia after sunset and drove to Fresno for the night.  The next day, we spent a full day at Yosemite with an early start (a must to secure parking in the park) and visited Yosemite Falls and Half Dome.  Lastly, we drove to San Francisco for the night. Pro tip: pack water, snacks, sunblock and insect repellent and arrive early or late as mid-day is crowded and can be particularly frustrating with cranky children.

    Recommended by Ruth Mendes from Have Kiddos Will Travel.  Find out more from Ruth about Yosemite or Sequoia.

    Ready to plan a weekend trip in California?  Check out all of our posts on the Golden State.

  • Spotlight: LA Zoo with Kids

    Spotlight: LA Zoo with Kids

    When people think of visiting Los Angeles, beaches and Hollywood immediately come to mind. It’s a rare person who thinks of visiting wild animals and despite having grown up in Los Angeles, I never thought much of the local zoo, favoring the San Diego Zoo and then, of course, being partial to the National Zoo while living in DC. This past summer, I was delighted to not only discover the LA Zoo and Botanical Gardens with my kids for the very first time, but I was thrilled to learn that it’s a well managed zoo that offers opportunities and experiences that are not available at other zoos!

    The LA Zoo is much larger than I expected an in fact, one of the more delightful discoveries was not only that the zoo has giraffes (which are noticeably missing from the National Zoo), but that for a $5 fee, visitors can participate in daily feedings of the giraffe between certain hours!

    This hungry guy was happy to accept our offerings!

    My three year old son, always the adventurer, was thrilled to engage in the activity and we were both startled when the giraffe’s big black tongue reached out to snag the branches we had ready for him!

    A close second favorite experience at the LA Zoo was the petting zoo, called Muriel’s Ranch. Free with admission, the petting ranch offers the opportunity to get up close and personal with the zoo’s residents goats and sheep. I was thrilled to be handed a brush on our way into the petting area and my three year old and I had a great time, brushing the very docile and friendly goats.

    In addition to our giraffe and goat experiences, we were enjoyed the general layout of the zoo as well. Despite visiting during record hot temperatures in the high 90s, we found plenty of shaded pathways and even indoor exhibits, which offered much needed respite from the relentless heat.

    The indoor reptile house.

    The Australia house where, even though it was hard to see the hidden marsupials, we delighted in the cool air.

    Although technically outdoors, this exhibit provided some much needed shade and entertainment for my three year old, who enjoyed hiding behind corners.

    Finally, in addition to the normal panoply of zoo animals, the LA Zoo also has a “Botanical Garden” component which I initially dismissed but soon discovered was severely underrated.

    I appreciated the the opportunity to not only visit animals that visit the rainforest with my kids, but to also show them the rainforest and provide a small visual of how the rainforest has changed over the years.

    Moreover, although not quite the same scope as Arashiyama bamboo forest in Japan, this mini bamboo forest right in the middle of Los Angeles was a real treat, especially for my three year old who has only visited Arashiyama in utero.

    Fun artistic displayed littered throughout the zoo.

    Pro Tips for those considering an LA Zoo visit with kids:

    • Parking is ample and free, but I hear that the lot can get extremely congested during the weekends as the parking lot is shared with a number of nearby attractions such as the Autry Museum of the American West.
    • There are quite a few dining options, although, as expected, pizza and burgers, and chicken tenders are the general fare. There is one cafe that offers Mexican options and another that offers gourmet pizza and craft beer, so be sure to keep and eye out for whatever suits your fancy!
    • In addition to the giraffe feeding experience, the LA Zoo offers a few other animal experiences for an additional fee. For instance, there is the Flamingo Mingle, which is $25 per person and offers the opportunity for guests to “mingle with flamingos.” There’s also the hippo encounter, which allows guests to get up close to a hippopotamus.
    • The LA Zoo also offers “attractions” such as a carousel ride for $3 per ride, and a “safari” ride around the zoo, which is essentially a tram that drives around and unloads at various spots. We did not experience the carousel, but we did opt for a safari ride at one point when we were extremely tired and hot.

    “Safari” ride around the LA Zoo.

    The LA Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Drive in Los Angeles and is open to the public seven days a week, from 10am – 5pm, 364 days a year (closed Christmas Day).

    Be sure to check out our entire category of posts on things to do and places to visit in Los Angeles with kids! And, be sure to visit the LA Zoo with kids!

    Every so often, we encounter a place that is so fabulous for those traveling with kids that it is worthy of being featured on its own. For more fun locations, please check out our other Spotlight features!

  • Spotlight: California Science Center with Kids! (Los Angeles)

    Spotlight: California Science Center with Kids! (Los Angeles)

    The California Science Center located in the heart of Los Angeles is an amazing facility for people of all ages to learn by doing! With over 400,000 square feet of space, the facility has over four major exhibit areas, including a Discovery Room, which is designed for scientists age 7 and under. My favorite thing about the center is that admission is free for all permanent exhibits!

    On a recent sweltering day, we ventured to the California Science Center to check out the King Tut: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh special exhibit. As it is not part of the permanent exhibit, admission was not free, however, our party of six (immediate family + in laws) loved the exhibit – including my 3.5 year old who was riveted and engaged the whole time.

    The King Tut exhibit is separated into two parts – the first part begins on the third floor and you are required to show your ticket in order to enter. The exhibit begins with a short movie, introducing King Tut and the exhibit.

    Of the 150 artifacts on display at the exhibit, 66 had never before traveled outside of Egypt. Those artifacts were clearly marked with a “first time out of Egypt” label.

    As we made our way through the exhibit, we were blown away by not only the quality of the artifacts which were all in pristine condition. The artifacts were also incredibly intricate and I can only imagine the skilled craftsmanship that went into creating each individual item.

    My nine year old was able to really dig into the exhibit – he wandered around and read the signs and descriptions on his own, commenting as he went along. My 3.5 year old spent his time in the exhibit largely on his grandfather’s shoulders, but even he was engaged as his grandpa read him the descriptions and explained to him what we were seeing.

    After making our way through the first part of the exhibit, we were given a card that would serve as our admission to Part II – located on the first floor. Before leaving the third floor, however, my nine year old decided he wanted to take a ride on the high-wire bicycle. For $3, he was strapped in and completed two back and forth journeys on the high-wire. He reports that it was great fun and wished that we had the time for him to do it again!

    After finding our way down to the first floor, we handed over our cards and were granted admission into Part II – which focuses on the actual work of discovering and excavating the tomb.

    Howard Carter is credited as the British archeologist who discovered the tomb, but I was tickled to learn, for the first time, that it was water boy, Hussein Abdel-Rassoul who first laid eyes on the tomb and reported the discovery to Carter and his crew of men.

    The end of the exhibit featured a short film which introduced some levity into the whole King Tut fascination. My boys loved dancing to Steve Martin’s King Tut parody, which was playing in the background, as they watched the film.

    Our exploration of the King Tut exhibit occupied us for over two hours, so by the time we made our way out of Part II, it was time to leave downtown to get home in time for a certain little one’s nap. Having caught a glimpse of the other exhibits at the California Science Center on our way in and out of the King Tut exhibit, I know that we will be visiting the museum frequently on hot days, as well as the rare rainy day in Southern California.

    The California Science Center is located at 700 Exposition Park Drive in Los Angeles and is open to the public seven days a week, 362 days a year, with free general admission to its permanent exhibits. The King Tut: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh is a limited time engagement and I strongly encourage those who are able to visit! Note that once you leave the exhibit, re-entry is not permitted. 

    Be sure to check out our entire category of posts on things to do and places to visit in Los Angeles, California with kids! And, be sure to visit the California Science Center with kids!

    Every so often, we encounter a place that is so fabulous for those traveling with kids that it is worthy of being featured on its own. For more fun locations, please check out our other Spotlight features!

