Family-Friendly Adventures in California?s Napa Valley

Where in the world can you pet a dolphin, dodge a geyser, fly high in a hot air balloon, ogle at ostriches, and tour a castle – all in a single day? Napa Valley, of course.

California’s Napa Valley is famous for its 300+ vineyards and wineries, but there’s so much more. It’s also an exciting, family-friendly destination. The area’s beautiful scenery draws hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. If your family prefers water sports, the Napa River has cruises, boat rentals, and even kayaking for the adventurous.

The Napa Valley is a short drive from San Francisco. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (formerly Marine World) is nearby in the town of Vallejo. Children (of all ages) are entranced by the marine shows featuring dolphins, seals, and killer whales. The many amusement park rides range from 11 gravity-defying roller coasters including the Boomerang – which goes backwards – to go carts, climbing walls, and toddler-friendly water play areas.

Continue north and you reach the town of American Canyon, gateway to the Napa Valley. The town offers affordable lodging options and convenient access to Napa and Sonoma County vineyards. Many wineries offer special wine tasting events, behind-the-scenes tours, and dinner packages.

The town of Napa is just 7 miles from American Canyon. Along with upscale shopping and dining options, the town is home to many Napa Valley tour companies. The hot air balloon tours won’t take you around the world, but do offer an exhilarating birds-eye view of the serene wine county landscape. Depending on the tour package, extras may include a champagne toast or even full gourmet breakfast after your flight.

There’s plenty to do on the ground too, as you continue north. Many families head straight for the small town of Calistoga, where wineries meet geysers.

The “Little Old Faithful” geyser is a top attraction. Stand back – way back! – and watch as scalding hot water shoots over 50 feet into the air every 30 minutes or so.

While the geyser is an impressive display of the area’s geothermal activity now, the Petrified Forest is a powerful reminder of the area’s violent volcanic history. Three million years ago, a massive volcanic eruption toppled a Redwood forest and covered it in a thick layer of ash. The silica-rich ash eventually turned the trees into solid stone. There’s a museum and shady trail where you can view the major tree excavations.

Calistoga’s Safari West offers a different sort of trail – one filled with cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, and other exotic animals. It’s not just an animal park; Safari West is a 400-acre wildlife preserve dedicated to education and wildlife preservation. Visitors can take guided safari tours and even stay overnight in a luxury safari tent. Be sure to plan ahead: reservations are required for all tours.

Now, any parent who managed all this in a single day would surely be ready for at least one glass of wine. The Castello di Amorosa is just the place. Set in a stunning castle, the winery offers relaxing horse-drawn vineyard tours and welcomes visiting families with a special area for kids to enjoy grape juice and coloring while parents attend an adults-only area wine tasting.

Of course, nobody could adequately experience the Napa Valley in a single day. You may visit the first time just for the wine, but you’ll soon discover that Napa has something for everyone in your family to enjoy. The area’s beauty and diversity beckons to travelers of all ages, encouraging many repeat visits.

Top 5 California Camping Spots

From dense redwood forests to coastal buffs; high waves for surfing to calmer waters for fishing; jagged granite peaks to placid Alpine lakes, California’s diverse terrain offers a wealth of outdoor activities. There’s plenty of opportunities for camping and you can choose from coastal camping, country camping, mountain camping, desert camping or city camping.

Here are the top 5 camping spots in California:

Pismo Beach

An ideal coastal camping spot, Pismo Beach offers campers plenty of things to see and do including clam hunting for the famous Pismo clam, surf fishing and some great swimming and hiking in summer. The park houses the nation’s largest wintering colony of Monarch Butterflies and in winter the annual migration of millions of these colorful insects is what draws people from all over the world. The tree-lined beach offers plenty of bird-watching opportunities. At Ocean Lagoon, there is a fishing overhang that is accessible even for wheelchairs.

Clear Lake

Spectacular rolling hills in the back ground, pristine surroundings, abundant wildlife and a huge recreational lake in close proximity to the camp grounds make Clear Lake a popular camping spot. This camping spot near San Francisco Bay is an ideal family getaway all year round and is a great opportunity to experience the thrill of fishing in a clear lake while drinking in the beauty of the mountains that rise and fall against the horizon.

Big Bear Lake

If mountain camping is more your thing, there’s no better place than Big Bear Lake. Ideal for camping in summer as well as winter, Big Bear Lake offers campers a wide variety of activities including kayaking, fishing and hiking. There are plenty of cabins and hotels to rent when you’ve had enough of camping but cannot tear yourself away from the spot.

Holcomb Valley Campground

Located in the spectacular San Bernardino Mountains and in close proximity to the famous Seven Oaks Trail, Holcomb Valley Campground is the quintessential camping ground. Plenty of hiking trails including the Forsee Creek Trail, the South Fork Trail and the Siberia Creek Trail amongst others, makes this camp ground a delightful destination for trekking enthusiasts. On clear days, San Bernardino Peak Trail beckons all die-hard trekkers. When you’ve finished exploring the various hiking trails you could just ramble around the San Bernardino National Forest or just sit back and drink in the sight of the majestic Bertha Peak. Plenty of opportunities for swimming, hiking and fishing means there’s not a moment to be bored. With fabulous snow at Snow Summit, even winters are a great time for camping at the Holcomb Valley Campground.

Hanna Flat, Big Bear Lake

Hanna Flat is a convenient camping spot for those campers who’s love to experience the outdoors but don’t fancy the idea of venturing too far off from the comforts of urban living. Situated two miles away from Fawnskin on a dirt road, Hanna Flat lays nestled amongst majestically large pine trees. There’s plenty of space and rather good privacy at every campsite.

