The Golden State is one of the largest and most diverse in the nation. It offers everything from exciting cities to beautiful beaches, soaring mountains, towering redwood trees, world-famous amusement parks and a wealth of other delights. If you’re planning a road trip through California with the kids, these are some of the top spots to take in.
Drive Through a Tree on the Avenue of the Giants
Humboldt Redwoods State Park is home to one the largest remaining contiguous old-growth forest of coast redwoods in the world. This unspoiled region of Northern California not only offers a wealth of outdoor adventure, but the opportunity to drive your car right through one of the giant trees, something that’s sure to thrill the kids. You’ll find the famous Shrine Drive-Thru Tree four miles south of the park visitor center in Myers Flat.
Glass Beach, Fort Bragg
Located at the north edge of Fort Bragg in MacKerricher State Park, Glass Beach is one of the state’s most colorful beaches, yet even many California residents don’t know about it. While the word has been getting out more in recent years, this stretch of beach is made up of hundreds of thousands of small, smooth, pieces of “sea glass” in various hues. The site was once the home of the city dump, where from the late 1800s up through the 1960s, people tossed their trash. Over time, the pounding waves cleaned up the beach, breaking down everything but glass and pottery, resulting in those intriguing tiny pieces that cover it today. It’s easy to spend hours here searching for that perfect piece.
San Francisco
San Francisco offers a ton of fun things to do with kids of all ages. Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge while taking in the stunning views of the Pacific, Alcatraz and the city skyline. You can ride a cable car and take a boat tour to Alcatraz Island too. The “haunted” night tour may be ideal for families with teens as it’s pretty much guaranteed to fascinate. Other options include driving down the world’s crookedest street, visiting museums and gardens at Golden Gate Park and taking the San Francisco Duck Tour. The “duck” bus turns into a boat and back into a bus again, providing a fun tour of many of the city’s highlights.
Ride in a Stagecoach at Columbia Historic State Park
Columbia is one of the best preserved historic gold rush towns California as well as being a historic park. The second largest city in the state at the peak of the Gold Rush, costumed docents lead tours through the town, living and working here in a variety of period-appropriate shows and trades. Visitors can admire 19th-century architecture, sip locally-made sarsaparilla soda in an Old West saloon, indulge in an ice cream cone at an old fashioned parlor, and take an authentic stagecoach ride. You can even feel the heat in a working blacksmith’s forge and try your hand at gold panning too.
Winchester Mystery House, San Jose
The world famous Winchester Mystery House is a Victorian mansion that was designed by Winchester Rifle heiress Sarah Winchester. The 160-room mansion is filled with unexplained oddities, and was unlike most homes of its time, with modern heating and sewer systems, three working elevators, gas lights and 47 fireplaces. With the fascinatingly odd design of the house, and rumors of her ghost still residing, it draws spectators from across the globe to try and understand the strange architecture and the reasons behind it. While very small children might get bored, the older ones are likely to be mesmerized.
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Santa Cruz is home to one of the country’s top beach boardwalks and amusement parks which features all sorts of rides right on the sand. Enjoy heart-pounding coasters like the Giant Dipper, one of the oldest wooden roller coasters in the U.S. running since 1924. After all the rides, you can head out onto the pier to watch the countless sea lions that lie on the rafters underneath and splash around in the water. Sailboat cruises, whale watching tours and even learning to surf are just a few of the other options.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
One of the most highly acclaimed aquariums in the country, and one of the few in the entire world to showcase species like yellowfin tuna, huge bluefin and sunfish, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is really a must-visit. It hosts many large pools and tanks that showcase marine life along the California coast, with more than 600 species of plants and animals. In the Ocean’s Edge Wing, the giant kelp forest can be viewed from multiple levels, while the Open Sea galleries hosts all sorts of creatures from sea otters and stingrays to jellyfish. A unique tank was constructed to hold the jellies, with a circular flow of water suspending them that creates an especially breathtaking sight.
Hearst Castle, San Simeon
Who isn’t fascinated by castles? While there are few in the U.S. you will find one right on the central coast of California in San Simeon. Designed and built for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, the lavish 115-room main house, “La Casa Grande,” is the setting for his extensive collection of European antiques and art pieces. The Moorish castle has a total of 165 rooms, along with 127 acres of gardens, terraces, pools and walkways. Three different daytime tours are available: a “Grand Rooms Tour,” an “Upstairs Suites Tour,” and the “Cottages and Kitchen Tour.” Advance reservations are recommended, especially during the summer months.
Disneyland
The Happiest Place on Earth is a bucket list experience for families, offering something for kids of all ages, including the kid-at-heart. It’s divided into two separate theme parks with three hotels, a shopping and entertainment district. Both parks offers all sorts of rides, shows and a variety of other attractions. The little ones will be thrilled to meet some of their favorite characters in person. Watch for them walking around the park, in Mickey’s Toontown and in Fantasyland, where popular heroines like Ariel and Cinderella hang out.
San Diego
With its perpetual sunny climate, miles and miles of beautiful beaches and loads of attractions, San Diego is one of top vacation destinations in the state. Play on the sand and in the water, visit Balboa Park, home to the renowned San Diego Zoo, museums and a gorgeous rose garden. Be sure to visit the zoo’s safari park which offers all sorts of safari options for viewing some of the most popular African Plains animals.
