CALIFORNIA
California’s state motto is “Eureka!”, meaning “I have found it.”
FRESNO
Closest Airport
Fresno/Yosemite [FAT]
Often a drive-through to other regional destinations (Yosemite is just 45 minutes north; Sequoia is 90 minutes East), there are a few great gems in and around Fresno if you’re cutting through the state of California with kiddos on a vacation.
For the size of the area, this zoo over delivers and is really wonderful. They have amazing habitats (Savannah, Seal Cove, Kingdoms of Asia) that take kids through the different continents and show animals coexisting. They are focused on conservation and population growth (they had 2 baby elephants in October 2024-two weeks apart) and have great educational and also play spaces for kids. They have a splash park in the summer and a playground/dinosaur dig area all year round. The Sea Lion demo is every day at 10 am and our girls love going and taking part in this interactive session where the zookeepers do a talk and have the kids act out Sea Lion behaviors. There are bathrooms throughout the park, easy access to changing tables and lots of “Keep Your Paws Clean” hand sanitizer stations. Exiting the park is the only tricky part as it requires you to go through a turnstile, which is nearly impossible with a stroller. The entrance says no exit, but they actually let you go out that way if you have a stroller/wagon. Link: https://fresnochaffeezoo.org/
A bit dated, this is a quiet park-like place that has about a dozen storybook experiences (Mother Goose, Little Red Riding Hood, 3-Bears) and has never had more than 15-20 people there any time I’ve visited (weekend or weekday). On the weekends they have the characters running around interacting with kids and telling the stories. We’ve met Tinkerbell, Red Riding Hood and others during our visits. Buying the $5 Magic Key is a must, that’s how you turn on the stories. The key doesn’t come with the admission, so plan to save it if you’re going to return. Link: https://storylandfresno.com/
Imagine U Museum (Visalia Children’s Museum):
Far exceeding my expectations, this place was wonderful. It had several large inside and outside exhibits for kids and did a great job creating unique spaces that reflect the local community (farming, fire trucks, fruit markets, fishing). Our kids spent hours exploring and running around. Compared to larger, multi-level children’s museums I still felt like the quality of the exhibits was great for our young kids and kept them entertained for hours. The one challenge was they don’t really have food or snacks outside of one food truck, so plan ahead and bring snacks. Restrooms were clean and had little stools. They also have special story time guests and animal visits most days, so check their schedule. It’s on the way North from LA if you’re driving to Yosemite or Kings Canyon and well-worth the stop. Link: https://www.imagineumuseum.org/admission
Closest Airport
Fresno/Yosemite [FAT]
LAKE TAHOE
Closest Airports
Reno
Sacramento [SMF]
We adore Lake Tahoe for family time and have been going for nearly two decades, with and without kids. Since COVID, summer in Tahoe has been insanely crowded; it’s hard to find parking near beaches, and it takes forever to drive even a short distance. So if you decide to go, especially in peak summer months, I highly suggest staying at a property with beach access that you can walk to so you spend the most time enjoying the visit instead of being stuck in traffic or circling a parking lot.
Lodging:
Several properties right on the lake have 1-bedroom set-ups with kitchens, which makes meals much easier at night, and also gives some space for littles to nap and sleep. Hilton Vacation Club (South) was a good choice for us as it had a one bedroom option and a balcony. Several others along South Lake side do as well, though they can get very pricey during high season.
Food:
The influx in visitors has made eating something that needs to be planned. Higher-end places like Rivas on the water or some of the hotel spots are best with reservations. Even breakfast/brunch can easily see a 60 minute wait at favorites like Heidi’s Pancake House. If you have littles, bringing snacks, finding a hotel with food options or getting a place with a kitchen will greatly improve your visit.
Beaches:
There are several public beaches we love (and actually got married at), Round Hill Pines. It has a tiny parking lot, so it fills up very quickly, meaning the beach itself often isn’t as crowded, but you have to get there early. It is a wildly steep descent to the lake from the road, so the beach is only open in the summer and completely shuts off access in the winter due to that. You can go to Zephyr Cove any time, which is right next to it. The plus to Zephyr is that they have more amenities (volleyball court, bathrooms, food, next to the hotel); however, it gets very crowded and can be a younger, more rowdy crowd. There are also public beaches on the California side of Tahoe, but it is important to note that you cannot have alcohol at these, which can work great for families, but less so if you want to drink at the beach. Some are dog-friendly, but not all.
Hikes:
The Emerald Bay area has a lot of great hikes, but really, the entire area does as Tahoe is nestled in the mountains.
