How to Travel With Kids to California

Courtesy of a Creative Commons License (Justin S. Campbell: flickr.com)

From the rides and characters of Disneyland to San Francisco's cable cars and Fisherman's Wharf, California is a paradise for kids. To best plan a California family vacation, consider what your kids like to do the most. If you have active kids, consider a visit to one California's majestic national parks, such as Yosemite or Sequoia. Other kids may prefer the beaches of Southern California or Los Angeles' film culture and attractions. This how-to guide will give you a few easy steps to follow to ensure that your California vacation suits you and your kids' interests and needs.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Hotel reservations or family to stay with Itinerary
Hotel reservations or family to stay with
Itinerary

Step 1

Pick your climate. California's climates range by season and location. Southern California is typically warm throughout the year, but temperatures may drop into the 60s (Fahrenheit) and sometimes 50s during the winter. San Francisco, on the other hand, is known for rainy winters, often cool summers and lots of fog. The Mojave and Sonoran Deserts are known for their hot and arid climate, while California's mountainous regions such as Lake Tahoe offer the opposite, with chilly winters and heavy snow. While some kids may enjoy the 125-degree-plus summers of Death Valley National Park or the 20- to 30-degree snowy winters of Mammoth Lakes, most kids best tolerate more temperate climates.

San Diego remains mild throughout the year and Los Angeles usually only gets really hot for a few days each summer. San Francisco is mostly pleasant weather-wise but is usually cooler in the summer than the fall (high 60s on average in the summer and low 70s on average in September and October).

Step 2

Pick which cities you want to visit. Most cities are full of museums and cultural attractions that cater to kids. San Francisco and nearby Bay Area towns and cities have a few choice children's museums, such as the science-themed Exploratorium and the Bay Area Discovery Museum, plus attractions like Fisherman's Wharf. San Diego has one of the best zoos in the world (the San Diego Zoo), Sea World and an assortment of kid-friendly museums in Balboa Park. Los Angeles has the Madame Tussauds wax museum and many museums in Exposition Park (such as the California Science Center).

Exploratorium
3601 Lyon St.
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 561-0360‎
exploratorium.edu

Bay Area Discovery Museum
557 McReynolds Road
Sausalito, CA 94965
(415) 339-3900‎
www.baykidsmuseum.org

San Diego Zoo
2920 Zoo Drive
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 231-1515
www.sandiegozoo.org

Sea World
500 Sea World Drive
San Diego, CA 92109-7993
(619) 222-6363
www.seaworld.com

Balboa Park
1549 El Prado # 1
San Diego, CA 92101-1699
(619) 239-0512
www.balboapark.org

Madame Tussauds
6933 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 461-0534
www.madametussauds.com

Exposition Park
701 State Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90037
(213) 763-0114
www.expositionpark.org

Step 3

Decide what (if any) scenic attractions you want to visit. California is home to seven national parks (Yosemite, Redwood, Lassen Volcanic, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Death Valley, Channel Island and Joshua Tree) plus many more national monuments, forests, beaches and recreational areas. Yosemite is California's most popular park and thus has the infrastructure to accommodate families. Even if your kid does not enjoy long hikes, Yosemite has plenty of shorter walks and scenic lookout points. Sequoia and Kings Canyon are also popular destinations for children. Right next to each other, both Sequoia and Kings Canyon have many massive sequoia trees. Kids will get a kick out of driving through a fallen sequoia in Sequoia National Park. If your children enjoy playing on the beach, consider a visit to Santa Barbara or the many beaches of Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.

Yosemite National Park
9039 Village Drive
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
(209) 372-0200
www.nps.gov/Yose

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park
83918 Grant Grove Drive
Kings Canyon National Park, CA 93633
(559) 565-3341
www.nps.gov/seki

Step 4

Look for nearby amusement parks. Most of California's cities offer easy access to a variety of amusement parks. Los Angeles in particular is close to an especially rich selection of kid-friendly amusement parks, such as Disneyland (25 miles south of Los Angeles), Knotts Berry Farm (22 miles south of Los Angeles), Universal Studios (in Los Angeles) and Magic Mountain (30 miles north of Los Angeles). Each park has many nearby hotels that have special offers for children, such as Holiday Inn's "kids stay free" policy.

Disneyland
1313 S. Harbor Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92802
(714) 635-2300
disneyland.disney.go.com

Knotts Berry Farm
8039 Beach Blvd.
Buena Park, CA 90620-3225
(714) 220-5200
www.knotts.com

Universal Studios
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608-1085
(818) 622-3801
http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com‎

Magic Mountain
26101 Magic Mountain Pkwy
Valencia, CA 91355-1095
(818) 367-5965
www.sixflags.com

Step 5

Book your hotels and buy any necessary tickets (e.g. airplane tickets and amusement park tickets). The sooner you book your plane tickets and hotel rooms, the cheaper they will be. Look for nearby restaurants that cater to children. Most restaurants near amusement parks or kid-friendly regions of cities will have restaurants with kids menus. Look at websites as such Orbitz and Side Step for kid-related vacation deals.

Tips & Warnings

Before you make any final bookings, discuss your plans with your children. Let them know what each day will entail and see if they have any concerns.

If you plan to visit any national parks or beaches, remember that nature has certain dangers. Protect your children from wildlife or rough oceans.

Resources

History Channel California Information

Article Written By Alexander Grouch

Alexander Grouch is a freelance screenwriter, journalist and children's book author. He currently writes music reviews for "The Red Alert." Grouch has visited all 48 contiguous states and plans to document his journeys in a travelogue. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Africana studies from Brown University.

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