family

3 California road trip ideas

 in Travel  tagged family / staycation by

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

napa river sunset winter

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 sign pier

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

 in Fitness / Travel  tagged camping / family / hiking / staycation by
china camp state park beach

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!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Beyond Van Gogh San Jose

 in Events / General Fashion  tagged art / beyond van gogh / family / outfits / san jose by

wearing: large hoop earrings / black top / G buckle belt / bracelets (local San Jose designer!) / pleated green skirt / black pouch / fall nail polish / black chain boots /

Art meets tech at the new Beyond Van Gogh, immersive experience in San Jose! I was thrilled when Beyond Van Gogh invited me to attend their press preview party last Thursday; one day before the event’s grand opening. It was amazing to be able to view the new exhibit, and to take photos, in order to share the event with you. If you are local, I hope you want to go!

I don’t want to give away too much information, because then you won’t be surprised when you attend the event. So, I will give you a brief overview!

The “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” is currently being held at the San Jose Convention Center in downtown San Jose. It’s an amazing walk-through and experience you won’t want to miss! The exhibit begins with an educational walk-through which details Van Gogh’s life and experiences. This is an important, educational moment in the exhibit, so make sure you read it all!

After reading about Van Gogh’s life, inspiration, and experiences, you will be guided into an immersive room which walks you through his paintings and life works. His artwork is grouped by theme, and using technology, the paintings fade in and out, and immerse you inside of them! It really is quite an amazing experience!

My husband and I chose to stand, pause, and wander through the area. If you prefer to sit, there are benches around the room, and some attendees sat on the ground and really felt themselves immersed into the art. This truly is an incredible fusion of art and tech. My husband even commented that he would love to see other artists works’ in this way. I agree!

It is also a great way to introduce Van Gogh to children, who may otherwise bore at a traditional museum. The immersive experience is fun for kids; as we witnessed several children enjoying themselves during the event. I immediately regretted not bringing my kids. This is a great exhibit for families!

Well, I don’t want to give away too much. I would love for you to attend “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” yourself! The event starts Friday, September 24, 2021 and runs through November 14, 2021. They have daytime and evenings hours, so you can choose if you want to do a family outing, or date night! Love that!

For more information, and to purchase tickets, please visit VanGoghSanJose.com.

What I wore to the “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” event:

Enjoy the event, and thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

*I was gifted tickets to this event. all thoughts and opinions about the event are my own. all photos are my own too.