I just did a tour of the coast from San Francisco up to Oregon, and I went all the way to Washington a few years ago. There are dozens of places to go and see. If the kids like the outdoors I recommend Muir Woods and Humboldt Redwoods. South of San Franciso Moro Bay is really gorgeous too, in fact any of the state parks around Monterey will do. My 5-year-old niece was particularly impressed by the elephant seal beach north of Albion and she had a grand old time at the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

Your best bet would be to check out the California State Parks website http://www.parks.ca.gov/. They’re really excellent and have all of the services listed.

I saw about a dozen places that offer horseback riding but the kids along on my last trip were too young for that so I can’t give you any specifics.

I don’t drink, but a friend of mine is going up there to tour the wineries later this year, and you might consider that as well. Most of the big wineries have a kids tour or play area to keep the kids out of your hair while you do a little tasting.

I love that area and plan on doing the tour again in a year or two. I would move to Northern CA in a heartbeat if it weren’t so expensive. No matter how much money I make, I can’t stomach the idea of paying $600k for a 2-bedroom townhouse. It just ain’t right.

Monterey on the central coast: Pebble Beach Golf course, Carmel, Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur is only about 30 minutes south, Cannery Row, The Aquarium (huge), and Fishermans Wharf. Lots more too. Enjoy!