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Community Corner

Bay Area Weekend Getaways for Families

Our suggestions for great family day trips and long weekend vacations.

It’s always nice to get away with the family for the weekend, but sometimes it’s hard to know where the best places to go with children are.

The Mom Squad has helped you do some of the work! We’ve touched on our favorite places to go for a day trip, but here are some of our favorite places to go for a long weekend!

 

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TAHOE

Bethany:

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 My husband grew up in South Lake Tahoe, so it’s a family favorite for vacations. We love going there ANY time of year. There are so many fun things to do no matter what season you go. In the winter you have the obvious ski resorts and casinos, but there are also many fun family activities too!

Hansen’s Resort is one of many places around town that has a snow tube and saucer hill. (Some of the ski resorts have them too.) We also had a great time going on an genuine “one-horse-open-sleigh” ride with a beautiful view of the lake near the end of the row of casinos.

In the summer months, we like to rent a boat and go cruise around Emerald Bay. You can also take a ride on the Tahoe Queen. (It’s a big paddle boat that looks more like it belongs on the Mississippi instead of Lake Tahoe, so it was quite a sight for this Midwest girl to see the first time!) Most of the rental shops rent kayaks or bikes during the warmer months, or you could even try parasailing.

There are many options for places to stay from small cabins to fancy hotels and resorts, but one of our favorite places to stay is Lakeland Village. They’re a complex of condos and hotel rooms with a private beach and pool which is great for the kids during the summer!

Nicole:

We take family trips to Tahoe three or four times a year and have since I was a kid. As a kid, we spent much of our time on the South Shore but as an adult, we spend more time on the North Shore. Both, however, offer unlimited family friendly activities year round.

On the south shore, there are the casinos, hotels, and Heavenly village right at stateline. That right there is enough to occupy your time, aside from the gorgeous lake and beaches itself! In the winter there is an ice rink right in Heavenly village, sleigh rides on the outskirts of town, sledding at every ski resort (but the most fun places to sled are in the back area, and they’re free!). In the summer, hiking, swimming, boating, and every outdoor activity you can think of is available.

The same goes for the north shore, however the pace on the north shore is much slower and there aren’t as many casinos. But you’re closer to Truckee, which is one of our favorite places to go. Not to mention the KidZone in Truckee which is a small childrens museum and a super fun place to take the kids! We’ve been there many times and everytime we go it’s different.

Northstar and Squaw Valley offer ice skating, however, Northstar has gas firepits all around the ice rink and you can either bring your own or buy a s'mores kit and make s'mores (I won’t lie...we MAY have also made Irish Coffees but don’t tell anyone ...).

In the summer, Commons Beach in Tahoe City is FANTASTIC. It’s small, set far down from the road, and has two big playgrounds right behind the beach. We spend all day every day there when we’re in Tahoe. We set up our sun tent right on the grass next to the beach and the kids run from the water to the playground and we can see them from our tent. It’s awesome! Sand Harbor is also one of our favorite beaches, however, you have to pay to get in. They also have a Shakespere Festival in the summer which would be fun with older kids.

YOSEMITE

Nicole:

I grew up going to Yosemite, and since I’ve had kids we haven’t been,  which is really disappointing. The last time we went, however, I went with my nieces and nephews and it was fantastic. There are plenty of places to stay outside of the park and they offer shuttles right into the park which makes things very easy. However, if you want to stay in the park you have a lot of options.

The last place we stayed was the Yosemite Lodge, which was so much fun. Right below the lower falls you have instant access to a lot hiking a well as shuttles into Curry Village. They also have a cafeteria and a restaurant and the restaurant has a fire pit you can make smores in. The lower falls is a great hike that small kids can do because a lot of it is wide paved roads. I can’t wait to take my kids there!

MONTEREY/CARMEL

Bethany:

We like going to Monterey, but haven’t stayed overnight yet. There is so much to do around town though! Of course there is the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but it can be pricey so keep a lookout for coupons and special deals. Our kids love the “Dennis the Menace” playground near downtown, and we love that it’s free! There are lots of cute shops and restaurants around the downtown area and beyond. There are also a lot of hotels and B&Bs around town.

When Claire was a baby, we went for a weekend away in Carmel. It was in February, so the weather was a little windy and cloudy, but we still were able to enjoy walking around town and the beach.

The downtown area is full of cute little shops and restaurants and slopes downhill towards the beach. There are several B&Bs and hotels in and around town to choose from. We stayed at a B&B that had an ocean view and was a very short walk to the beach.

One place we like to go for dinner is Mission Ranch. They have a huge fireplace in the dining room that help it feel nice and cozy, and a great view from the windows or back patio. They are a bit pricey, but it’s a fun splurge.