Snow:
In the winter, you have several great ski runs to choose from, snow parks for kids and adults alike and you can rent snowshoes at the Ridge near the Heavenly Gondola. They have great hiking trails in the summer, which turn into snowshoe paths in the winter, and make for an awesome workout, whether you’re wearing your kids or not. This is much harder for littles to navigate though. I’ve skied up in North Lake Tahoe but we are less winter-sport-people and the one time I did ski it as a bizarre summer where there was still snow on the 4th of July, so needless to say I’m not as versed in skiing if that’s your priority.
LOS ANGELES
Closest Airports
Los Angeles [LAX]
Burbank [BUR]
Long Beach [LGB]
The iconic beachfront city has a good set-up for kids if you come prepared. All food/drinks on the pier are tourist-priced, but you can bring your own, so if cost/quality is a concern, load up the wagon. The pier has a few activities for older kids, but our girls love watching the sealions/surfers off the edge more than the activities at a young age. The beach is fairly large and there are plenty of spots. Bringing your own umbrella/sand toys is a must as the water can be pretty cold unless its the heat of summer, so you may find you spend more time in the sand than the surf. Just up the road is Cha Cha Chicken, a Caribbean Jerk eatery with cool outside seating and delicious ropa vieja, tostones and aqua frescas.
This posh town is a little high end for kids to run and tumble, but we went to Copa Vida for breakfast which has a wonderful kids menu (literally the portion sizes were as big as an adults for half the price!) before heading to the Rose Bowl for the UCLA football game. Parking in Pasadena cost $1, it was very reasonable. The Rose Bowl is older, has limited concessions options but bathrooms are fairly easy to get to. Several others brought in strollers, so if you don’t mind parking it that is a good option.
Transit:
If driving to LA from the North along I-5, Pyramid Lake Exit rest area is elite as far as rest stops. It has an entire museum on water and conservation in the valley, interactive exhibits, gorgeous views and large, clean bathrooms.
Closest Airports
Los Angeles [LAX]. Burbank [BUR]. Long Beach [LGB]
DISNEYLAND
Closest Airports
Los Angeles [LAX]
Long Beach [LGB]
Ontario [ONT]
There are so many blogs about Disney that I wouldn’t say mine is overly unique; however, we had a wonderful visit, going for a day, just a few months after visiting Disney World (both our first-time visits with kids), and learned a few things in the process.
Hotels: There are so many blogs about Disney that I won’t say mine is overly unique; however, we found staying at the Springhill Suites/Residence Inn down the street was very easy. They have free breakfast, rooms with bunk beds (which our girls found nearly as entertaining as the park), and rooms with firework views (great if your kids go to bed early). Parking was included and they are right next to CVS, if you forget anything.
Park:
Entry: We went through security 30 minutes before the gates officially opened and there was no line, which was nice because it can back up badly, and they search things very thoroughly-especially strollers. We went on the Sunday after Thanksgiving 2024 because we were in town for my husband’s work. I thought it would be a madhouse, but it was very manageable.
Rope Drop: We did Small World at rope drop and were able to ride it 2x with no line, then came out to Jasmine taking photos. From there, we went to the kids’ area and had only a 5-10 minute wait on all the rides until about 11:30 when it started to fill up.
Dining: Dining was far less available (many of the vendor stalls were closed or had such small signs it was hard to tell what they sold). We walked around as the kids napped (many people go back to the hotel but we knew that would be harder for our kids to rally again) and booked a reservation at Tiana’s restaurant for 3 pm. When we arrived, we couldn’t find signage for the entrance and went to the wrong side. Tiana herself happened to be there greeting guests, which was fun. The staff walked us through the back area to check in. The restaurant had very cool outdoor spaces; however, the food was very expensive, not very good quality, and very small portions (the kids’ plates were literally 2 small cuts of chicken and a small pile of pasta). The lines for walk-up food purchases were insane, so we just ate what we brought to supplement. Planning your dining experiences ahead is a must. They forgot to bring my Gumbo, when I asked our waitress was very nice and apologized and took it off the bill, but it felt underwhelming considering all of the other first-rate experiences we had. We did enjoy a gigantic scoop of ice cream on Main Street USA. I almost got a double scoop, that would have been completely unnecessary; they do not skimp. I also ordered the cold brew peppermint milkshake and it was worth every calorie, a completely delicious treat if you’re into that sort of dessert/coffee combo.
Characters: We saw so many characters walking around, all of which were happy to take photos with the girls. This was our first visit, so we learned as we went. At the end, we took the train around the park to enjoy the Christmas lights and walked back to our hotel very Magical Day.
