The great state of California is on nearly every traveler's bucket list and with good reason. Its massive size, however, makes it the ultimate travel challenge. There is so much to do and see that seeing it all nearly takes a lifetime. But this is what makes it a perfect place to call home for those of us with serious wanderlust.
Even though I've lived in the state for over a decade and have tried to visit as many nooks and crannies as I can, there is still a lot of California I haven't seen. That means I'm often researching for our family's next trip somewhere new, and I often call on the best of my fellow California travel bloggers when I need travel advice for a new destination in the state.
I thought I'd share my favorite California travel blogs to help you in your California travel planning as well. Many of the following writers are family-travel focused, but several of them are not, offering a wide range of perspectives and different geographical focuses all over the Golden State. Plus, nearly all of them take amazing pictures so I've featured some of their Instagram photos from around the state (be sure to follow them there too!).
Best California Travel Blogs
Every time I plan a road trip in California with my family, my first research stop is California Through My Lens. Josh travels all over the state with his wife, and his road trips to lesser-known destinations in the state are epic. Plus, he's a professional photographer so the photos on his site are breathtaking and inspiring.
Jenna Francisco of This is My Happiness is a Sacramento-based travel and lifestyle writer who seems to have explored every inch of Northern California, often with her kids in tow. She has a particular specialization in slow family travel, so you'll find lots of unplugged outdoor adventures that are what make Northern California great. She's also a wine lover, so I go to her site for Napa and Sonoma county information regularly.
A photo posted by Jenna of This Is My Happiness (@jennafrancisco) on
Mary Solio of The World is a Book is a Guam native who calls the San Diego area home. Her world travels with her kids are impressive and awe-inspiring, but equally so is her curiosity for her home city and state. She has a particular interest and expertise in national parks, and her coverage of California's national parks and monuments is extensive. Check out all her California posts here.
A photo posted by Mary {The World Is A Book} (@worldisabook) on
Cassie Kifer of Ever in Transit is a San Jose based travel and culinary blogger who travels with her husband. She covers California food (including lots of beer!) as well as outdoor adventures, with a particular focus on the northern part of the state. She also has many helpful tips for couples and solo female travel in the Golden State.
A photo posted by Cassie Kifer | Ever In Transit (@caskifer) on
5. La Jolla Mom
La Jolla Mom is a luxury travel and lifestyle site published by Katie Dillon. In case you don't know your California geography, La Jolla is a quietly luxurious and breathtakingly beautiful beachside community north of San Diego. Katie knows every inch of La Jolla and greater San Diego extensively. Her site is one of my first stops when I'm looking to travel to Southern California and travel well.
Blogger and photographer Noel Morata calls both the San Francisco Bay Area and Hawaii home (yes, I'm green with envy). He covers urban outings in the city of San Francisco extensively, with lots of food, wine, art, and museum adventures along the way. And, of course, great photos are a integral part of the experience.
Goodbye San Francisco, it's always fun to drop by for a short visit.
A photo posted by Travel Photo Discovery (@nmorata) on
7. Hej Doll
Northern California based lifestyle and travel blogger Jessica Doll travels the Golden State in style. She has two kids but always manages to dress for every occasion, whether she's kayaking on Lake Tahoe or dining out in Napa. Her city guides and minimalist packing lists are a special highlight of her site, along with her professional photography of glorious California landscapes.
A photo posted by Jessica Doll / Hej Doll (@hejdoll) on
8. No Back Home
Southern California based Karilyn of No Back Home travels with a little one in tow. She covers the LA local scene well and is a wealth of information for museums and events in Southern California. Her local adventures are bookended by epic international trips with her family as well as jaunts all over the West Coast.
A photo posted by Karilyn | Family Travel Writer (@nobackhome) on
You probably already know the author of Travel Caffeine, Tom Bricker, who is one of the best Disney bloggers in the business (he writes Disney Tourist Blog). Although he seems to spend 24/7 in a Disney park, the reality is that he does a lot of other travel as well. He now lives in the Greater Los Angeles area and travels extensively all over the state, from the island of Alcatraz to Death Valley to Yosemite. His photography is jaw-droppingly beautiful and will leave you inspired to come to the Golden State. Plus, all of his writing is infused with a touch of infectious self-deprecating snark that makes researching for travel especially enjoyable.
Chelsea and Nate are family, lifestyle, and travel writers based in rural Southern California. Their site is chock full of tips for everyday life with kids, but they also extensively cover California adventures and outings if you poke around for a minute or two. With three kids (and a fourth on the way), they are experts at seeing the state while taking on the impressive challenge of being outnumbered by little ones.
