California with Kids: A handy holiday guide
California
Explore California with your family
Explore family friendly California – from attractions and theme parks to its famed surf culture and outdoor lifestyle. California has been a dream destination for kids since we were little. Back then, it was all about movie stars, Disneyland Resort and the Hard Rock Café. But most of all, it was all about fun and that hasn’t changed really – there’s just a whole lot more of it.
And the diversity of both Mother Nature and man-made attractions seems almost as long as the Pacific Coast Highway that links many of these gems together like the pasta pieces of a kindergarten necklace – colourful, wonderful and easy-peasy to enjoy.
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California with kids: A family-friendly travel guide
How to get there
Direct daily flights to Los Angeles are available from most Australian capital cities.
How to get around
The best way to enjoy California is by car or recreational vehicle (RV), so why not get everyone involved and plan your very own family road trip? California was created for the car and rental companies offer great deals on all kinds of wheels. Driving in the USA is seamless and roads throughout the USA are well-signposted and maintained. With a car or an RV to move you about, you can stop and go as your troops please, linger longer at spots that call out to you, or press on to the next adventure.
If you have a good-sized brood to take along, your best bet is an RV. In an RV, you don’t have to worry about finding the next hotel stop; you’ve got all the creature comforts on board. Plus you need pack and unpack only once, you’ll save on accommodation costs and can eat well with on-board cooking facilities. Your kids will love you for it too, as they’ll meet local kids in the National Park campgrounds.
There are plenty of ways to explore the state’s ample waterfronts: rent bikes, mopeds, scooters, skateboards and pedal-powered surreys with fringes on top. Just about anything with wheels on it is up for grabs in major tourist areas.
What to do in California with kids
Families are spoiled for choice when it comes to things to do in California and many of the big attractions are outdoors. If your family loves to fish, hike, kayak, ride a bike or sit in a natural hot spring, you will be in heaven here, with the fresh air and the stunning Sierra mountain scenery just magic. As well as Yosemite, try Lake Tahoe, Mammoth Lakes or Death Valley.
From clothing-optional to ‘muscle-beach madness’ and everything in-between the California coastline is famous for its beachfronts. California boasts more than 1700 kilometres of shoreline so there’s no shortage of options. A visit to California wouldn’t be complete without experiencing the surf culture, which of course is so similar to our own here in Australia. A good place to start is the California Surf Museum in Oceanside.
Stop frequently along the famous Route 1 for photos, and don’t be surprised if your kids have conjured up a conversation with Hollywood actors Brad Pitt or Daniel Craig – our kids did! You never know who you’ll bump into along the roadway in California, so engage fellow travellers whenever you can.
California also many things to do with the kids that don’t require reaching into your wallet to enjoy. Balancing the must-see pay-for attractions alongside some marvellous free activities and sights is not hard to accomplish without breaking the piggy-bank. Passes for multiple attractions in major California cities are brilliant; they help families focus on the main attractions and save big bucks.
Los Angeles
Keen to see the best of California in a day? Catch a tourist bus to take in all the main attractions in the Greater Los Angeles area including the Hollywood Bowl, Rodeo Drive, lunch at the Farmers Markets and old town Los Angeles. Walk the Hall of Fame, see the Chinese Theatre, and for the movie-loving offspring, you’ll need an entire day to unravel Universal Studios Hollywood theme park. Explore outdoor sets and soundstages where some of the most iconic movies and tv shows have been filmed with a Warner Bros. Studio Tour.
Make sure there’s time to explore Santa Monica Boulevard. Venice Beach is interesting but if you’re travelling with kids, stick to wandering around in the daytime – it gets a little intimidating after dark.
For a more educational experience, the Ecosystems exhibit at the California Science Centre is well worth a visit. Here you can experience a flash flood in the Extreme Zone and walk through a simulated ocean floor tunnel. Kids can also discover the dinosaurs in the La Breya Tar Pits of downtown LA.
Anaheim and Disneyland Resort
Most family holidays to the USA include Disneyland Resort on the agenda – it is almost compulsory where kids are concerned – and after all this time it hasn’t lost its appeal. Created in 1955 and the only Disneyland to be designed by the man himself, no detail has been forgotten. The queues might still long but there’s plenty to entertain you while you are waiting ― even the toilets are themed.
The original Disneyland Park is fabulous fun and definitely worth a trip (the young ones will love it) while neighbouring Disney California Adventure Park is great for over-nines. While nearby, enjoy the rollercoaster, rides and cartoon characters in Knott’s Berry Farm.
Orange County (or 'the OC')
Orange County has 68 km of spectacular coastline and six city beaches including Huntington Beach, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. The OC’s beaches are among the best in the world – celebrities including Gwen Stefani and Kobe Bryant hit the sand in Newport Beach. Laguna Beach is frequented by former reality TV show stars from The Hills and Laguna Beach.