Closest Airport
Los Angeles [LAX]. Long Beach [LGB]. Ontario [ONT]
SAN DIEGO
Closest Airport
San Diego [SAN]
As a Top Gun fan, this was so cool actually driving to the North Island! While you can’t go on base, you can drive by the entrance. You can tell the whole island revolves around the Naval Base and that area is very heavy traffic much of the day. The Island itself is adorable, fancy little tourist vibes with many cute restaurants, beautiful hotels and ocean views and a walkable layout. Check in advance to see if oceans are swimable as the toxic pollution from Mexico has closed these beaches on and off over the past couple of years. There are several great spots to eat, the Tavern has a great vibe and wonderful pot pie and other quality food items. For our kids they laid butcher paper on the table so they could color and brought kids cups immediately. We’ve also heard the VFW has the best burger on the island, but is cash only so plan ahead!
(AVOID in 2025) We stayed down in this area at the Pier South resort, which was great for families, right on the ocean, amazing oceanfront views, walkable to restaurants and had 1-bedroom setups to provide some privacy at night when kids slept. That said, Imperial Beach is designated a toxic waste zone as of April 2025 with human waste and chemicals from the Tijuana River running off into the Pacific Ocean and creating a hazardous, toxic water that you cannot swim in. We didn’t know that before arriving so our stay was very different than imagined, not being able to go in the water. The area also has a very high homeless rate (much of SD does, but police actually had to remove a homeless woman from the hotel pool who was bathing in there while we were there). We would definitely stay in Coronado or San Diego itself next visit.
Incredible zoo, hands down the best we’ve been too (see Top Zoo Ratings). Plan to spend all day, we allocated an afternoon and easily could have spent several more hours exploring all it has to offer!
Getting Around: The route has a LOT of elevation gains. We walked with strollers which was fairly easy, but wear good shoes as some of the areas are very steep. They do have a bus tour (included in ticket price) and an aerial tram (also included). The aerial tram took 8 minutes and went over the whole park. Our kids loved it so we did it multiple times, but the carts can only hold 4 total, so if you have more in your party, plan to split up as kids under 8 cannot ride without an adult.
Play Areas: The whole zoo is very well-done and interactive, but the Polar Bear exhibit and the Elephant/Dino exhibit had the most engaging interactive components for our kids. They had little play structures right next to animal exhibits, which made it fun for everyone to play and see the animals.
Complete Fail. I cannot tell you how excited I was for this visit. The girls watched Sesame Street to learn the characters, and we had them dressed in their Easter dresses for Elmo’s Egg-stravaganza. We booked a dated ticket for the Tuesday prior to Easter 2025, had emails about it the day prior, and I checked the schedule to confirm when the bunny visit was and everything. When we pulled up, there was simply an A-frame stating PARK CLOSED. No staff, no explanation, no email in advance, no information about changing tickets. I looked online and saw they had closed for the whole week, unannounced and without any messaging. It was awful, our kids were devastated, and we had spent quite a bit on tickets without any way of getting our money back. I ended up having to call 4 different times, emailed twice (no response, waited on hold for over 4 hours total to have a service rep tell me I shouldn’t have bought a ticket on a day they were closed. WHAT THE LITERAL @*$#?!? It was terrible. He finally got “approval” to refund me, but was very rude. This took over a week, and each day I still got marketing emails from the park, but never anything about my ticket or an apology. I read some reviews online that if they don’t sell enough tickets, sometimes they just close without notice, which seems absolutely wild to me. I would highly recommend avoiding pre-planning, as it may backfire, and they did not provide any sort of care for our experience. Try explaining to a 2-year-old why Big Bird won’t “open the door to Sesame Street” when you’ve gotten them all excited and at the park. Very disappointing.
Kids Activities: Hands down one of the most kid-friendly ballpark experiences I’ve had. Their outfield (Gallagher Square) was renovated in 2024 creating a permanent play structure that rivals the best parks with a multi-level climbing/interactive layout and a timed-entry to ensure it isn’t overrun. Our 2 & 4 yo had an amazing time. On top of that it was Kids Fest (Sunday game) which boasted face tatoos, bounce houses, balloon artists, and bracelet making. It was so well-done and the design was excellent, if the game never took place it would have been a win! But as it was, after, the game was just as great
Food: At the Ballpark Eats concession stands they have a $9.95 Lil Sluggers meal with a hot dog, Honest juice box, bag of carrots and cookies in an adorable, Padres branded bus box. Our kids still play with the box at home.
