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When you think of California, you think of sun, mountain, beaches, and surfing! What adds to the fun of holidaying there is when you travel with your family and kids. After all, California is an ideal destination for family travel as there are great outdoors to explore and enjoy. The big and beautiful golden state is dotted with great beaches, theme parks, mountain playgrounds, national parks, camping grounds, and misty redwood forests. However, if you plan luxury holidays in California with your family, it calls for some solid preparation.
Here is a comprehensive guide for families thinking of holidaying in California with their family.
Best time to visit California
If you are planning to enjoy the beaches of California, the right time to go is from August and September or May to October. It is better to always go during the offseason if you are thinking of saving money and avoid the crowds. Nevertheless, California can be enjoyed at any time of the year, and one can certainly enjoy the classic beach scene all the times! However, the months of December to February are the best for cross-country skiing, snowboarding, and skiing.
Accommodation and transportation
When traveling with children, one should be careful about where they stay and how they take care of transportation needs. Take advantage as children qualify for substantial discounts on hotels and reduced fares on most trains and buses. However, one must research carefully and make bookings in advance when they are traveling with kids and when making reservations. Be specific about your requests if you need any extra rollaway beds or cots. Most motels and hotels have rooms with an extra sofa bed. Look for offers of ‘kids stay free’ promotions and inquire about child-care services.
What to Pack
Families need to be careful about what they pack when they travel with the kids. As you would be spending much time outdoors, in California, remember to pack hats, goggles, and sunscreen. For the beaches, ensure that you have swimsuits, flip-flops, pails, and shovels for the children. Hiking shoes and camping equipment is a must for families who plan to explore the outdoors. One can always shop for those at local supermarkets and pharmacies. Many families prefer to borrow or rent from any count store near the beach. For an offbeat getaway try the family farms in Bakersfield.
Best Areas for Kids
The vast California state is both varied in its geography and attraction. However, some of the best areas to enjoy holidays with children are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Yosemite & the Sierra Nevada. Universal Studios and Griffith Park are popular among Los Angeles while there are parks, zoos, beaches, parks, and farms in Disneyland and San Diego. San Francisco is famous for its cable cars, museums, and the Golden Gate.
Highlights to keep your kids entertained
No matter where you travel in California, there is plenty to do and explore. Thus, there are plenty of family-friendly activities to pick from and plan accordingly. One could explore the theme parks, aquariums, zoos, museums, and beaches.
For outstanding theme parks
There are plenty of theme parks in California such as Disneyland Park, Magic Kingdom’ Universal Studios Hollywood and Legoland California. One can have fun and adventure with children of all age groups and kids simply adore these original theme parks. Whether it is the special-effects shows, themed action rides or haunted Halloween nights, the tours sure entertain the whole family, whether it is the tots or the youngsters.
For the best beaches
California will not disappoint when it comes to perfect beaches, and there are plenty to pick from in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Lake Tahoe. Just plan accordingly and come prepared to enjoy those beautiful and famous Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Santa Monica Pier or Coronado’s idyllic Silver Strand. Lake Tahoe is a favorite high-altitude escape among the families.
For magnificent aquariums & zoos
Some of the best and biggest aquariums & zoos in California include names like San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Pacific Long Beach’s aquarium, Living Desert Zoo & Gardens, Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens and Seymour Marine Discovery Center. This is your chance to enjoy looking at the aquatic denizens or exotic wildlife. Get your family more aware about the endangered-species conservation with interactive experiences and educational tours to those aquariums & zoos of California.
For the amazing parks
If your family loves nature, then head for one of the most beautiful parks of California such as Redwood National Parks, Yosemite National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Griffith Park and more Enjoy being surrounded with stunning scenery, glacier-carved valleys, and peaks, gushing waterfalls and the magnificent wildlife. There are plenty of peaceful destinations for lakeside camping and cabins. What adds to the whole fun is train rides, kayaking, hiking, and camping adventures!
For outstanding museums
In California, you will come across some of the best museums ever. Whether you are in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego or Orange County, all those places boast of great museums that work like a classroom for kids. Take advantage of interactive Exploratorium, multimedia creativity and hands-on fun at the Science centers. Botanical and butterfly gardens at Turtle Bay Exploration Park can keep the family busy for hours.
Treat your kids to a nice dinner when holidaying in California as many of the cutting-edge restaurants here are not just kid friendly but offer good kids’ menus as well as babysitting services!
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This content is sponsored by Suhail Ajamal.
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