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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
My hometown of San Francisco is one of the most popular family travel destinations in the world. I’m lucky enough to live in the middle of it all with my two kids! Of course, like many travelers, I occasionally take my hometown for granted and don’t experience everything it has to offer. I’m making 2016 the …
My family’s travels take us to lots of exotic places, but plenty of the travel we do is close to home. Home for me is Alameda, California, a small town of about 70,000 people in the San Francisco Bay Area. I like to joke that we are “an island off the coast of Oakland,” and …
This post is the second in a series examining all the details of various airports from a family travel perspective, with a special eye to the challenges that parents of babies, toddlers, and young kids face. Today’s focus is Oakland Airport (OAK), which serves as a great alternative to SFO for families looking to visit …
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 …
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, …