  • Best Science Centers in the World

    Best Science Centers in the World

    Science museums offer interactive and hands-on exhibits to inspire excitement for STEM learning.  Many science museums also participate in the ASTC Travel Passport Program, which provides members of participating museums free reciprocal admission to hundreds of natural history, science and children’s museums around the world.  We asked some of our fellow family travel bloggers for favorite science museums they’ve visited and came up with this list of the best science centers in the world (asterisked museums are participants in the ASTC Travel Passport Program).

    Best Science Museums for Kids

     

    #1:  Arizona Science Center With Kids* (Phoenix, Arizona)

    There are two things that make for a great science museum: interactive exhibits and engaging explanations. We found both of those in spades at the Arizona Science Center! We visited with our 3 and 5 year old children and found meaningful, hands-on stations to suit everyone in the family along with easy-to-understand signage everywhere. There’s almost an entire floor dedicated to the human body, a huge section on mechanics and even a large area covering extreme weather (perfect for my Storm Chasers-loving husband). The Center always shows interesting and age-appropriate films at its IMAX theater and has a fantastic cafe on-site that offers food that is both healthy and fun. A visit to the Arizona Science Center is the perfect way to escape the Phoenix heat with kids, and bring your ASTC member card for free admission!

    Recommended by Melissa Conn from The Family Voyage.  Find out more from Melissa about great family activities in Phoenix. 

     

    #2:  California Academy of Sciences With Kids (San Francisco, California)

    The California Academy of Sciences is both a natural history museum and a science museum all in one! The Academy has a rain forest, aquarium (with a touch and feel tide pool), planetarium, living roof, and a section where they provide African wildlife exhibits – including real penguins! The playroom is a favorite with our 1 and 3 year old children, too. Visitors can’t forget the albino alligator, Claude, who lives in the swamp of the Academy. We’ve had a membership to this museum since before we had kids, and we now continue to renew it because there is truly something for everyone. It’s located in a central part of the Golden Gate Park, so it’s a perfect spot to stop while you are exploring San Francisco.

    Recommended by Emily Jenks from Henry and Andrew’s Guide.  Find out more from Emily about San Francisco with kids.

     

    #4:  Cite des Sciences et de l’industrie With Kids (Paris, France)

    Housed inside a giant concrete block, the Cite des Sciences is the largest science museum in Europe.  It has several permanent exhibits featuring sciences, mathematics and technology.  Visitors can explore the human brain, learn about the origins of the universe and see how man has developed technology, among other things.   Don’t miss the Geode at the back of the museum; this enormous reflective globe contains a state of the art IMAX and virtual reality cinema.

    Children will be especially interested in the Cite des Enfants (Children’s City) where they can join a 90 minute session and explore experiments and interactive tasks, while learning about their bodies and the physical world.  Older children can also play in a TV studio and a garden.  The sessions are split by age: ages 2 – 7 and 5 – 12.  Kids don’t want to leave!

    After exploring the exhibits in the museum, take a walk in the Parc de la Villette behind the museum to see its modern, industrial architecture.  The Cite des Sciences is a little off the main tourist trail in Paris, but it’s reached easily enough from the Gare du Nord.  There’s no general admission fee, but individual exhibits do require admission, and pre-booking the children’s city is a good idea to avoid the long queues.

    Recommended by Emily Cole from Kids and Compass.  Find out more from Emily about Paris with small kids.

    #5:  The Franklin Institute With Kids* (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

    The Franklin Institute is a science and technology center in Center City in Philadelphia. It’s named for Philadelphia’s beloved citizen and Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, who wore many hats but most notably as a scientist and inventor. When we go to Philadelphia to visit family in the suburbs, my children always insist on visiting the Franklin Institute.

    Visitors can easily spend an entire day at this center because there is so much to do. The Institute has special exhibits that rotate regularly. For example, we have enjoyed exhibits on Pompeii and the Terracotta Warriors. There is an IMAX theater, a planetarium and many interactive exhibits. For example, there is a giant human heart that visitors can walk both around and through, while exploring the different parts of the organ. Even though the Institute is very popular, it never feels crowded because it is so large. It’s easily one of the best science centers we have ever visited.

    Recommended by Shobha George from Just Go Places Blog.

     

    #6:  Luray Caverns With Kids (Luray, Virginia)

    Luray Caverns is basically the Geology Hall of Fame. Located in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, Luray is the largest and most visited caverns in Eastern America. This one of a kind attraction combines geology, chemistry and even music. Admission tickets include a guided tour, which departs every 20 minutes after 9 a.m., and access to the The Luray Valley Museum, the Car and Carriage Museum and Toy Town Junction. Families can also buy additional tickets to the Rope Adventure Park and Garden Maze. The guided tour leads visitors through well lit, paved walkways to view and explore towering stone formations and natural wonders. Our family stopped at this one of a kind center on a road trip to Georgia, and I literally had to drag my kids out of there. My science and history loving children were in awe of the enormous chambers filled with towering stone columns, draperies and crystal-clear pools. For visitors looking for a unique science museum that offers hands on and experienced based learning in a stunning environment, Luray Caverns should be on your East Coast itinerary.

    Recommended by Ruth Mendes from Have Kiddos Will Travel.

     

    #7:  Magna Science Adventure Centre With Kids (Rotherham, England)

    We love the Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham, Yorkshire. It’s based around air, fire, water and Earth with different exhibit areas for each. The Centre is set in an old steel works, and the space is massive and actually a little spooky. There is a big melt every hour with fireworks and other sounds to demonstrate how they used to melt the steel. Each of the pavilions has different interactive displays for young and old to play with and explore. Our particular favourites are watching a tornado of fire ignite in the fire pavilion, playing with pretend rocks and blowing holes in rocks in the Earth pavilion and shooting water canons at targets in the water pavilion. There’s also one of the biggest playgrounds I’ve ever seen that has a splash park in the warmer months. The added cherry on top is that once visitors have paid for one visit they can return as many times as desired for the next 12 months without charge.

    Recommended by Suzy McCullough from Our Bucket List Lives.

    #8:  National Science and Technology Museum Leonardo da Vinci With Kids* (Milan, Italy)

    The National Science and Technology Museum Leonardo da Vinci is the biggest science museum in Italy. The outside of the 16th-century monastery that houses the museum is nothing to look at, but the inside is amazing. The Museum has a huge collection of sixteen thousand technical scientific objects, dating back to the 19th century. There’s a gallery with drawings by Leonardo Da Vinci and 130 scale models that are based on his sketches. Furthermore, the Museum has exhibits about energy production, communication, computers, iron and steel industry and space travel. The transportation section takes up a large part of the museum, with various (parts of) ships, a collection of locomotives and train carriages, numerous airplanes and even a full-size helicopter. Our son was also really impressed by the huge military submarine Enrico Toti that sits in the garden. We only spent a morning at the museum with our toddler and did not nearly have enough time to see it all.

    Recommended by Lisa van den Berg from Flip Flop Globetrotters.  Find out more from Lisa about things to do in Milan with kids.

     

    #9:  Nagoya City Science Museum and Electricity Museum With Kids (Nagoya, Japan)

    The Nagoya City Science Museum in Nagoya, Japan houses the biggest planetarium in the world.  The 30 minute planetarium show about the galaxy and constellations, featuring a highly realistic starry sky, will leave the viewers in awe even though it isn’t dubbed in English.   Visitors will also enjoy various exhibits such as the Tornado Lab, Deep Freezing Lab and Electric Discharge Lab.

    For Nagoya visitors who love science, the Electricity Museum is a family-friendly attraction in Nagoya, Japan where kids and adults can enjoy learning how electricity works and its importance to the people of Japan. We toured the museum through the Nagoya Sightseeing Tour Bus, and the entrance ticket is free for everyone. It offers hologram images where visitors can see the pioneers in Japanese electricity and there are interactive tools on display and a science plaza where kids can experiment and be familiarized with different science laws. The main attraction of this museum is the OHM Theater where guests can participate in quizzes and competitions as video game characters on their impressive 29-foot screen.

