Our family vacation this summer will be to drive from our home in McKinney, TX to California and back again. We are dropping our 17 year old daughter off at a summer college program in Oakland, CA. We'll also have our other 2 children with us, ages 13 and 5. We plan to stop at locations along the route and take a day exploring each of those locations. Our first stop is Albuquerque, NM. I think we'll do the Sandia Peak Aerial Tram, and if we have time we'll visit Old Town. Or is there something else you would suggest? Next stop is Flagstaff, AZ, and we're planning a day trip to the Grand Canyon via the Grand Canyon Railway. Then we head to Los Angeles, CA -- we'll be there for 2 days. We'll be doing a college visit which will take a couple of hours, but then what to do? There's so much that I don't know where to start! Not Disneyland (we were there for 3 days last year). Also, I'm thinking of staying near LAX, it seems like a good central location -- unless there is a better suggestion? Then we head to Oakland, CA to drop off my daughter. Oakland is near San Franciso -- so what is the best thing to do in San Francisco for a day? We then start heading home by way of Las Vegas, NV (been there before with kids so that's an easy one), then to Albuquerque again and home.
Thanks for any suggestions!
In LA--I'd go to the Santa Monica Pier...
In San Fran--I'd do Fisherman's wharf, a cable car ride & Lombard Street.
Albuquerque.....as you suggested, take the tram up to Sandia Peak! Beautifully awesome.
& my Mom/older son really enjoyed their visit thru the Petrified Forest Nat'l Park, Painted Desert, & the Zuni Pueblo. Excellent jewelry at the Zuni Pueblo!
I've only been to SF, but this is what I could recommend:
Low cost: check out Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown...give the kids a bit of spending money and let them explore a bit.
Roam around Golden Gate park. If you want to spend the money, check out the Imaginarium, the science museum. Fun!.
I can only advise about the CA. part:
Hollywood Baby!
~You will find an infinite amount of things to look at and see... Grauman's Chinese Theater (sp? where the hand and feet ptints are) The walk of fame. The whiskey, The Viper Room. etc., etc.
Long Beach or Cherry Beach or Venice Beach/MuscleBeach!
~Might be worth a trip to just pack a lunch and sit on the beach!
*Oh, how I miss home.
SF:
Fisherman's warf
Alcatraz
In Albuquerque, you absolutely must do the tram. There is a good BBQ place about a mile from the tram for lunch or dinner. You will pass it on the way there. If you are coming in on 40, go north on Tramway Blvd to get to the tram. Makes sense, but the exit is much earlier than people expect. It's just as you're coming out of the canyon before you even get to Albuquerque. Also worth doing is the Explora, a hands on science type museum near Old Town. The Natural History museum is across the street and worth a stop if your kids like dinosaurs or space. Old Town is touristy but pretty... Good for an hour maybe.
If you're spending the night, I like the Embassy suites. It is very close to the intersection of 40 and 25.
Edited to add: Santa Fe is truly an amazing place if you have the time on the way back. It's an hour north of Albuquerque on 25 and then headed to Texas you can go east on 25 past Santa Fe and cut south on 285 to 40. You'll miss the Albuquerque backtrack on 25 that way.
Feel free to PM with any New Mexico questions.
I would not drive but that's just a personal decision. If anyplace is over a 2 hr drive we fly... So much easier.
While in LA... Santa Monica Pier, Hollywood, Rodeo Drive. Plus... I don't recall the address since daughter and I were walking a lot but we visited a great farmers market as well.
Enjoy!
Any chance you can slip up to Sante Fe? There's a chapel there that has somei interesting history.... Also, think it is there that the local Indians sell their wares on the sidewalk ... eep been too long ago, not sure of the exact area!
(or you might even hit Four Corners! that is also surrounded by local tribes that sell items - sometimes you can watch them sand paint)
It would help to know what type of activities you like. What college are you visiting in LA?
As a shot in the dark, I would say The Getty Center. It's a museum that architecturally gorgeous. It's on a hilltop so you get gorgeous views of the surrounding area. And last time I check, it's free. But you have to call and reserve the parking.
I suggest that you have your son look up those places on the Internet and tell you what sounds like fun to him.
I'm a AAA member and have always gotten a Trip Tik from them. They'll plan a route for you and each page lists what to see and do as you drive along.
In LA you can always do Hollywood, wax museum, Ripley's believe it or not!, etc.
In San Fran check out pier 39.
=)
I have heard that the San Francisco zoo is pretty awesome.
Don't stay near LAX! There is nothing really close to there and traffic to and from there can be brutal. There aren't any restaurants right around there either. Figure out what you want to do in LA and then stay in a different area.
Santa Monica/Venice is great if you want to be near the beach, shopping, boardwalk, restaurants, etc.
Miracle Mile area (mid-Wilshire district) is good if you want to be near museums and more shopping. It's also accessible to Beverly Hills, Hollywood and Century City.
You could also come a little further south, into Huntington Beach/Newport Beach/Laguna Beach. All have much nicer beaches than any of the ones in LA. You'd be close to Knott's Berry Farm if you want a different amusement park to go to.
Lots of places in So Cal have really fun outdoor family events, such as concerts in the park, movies in the park and more. Which college are you visiting? I can give you good tips for UCLA or UCI - just send me a PM.
Of course, it depends on your personal interests. I have two boys that were 12 and 8 when we did the same trip and they are not big on theme parks but they loved Legoland! Now, of course they love Legos and are not big on roller coasters, so it is not for the thrill seeker. Pretty tame for most kids. My kids also like science museums. We loved the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. Their favorite place in San Francisco was the Imaginarium. Both kids were really taken with the Palace of Fine Arts (where the Imaginarium is located.) Nothing really to do, just an amazing, surreal setting castle like buildings and lagoon. Worth driving by it. They enjoyed Alcatraz too. But you need to make your reservations at least a week or two before you go, because they book up fast. It is fun to walk on the Wharf, ride a cable car and see Lombard Street and of course, the Golden Gate Bridge! You likely won't have time, but the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum was really interesting! It is about an hour north west of Los Angeles in Simi Valley. Really amazing history from his time frame - they have a section of the Berlin Wall, the Oval Office and Air Force One along with helicopter, limo, etc. You have to at least drive by Rodeo Drive. Hollywood is kinda sleazy, but you should drive through. I second Venice Beach! Lots of interesting stuff going on there like street performers! Have fun!
Venice beach always makes for interesting people watching. I don't know how young your kids are, but the LA Children's Museum is fun.
I just recommend crossing the SF bridge at night. So beautiful!
