Skip to Content

Editor’s Note (September 2022): The Great Pumpkin Fest at California’s Great America has now been retired. But good news – it has been replaced by an even bigger and better family-friendly Halloween event in 2022. See my guide to the brand new Tricks and Treats Halloween event at California’s Great America for all the details …

Read More about Great Pumpkin Fest at California’s Great America: Tips for Fall Family Visits

Take it from a California local. San Francisco may get all the glory but the East Bay is the place to be for families. Cheaper prices, warmer weather, and more kid-friendly attractions is why many families like mine have chosen Oakland, Berkeley, and the surrounding Northern California towns to raise a family. I call the …

Read More about 50 Things to Do in Oakland with Kids

Think you need to go to Anaheim or Orlando to walk in Walt Disney’s footsteps? Think again. Disney history is alive and well in Northern California too. In fact, one of the most impressive collections of Disney memorabilia is on display in my hometown of San Francisco. The location? The Walt Disney Family Museum. Founded by Walt’s …

Read More about Visiting San Francisco’s Walt Disney Family Museum with Kids

When my family travels, we usually make time to see several kid-friendly shows and performances. When we are home, however, we definitely don’t go to see enough. I was excited when my family was invited to see the latest Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus show as it passed through my hometown. I hadn’t been to …

Read More about An Out of This World Evening with Ringling Bros. Circus

When most Northern Californians think of National Parks, Yosemite looms large. Perhaps Lassen, Sequoia and Kings Canyon come to mind for the more outdoor-minded. What so many don’t realize is that the National Parks Service manages a number of historical and natural sites of interest all over the nation, many of which are in urban …

Read More about National Parks in the San Francisco Bay Area: Where To Take Your Kids

When Northern California families are planning vacations down to Anaheim to see Mickey Mouse, the first big trip planning question many face is how to get there. To drive or to fly? That is the question! Los Angeles and San Francisco are approximately 380 miles apart. It’s a 6 hour drive (without traffic) from the …

Read More about Should You Fly or Drive From San Francisco to Disneyland?

This post is part of a series by bloggers around California to visit and explore the California missions with kids.  The 21 Spanish missions in California were established by the Catholic priests of the Franciscan order between 1769 and 1833.  These religious and military outposts were designed to be a day’s walk from each other, …

Read More about Exploring California Missions: Mission San Rafael Arcángel