    Recommended by Catha Buti-Uy of Team Uy Travels.

     

    #10:  Oregon Museum of Science and Industry With Kids* (Portland, Oregon)

    The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (“OMSI”) in Portland, Oregon, is not somewhere visitors might think of bringing a child, and we worried whether our son would enjoy it. We wanted to visit the special exhibition OMSI had about Pompeii, but we were delighted to find lots for kids to enjoy. We were totally blown away by it. The Science Playground was by far our son’s favourite section.  Designed for kids ages 0-6, there were water tables, sand pits and lots of different sections for free-play, learning and discovery. The Planetarium was also a hit with our young son, and the rest of the museum was filled with different exhibits for children of all ages. One thing we missed during our visit was USS Blueback, the submarine that was featured in The Hunt for Red October and now permanently docked beside the museum. I was gutted to learn that we had missed it, but it’s a perfect excuse for a return visit!

    Recommended by Catherine from Passports and Adventures.  Find out more from Catherine about the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

     

    #11:  Perot Museum of Nature and Science With Kids* (Dallas, Texas)

    The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is not merely a science center. This awe-inspiring, 160,000 square foot structure is a state-of-the-art experience intersecting the worlds of engineering, science, architecture, nature and sustainability. With eleven permanent exhibits, six learning labs and one traveling exhibit, the sprawling six floors deliver excitement. My fourth-grader loves the Rose Hall of Birds where visitors can build and fly their own bird. The Leap Frog Forest enchants my toddler as kids of all ages can crawl, jump and play life-size leapfrog. Both kids agree that the top attractions are:

    • Sports: Practice an athletic move then film yourself in “Motion Lab” or challenge a T-Rex, Dallas Cowboy or cheetah in a timed race at “Run.”
    • Life Then and Now: Build your own dinosaur then send it to battle.
    • Engineering and Innovation: Lead pre-built robots on missions or program one yourself using visual coding stations.

    But, don’t forget to squeeze in some other special engagements. Marvel at the Perot Dinosaur, a new species found by Perot Museum Paleontologists. Crack open an Amethyst Geode that stands 5 feet tall. Visitors can also get their groove on at Harmony Park, watch a 4D Film at the National Geographic Experience Theater or view a real brain and stem at “Being Human.”

    Recommended by Brandy from Kid Allergy Travel.

     

    #12:  Science World at TELUS World of Science With Kids* (Vancouver, Canada)

    Science World at TELUS World of Science is one of the best science museums we have visited.  Not only does it stand out in terms of location and architecture, but it also has diverse displays, hands-on experiments and award-winning playgrounds.  Most displays are designed to be intuitive, and children and grown-ups are encouraged to try things out and have fun while exploring the museum and learning. Kids can try to weigh a hippo, climb on a rotating climbing wall and crawl through a beaver lodge. There are regular live demonstrations throughout the day, and we planned to visit for 2 hours and end up staying for 4.5. Science World is one of Vancouver’s must-do kid-focused tourist attractions.

    Recommended by Jules from Shades of Courage.

     

    #13:  Scienceworks With Kids (Melbourne, Australia)

    For parents of children constantly asking “why” about everything, Scienceworks in Melbourne feeds the curiosity of young minds.  Offering a wide range of kid friendly exhibits with hands on activities, and live demonstrations, this child-focused museum makes learning about science fun and exciting.

    For little space lovers, the planetarium teaches kids about planets, constellations, and their home planet Earth through a kid-friendly animated film. With reclining seats and a domed roof, visitors can sit back and enjoy the show.  Kids also love the “lightning room” which is a 120-seat auditorium that presents demonstrations to teach children about electricity.  Learn about dinosaurs, the ocean, bugs and insects, and much more.  For those visiting Melbourne, Scienceworks is a great day out for the whole family.

    Recommended by Chontelle from Mum’s Little Explorers.

     

    Best Science Centers For Kids

    There are so many of these best science museums in the world that are now on our travel list.  For more amazing museums for young scientists, check out the Best Natural History Museums in the World!

  • Travel Tips: ASTC Passport Program

    Travel Tips: ASTC Passport Program

    Participation in the ASTC Travel Passport Program is an amazing value. Our family membership to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History comes with perks like reduced parking rates, guest passes and invitation to members-only events in addition to unlimited visits to the Museum and free shows at its Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium & Ralph Mueller Observatory.  Because of the Museum’s affiliation with the ASTC Travel Passport Program, we also receive free reciprocal admission at hundreds of natural history, science and children’s museums.   The ability for our family to use the ASTC Passport Program to visit member museums around the country for free is a huge value!

    What does the ASTC Passport Cost?

    Each ASTC Passport member charges its own rate for a membership.  Our family membership to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History costs us $90 a year.

    ASTC Passport Review

    We have had this membership for approximately two and a half years.  Honestly, we don’t immediately renew when it expires but wait for the next opportunity when we want to visit the Cleveland Museum of Natural History or one of the other ASTC member museums and sign up for a new membership.   When visiting Los Angeles last Fall, we decided while walking down the Hollywood Walk of Fame that we wanted to go to the La Brea Tar Pits next.  I called my husband from our Uber and had him purchase a membership online.  Minutes after he sent me the confirmation email, I used it to get free admission into the Tar Pits.  Since then, we’ve used our current membership for admission for several trips to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, two visits to the Carnegie Science Center and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh.  The value of those museum visits are about four times of the cost of our membership, and we still have five months left, including summer break.

    Nancy is very fortunate to live in Washington, DC and have the free Smithsonian museums at her doorstep.  She never considered purchasing a museum membership to use solely for travel until this spring.  Her family purchased a membership to a local children’s museum and used it for free admission when visiting Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena and plans to use it to visit more museums when traveling.

    Our family has visited 10 amazing ASTC affiliate museums and always looks forward to our next opportunity to use our membership.

     

    #1:  Adler Planetarium – Chicago, Illinois

    My older son wanted to be an astronaut through pre-school, and both boys had a great time visiting the Adler Planetarium, which was the first planetarium in the western hemisphere.  The beautiful stone building houses many interactive exhibits and three theaters, including the most technologically enhanced planetarium theater and a high-definition 3D theater.  Our boys were aged three and five at the time of our visit and enjoyed the interactive exhibits focusing on the planets, solar system and space exploration, and, of course, the planetarium show.

     

    #2:  Carnegie Science Center – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

    Of the dozens of museums my 10 year old has visited, the Carnegie Science Center is his favorite.  He’s probably not alone, as this is Pittsburgh’s most popular museum. The “science” portion of the museum is pretty cool, but the real draw for him is Highmark SportsWorks®, which is housed in an adjacent building and uses more than 30 interactive sports exhibits to show how physics, anatomy, biology and chemistry control sports.  The Ropes Challenge consists of a series of challenges, including a rope bridge, rolling logs and a horizontal net that culminate in a zip line and is probably my boys’ favorite “exhibit” ever, especially the zip line.  Other highlights of the sports complex include the SkyTykes Ropes Course, located under the Ropes Challenge, a 24-foot rock climbing wall (which even my daughter tried out), a batting cage, a 10-meter dash and various challenges for endurance and balance.  This bright complex is a perfect place for kids to burn energy, especially on cold or rainy days.

    Inside the Carnegie Science Center, my boys’ favorite exhibit is Roboworld, which is considered the world’s largest permanent robotics exhibition.  Roboworld features more than 30 interactive displays, including a robot who shoots baskets with impressive precision and another who challenges visitors in air hockey.  My kids could spend hours playing air hockey with a robot or comparing basketball precision.

