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 …
This post was written in partnership with the National Park Trust and sponsor Northside USA for Kids to Parks Day. My home state of California has an important designation when it comes to national parks – California has more national parks than any other state. Five of California’s nine national parks are within a few …
Far too many visitors to Northern California halt their travels somewhere in the middle of Napa or Sonoma County wine country. After living in Northern California for more than a decade, I highly recommend venturing farther north. There are so many amazing NorCal destinations for more adventurous travelers willing to drive just a little farther. …
Like most families, mine loves to visit theme parks in our travels. When we can’t travel far from home, we try to make time for day trips and staycations to some of our local theme parks in the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California. I recently realized that we had one major hole in …