Nicole:

Monterey and Carmel are so gorgeous any time of year. There is a ton of stuff to do there besides the Aquarium and the Cannery (even though these are both so great). My Museum which is located near the Cannery is a great place for little ones to explore. And of course, the beaches! Carmel Beach is really beautiful, the sand is soft and gorgeous and if your kids like dogs they’ll be in heaven! Carmel is one of the most dog friendly towns in California.

SONOMA/NAPA

Nicole:

Before we had kids, we went to Sonoma and Napa all the time. Despite Napa being world-renowned wine country, there is so much more to the area than just wine! There are many forests, parks, farmers markets and kid friendly activities available.  There is the gorgeous petrified forest near Calistoga as well as Old Faithful geyser which are both awesome outdoor activities. There is also Safari West which is fantastic, although it is a bit expensive, its worth it.

Sonoma is just as fantastic for grown-ups and kids alike. The Sonoma Green is wonderful with shops, restaurants, 2 playgrounds and duck ponds. Traintown is located right near the Sonoma Green and they offer train rides and have a petting zoo, a little town and some little rides. The kids love it!

COLOMBIA GOLD COUNTRY

Nicole:

I absolutely love Gold Country. There are so many gorgeous small towns to go to and visit and they all have great fairs and events year round. Columbia is definitely one of my favorite places to go. It is a town set up as it would be during the Gold Rush with interactive exhibits and a great sweet shop (one of my favorite places to go!).

The surrounding towns are wonderful to visit; Sonora, Murphys, Jamestowne, Twain Hardt, the list could go on! A lot of the surrounding towns offer gold panning which is always fun with kids! There are beautiful lakes in the area, which during the summer are a huge draw. New Melones Lake and Lake Tulloch are our favorites. You can camp right on the water (but you have to book pretty far in advance) and they also have cabins.

New Melones has great houseboats, which may not be ideal with really little ones but we brought my niece and nephew when they were fairly young and it worked out great. There are many many things to do in that part of California and it’s definitely worth a visit!

LOS ANGELES/SAN DIEGO AREA

Bethany:

I think sooner or later, ALL of us Bay Area parents will end up taking our families on the Southern California vacation! I mean with Disneyland, Legoland, Sea World, Universal Studios, Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and the many many other attractions around the area, it’s pretty much inevitable.

Our nieces live in the area, so we have been down once as a family already. Claire was still pretty little so we didn’t do any of the theme parks at that time, but I’m sure that we will soon enough!

SANTA BARBARA

Nicole:

Santa Barbara is hands down one of my favorite places to be, with or without kids. I absolutely love it there! I went to college there so a lot of my time was spent doing...not kid friendly things! But as I have gotten older, I realize all the amazing things Santa Barbara has to offer families.

State Street and Stearns wharf are huge draws with the beautiful beaches, great shopping, wonderful restaurants and the great art fair on Sundays. The Santa Barbara Zoo and the Natural History Museum are great for kids (and if you have a Happy Hollow membership, they are both reciprocal members can receive a discount, but we recommend calling to confirm).

Carpinteria has great kid friendly safe beaches and nearby Goleta has the South Coast Railway Museum which has many model trains on display (they also offer family days). If you’re up for a little drive from there, Ojai is a great place to spend the day too. Up in the mountains near Santa Barbara, it’s a gorgeous drive and is very relaxing.

REDWOOD FORESTS 

Bethany:

There are many different redwood forests and State Parks all up and down the state. We love going to Big Basin Redwoods State Park for the day, but we also love camping there. It is so beautiful there and it feels so far removed from the urban areas we call home, that it’s a very peaceful place to stay.

The weather can be a little tricky to plan for, but the key is to pack clothing that can be worn in layers. During the summer months it can get quite hot during the day, but very chilly at night. It is a dense forest so there is a lot of shade and it can be damp. If you are camping be aware that the temperature can vary widely from day to night.

They have the original tent cabins available as well as campsites for RVs or tents. Some have parking and some are walk-in sites that are further removed from the cars for a more natural camping feel.

Of course vacation time and money is hard to come by these days, so sometimes a long weekend is all we have. We hope you make the most of it and have a great time! We’d love to hear from all of you too! Tell us your favorite places to travel for a long weekend in the comments section below.

You can also check out the Campbell Patch Mom Squad on Facebook! We share our articles, community events, thoughts on parenting, parent related current events, and more. We also welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions anytime!

Do you have any other ideas for places to travel for the weekend? Where does your family like to go? We’d love to hear from you all! Please share with us in the comments below.

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