     

    #3:  Center of Science and Industry – Columbus, Ohio

    The Center of Science and Industry, commonly known as “COSI” is a comprehensive science museum with more than 300 interactive exhibits.  We were fortunate to visit several years ago during the week that COSI hosted its annual outdoor Big Machines exhibit.  At the time, our four and six year old boys were at the height of their machinery enthusiasm and absolutely loved “touch a truck” events.  So, it was a bit of a challenge to get them away from the trucks and inside COSI.  Once inside, we discovered that COSI nails the “hands on” aspect of science, particularly with its lab spaces and hallway exhibitions.

     

    #4:  Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

    A dream climber for kids

    The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is an interactive museum for kids with great activities and hands-on creating opportunities for kids of all ages.  The two-story climber attracted my 3.5 year old daughter like a magnet.  She had to make it to the top and then back again.  I was nervous about her exiting at the top until another mom assured me that the entrance and exit were both located at the bottom.  As soon as we arrived, she headed straight for the two-story climber that thankfully has entrance and exit openings only at the bottom.

    My boys happily worked in the MAKESHOP® just opposite the climber while I hung out at the wall dividing the two areas to keep an eye on all three children.  The kids used household boxes to anchor markers in place and then attached motors to make them move on their own.  The project involved tape, hot glue and a lot of trial and error, and this was my boys’ favorite exhibit at the Museum.  The Museum’s Studio also offers hands-on creating opportunities for kids of all ages.  This multimedia space offers wonderful supplies that allow kids to create paint, sculpt and silkscreen.  The Studio is housed in a former planetarium and is a beautiful and bright space to inspire creative juices.

     

    #5:  Cleveland Museum of Natural History – Cleveland, Ohio

    We are members of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, which is located in University Circle, about 15 minutes from our house.  So, this is the ASTC museum we visit the most frequently.  Inexpensive metered parking is usually available on Wade Oval, right outside the Museum.  Because of our membership, I occasionally bring my oldest and youngest for a short visit while my husband accompanies our middle child to his nearby piano lesson.   It’s also a snow day favorite or something we combine with a trip to the Cleveland Museum of Art, which is located around the corner.

    In good weather, we often enjoy the Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center & Woods Garden, which opened in the Fall of 2016 and features living plants and animals that are native to Ohio.  The dinosaur collection may not compare to those of the National Museum of Natural History – London, the Field Museum or the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, but the Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton is still pretty cool, and there is a mastodon skeleton that was found in the region.  Lucy, the reconstructed cast of female hominid who lived over 3 million years ago is the a perennial favorite of my kids.  Lucy’s skeleton was discovered in Ethiopia in 1974 by Donald Johanson, the curator of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.  I have a series of pictures of my two youngest standing next to Lucy at various ages.

    We always try to catch a planetarium show at Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium & Ralph Mueller Observatory.  My daughter is a huge fan of the One World, One Sky:  Big Bird’s Adventure, and even though my boys have seen it more times than we can count, they agreed to accompany her the last time that the timing aligned – albeit after a few eye rolls.

     

    #6:  The Field Museum of Natural History – Chicago, Illinois

    The Field Museum is one of the world’s largest natural history museums.  It opened in 1893 and was named to honor its first major benefactor, Marshall Field, the founder of the Chicago-based department store who donated $1 million to the Museum in 1894.  It is located on Museum Campus along Lake Michigan and also boasts one of the world’s best dinosaur collections, including Sue, the world’s most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, which was prominently displayed in the main hall of the Museum until 2017.  With two young boys aged three and five who were excited about prehistoric creatures, we definitely did not miss the dinosaur exhibit.

    We also explored an Egyptian tomb in the three-story Inside Ancient Egypt exhibit.  This exhibit includes one of the world’s largest collections of human mummies.  This was our boys’ first exposure to Egypt, but they were fascinated and have since enjoyed Egyptian exhibits at the National Museum of Natural History and the Cleveland Museum of Art.

     

    #7:  Great Lakes Science Center – Cleveland, Ohio

    While we cannot use our membership to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for free reciprocal membership to ASTC member museums within a 90 mile radius of our home, we recently visited the Great Lakes Science Center as part of a NASA Free Evening.  The event feature science-related programming and Astronaut Terry Virts, the author of View from Space.  Our kids thoroughly enjoyed hearing Virts describe his experiences on the space station.  Virts’ presentation and slide show inspired them to thoroughly explore the NASA Glenn’s Visitor’s Center, including the 1973 Skylab 3 Apollo Command Module.  They also enjoyed trying out all the hands-on exhibits and building with Lego as part of the Science Center’s special exhibit.

     

    #8:  La Brea Tar Pits & George C. Page Museum – Los Angeles, California

    The LaBrea Tar Pits & Museum are dedicated to La Brea’s shallow pools of oil that coagulated into asphalt and trapped Ice Age animals.  The Tar Pits are registered as a National Natural Landmark, and over 3.5 million fossils have been found on the site, with excavation continuing year round at Project 23 and seasonally at Pit 91.  My son was fascinated by the Fossil Lab where you can watch paleontologists working on specimens collected from Project 23.   After viewing the completed fossils, watching Titans of the Ice Age, the 25-minute 3D movie featured in the Museum’s theater, and observing the Fossil Lab, my son had an opportunity to try separating fossils himself.  With all these great hands on opportunities, it’s not surprising that the stop at the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum was his favorite of our trip.

     

    #9:  Maryland Science Center – Baltimore, Maryland

    The Maryland Science Center is another phenomenal science museum located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.  This was the first science museum we visited as a family.  We were skeptical if our one and three year old boys were old enough for the Science Center, but they had a blast, especially while exploring the Spacelink exhibit and the Kids Room, which includes a large water play area.  We also enjoyed a show at the IMAX theater.

     

    #10:  Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History – Washington, D.C.

    The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History is an amazing free admission museum on the National Mall.  It was the world’s most visited natural history museum in 2017.  The Museum’s collection includes over 126 million specimens.  Our favorite is the Hope Diamond, the 45.5 carat grayish-blue pendant surrounded by 16 diamonds that is reportedly insured for $250 million.   The Hall of Fossils includes 46 complete skeletons and is currently undergoing a massive $45 million, five-year renovation and scheduled to reopen in 2019.  The iconic 14-foot tall elephant is the focal point of the entry rotunda.

    For traveling families who enjoy natural history museums, science centers and children’s museums, investing in a membership to the ASTC Travel Passport Program museum can be an amazing value.  Next on our list is the Ontario Science Centre, which was one of my favorite museums that I visited as a child.  Make sure to check out our other posts on other ASTC  museums, including children’s museums, natural history museums and science museums.   

  • Spotlight: Kidspace Children’s Museum (Pasadena, CA)

    Spotlight: Kidspace Children’s Museum (Pasadena, CA)

    Just about everyone has heard of Pasadena, California. Home of the Rose Bowl and the Rose Parade, Pasadena is steeped in history. Despite growing up just two towns over from Pasadena and having spent the past nine years traveling to the area to visit family, we managed to overlook a gold mine of an activity for kids’ fun and entertainment: the Kidspace Children’s Museum!

    The Kidspace Children’s Museum is presently located on over two acres of land right in the shadows of the Rose Bowl. Originally, the museum was located at the California Institute of Technology as a community project of the Junior League of Pasadena, but over the decades, the museum has evolved from a small local attraction to encompass over 2.2 acres of gardens designed to encourage children to learn and explore.

    As I mentioned earlier, my family has been traveling to the Los Angeles / Pasadena area for nearly nine years with children, but for one reason or another, we never actually made it over to Kidspace. After our visit this month, I’m pretty sure we are going to be regulars!

