Overnighter Destination Advice (With Kids)

I agree with other on Gilroy Gardens. For age five and one it is perfect because there are a lot of rides the five year old can do on his/her own and even some cute ones the one year old would like. It is beautiful too.

We just went there over the weekend. It is about 1hr + 30-45 min. from Marin and we decided to stay the night at the Best Western in Gilroy. The next day we got up and swam and went for lunch at Chevey's, it is w/in walking distance from the hotel.

Another one night trip we have taken was the Hilton in Santa Rosa. They have a great pool and we just hang out there all day.

San Francisco was fun for us last year. We took my daughter and niece to the aquarium at pier 39, Ripley's Believe it or Not, and I think one other museum type attraction. We also went to Golden Gate Park to do a little walking. I've heard that the SF zoo is amazing (but then, compared to the Sac zoo almost anything is better). Walking in fishermans grotto was fun, seeing the sea gulls up and close, finding the sea lions to bark at was a highlight, too. We had a nice, fun filled day that everyone enjoyed. The weather was perfect, too. A nice break from the weather here!

a

Hi T.,

The Monterey Bay Aquarium would be a nice getaway. It is exciting and educational at the same time. We are planning a trip in the next couple months with a 2 yr., (2) 6 yr. and a 15 yr old. Not sure where to stay yet but they have nice hotels and restaurants in Monterey. I hope this helps. Good luck with you planning and have a safe and fun trip.

T.

We just got back from a trip to Monterey with our 6 year old twins and our 3 year old. On the way down we stopped at Gilroy Gardens...PERFECT for young children. It was very clean and not crowded. We were very pleasantly surprised. Be sure to check it out. We have also had season passes to Six Flags, but found this place much better for young children. Your not dealing with the older kids...language and behavior. You can also find 1/2 price tickets on-line. It is a bit pricey...but worth it. After Gilroy Gardens we headed over to Monterey...about an hour drive. We have a family membership for the aquiaium, so we did that and also added on a behind the scences tour which was great. The best thing we did in Monterey was the My Museum. It is a children's museum in downtown and would be perfect for the ages of your children. You can find it on-line.

Have fun!!

They are all fun! But my vote is for Six Flags.......My boys have enjoyed it so much more than anything else because there is so much variety for the ages..........The only "tricky" part is being able to see everything within the short park hours..........but it's also a good thing because you can drive home that night with a quiet car :O)

For your first time, I recommend The Shouka Show........and The Dolphin Show.........and Thomas Town, and Looney Toons Village. That should cover your ages of kids...........in the very back of the park there are animals (giraffe to feed) and another "kid town" to play in.........but you almost have to pick one area if you work in the 2 shows or else you won' have enough time.

The BEST way to do it, is to go 2 days.........it's so much more enjoyable because you can see everything without rushing around. And in the back-middle of the park, they have a huge food court under these big white tents.....it's perfect for your kids to run around safely and stretch their little legs :o)

Wherever you go...........have fun!

~N. :o)

I also suggest Monterey Bay Aquarium. It's really great for kids at your kids' ages.

The other thing I wanted to suggest is staying in a KOA cabin for a night. KOA campgrounds are great for kids. They usually have pools, arcades, biking, and other entertainment. Plus, you get to build a fire and make S'mores! There are quite a few in Northern California. Our favorite is at Manchester Beach, just south of Mendocino, but we've enjoyed trips to others as well. They vary quite a bit as to amenities, so I'd read up on various locations before choosing one.

Hi T.,

We couldn't afford a huge vacation last year, so we bought season passes to Six Flags for the first time. We had a blast. Our kids, then 5 & 7 loved it. My son is a daredevil and very tall, so he could ride all of the roller coasters. My daughter didn't meet the height requirements, but they have a great section for the little kids which she loved. The shows are a lot of fun as well. We live about an hour and a half from there, so we stay at the Best Western there. That way the kids can swim in the pool and they think they are on vacation. The hotel is across the street and two blocks from the park. They offer a free shuttle. We are only 30 mins from Great America, but Six Flags is more family friendly, at least to us. We loved it so much that we bought the passes again this year.

I hope this helps. Have fun.

No ideas where to stay as we've always driven to those places and come home the same day, but we've done all three with our now 4 year old. Great America was her least favorite. Not much for small children. Six Flags was always a big hit. Tons of rides for kids plus fun shows with dolphins, tigers, sea lions, etc. Plus many of the shows have shaded areas so if it's a hot day, you can sit down and relax while watching a show. We always have a blast at Six Flags. Santa Cruz is great too. There is a nice beach area so go on a day that's warm so you can enjoy the beach and swim in the ocean.

We like to do a one-nighter at Great Wolf Lodge at least onece per summer. We've done it since our older two were 4 & 18 months, and still do it with all FOUR kids ages 9, 6, 2 & 8 months. We all have a blast!

We love going to Monterey. There is the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the restaurants, the shops, an indoor minature golf course, the beach, etc..... My children range in age... I have a 10, a 7, and a baby. This trip is always a success.

If you go on Priceline, you can get a great price on a hotel right on Cannery Row.

Another favorite is Pier 39 in San Francisco. Lots to do and see!

I would also highly recommend Monterey. There are so many things to do, and with little ones, just going to the aquarium is treat enough! Plus, it's not overwhelmingly huge, so it's pretty easy to navigate. They also have plenty of quiet little spots to relax for a bit.