Grant was so helpful with tour advise on our bike trek in the Redwood National Park. I would come here again and look forward to more bike and hiking trips in the future. The cabins were so nice and we felt at home.
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Best Beaches of Santa Cruz County

The stretch for the best beaches of Santa Cruz County spreads out over roughly sixty miles of coastline of which twenty-nine miles are designated for beaches. Many of the beaches have two or three different names, so locating them may be slightly confusing. Locals can help dispel the mystery. Each one has differing qualities that are unique to each one.

The “Main Beach” near the boardwalk claims amusements for visitors to its shores. Cowell Beach starts at the opposite end of the pier. There is no admission charged and parking is cost free as well. There are outdoor shower facilities and bathrooms available along the shore.

Alcohol, glass bottles, and pets are prohibited throughout the area. Summer brings concerts along the boardwalk that are open to everyone. Watersports such as: kayaking, surfing, and fishing are available at the Main. Cowell is supposed to be known for being a decent place to learn to surf. They can appear foggy during the summer months and be subject to overcrowding.

Capitola is a sandy playground with scenic areas and bright colored cottages along the coastline. Monterey Bay can be seen from here with its many sailboats. It’s almost always busy. There is no charge for admission and parking is either at the visitior’s lot located on Monterey Ave. or at a meter in the downtown area.

Parking can be very hard to come by. Alcohol, glass containers, fires, and pets are all prohibited in the area. Swimming, surfing, volleyball, fishing, boogy boarding and wetsuits are up for rental.

Seacliff extends out between the cliffs and ocean, and many fishermen are in the area. The wharf has a cement ship as a landmark nearby, which was built around World War I. It is one of three that was constructed during the era in Oakland, CA. Since Seacliff is considered a state park, admission is charged which includes admission and parking together. Alcohol, fires, and glass containers are prohibited, but pets are allowed if they’re on a leash. Camping, fishing, swimming, and a visitor center containing wildlife information are common activities.

Sunset has light colored sand that contains a lot of dunes. Admission is charged and parking is included in the price. Parking becomes packed early in the day. There are restrooms and sheltered areas to have picnics, but the water cannot be viewed from here due to the dunes. Bonfires are permitted in fire rings. A permit is required to catch perch and sardines.

Lighthouse Field is along the area of West Cliff Drive. The Surfing Museum is set here within the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse. Both admission and parking are free of charge. Walking along the cliffside, kayaking, and surfing are common activities. Many times noone is surfing because the waves are relatively calm throughout this area. Restrooms are available and pets are permitted along the cliffside area.

Waddell State is located in Davenport, CA. The area is home to several kite surfers. There are redwood forests nearby. Whales can be viewed in the water at various times. Admission and parking are both free.

In 1964, Twin Cedars Cottage of Olson Cottages in Jacksonport, Door County, Wisconsin was moved down a hill, across the beach and up into the great location that it currently resides at.

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Sonoma Wine Country Travel Guide, California

If you want to enjoy best California wine then Sonoma wine region is a perfect place to experience it. Unlike the neighboring Napa wine region which is more commercialized, Sonoma wine country has is more smaller and family owned and operated kind of wineries. You will find very friendly people in Sonoma country wine tasting rooms, more than anywhere in the whole wine growing region. Sonoma wine country has more than 200 wineries (big and small) and it has about 100 thousand acres wine growing land.

Sonoma has 5 distinct wine-growing districts: Dry Creek Valley, Los Carneros District, Sonoma Valley, Russian River Valley and Alexander Valley. You will find the premium quality wines of both white and red wine, famous categories include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pino, Syrah, Zinfandel, Shiraz and very often vineyards have their own special wine. The best time to visit the region is during summers when the vines/grape plants are loaded with grapes. Although it can be a bit warm, it is truly the best time to enjoy the true ambiance of the region.

To reach the Sonoma wine country, just drive 30 miles north of Golden gate bridge and about 20 miles more to reach the wine growing heartland of the region. You can alternatively fly here by using the services of Horizon airlines which connects Sonoma county’s Santa Rosa Airport (RSA) to Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Seattle. There are shuttle buses (Airporter Express) directly from San Francisco and Oakland airports to the county. Although there is public transport available in bigger cities of the county, to visit the core wine region you will need to drive on your own. To fully enjoy the region, we suggest you to stay here for at least a few days and not plan just a day-trip. Sonoma county has more to offer than just wine, it is a huge entertainment location on its own offering a variety of activities and attractions, some of which are listed below.

POPULAR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES:

1. Take a hot air balloon ride end enjoy the vastness and beauty of wine region from the sky. There are many hot air ballooning operators in the region.

2. Visit the beautiful River rock casino at Russian river and Alexander valley, offering a range of services to their guests.

3. Point Arena Lighthouse and Museum.

4. Boating and fishing facilities at the Sonoma coast along the Pacific ocean and along the Russian river. Rent a cabin at Jenner facing the ocean and spend the night with your loved ones.

5. Taste the Sonoma county goat cheese considered the best in country.

6. Safari west wildlife preserve.

7. Hike at the Armstrong Redwoods state reserve .

8. Infineon Raceway where you can enjoy professional car racing experience.

9. Fort Ross State Historic Park: The site of trading post and fort established by Russians in 1812.

10. Train Ride and wine train.

11. Petrified forest and old faithful geyser in Calistoga.

12. Several premium Golf courses, Spa’s and shopping malls for you to relax.

13. Being so close to San Francisco you may also consider visiting the GOLDEN GATE bridge, Pier 39,Alcatraz, China Town and the famous Crooked street of SF Downtown.

14. Luther Burbank Home and Gardens: Life and work of the horticulturist who introduced 800 variety of flowers, fruits, nuts etc..

15. Nightlife is good too, there are several bars and clubs especially in Santa Rosa.

Great websites for comprehensive information are sonoma-county.org and sonomacounty.com