Randy, the guy behind the Family Travel Guy, is another California expert. He travels the state with the help of lots of frequent flyer miles and points, so his perspective as a West Coast travel hacking dad is refreshing and unique. Look for helpful hotel reviews of quite a few larger properties in the state as well as lots of Disneyland and theme park adventures.
A photo posted by Randy ???? The Family Travel Guy (@thefamilytravelguy) on
Barb's site is the newest blog to the list (it just launched this June), but it already has amazing California coverage. Her family's outings in the San Francisco Bay Area to places like Sausalito and Half Moon Bay are inspiring for families with babies and toddlers and an excellent reminder of how travel can happen close to home. She's a San Diego native, so she has the southernmost part of the state covered as well.
A photo posted by Barb (@flashes.of.delight) on
13. Trips With Tykes
Ok, had to do it.... I saved lucky #13 for myself! My goal the past few years has really been to expand this site's California coverage to help other families with little ones explore the Golden State sooner rather than later. So whether you want to visit Disneyland or hit the ski slopes of Lake Tahoe, I hope you'll return and dig around my site for more tips and inspiration.
Are there other California travel blogs you enjoy? Share your ideas in the comments!
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California Travel
Josh says
Thanks for including me on this great list! Glad my site is helpful!
Randy says
Thanks for including my travel blog! You forgot one, which is your travel blog/website which has lots of great tips and info as well!
Jenna says
Thank you for including my site! This is an excellent resource for people who want to learn more about traveling in CA. I love Northern California so much, so I'm happy to share travel tips with others. There are a couple of blogs on here that are new to me, so thank you!
Barb says
Thank you so much for adding me to this list! I'm so honored! I love living in California and love exploring it with my family even more! So glad I can inspire other families to do the same!
Rowell says
Great selection of blogs. I found some new people to follow on Instagram!
Mary {The World Is A Book} says
Thanks again for including my blog. Love, love the Golden State so this is such a great resource. Hope you make it down to San Diego soon!
silvia says
What a great list! Thanks for the inspiration. Happy exploring in 2017.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway says
Love this list! I would like to mention that if you're in the Joshua Tree area an hour down the road is the largest rotating aerial tramway in the world! If you are ever in the area stop on over! So many wonderful places to explore in this beautiful state.
tripswithtykes says
We paid the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway a visit last spring break and my kids loved it! In shorts at the bottom, snowing at the top. My post on Palm Springs is here & I'd definitely recommend to families: https://tripswithtykes.com/2016/08/07/palm-springs-with-young-kids/
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway says
Great list and so happy to hear you loved the Tram!
bee says
Good Post! Thank you so much for sharing wonderful travel blog.
Gordon says
Nice list however you missed daytrippen.com . Blogging about California destinations before any of these blogs were even thought of. 15 years online, hundreds of destinations, and no doubt a resource for many of the above mentioned sites.
i don't says
Thanks For sharing I hope you will share more information in Future.
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it memes says
California dated back over a decade when my family took a road trip from San Francisco. This time around, I was traveling with my mom and her friend down the Pacific Coast Highway.
jerry thomas says
thank for sharing info......
i live loving in california
jerry thomas says
thank for sharing info……
i live loving in california
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Donovan says
Great Post! Thanks for sharing wonderful travel blog.
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iEagle says
Nice Blog. One day I will visit California to enjoy the vacation.
Kevin Gastron says
Beautiful Blog. One day I will visit the University of California to enjoy the holiday.
Tiffany Santarelli says
Hello Leslie, My name is Tiffany and I came across your blog while researching Southern California. I live in Johannesburg, South Africa. My husband and I will be travelling to the San Diego area in April of this year and meeting up with family members (who live in Covina, CA and Naples, FL) for a family reunion. We haven't seen each other for over 10 years. We would like to rent a house in Southern California, but I don't know much about the area and was hoping you could give some guidance. We are looking for a house to rent near the Ocean - 3 couples (most of us over 60) that is walkable with great restaurants and relaxed vibe. Do you have any suggestions about areas we should look at to stay? Should we use Airbnb? We would like to stay in a coastal town somewhere between Long Beach and La Jolla. I'd welcome your recommendations! Thank you very much!
The Quotely says
What a great list! Thanks for the inspiration.
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California local says
I love your blog. You've made traveling with young kids a lot easier for me!
Have fun exploring CA! I personally love this state. I traveled here several years ago, and never left. This resource is still good for local Californians. I haven't been to half of these places... yet!
Ross Kane says
This post was very helpful and insightful, as I read through the blogs posted here and gained wisdom about life.