***BREAKING: On January 25, 2021, Governor Newsom will be announcing the end of the stay-at-home order for the three California regions remaining under it – the Bay Area, Southern California, and the San Joaquin Valley. The Greater Sacramento region’s stay-at-home order was already lifted on January 12. This means all counties will return to the …
Located on the California-Nevada border in the Sierra Mountains, Lake Tahoe is a popular vacation getaway. Day trippers and weekend warriors from Northern California visit often, but Tahoe is a bucket list destination for travelers from all over the country and even the world as well. With skiing and winter sports in colder months and …
Yosemite National Park reopened to the public on June 11, 2020, after a three month closure due to COVID-19. My family made reservations for a mid-July 2020 trip way back in the summer of 2019, so we were thrilled that the timing worked out to be able to visit. Yosemite holds a very special place …
The country’s most populous state has reopened more slowly than most, but travel is finally making a comeback in California. Like many Californians stuck in my house for nearly three straight months, my family is ready to go somewhere. Safely, of course. But with each California county following its own timeline for reopening, it’s really …
The city of San Francisco, California is one of the most transit-friendly in the United States, if you know how to use the variety of transportation options available to navigate the famous hills. I’ve lived in the Bay Area for 15 years, so it’s fair to say I’ve taken pretty much every option, from cable …
San Francisco is certainly a destination worthy of a week or more. As a local in the Bay Area, I always recommend that visitors come and stay awhile, taking a few day trips around Northern California on a longer vacation. But sometimes you just don’t have the time. Luckily, there is so much than can …
A very popular day trip from San Francisco for many travelers is an excursion to Muir Woods National Monument. Located in Marin County near the town of Mill Valley, Muir Woods protects a forest filled with old growth coast redwoods. Because of its proximity to San Francisco, it is an extremely popular national park site …
Whether you are a local or a tourist, the city of San Francisco has dozens of family-friendly activities and events to keep you busy. But sometimes it’s great to get out of the city and explore more of the greater Bay Area and Northern California. If you have young kids like I do, day trips …
We are a family that flies much more than we drive in our travels. My kids can do a cross-country flight like champs, but they aren’t used to long road trips. When my husband and I started planning a summer road trip from our home in the San Francisco Bay Area through Northern California and …
A little over an hour away from San Francisco and about 20 miles south of San Jose is the town of Gilroy, California. It is probably best known for its agriculture – in particular, its garlic. Gilroy plays host to an annual summer garlic festival that draws serious crowds. But Gilroy has another attraction that is …