Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Santa Barbara & Central Coast
Laze on Santa Barbara's golden sands, then roll north past
San Luis Obispo's off-the-beaten-track beach towns all the way north to Santa Cruz's fam-
ous boardwalk and pier.
San Francisco Bay Area Travel north up to Marin County's crescent-shaped Stinson Beach
and wilder Point Reyes National Seashore, or south along Hwy 1 to Half Moon Bay.
Parks
Redwood National & State Parks
On the fog-laden North Coast, a string of nature pre-
serves protects magnificent wildlife, beaches and the tallest trees on earth.
Springs Dr; 5am-10:30pm, trails sunrise-sunset; )
Bigger than NYC's Central Park, this LA
green space has tons of fun for younger kids, from miniature train rides and a merry-go-
round to planetarium shows.
Balboa Park
Spend all day at the San Diego Zoo and museums, taking time out for the
puppet theater. Plazas, fountains and gardens offer plenty of space for younger kids to let
off steam.
Golden Gate Park
With kids in tow, wander through the indoor rainforest at the California
Academy of Sciences, tour the Japanese tea garden and spy on the bison herd.
Channel Islands National Park
You can sail across to California's version of the Galapagos
for wildlife-watching, sea kayaking, hiking and camping adventures, best for teens.
Museums
San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco is a mind-bending classroom for kids, with the in-
teractive Exploratorium, multimedia Children's Creative Museum, ecofriendly California
Academy of Sciences and whimsical Musée Mechanique. Then head over to the East Bay's
star-powered Chabot Space & Science Center.
Los Angeles
See stars (the real ones) at the Griffith Observatory and dinosaur bones at the
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar
Pits, then get hands-on at the energetic California Science Center.
San Diego
Balboa Park is jam-packed with museums such as the Reuben H Fleet Science
Center and San Diego Air & Space Museum. Downtown, take younger kids to the engaging