    My three year old sensed that he was going to have a blast from the minute he spied Kidspace’s entrance off in the distance. There was a trail of large rocks leading to the museum, which begged to be climbed. My son made a beeline for the brightly colored balls which collectively held the topiary that spelled out “kidspace” as soon as we parked.  The entrance to the museum itself was whacky and fun, with lots of bright colors and shiny objects to touch and feel.

    The first thing my kids did after we entered was run off to explore the “Physics Garden.” The Physics Garden contains a number of stations where kids can conduct hands on experiments with science. My three year old loved simply hopping from station to station and seeing what the older kids were doing, but I was surprised to find that my 8.5 year old seemed to enjoy the stations and had fun running his own experiments.

    We spent a good amount of time in this area, before heading indoors, where my preschooler discovered, much to his delight, multiple indoor climbing structures. I literally thought, at times, that we might never see him again, he was so happy to climb out of our sight.

    We spent quite a bit of time exploring the indoor climbing structures before we realized that there was another outdoor area that was even larger and more expansive that the outdoor science garden. The immediate concrete area outside the indoor climbing building was set up like a miniature city, with tricycles and street signs.

    Although my preschooler was not interested, the city driving area was adjacent to a small playground that would be suitable for toddlers.

    What drew my boys like magnets was the large playground structure located further beyond this immediate paved area. My kids literally sprinted off and spent the next 15-20 minutes running, climbing, chasing.

    There were a number of separate stations in this “big kid” play area, including a climbing wall, which my 8.5 year old was happy to test out. Sadly, our time exploring was cut short because the weather turned bad – yes! We actually got caught in a rare downpour during our visit to Los Angeles!

    We ended up spending a good 2 hours at the museum and upon leaving, my preschooler said, “I had fun there. I wish we could go back again.” High praise for a little boy who spends his days visiting museums all over Washington, DC! I am looking forward to returning to Kidspace the next time we are in town as there’s much more to explore, including the indoor reading and crafting areas.

    Pro Tips:

    • I had never heard of the ASTC Travel Passport Program before Catherine’s post on visiting the La Brea Tar Pits, but I decided to look into the program just prior to our trip to California when I realized that many museums located in Los Angeles participate in the program. Indeed, I paid $100 for an annual membership to my local children’s museum and in exchange, received free reciprocal entry for my family of four to Kidspace ($56 value). I know we will be back and plan to visit other participating museums as well, so this benefit will quickly pay for itself over the course of the upcoming year.
    • Parking at Kidspace is a bit of a logistical nightmare if, like us, you’re visiting when there’s an event at the Rose Bowl. Kidspace shares a parking lot with the Rose Bowl and the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center and also happens to be located along the Arroyo Seco Trail…. So, there’s lots of cars and although the parking lot is large with plenty of parking, expect to do some walking. I’ll also note that the parking lot isn’t numbered or sectioned off in any way, so it’s a bit of a treasure hunt to find your car when you’re ready to go home!

    • Although we visited between meals, there’s plenty of space to sit and enjoy a picnic, and we saw many families doing  so throughout the museum.

    • Consider bringing an extra pair of shoes/pants if you have children who like getting wet. It was muddy and overcast/raining on the day we visited, but I gathered from numerous parents around us that kids like to run and jump in the streams located at the far end of the museum. I’m sure on hot days it is a welcome reprieve, so come prepared!
    • If you’re a nursing mom, there are these nursing pods located sporadically throughout the museum. I have never seen these before, but it’s a nice option to have!

    Every so often, we encounter a place that is so fabulous for those traveling with kids that it is worthy of being featured on its own. For more of our favorite locations, please check out our other Spotlight features! And, be sure to check out our entire series on fun things to do with kids in Los Angeles!

  • Los Angeles With Kids: Five More Fun Family Activities

    Los Angeles With Kids: Five More Fun Family Activities

    With a population of 39.5 million, California is the most populous state in the country with three million residents more than all of Canada. Los Angeles is home to nearly four million residents and the greater metropolitan area (including Long Beach) boasts a population of 18.7 million people. It’s no surprise that there is tons of fun stuff to do in Los Angeles with kids!  In fact, earlier this year, Catherine, her mom, and her son shared Five Fun Family Activities in Los Angeles from a combined work/leisure trip. Here, I’d like to share with you Five More Fun Family Activities!

    #1: Long Beach 

    Long Beach is located roughly 25 miles south of Los Angeles proper and is the second largest city in the Los Angeles area (after Los Angeles, of course). As a child growing up in Southern California, I knew of Long Beach for only two reasons: (1) home of the Queen Mary, and (2) the large container ships that would come in to harbor as Long Beach is a major shipping port. I remember paying one visit to the Queen Mary when I was in high school, but otherwise, Long Beach was something of a no man’s land, with nary an attraction that would make the 45 minute drive worthwhile.

    In the late 90’s and early 2000’s, Long Beach experienced a revitalization of sorts and became a worthwhile destination of its own. The Aquarium of the Pacific, or, the Long Beach Aquarium, opened in 1998, and is a wonderful place to spend the day with kids. Located at Rainbow Harbor Marina, in the heart of downtown Long Beach, the Long Beach Aquarium offers not only wonderful viewing of sea life, but also abundant add on opportunities, such as ocean boat rides, play time on the beach, and even fine dining along the water front.

    Having visited Long Beach on a number of occasions now, I heartily endorse making plans to spend an afternoon at the Aquarium or, if you want to be really wild, plan to spend a night in Long Beach and take full advantage of everything the city has to offer. We did this on a more recent trip to Long Beach, purchasing both Aquarium tickets and a harbor tour as part of a package directly from the Aquarium, then spent the evening at hotel nearby so that we could enjoy dinner and a few hours of sand time on the beach before heading back to Los Angeles.

    #2: Huntington Library

    Another one of my top places to visit whenever we are in Los Angeles visiting family is the Huntington Library. The Huntington boasts an impressive library collection, with seven million manuscripts and 430,000 rare books, as well as an extensive art collection, focusing on European Art from the 15th – 20th centuries. But, the true beauty of the Huntington lies in its extensive gardens and grounds, which take up over 120 of the 207 acres owned by the Huntington.

    Strolling around the Japanese Gardens on his first visit to the Huntington.

    The entire garden is child friendly and my kids particularly love the Asian gardens, but note that the gardens can get extremely crowded and that food and picnicking are only permitted in designated areas and at the cafe and tea room. Advance purchase of tickets is not required and honestly, we have never found it to be necessary.

    #3: Hike the San Gabriel Mountains

    The high school I attended is conveniently located at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. There are a number of hiking trails, but one of my favorite as a child is the Sturtevant Falls Trail which begins at Chantry Flat, a designated Recreation Area within the Angeles National Forest and a starting point for many historic trails up in the San Gabriel Mountains.

    The Sturtevant Falls Trail is a lovely 3.5 mile hike that is extremely kid friendly, with the exception of the last 0.6 miles back to the parking lot. You heard me – the hike begins with a steep 0.6 mile paved walk down to the beginning of the trail. The steep paved incline is glorious at the beginning of the hike, but believe me when I say it has been torture when we are tired and facing the incline at the end of the hike. I’ve seen many families bring umbrella strollers and use the strollers to push young children back up the hill after the hike, but I’ve also seen many parents carrying five year olds up the hill after the kids have given up. Definitely be prepared and know that it’s a rough walk back up to the parking lot.

    A look at the steep paved incline at the end of the trail!

    Pro Tip:

    • A National Forest Adventure Pass is required to park at the trail head. These can be purchased at a small shop located near the official parking area, although you can also just pay either $5 or $10 (depending on availability) to park at the small shop, which is privately owned and managed.
    • Parking does fill up quickly in the mornings.
    • Pack plenty of water – there are no fountains or amenities available once you begin your hike.