Huntington Beach is a classic surf beach town where you can enjoy a bonfire on the beach, grab a bite to eat at Dwight’s (a local favourite since 1932) or visit the famous Sugar Shack Cafe. Pro surfers including Brett Simpson and Kanoa Igarashi ‘hang ten’ in Huntington Beach year-round.
These family-friendly beaches are perfect for a day of relaxing, strolling, swimming, body surfing and sunshine. If your kids want to get out on the waves there are a number of surf schools including the Billabong-sponsored Salty Grom Surf Camp. The camps run from 9.30 am to 1.30 pm daily and you can stay and watch your little grommets compete in a mini surf contest.
Catalina Island
A short ferry ride from the mainland lies one of California’s hidden gems, Catalina Island. The Mediterranean-flavoured island is a popular weekend getaway for Los Angeles locals, drawn by fresh air, good old-fashioned seaside fun, hiking trails and fantastic snorkeling and scuba-diving. The Catalina Express provides up to 30 daily departures between three mainland ports in Long Beach, San Pedro and Dana Point.
Long Beach
Stop off at the majestic Art Deco steamship the Queen Mary where you can step back in time on one of the most famous ocean liners in history. Once a world-class ship, the Queen Mary Hotel gives guests a real glimpse into what transatlantic travel was like during the 1930s, 40s and 50s.
Family Staterooms were designed for families taking the long sea journey from England to New York City, and you can stay in these authentic two bedroom cabins with ample space and cozy charm (no two rooms are the same). Olden days touches include working portholes and clever built-in storage, and the 21st Century fun comes in the form of Wi-Fi and luxury private bath amenities.
San Diego
San Diego is known around the globe for its diverse, and plentiful, range of world-class family friendly attractions including San Diego Zoo, Sea World and LEGOLAND California, but two of the city’s most popular gems are set right on the beautiful water’s edge at Belmont Park and Seaport Village.
If you are looking for fun for the whole family, then you can’t go past Belmont Park, with a mix of contemporary and traditional amusement rides that will keep you entertained all day. Once you have tried every amusement ride once, or maybe even twice, head to San Diego’s Seaport Village where the whole family can experience the historic carousel, browse the kite store, and enjoy roaming entertainment, all while taking in spectacular ocean views.
Spend a day at LEGOLAND California Resort at with over 60 rides and attractions – a must for any Lego lover! San Diego boasts the best sunshine of any American city and Sea World and the San Diego Zoo are both great fun and great value.
San Francisco
Headed up to San Francisco? First, grab a Go City Explorer Pass which can save you up to 50 percent on some attractions and cut out the queues
If you’ve got the right footwear, it’ll cost your family nothing but sole to stride along Fishermans’ Wharf or onto PIER 39. Spread across two levels of dining, entertainment, shopping and attractions, all surrounded by unbeatable views of the city and the bay, PIER 39 is located along the historic San Francisco Waterfront, and provides the picture-perfect backdrop for postcard views of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, Alcatraz, Angel Island and the famous city skyline.
PIER 39 is also home to the world-famous California sea lions, Aquarium of the Bay, the San Francisco Carousel, and many more attractions, including The Flyer San Francisco, an awe-inspiring 3D flying theater.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
At Monterey Bay Aquarium in California (about five hours from LA), kids ages eight to 13 can go surface scuba diving. What better way to safely meet amazing sea creatures through guided tours while getting a fish’s-eye view of the wonders of the bay. No experience is necessary, only a sense of adventure!
Yosemite National Park
California is home to the oldest living things on the planet – the giant redwoods and sequoias of Muir Woods and Yosemite National Park. These gentle giants are over 3000 years old, and a visit will be remembered for a lifetime.
Make sure the entire clan has good walking shoes because you’ll want to get out and about in the over 500 state, national and provincial parks California has on offer. “Take only photographs, leave only footprints” is the only requirement for admission in many.
The world-famous Yosemite National Park is full of family-friendly activities, including the amazing Yosemite High Sierra Camps. On these four to six-day guided hiking or horseriding treks you are free to go at your own pace without the hassle of carrying multiple days’ supply of food and water. At the camps you’re treated to dinner and breakfast and provided with a packed lunch for the next day. The scenery is enough to impress even a sulky teenager.
Fort Bragg's Skunk Train
For a different kind of wilderness adventure, Fort Bragg’s Skunk Train will take you at a leisurely pace through the majestic North Coast redwoods. The train follows the coastal Redwood Route as it has done since 1885, when it was built to transport the massive redwood logs to the sawmills further south.
Bodie State Historic Park
One of the highlights of a summer visit to Mammoth Lakes is Bodie State Historic Park, a National Historic Site. The kids might think that anything historic is boring, but watch their eyes light up when you tell them it’s a real, dead, ghost town! Once a town of 10,000, it looks much like it did 100 years ago but with no people … except for tourists and the odd ghost. There is a museum and you can join a tour around the camp – if you dare.
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Opening image: Father and son enjoying the Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco California © Shutterstock