family

Historical Hollywood Walk of Fame

April 3, 2023 in Travel tagged city guide / family / los angeles / outfits / travel / travel style / travel tips by Bay Area Fashionista

One of the most touristy things to do in Los Angeles is to visit the Historical Hollywood Walk of Fame; but everyone needs to go at least once in their lifetime. Sometimes it is fun to be a tourist!

I know this post is a bit delayed, I am not sure how posting about the Historical Hollywood Walk of Fame slipped my mind! We went down to Los Angeles during New Year’s to attend the Rose Bowl game. My husband’s Alma Mater is Penn State, and they made it to the Rose Bowl! They didn’t just make it, they won! Yay!

It was really fun attending a large-scale college football game. My college did not have a football team, so I had never been to a huge college football game before. I have attended smaller schools’ football games, but nothing like this. It was amazing. The Penn State band was incredible, and the fans were highly spirited, fun, and friendly. I had so much fun! Too bad my school didn’t have football! I am now a little bit jealous. . .but I digress. . .

We have been to Los Angeles plenty of times with the kids, but somehow, we never made it to the Historical Hollywood Walk of Fame. So, this time, we took them! I had not been since I was a little kid, so it was fun to see it all again as an adult.

This is a huge tourist attraction, so when you go, I recommend going in the morning before the crowds arrive, and also try to go in the off-season. The summer and weekends are crazy busy; try to go during the week before tourist season. The winter break was a good time, I also recommend going in the fall after school is in session, or the first part of the spring semester. Ski week is a good time too if you plan to take the kids since it is in February before the colleges start their spring break season.

You will want to allow plenty of time for walking and looking down. I recommend going to the Chinese Theater first, before it gets too crowded. Once the tour busses arrive, it’s game over. If you go early, and by early, I mean try to get there by 9am, you will have time to search for all your favorite Hollywood stars. I found Shirley Temple! Love! In case you are wondering what the Chinese Theater is, it is where all the Hollywood stars have their handprints, footprints, and they have signed their names in the concrete. This is a small, select group of celebrities which are mostly iconic stars from early Hollywood, with a few modern stars.

In addition to the Chinese Theater, there are several blocks of stars to sort through in order to find your favorite celebrities. You will want to walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame after visiting the Chinese Theater. Take your time, and walk carefully, since you will be looking down instead of straight ahead! haha

Stay safe out there! This is a walking activity, and it can also get very crowded, so I recommend dressing appropriately. Make sure you have comfortable walking shoes, and keep your wallet, phone etc. in front of you. You want to be aware of possible pickpockets. They love crowded tourist areas! A cross body bag in front of you is ideal. Try not wear a backpack which can easily be entered and stolen from without your knowledge. If you have a backpack, wear it in front of you while you are walking around. I recommend wearing understated jewelry, nothing too flashy, and keep it casual.

What I wore to the Historical Hollywood Walk of Fame:

This is a half day activity. I recommend planning to attend in the morning, and then eating lunch at one of the restaurants along Hollywood Boulevard or heading out to your next adventure and enjoying a meal there. We ate there, at California Pizza Kitchen.

Enjoy your trip to LA! Thanks for stopping by,

XOXO

Cathy

3 California road trip ideas

March 27, 2023 in Travel tagged family / staycation by Bay Area Fashionista

It is the time of year when we all start to plan family vacations. Spring break is fast approaching, and summer vacation is on the horizon. Sometimes we have enough of a break in our schedule to plan a plane trip somewhere and enjoy it for a week, or possibly more, but other times, we have a small break in our schedule and a road trip is the best option for a family vacation.

If you are local to California, and looking for a road trip idea, here are a few, which may seem obvious, but hopefully will spark a road trip idea anyway. If you are from out of state, you can easily fly into one of our airports, rent a car, and enjoy one or more of these spots on your vacation. Feel free to leave your road trip ideas in the comments below!

