California Highway 1 road trip with kids

Best Beach Towns: Monterey CA

There are so many things to do in Monterey, CA with kids, it’s hard to know where to begin. Families can enjoy beaches, biking, nature walks, shopping, world-class educational attractions, nature, and fine (or fun) dining, all in a few square miles of stunning coastline. I can’t guarantee you won’t need a sweater at times (average summer temperatures are in the 60s), but the typical California coastline fog can be just as pretty as the sunshine.

Monterey is within a day’s drive of anywhere in California, but you’ll want to stay for at least a weekend, and as much as a week if you’re planning a day trip to the Salinas Valley or explore Big Sur beaches. A popular tourist destination, Monterey boasts over 250 lodging options, but you’ll still want to get reservations far in advance for the summer months.

Where to play:

Families will want to start on famed Cannery Row to take in the general atmosphere, and to visit the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. We recommend touring the former via bike, which can be rented downtown at Adventures by the Sea. Once on wheels, families can connect with the town’s easy-accessable bike paths, and avoid the crushing crowds on the street. Even young kids can cover more miles this way on the flat, paved trails, giving families a great overview of the area. While biking, be sure to stop at Lover’s Point to play on the protected beaches perfect for toddlers and babies, climb a tree or two overlooking the Pacific, and explore the lengths of a pier or two. (Tip: Our favorite is the Coast Guard Pier south of Cannery Row, where the seals congregate.)

Once kids have experienced the town proper, be sure to reserve time to visit Monterey Bay’s best hikes. Our pick: Point Lobos State Reserve. Comprised of miles of hiking trails (most in a loop or connecting from trailhead to trailhead) overlooking the bluffs and beaches of this particularly wild and scenic section of the Pacific, Point Lobos gives kids plenty of opportunity to view wildlife. While we visited, the harbor seals were ‘pupping’, so we could check out the babies with their mothers, and the tide pools offered glimpses into life in the shallower waters.

Older kids will appreciate 17 Mile Drive, just outside of Monterey on Highway 1, but little ones might get restless. Better to take them to the Dennis the Menace Playground, located in Monterey (any local can give you directions) where they’ll play for hours on the inventive play structures. Everyone can enjoy the Historic Walking Tour, which starts at the Custom House by the historic pier (see link below) and weaves in a self-guided tour across the city.

Where to eat:

The Historic Fisherman’s Wharf pier offers a dozen or more clam chowder vendors (no exaggeration…the samples handed out alone could feed a family), traditional fish and chips, and the like. On Cannery Row, families will find the larger chain restaurants like Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, but beware: these get crowded! For a quieter option just a few blocks off the main drag, consider Peter B’s Brew Pub, with a cozy outdoor fire pit overlooking the harbor and a nice menu of fresh California cuisine that’s still kid-friendly.

Where to stay:

We loved our stay at the Portola Hotel and Spa, located just off the Historic Fisherman’s Wharf Pier. The Portola offers families several dining options, a heated outdoor pool, spacious rooms, and warm chocolate chip cookies upon arrival. Kids will enjoy their fun Portola Pirate Program, which leads them on a scavenger hunt of the hotel when they check in.

Other options range from the super spendy in Carmel and Pebble Beach to the bare bones at one of the many state parks and beaches in Los Padres National Forest. Every price range is represented, making Monterey a good fit for anyone.

The Acqua Hotel: kid-friendly boutique hotel in California’s Bay Area

I’m pleased to announce I’ve found a new (to me) hotel brand favorite for traveling families: Broughton Hospitality’s boutique hotel collection, with properties across the west. On our recent California road trip with kids, we had the pleasure of spending a night outside San Francisco at Mill Valley’s Acqua Hotel, which served our family’s needs perfectly.

What made the Acqua, and the other Broughton hotels we’ve experienced, so well suited? These boutique hotels fall right in-between the price point of a economic motel and a high-end luxury hotel, while including a host of hotel amenities families need. The Acqua, perfect for bay area travel, is priced only marginally higher than a standard motel, and yet offers large rooms, plenty of outdoor space to play, adjacent biking and walking paths, an ideal location to Sausalito and Muir Woods National Monument, a full breakfast, free parking, and wifi. The value for amenities cannot be beat.

We checked into the Acqua Hotel just in time for their complimentary wine and cheese reception hour (from 5 pm to 6 pm), which we enjoyed in the sunshine on the expanse of lawn overlooking the bay. The kids played touch football on the grass while we sipped a nice pinot noir, and we all snacked on grapes, cheese, and crackers…perfect to fend of hunger pre-dinner. We were minutes away from Mill Valley, where we ate a fun dinner at Joe’s Taco Lounge (recommended by the hotel staff), and once we returned to our room, we had enough space to stretch out for a family movie night. Our corner room (a junior suite) boasted a nice view with patio (though sizes vary), and slept five very comfortably, and the style was chic, fresh, and modern. The bathroom was very large with a huge tub and shower, and the hotel’s unique, airy layout makes you feel like you’re always outside.

The following morning, we ate our fill at the far-above-average complimentary hotel breakfast buffet, laid out in the Acqua’s second floor breakfast room with outdoor patio overlooking the back bay. “Finally, a hotel breakfast buffet with enough seating,” my husband noted, and he was right: there was more than enough room…no jockeying for a table in the morning rush. The buffet featured highly decent coffee and tea options, fresh sliced fruit, gourmet danishes (nothing out of the package here), cereals and oatmeal, and your standard breads and bagels (topped with artisan jams and jellies). We were very impressed (and trust me, we’ve seen our share of free hotel buffets).

For what you get, I can’t stress the Acqua’s value for families enough: it’s perfect for exploring the Bay Area, and close enough to the city (five miles or so from the Golden Gate Bridge) to make for a good home base for city excursions (though note: you’ll pay for tolls and parking in the city). The hotel does boast free bike borrowing (for use on the nearby bike paths), but at the time of our visit, they only had two adult-sized bikes. My single recommendation for the Acqua is to offer child-sized bikes as well, so a family could enjoy this amenity.

Distance from the interstate:

Right off Highway 101 (though we couldn’t hear street noise at night).

Room rates:

Our junior suite was listed at $169.00 a night, and deluxe king and double rooms are generally under $150 a night. Check with Acqua’s reservation system for exact rates, of course.

Included amenities:

In-room wifi, parking, breakfast, wine reception, all-day coffee and tea service, plenty of outdoor space for kids.

Directions:

The Acqua is located at 555 Redwood Highway. From the San Francisco Airport, take Hwy. 101 North/I-380 West ramp en route for I-280 North toward San Francisco. Continue on I-280 North, and stay to the left as it turns into 19th Ave. Exit. Follow 19th Ave. all the way to and over the Golden Gate Bridge (approximately 7 miles), then continue on the 101 North. Take the Seminary Dr. exit, and turn right at the first light at the bottom of the exit, which is Seminary Drive/ Redwood Highway.

As I disclose whenever applicable, we experienced the Acqua as guests of Broughton Hospitality. While we appreciate this opportunity to review the property for our readers, all opinions are our own, and I was under no obligation to write in a particular view point.
—