I completely would never do Santa Cruz boardwalk would children under age 12! I think it is dirty and creepy and some of the croud is questionable (you don't have to pay to get in, anyone can come walk around). I won't take my kids there until they can REALLY understand germs and public safety for themselves (not that I would let them there by themselves, but won't have to watch them as extremely close as younger ones!!!)
are you asking about great america AND magic mountian (near LA)? They are BOTH six flags so wanted to make sure, we just did six flags magic mountain with a 3 and 1 year old and it was great, just bring a towel and change of clothes if you'd let them play in the sprinkler/fountain! We stayed in the embassy suites there and it was great and clean, free breakfast and pool.
Also just stayed at santa clara marriott near six flags great america - very nice, awesome pool (especially at night, you'll feel like your some place a little more exotic) and if you're Catholic there is the Our Lady of Peace church and shrine right there that was a sight to see...

If you go to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, you could also go to Roaring Camp for some train rides and go to the beach. You could also go berry picking nearby. There is a nice hotel in Aptos nearby that is right on the beach called Seascape. You could go to do some of these activities from there.
Here are some reviews on the things mentioned. You can also look around the site for ideas on things to do in the Monterey/Carmel area, SF area or further north towards wine country.
http://www.bigbluetrunk.com/reviews/563
http://www.bigbluetrunk.com/reviews/474
http://www.bigbluetrunk.com/reviews/359

We're taking our 22-month-old daughter to Sanctuary Beach Resort in Marina (near Monterey) to celebrate my 40th b'day this Fri. I'll let you know if it's a good kid place. Part/most of the reason I chose it is because it's on the beach and will be basically a huge sand box for her to play in. I envision that she'll be able to run to her little heart's content. And, there's a heated outdoor swimming pool. Sounds fun! Either way, I'll post and let people know how it turns out!

T., consider Yosemite National Park. Once there things are free and the beauty is beyond words. If you like to hike there are trails and there are plenty of short things to see just riding around inthe park on the bus withthe driver explaining things. Our family loves it there and dependig on where you stay the prices are reasonable. You can even rest a tent cabin or do tent camping if so inclined.
Take lots of pictures where ever you go the memories are worthit.

I think the kids are too young for an amusement park. My husband and I took our 4 yo to the Monterey Bay Aquarium (I see several recommendations for the same). We all loved it. We spend some time in the aquarium, then took a break for lunch at Bubba Gumps, then finished up at the aquarium. It was a lovely day which we all enjoyed.

I have a great suggestion for you that will be a fun fit for this age group.
Check out the KOA in La Selva Beach (about 30 minutes south of Santa Cruz). We've been going for years with the kids. It's about $100-$150 per night (can be less depending on how you like to "camp", you can choose tents, cabins, lodge, trailer, etc.). It has tons of fun stuff for the little ones (swimming pool, jumping pillow, playground, etc). It's also very near a nice beach to go hang out. We ended up not even going to the Boardwalk this year, as the kids were having too much fun at the KOA!

http://www.koa.com/where/ca/05113/

We are not into the huge amusement parks, especially with children as young as yours, so of what you suggested, I would vote for Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Six Flags is my least favorite with younger kids. It is huge, therefore exhausting to navigate, a pain with strollers that aren't allowed past certain points, many rides are off limits to smaller kids, it is really crowded, hardly any shade and a very hot location, and it seems more of a money pit than the rest of them. I see most people disagree with my experience but that's how we feel about it.

I can suggest a lovely hidden gem for young children in Gilroy, called Gilroy Gardens. It is an amusement park for children up to about aged ten, although older children and, especially adults of all ages seem to love this place. You may want to look it up online. It is large enough to navigate in a day and has loads of variety with the rides and attractions but it is less commercial somehow, very pretty with rides set amongst beautiful trees, (the trees have been especially designed and very interesting), and gardens, waterfalls and pretty scenery. There is a lovely water park area in the summer and cool Christmas lights and an ice skating rink in winter. There are mellow rides and fast and fun roller coasters but none that would scare the pants off of a daring teenager.My kids think it is the best place on earth!

If you'd like more information about it, other things to do around there, or ideas on where to stay down there, I could help you out as I have family who live down there and know everything about it all. If so, please private message me.

Good luck and I hope you have fun wherever you decide to go!

Hi,

We live in Aptos so we are close to Santa Cruz and it's a short drive for us to either Gilroy or Monterey. We have season passes to both the Boardwalk and Gilroy Gardens, so I would recommend both. My five year old loves both. In the past, we have also had season passes to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, so I would recommend that also. If you are looking for a reasonably priced place to stay close to Santa Cruz, check out the Best Western Seacliff Inn. http://seacliffinn.com/. It has a pool and is close to the Seacliff state park beach. Plus, staying there would probably be safer than staying in Santa Cruz.

Have fun!

Gilroy Gardens is really fun for the little ones. Not very popular with teenagers, so it is not crowded. It is beautifully landscaped and incredibly clean with lots to do and see. Our children who are 19 month old twins love it and have been going since 14 months. It can be hot in the summer there though.

We live next to Monterey and the Monterey Bay Aquarium & Dennis the Menace Park are both great. Monterey can be foggy in summer, it is typically warmer in Sept/Oct. Marina is usually foggier. I noticed someone posted that. However, today is a scorcher so who knows! Carmel is always nice and has a park to run around in. Thinker Toys there is a big hit. And the beach is beautiful.

Hope this helps.

There's a sushi place in Monterey called Crystal Fish on Lighthouse Avenue that is incredibly kid friendly. Will serve rice, avocado, noodles... too. Often highchairs are propped up there.

Very pricey is Pebble Beach but they have some fire pits that are outdoors next to the ocean on the patio at Roy's Restaurant. At 6 pm there is a bagpiper that comes around the golf course side to play. They will give you blankets if it is cold. Great appetizers. Beautiful setting. Again, Pebble Beach a common foggy spot. If you get nice weather it is a paradise.