Bathrooms/Mother’s Spaces: Bathrooms were very clean, but moreso, they all had changing tables with little signs that said where the nursing mothers room was (on suite level). The Nursing Mothers suite was incredible with a large open space with chairs and rockers to nurse, sink to wash up and fridge (if needed) plus a bathroom complete with a Pluie changing table. The attendant was incredibly kind and overall it was very impressive. They even had TVs so you could watch the game from in there!
With two daughters I was excited to expose them to women’s professional sports. In that sense, it was a complete success. After the game we played beach soccer (Wave vs. Current) the next day on the beach and they were all about it!
Activities: The building is clean and easy to navigate, which was great, but there wasn’t anything for kids, no activities set up, and the fan fest that was promoted online didn’t take place, so after arriving 3 hours early for it, we ended up just going to the Thrive Park between the stadium and the train, which was great (awesome play structures and shady enough to make it enjoyable even when hot out).
Bathroom/Building: There was one changing table in each women’s bathroom that I visited, but I did not see family restrooms, which made using the restroom with 3 kids a bit trickier. It also didn’t have kids stands under the sinks so you had to hold them up to wash their hands. For a newer building I expected slightly more kid-friendly elements.
Food: Pricy but delicious, they had a great variety of local vendors and the food we tried was great (tacos from taco truck, philly Cheese Steak, chicken tenders). They also have water bottle fill stations aound, however, when I arrived they made me dump out my kids’ water bottles and didn’t tell me where to go to refill, I found on my own but this is the only venue to ever make me do that.
A local college team that plays their games at Snapdragon Stadium (same as the Wave) can offer an affordable, fun family event during football season. There is a fan fest in the lawn and Kaiser Thrive park with great play structures, running trail and ping-pong tables just past the parking lot, giving many options to entertain the kids.
While expensive ($80 for a family of 4 including two kids under age 5!), we went at peak flower time and it was incredible. The blooms were unbelievable and the rows of flowers were stunning. They had benches throughout to take photos and a few cute props like an old tractor. The fields were great to walk around. You have to pay extra for the tractor ride to go out to see the sunflowers and they couldn’t tell us much about how long the wait would be so we opted to walk around. We spent two hours there and didn’t even play on the playground. You can definitely make a day of it. They have food trucks, exhibits, photo ops and interactive sessions around music and art for the kids. Really fun experience, especially when flowers are in bloom! We also stopped at the girt store on the way out and they sell local honey which was delicious.
Closest Airport
San Diego [SAN]
SANTA BARBARA
Closest Airport
Santa Barbara [SBA]
Kids’ World Park:
This massive park was nestled in the residential area of the city away from the beach. It was a large wooden park that had good safety rails as kids climbed around. There are two sides divided by a swinging gate, one for big kids, one for smaller kids. Public bathrooms are close by as is a large grassy field for picnics.
MOXI the Wolf Museum of Exploration
Closest Airport
Santa Barbara [SBA]
SANTA CRUZ
Closest Airport
San Jose [SJC]
The historic boardwalk has had a facelift in the past decade with many new rides and some renovations on classics. Along with that came an increased price tag which had us a bit sticker-shocked to start. It’s about $60/person for unlimited rides at the low end and even babies are required to have a ticket. That said, there are ample rides for kids (a whole section now) with lots of fun things to do on the weekends, but be aware that during the week the majority of rides are closed including the entire kid section. Link: https://beachboardwalk.com/
Bathrooms were a little tricky, they don’t have many changing areas, and the area that is for it felt a bit dingy. The stalls are tiny, so to get the kids changed in privacy, you have to take one of the handicap stalls, or change them in the main area. If they can come wearing their suits, it may make it easier.
Parking: There is a huge lot right near the beach where you can pay to park, or many hotel options within walking distance.
Downtown: The downtown area has lots of places to eat, but not all are kid-friendly, and there can be an eclectic assortment of characters posted up along the main drag, which made for some interesting conversations with our 3-year-old as she observed them.
Beach:
The beach is right next to the Boardwalk and is pretty large, so even on busy days, there are plenty of places to find a spot. There are also lots of vendors selling umbrellas and chairs, so if you don’t want to haul one, just bring $15 and buy one when you get there. Keep in mind, if you aren’t from the area, the Pacific Ocean is COLD, even if the air is warm and it’s summer, you may find the water really cold and can be very wavy.
Natural Bridges State Beach:
($10 parking fee) is gorgeous and, while incredibly windy, was a nice break and a different view from the main boardwalk beach.