Napa Valley

One of the most popular road trips in California is heading up to wine country. That being said, you don’t have to go wine tasting to enjoy the Napa Valley. This can be a road trip you enjoy with the entire family, and also as someone who does not drink alcohol.

There are plenty of activities in the Napa Valley the entire family can enjoy such as hiking through the Petrified Forest. Here is my full post on this beautiful destination. Call before you go to ensure they have recovered from the recent storms.

You can also visit the geysers, check out the culinary institute, or enjoy a winery with or without drinking.

Pismo Beach

Pismo Beach is one of the less traveled beaches in California. It is in between Los Angeles and the Bay Area, so for those of us traveling between the two Metropolitain areas, Pismo Beach is a great rest stop for lunch or brunch. That being said, have you ever stayed overnight? If not, then you should! There are fabulous hotels on or near the beach and the beach itself is quite relaxing in the quiet morning hours before the tourists arrive. Even when the tourists arrive, it isn’t too overrun.

In addition to enjoying the beach, you can drive a few minutes to San Luis Obispo and enjoy the hiking trails at Cal Poly SLO. You can check out my post about it here. Poly Canyon Trail is a must-see in the Pismo Beach, SLO area.

Tahoe

Lake Tahoe might be an obvious choice, but it is a place you can visit again and again. So, even if you have already taken a road trip to Tahoe, you might think about going back to see something new. There are too many trails to count, so hiking is always new and exciting. The views from most hiking trails are beautiful and beyond belief, therefore, it is always a breathtaking experience; in addition to the thin air! haha

There are also silver mines close by. These are worth the drive to see in person. We always talk about the gold mining history in California, but the silver mines were here too.

This year, we had record snowfall. This means the Tahoe region may still have snow during spring break and early summer! Grab your sled and get ready to play in the snow! You can build a snowman, make snow angels, have a snowball fight, and just play!

Of course, these are only three ideas. You can always take a road trip to a more obscure location in the state, or head down to Disneyland or Universal Studios for some fun. It is also fun to play tourist and check out all the tourist areas and traps in Hollywood.

What are your favorite road trip ideas in California?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

China Camp State Park camping and beach

October 7, 2021 in Fitness / Travel tagged camping / family / hiking / staycation by Bay Area Fashionista

China Camp State Park is a Bay Area jewel. It’s a beautiful state park which features camping, hiking, biking, water activities, and a beach on the bay. In addition to outdoor activities, China Camp State Park offers local Bay Area history which isn’t typically taught in schools. Love!

We recently took a weekend camping trip to China Camp State Park, and it was both beautiful and fun. The campsites are flat, and well maintained. There are plenty of hiking trails, biking trails, and fabulous views of the bay. The campsite is a quick drive from the beach, which also features a museum, and several buildings that are original to the historical fishing village.

You can drive, hike, or bike to the beach from the campgrounds. Then, you can relax on the beach with your own picnic, or you can buy snacks from the shop on-site. We drove to the beach from the campgrounds, and we brought our own sandwiches. It was relaxing and fun!

China Camp State Park campgrounds are easily accessible from 101 in San Rafael. I recommend making your campsite reservations six months in advance so you can pick the site you want, and ensure you actually get a site. October was a great month to camp since it wasn’t too hot, and the campground wasn’t crowded.

The campgrounds offer bathrooms and showers. For the showers, make sure you bring quarters as they require payment with quarters. Also, prepare to store your food at night in your car, or the bear box. The racoons are very smart, and not afraid to go after your food. We kept our cooler in the car after dark, and it worked perfectly.

There is a lot of wildlife at China Camp State Park. If you need quiet while you sleep, bring earplugs. There are plenty of coyote sounds, and bird sounds, in the middle of the night.

You can learn more at FriendsOfChinaCamp.org. If camping isn’t your thing, and you are local, you can always day trip to China Camp and enjoy the hiking trails, beach, and museum!