    For those with older kids (teenager+), definitely consider using Chantry Flat as the base for a longer hike. My husband and I recently did the 16-mile round trip hike to the Mount Wilson Observatory, via Chantry Flat. It’s a steep climb (nearly 4,000 feet elevation gain) over 7-8 miles and the ledges are tight, so this is not something I would attempt with a toddler or even most elementary aged children. However, the views of Downtown Los Angeles are spectacular on a clear day.

    View of Downtown Los Angeles along the Upper Wilson Creek Trail

    #4: Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Gardens

    The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is another fan favorite for my household. Unlike the Huntington, the Arboretum is greatly unsung and most people aren’t even aware that it is there. It is rarely ever crowded and there are a number of tour options, including docent led walking tours that are included in the price of admission.

    One of my favorite things about the Arboretum is the opportunity to get up close and personal with one of my favorite birds: the peacock! The city in which the Arboretum is located, Arcadia, has a number of free roaming peacocks and many of them have chosen to call the Arboretum home. My kids loved the opportunity to see these majestic and beautiful birds up close.

    #5: Travel Town located in Griffith Park

    Griffith Park is one of the largest municipal parks in the country, with over 4,200 acres right smack in the middle of Los Angeles. There are a number of attractions within the Park, some of which are free, but some do require admission (for example, the Gene Autry Museum or the L.A. Zoo).

    For those looking for something to do with young kids, Travel Town may be of particular interest. Travel Town is an outdoor museum dedicated to preserving the railroad history of the western United States. There are a number of locomotives on display, some of which are available for climbing and sitting, and both my sons absolutely adored this stop as young/old toddlers.

    source

    As an added bonus, there is no admission to Travel Town (although donations are gladly accepted), so this is truly one of the most budget friendly options for families with young children visiting Los Angeles!

    I hope you enjoyed my list of Five More Fun Family Activities in Los Angeles! Be sure to check out the original list of Five Fun Family Activities in Los Angeles and our entire category of posts on Los Angeles and California before your next trip to the Sunshine State with kids!

     

     

  • Things to Do in Napa With Kids

    Things to Do in Napa With Kids

    Napa Valley is definitely not a typical family vacation destination, but my husband and I did not want to pass up the opportunity to enjoy a few wine tastings while in Northern California visiting San Francisco and Yosemite.  We tacked on two nights in Napa and hoped that the wineries would be as much fun for our two and four year old boys as wineries in Ohio’s Grand River Valley.  While we definitely all enjoyed our time in Napa, our experience visiting California wineries with children was not what we expected after our regular trips to Ohio’s wine country.  Here are our recommendations for the best things to do in Napa with kids.

    Visiting Napa Valley With Kids

    We thought our kids would have the chance to drink grape juice served in wine glasses and eat delicious meals at wineries in Napa.  However, we discovered that Napa wineries do not make grape juice because their grapes are too expensive to “waste” on juice.  Only one winery we visited offered my boys juice, and it was served in Capri Sun pouches rather than fancy glasses.  Because it is expensive for wineries in Napa to obtain food permits, most stick to serving wine and the occasional free snack.  While my boys enjoyed frolicking in vineyards, touring wineries and watching some grape stomping, we did not find any vineyard in Napa where we could relax for an entire afternoon or fly a kite like we regularly do in Ohio.

    Where to Stay in Napa Valley With Kids

    We stayed at the Meritage Resort and Spa, a wonderful Napa family resort that offers both rooms and suites.  We booked a one bedroom suite with a full kitchen, living room with a pull-out couch for the boys, a whirlpool tub in the bathroom and a washer and dryer, which was so helpful after a weekend in San Francisco and a few days in Yosemite.

    This 2012 trip was before Airbnb had its reached its current widespread popularity, and we really had not yet stayed in many condo-style accommodations when traveling with kids.  It was so convenient to feed the boys breakfast at a full dining table as we were getting ready for the day and also have the option of watching television in the bedroom after they went to sleep.  When we found the weather a bit too chilly to enjoy the outdoor pool, adding shampoo to the whirlpool tub made a fabulous bubble bath alternative.  Our kids simply loved this hotel.


    We arrived in the late evening and ate dinner at the hotel.  When we decided to venture out the next morning, the concierge was helpful in directing us to more family friendly wineries, even though we honestly felt our kids were tolerated rather than welcomed wherever we went in Napa.  Of the more than 500 vineyards in Napa, the concierge recommended only a handful.

    Napa wineries are each unique but typically open from about 10 am to 5 pm daily.  Some offer simple tastings with some free snacks, others have tours of the facilities and vineyards.  While reservations are required at some wineries, we were able to drop in at each of the wineries we visited during our mid-week visit in October.  Obviously, drinking and driving is a concern in Napa, and so we took turns tasting wines and driving.

    Here are our five favorite Napa Valley kid-friendly wineries:

    #1:  Sterling Vineyard With Kids

    Sterling Vineyard has a beautiful setting.  It was our first stop in Napa, and the tree-lined approach was so spectacular that we stopped to take a picture.

    The main draw for kids at Sterling Vineyards is the aerial tram used to transport guests from the parking area to the hilltop winery located in a stucco building that looks like a monastery.  It is the only aerial tram in Napa and offers amazing views of the surrounding area.  Our family of four fit into one gondola and thoroughly enjoyed the ride up and down.

    Sterling’s aerial tram

    As part of our general admission package, we enjoyed a tasting and a self-guided tour of the lower portion of the winery.  Because we visited during the Fall harvest, humongous containers of grapes were arriving at the winery.  Our boys were at the height of their truck enthusiasm and were thoroughly mesmerized watching the carts move these containers around.

    After our tour, we sat on the terrace to sip some wine and soak in the scenic rolling hills surrounding the valley.  Even a quick call from a colleague couldn’t dampen this gorgeous day.

    We were surprised that bottled grape juice was not available for the kids and honestly a bit taken aback when the boys were offered CapriSun pouches, but it turned out that this was the only winery that had any sort of juice available.  If the aerial tram and grape vats were not enough to keep the boys happy, they created their own excitement by “decorating” their shoes with wine corks.

    #2:  V. Sattui With Kids

    V. Sattui Winery is a family owned winery that dates back to 1885.  It is unique because of its onsite Artisan Deli that offers amazing homemade food that is perfect for picnicking.  Unlike the Ohio wineries we frequent, very few Napa Valley wineries serve food.  We picked up some amazing paninis at the deli and found the perfect picnic spot in the shaded grounds.  The wine barrels were an appropriate choice for garbage cans.

    Outside food and wine are not permitted, but this was definitely our favorite meal in Napa.

    • Kid Facts:  V. Sattui was established by Vittorio Sattui, an Italian immigrant from Genoa in 1885.  The winery closed during Prohibition but was reopened by Sattui’s great-grandson in 1976.

     

    #3:  Andretti Winery With Kids

    Andretti Winery was established in 1996 by retired Kmart CEO Joe Antonini and retired race car driver, Mario Andretti.  The Tuscan architecture and exudes the feeling of Italy.  The grounds were superb, and the boys loved running in the vineyards and playing near the stunning fountain.

    • Kid Facts:  Mario Andretti is Vice Chairman.

     

    #4:  Grgich Hills Estates With Kids

    Grgich Hills Estate is distinctive because it does not use artificial fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides in its vineyards and has relied on solar power since 2006.  Formerly known as Grgich Hills Cellars, the winery changed its name to Grgich Hills Estate in 2007 when it started producing only “estate grown” grapes grown at its own private vineyards.

    One of the draws of visiting Grgich was to witness grape stomping, a seasonal activity offered at the winery. Guests can stand in a barrel of grapes and stomp to make juice.  When completed, they step onto a new white t-shirt to imprint their grape juice footprints onto a very unique souvenir.  We neglected to take any pictures of videos of grape stomping, but this promotional YouTube video provides a great view.