Closest Airport
San Jose [SJC]
SEQUOIA / KINGS CANYON NP
Closest Airport
Fresno/Yosemite [FAT]
General Sherman Tree:
An incredibly beautiful drive along the main road through the park takes you to the largest tree in the world. It is colossal and requires a bit of a hike to get there (not far but does include stairs). The trail is very well-maintained and easy to navigate though. In the winter the road leading here can close, so best to go in summer or spring.
General Grant Tree:
One of our favorite destinations with littles and the grandparents. It’s only about 90 minutes from Fresno (straight out 180) and is absolutely stunning. General Grant’s tree is massive and on a very easy 1-mile loop that includes a log cabin nestled among the Redwoods as well. There are little interactive signs to teach your kids about nature as well. We call it our “baby hike” and our girls love it. There is also a picnic area that is a great snow play area in the winter.
Hume Lake:
This gorgeous lake rivals any of the mountain lakes and is tucked inside of the national park so it is much less crowded than other lakes in the Central Valley area. You do have to pay the park entrance fee but we’ve found it is well worth it. Sandy beach is on the far end and has a bit of a steep descent to reach it but is wonderful and has a bathroom by the parking lot.
Waterfalls:
Several easy hikes exist in both parks, but if you take 180 all the way down to Kings Canyon, you come out of the Redwood Forest into a stunning canyon landscape that will literally take your breath away. It’s a gem tucked in Central California that very few visitors take advantage of each year. At the very end of the road are several waterfall hikes (one very short, another longer) that make for fun adventures. Parking can be limited so if it’s a weekend in the spring, prepare to get there early if possible.
Closest Airport
Fresno/Yosemite [FAT]
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Closest Airport
Fresno/Yosemite [FAT]
One of our favorite parks, though living close allows us to visit in off-season when it is exponentially less crowded and makes for a more enjoyable experience in nature. The landscape is stunning and there are several areas of the park beyond the Valley Floor that are worth a visit.
Valley Floor:
There are two trails that we love doing with littles:
The Mirror Lake trail which starts right outside of the Ahwahnee Hotel and is mostly flat but winds through the boulders. The full hike is about 2 miles to the lake, but we will often do a small walk until the girls get tired then turn around. After, make a stop at the Ahwahnee Hotel for lunch or just to grab a sweet treat and enjoy the historic architecture. In the winter, they have the huge walk-in fireplaces going and plenty of cozy chairs to sit and enjoy. In the summer, the outside patios offer beautiful views after a hike.
Valley Floor trail winds along the interior of the ring road, past the river, near campsites, across little bridges. You can park anywhere along that road and hop on, going as far as you’d like. There are several sandy beaches, we’ll bring a picnic basket and enjoy the views with fewer crowds than the mainstream trails.
Glacier Point:
This vista point is a bit of a drive but it takes you to the very top to see all the sites of the valley. There is a gift shop with snacks at the top (open during the summer). The road is closed in the winter due to snow. Bathrooms were very limited as of Summer 2024 with several closed for repair, making for very long lines. They are pit toilets which our daughters refuse to use so travel potties may be needed to make this easier. There is a small 1-mile hike out to the rim that is not stroller friendly, but manageable wearing baby or with toddlers who have sturdy legs. It does have some steep spots so keep a close eye near the ledges.
Mariposa Trail/Wawona:
This area is on the South end of the park, closest to Fresno. Once you enter, it’s about 4 miles to the Wawona Hotel (being renovated in 2025), which has a nice restaurant, is next to the river and old wagon “museum” and across from the golf course. Hidden behind the golf course is the only dog-friendly trail in the park and a wonderful loop route that is super kid-friendly, very flat with small inclines, plenty of logs to sit on and great nature viewing. Not many people use this trail, so it’s pretty empty and flanks the golf course (which is also largely unused). After, we’ll either do a picnic by the river or go to the Wawona for a special ice cream Sunday treat.
The area has a few bathroom options: flush toilets by the river/general store (which has snacks, sandwiches, and drinks) and full bathrooms inside the Wawona hotel. Just walk past the front desk, out the door to the back veranda and go to the right. You don’t need to be staying there to use those restrooms, and they even have a baby changing table which is very useful. Link: https://www.nationalparkreservations.com/lodge/yosemite-wawona-hotel/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7se8BhCAARIsAKnF3rxtO4ILECfVBYvpnYVwqmj5Ir5w_r3W8vMLHZFV2m1nOzXniM1p_LQaAqGrEALw_wcB
Closest Airport
Fresno/Yosemite [FAT]