The California State Parks system continues to impress and awe me with the natural beauty of the land they protect. With 118 state parks in California, I am extremely grateful that there are so many parks for us to explore. So many places to get outside and explore that I get a bit antsy when … More Coastal Hike at Wilder Ranch State Park
I hope all of you amazing moms had a wonderful Mother’s Day! The past couple of years, I’ve spent Mother’s Day at my daughter’s volleyball tournaments. It’s not my favorite way to spend Mother’s Day, being inside a convention center with absolutely nothing resembling a Mother’s Day brunch, and hundreds of cheering fans – NOT … More Mount Diablo State Park
Celebrating milestone birthdays gives us an excuse to do something a bit out of the norm, to go ahead and splurge a little because it’s always good to celebrate life. My mother-in-law celebrated her (mumble, mumble)th birthday by renting a house in Healdsburg right on the Russian River and kindly invited all of us family … More Russian River and Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve
Auburn, CA has been our favorite half way stop from the Bay Area to Lake Tahoe and beyond. From their Shell gas station, Ikeda’s market, Holiday Inn Express, In-N-Out, and awesome location we’ve already deduced that Auburn is pretty great. Auburn is one of the last places to stop before the drive through the Tahoe … More Exploring California’s Gold Rush Country
When a trail is described as “one of the top bike trails in the nation,””world-renowned,” or the “jewel of Sacramento” I just have to check it out for myself. The Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail (also called the American River Parkway) located in the Sacramento area is a paved 32-mile trail that parallels the American River … More Sunset Bike Ride on the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail
We love to be active and enjoy the outdoors, but hiking is not necessarily the activity of choice when we get together with grandparents. No problem, there are plenty of outdoor activities we can all enjoy. One of our favorite excursions that we took with my in-laws was a trip to San Simeon on the central … More Hearst Castle, a California State Historical Monument
October in Half Moon Bay is a very popular place with its pumpkin festival and the many, many pumpkin patches that people come to from all over. Getting to Half Moon Bay is a little bit of a headache on the weekends, but if you can drive over Hwy 92 (from the east) or Hwy … More Half Moon Bay Coastal Bike Ride
October is one of my favorite months. The craziness that is September has passed and things have settled into a nice rhythm. My daughter has gotten used to her school routines, the weather has cooled down and beautiful, orange pumpkins are everywhere. October for our family is when middle school volleyball season is in full swing … More October Day Trip Along the California Coast: Apples and Monarchs
Location: Big Basin State Park, California Hike distance: 11 miles Elevation gain: ~2000 ft Hike Length: 5-6 hours Hike level: difficult/strenuous Date Hiked: June 2016 The Berry Creek Falls loop hike was our main reason for visiting Big Basin state park and I have to say it did live up to all the hype. It has been … More Berry Creek Falls Hike in Big Basin State Park
Location: Big Basin State Park, California Directions: Big Basin is located about 1.5 hrs (65 miles) south of San Francisco and about 40 minutes (25 miles) north of Santa Cruz via Highway 9 and 236. Campground: Huckleberry Campground Fee: $35/night Ever since I heard about the Berry Creek Falls loop hike at Big Basin State Park with … More Camping in California’s Oldest State Park
Where to see the elephant seals: Año Nuevo state park and Piedras Blancas rookery, California Directions: Año Nuevo is located about an hour south of San Francisco on Hwy 1. Piedras Blancas rookery is off of Hwy 1 about 50 miles north of San Luis Obispo in the town of San Simeon (5 minutes north … More Elephant Seals of California
Location: Sunset State Beach, California Directions: 16 miles south of Santa Cruz (from Hwy 1, take Andreas Rd exit to Sunset Beach Rd) Day-use fee: $10 Parking: end of Shell Road Date: April 2016 We have been coming to Sunset State Beach for years now. We discovered it one day when we were checking out beaches south … More Sunset State Beach
Location: Dunes Beach, one of the three access points of Half Moon Bay State Beach Entrance Fee: $10 Directions: End of Young Avenue off of Highway 1 We didn’t plan on taking the campervan anywhere during Easter weekend, but grandma and grandpa came out for a visit on Friday and we were able to fit in … More Dunes Beach, Half Moon Bay State Beach
Location: Red Rock Canyon State Park, California (located on Hwy 14, 25 miles northeast of Mojave) Campground: Ricardo Campground, $25/night, first come first serve Hike: Hagen Trail (2 mile loop trail) Trip date: December 2015 Red Rock Canyon State Park in California was supposed to be just a place for us to spend the night to … More Red Rock Canyon State Park
Location: Salt Rock State Park, California (off of Hwy 1, about 90 miles north of San Francisco) Campground: Lower Woodside campground, $35/night (first come first serve during non peak season, reserveamerica.com up to 7 months in advance during peak season May-Sept) Hike: Prairie loop trail (4 miles) Trip Date: November 2015 We love to travel right before … More Salt Point State Park