    We did forego grape stomping in favor of a tour and a tasting but thoroughly enjoyed watching stomping in progress.

    • Kid Facts:  Owner Miljenko “Mike” Grgich surprised the wine world in 1976 when his 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay was named as the world’s finest white wine.

     

    #5:  Beaulieu Vineyard With Kids

    Beaulieu Vineyard was our last stop in Napa Valley before heading back to San Francisco.  This winery was established by Georges and Fernande de Latour in 1900.  Fernande named the vineyard “beau lieu” meaning “beautiful place.” The de Latours were French immigrants who sold their crème de tartar business to enter the wine making business.  BV is the oldest continuously producing winery in Napa.

    We did a simple tasting, but our two year old was clearly done with wineries and literally fell asleep in my arms.  My husband couldn’t resist snapping a commemorative photo of the winery nap.  BV turned out to be our favorite wines of the trip and the one we most often purchase at home.

    • Kid Facts:  Prohibition did not wipe out BV’s wine making business; instead, the winery continued making wines to fulfill their contract for sacramental wines for the Catholic Church.

    While we definitely felt that our boys were tolerated rather than welcomed at Napa wineries, they still really enjoyed our two days.  I’ve heard rumors through the grapevine that Napa’s wineries have become more family friendly in recent years but have doubts after finding  that the website, NapaValleyKid.com, The Go-To Guide for Families in Napa Valley, has no posts in its listing of Family Friendly Wineries. Even if it is not a “must do” with kids, there is no reason to skip it during a family vacation to Northern California.  We’d certainly jump at the chance to go back to Napa with kids to check out wineries again to compare experiences.  To find out more about family trips to Northern California, see our posts on San Francisco, Yosemite and Monterey.

  • Visiting Yosemite With Kids

    Visiting Yosemite With Kids

    Yosemite National Park is known for its stunning granite cliffs popularized by Ansel Adams, its waterfalls, giant sequoia trees and mountains.  Yosemite is located in the Sierra Nevada mountains about four hours from San Francisco and easily one of the country’s most impressive national parks.  We traveled to Yosemite when our boys were two and four, and really loved Yosemite with a toddler and a preschooler. Our family loved visiting Yosemite with kids.

    A print of one of Ansel Adams’ Yosemite photographs hung in my dorm room as a college student, and Yosemite was high on my bucket list.  I first visited in 2002 during my cross-country road trip.  My college roommate and I made a long day excursion from San Francisco and were not able to spend nearly enough time at Yosemite.  Our focus was hiking the 600 step trail to Vernal Fall.  When we planned a family trip to San Francisco in 2012, I was so excited to get the opportunity to more fully explore Yosemite.

    Two Days at Yosemite National Park With Kids

     

    Accommodations Near Yosemite With Children

    We booked too nights at Tenaya Lodge, which is a cozy resort near Yosemite’s South Entrance and thoroughly enjoyed exploring the area.  Yosemite National Park is quite large, and the driving distances within the Park are unusually long, but the scenery is extraordinary.

    View of Tenaya Lodge
    Tenaya Lodge

    We had one and a half days to explore Yosemite and found more than enough to do with our two and four year old boys.  Here is our top five list:

    Things to Do in Yosemite With Kids

    #1:  El Capitan and Half Dome With Kids

    El Capitan, a granite monolith, and Half Dome, a granite dome, are the most recognizable symbols of Yosemite.  There are some phenomenal views of El Capitan and Half Dome on the drive to Yosemite Village from the South Entrance, and these formations are visible throughout the Park.  The Tunnel View viewpoint just passed the Wawona Tunnel provided the most exquisite panorama.

    View of El Capitan and Half Dome
    El Capitan is on the left, and Half Dome is on the right

    El Capitan is a 3,000 foot monolith that is a favorite of daring rock climbers.  We even spotted one scaling the rock face.

    View of El Capitan up close
    El Capitan

    Half Dome is a granite dome with sheer and rounded faces.  The 14-mile hike up Half Dome is also not family-friendly.  It is extremely strenuous and requires advance permits.

    View of Half Dome from Glacier Point
    Half Dome

    • Half Dome Facts:  When Apple released their OS X Yosemite in 2014, Half Dome was the default wallpaper.

     

    #2:  Visiting Yosemite Valley

    Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley created in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.  The scenic 30 mile drive from the South Entrance to Yosemite Valley takes about an hour.  We were all glad to be able to stretch our legs once we finally arrived at the visitor’s center in Yosemite Village.  We parked our car and used the shuttles to explore the area.

    We enjoyed a short stroller-accessible hike to Bridalveil Fall.  Spring is peak season for waterfalls, which are created mostly as the snow melts.  During our October visit, many of the falls were dry.  The 620 foot Bridalveil Fall was really just a trickle, but still beautiful.

    View of Bridalveil Falls at Yosemite National Park
    Bridalveil Fall

    We also enjoyed an easy hike to Mirror Lake, which reflects Yosemite’s peaks when it is full in the Spring and early Summer.  Even without the full mirror effect, we enjoyed a wonderful view and some time to check out the ducks.

    Watching ducks at Mirror Lake

    While the hike with 600 steps to Vernal Fall was not in the cards on this trip, we loved that we were able to find several trails that were doable with two young boys.  Our two year old even did quite a bit of walking on his own.

    Hiking in Yosemite

    • Yosemite Valley Facts:   While most visitors to Yosemite spend their time in Yosemite Valley, it is actually only 1% of the area of the Park.

     

    #3:  Junior Ranger Program With Kids

    Like most National Parks, Yosemite offers a Junior Ranger program for young visitors.   Our boys earned their first Junior Ranger badges by attending a guided program that we joined at the Happy Isles Nature Center. Our boys were the only kids at this program and received much attention from the ranger and other attendees. The program culminated with the two of them taking the Junior Ranger pledge and earning their badges.

    Junior Ranger Pledge

    Yosemite’s Junior Ranger program has changed slightly in the last few years.  There is now a Little Cub program for children aged 3-6 and Junior Ranger program for children aged 7-13.  To participate, you now need to purchase a booklet at the Park.

    • Junior Ranger Program Facts:  The Junior Ranger motto is “Explore, Learn, and Protect!”  The Junior Ranger Pledge is, “As a Junior Ranger, I promise to teach others about what I learned today, explore other parks and historic sites, and help preserve and protect those places so future generations can enjoy them.”

     

    #4:  Sunset at Glacier Point 

    Glacier Point is a one hour drive from Yosemite Valley up Glacier Point Road but worth the trip for unmatched views of the Yosemite Valley.  Glacier Point provides an eye-level vantage point for Half Dome.  We traveled to Glacier Point for sunset over the Valley.  The overlook is just a short, stroller-accessible walk from the parking area, and we loved watching the colors change as the sun disappeared over the horizon.

    The drive back to the South Entrance after sunset also took about an hour.  After a day of adventuring, both boys fell asleep quickly in the car.  We were not able to stay but hear that it is a phenomenal location for stargazing.

    • Glacier Point Facts:  The historical Glacier Point Hotel operated here from its opening in 1918 until it was severally by heavy snowfall 1968.  It was unoccupied when it was destroyed by a fire in 1969.

     

    #5:  Visiting Mariposa Grove 

    Giant sequoia trees are located in Mariposa Grove near Yosemite’s South Entrance.   Massive does not begin to describe these trees, and it’s not hard to see why John Muir nicknamed them “big trees” and called them “nature’s forest masterpiece.”  Giant sequoias can reach over 300 feet tall and 25 feet in diameter.

    The Grizzly Giant and California Tunnel Tree are the two most famous trees in Mariposa.  The hike to these two landmarks is two miles round trip and easily doable with young kids.  The Grizzly Giant is the 25th largest living giant sequoia tree.

