We have taken our kids on many trips, but when we ask what their favorite has been so far, they all usually agree on the same answer:
Our 2-week trip to California.
As we talked to them about why it was their favorite, I think it’s primarily because of these reasons:
1. Variety
We have had some lovely trips to tropical locations, mountains, theme parks, etc…but usually, those trips have the same type of activities each day. During our trip through Southern and Central California, we had days at beaches, we had days in the mountains, we had days at theme parks, we had days in cities. There was no tiring of doing the same thing. If we did a theme park one day, the next day could be a more relaxing day on the coast. There was always something new and exciting to do so every day seemed exciting and not routine. I still love a vacation where the only activity all week is relaxing at a beach or a pool, but the variety I think made stronger memories and made this trip stand out among the rest.
2. New and Different
They had never been to the West Coast before so seeing a new place and natural beauty that’s different from what they had experienced before made it more memorable.
3. Lots of Family Time
You would think this might be a negative of a 2 week road trip, and there were certainly some fights along the way, but being together that much really helps create strong family bonds. Our kids remembered lots of fun and silly family moments from our trip that had little to do with where we were but who we were with. Our regular lives are busy and family vacations are a rare time for us to be together. Sometimes the first few days of a trip are the roughest as everyone gets used to being together all the time, but then it gets better. That’s why I love trips that are longer than a week when we can pull them off.
Your ideal family trip may look different than ours, but consider these factors when planning your next trip. If you usually just go to a beach house every year, switch it up and try something new! It may not be as relaxing but it will make incredible memories!
What We Did
Our trip included:
- San Diego area (Fun things to do include San Diego Zoo, La Jolla, Sea World, beaches, and exploring the city)
- Anaheim (Disneyland)
- Los Angeles area (Studios tours, Chinese Theater/Hollywood Blvd., Griffith Park, Universal Studios, beaches, aquarium, museums)
- Yosemite National Park (the most beautiful place in America in my opinion)
- Monterey area (Monterey Bay Aquarium, Pebble Beach 17-mile drive, parks and beaches)
- Big Sur (Gorgeous drive on Hwy 1 with many beautiful stops to enjoy the gorgeous coastline)
And a few more things in between. We have a full itinerary and information guide you can view to build your own amazing trip to California >