    Grizzly Giant

    The California Tunnel Tree was cut in 1895 so that people and carriages could pass through – possibly as a marketing scheme to draw visitors to the area.  This tree is now the only living giant sequoia with a tunnel.

    Mariposa Grove has been closed since July 2015 due to a major restoration project that includes even more accessible trails.  If you visit after the Spring 2018 reopening, please let us know about the restored facilities.

    • Mariposa Grove Facts:  The giant sequoias (Sequioadendron gigantem) are the largest living things in terms of volume.

     

    Why We Loved Visiting Yosemite National Park With Young Kids

    Yosemite National Park is definitely one of my favorite National Parks.  With its scenic cliffs, waterfalls and sequoias, its no surprise that Yosemite was one of the country’s first national parks. We avoided crowds by visiting in Fall and lucked out with great weather.  I’m so glad that I got to share Yosemite with our young kids years after my first visit.  We recommend Yosemite for kids!  Thinking about planning a family trip to Northern California, check out our posts on San Francisco, Napa Valley and Monterey.

  • A San Francisco Family Vacation

    A San Francisco Family Vacation

    San Francisco deserves its regular designation as one of America’s beautiful cities. It is the cultural and financial center of Northern California and known for consistently it scenic bay, cool weather, regular fog and rolling hills.  Nearby Silicon Valley is a major technology and social media hub where the headquarters of Apple, Google and Facebook are located.   We really enjoyed our San Francisco family vacation and can’t wait to go back.

    Planning a Trip to San Francisco

    We booked our 2012 trip to San Francisco on a whim after seeing a friend’s post on Facebook about $100 round trip flights to California.  We wanted to take a Fall vacation with our boys who were aged two and four but had not chosen a destination.  It was as if San Francisco chose us with that airfare deal.  My husband had never been to California, and I immediately got excited about also traveling from San Francisco to Napa Valley and Yosemite National Park.  As I started checking out flight availability online, my husband called his good friend who was living there to finalize dates.  We had four seats booked at a total cost of about $500 within about an hour.

     

    San Francisco is a relatively walkable city, but the hills are steep.  With two young boys and plans to travel to Napa and Yosemite, we rented a car for our time in California and used it to get around everywhere.  We stayed with friends while in San Francisco over the course of two separate weekends and had a particularly laid back visit.  We did not go to any of the children-focused attractions like the San Francisco Cable Cars, the Children’s Creativity Museum or the Aquarium of the Bay, but our boys spent a glorious morning collecting leaves in our friends’ back yard and also visited several local playgrounds, including Mission Playground.

    Yard clean up

    We did hit a few of the city’s main attractions and particularly enjoyed these five fun family activities in San Francisco.

    #1: Golden Gate Bridge

    The Golden Gate Bridge is virtually synonymous with San Francisco.  This art deco icon spans across the San Francisco Bay between San Francisco and Marin County and is a huge draw for the city.  It is an impressive 1.7 miles long, and the two towers are each 750 feet tall.  From its 1937 completion until 1964, the Golden Gate Bridge had the world’s largest span.  It is currently ranked 14th.

    However, due to the high percentage of overcast days, visitors cannot necessarily be guaranteed a clear view of the Bridge.  On our drive over the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods, very little of the Bridge’s specially formulated international orange hue was actually visible.

    View while driving on the Golden Gate Bridge in the fog

    Luckily, the fog cleared by the time we returned later in the day, and were able to see Bridge’s picture-perfect contrast against the blue sky, which we enjoyed even more because of the foggy view earlier in the day.

    Clear skies!

    This “international orange” bridge appears red

    We happened to visit the weekend that the Blue Angels were in town.  Watching the planes buzz the tower was definitely the highlight of our trip.

    Blue Angels buzzing the Bridge

    #2:  Japanese Tea Gardens

    The Japanese Tea Gardens are the country’s oldest public Japanese gardens and located inside Golden Gate State Park.  Our boys loved exploring the manicured paths and ponds, which are all arranged in a Japanese style.  These gardens are designed to highlight the natural landscape.  It is the perfect place to slow down and enjoy nature.  We were fortunate to meet several friends here and wander through the gardens together.

    Serene garden

    The miniature pagodas originate from Buddhist tradition.

    The Treasure Tower

    The boys especially enjoyed checking out the enormous carp swimming in the ponds.  These stunning gardens were really a perfect place for our family to visit.

    Checking out the carp

    • Kid Facts:  The Japanese Tea Gardens were originally built to feature during the 1894 World’s Fair.

    #3:  Muir Woods

    Muir Woods National Monument is a magical redwood forest featuring the Sequoia sempervirens, the Earth’s tallest living things.  It is located in Marin County about 45 minutes from San Francisco assuming no traffic but totally worth the trip.  A walk through these woods is nothing short of awe-inspiring.  These trees are around 250 feet tall and hundreds of years old.

    Majestic redwoods

    Enormous tree trunks

    The forest canopy is nothing short of breathtaking.

    Stunning canopy so high up

    Muir Woods is a pedestrian park.  We were able to easily push our toddler in a stroller on the walkways.  When we visited in early October, we did not experience massive crowds or parking hassles.  However, these are common in high season.  Starting in January 2018, advance booking for parking and shuttles is necessary.

    Enjoying our hike

    • Kid Facts:  Muir Woods is named to honor conservationist John Muir who is known as the “Father of the National Parks.”

    #4:  Alcatraz

    Alcatraz was the first military prison in the US and later served as a federal penitentiary that housed maximum-security A-list criminals.  Famous inmates of “the Rock” include Al Capone.  The prison was closed in 1963 because of the exorbitant costs involved with transporting guards and supplies to the prison.

    We viewed Alcatraz from the mainland, but tours are extremely popular.  The 15-minute ferry ride to the island offers stunning city views but can often be quite chilly.

    Alcatraz Island

    Checking out the infamous prison

    • Kid Facts:  Of the 36 prisoners who attempted to escape Alcatraz, 23 were caught and returned to the prison, six were shot and killed, two drowned, and five are “missing and presumed drowned.” No known successful prison escapes have been verified.

    #5:  Eating Out

    As with most large metropolitan areas, there are many great restaurants in San Francisco.  Because we were visiting friends, we enjoyed some great food both eating out and carrying in.

    • Humphrey Slocum may be our favorite ice cream shop ever.  Our friend who took us is an ice cream aficionado and even makes his own.  This gourmet shop offers unexpected ice cream combinations like Salt + Pepper, Red Bean and Dr. Pepper and Kumquat Poppyseed.  But, you are welcome to sample everything and likely to be blown away by taste of the unusual flavors.  We ordered the signature flavor Secret Breakfast, which is bourbon ice cream with corn flakes.  It was so delicious that we made a return trip to purchase a pint.
    • Pi Bar is a craft beer bar and pizzeria in the hip Mission District.  It’s brilliant name comes from π/pi, a homophone of pie, and it is open daily from 3:14-6:28 PM.  Pi Bar specializes in pizza by the slice with a πr2 deal including a slice of pizza and a beer of the day for $8.50.  We ordered a few carry out pies that we enjoyed with our Secret Breakfast ice cream.
    • Burma Superstar offers Burmese cuisine, which I had never tried before but is heavily influenced by neighboring India, China, Laos and Thailand.  We had an amazing meal here with friends and would definitely plan another meal here next time I’m in San Francisco even if there is almost always a wait to get in.
      • Kid Facts:  San Francisco has one of the country’s largest Burmese communities.

    We also visited Lombard Street but couldn’t quite capture the beauty of the famous zigzag street.   San Francisco is an amazing city for a family vacation.  Now I can’t wait to go back and to try some of the things we missed!  What’s your favorite attraction in San Francisco with kids?

    To find out more about our Northern California trip check out our posts on Yosemite National Park, Napa Valley and Monterey.