Preferred Family - Pitstops for Kids

Muir Woods National Monument

May 21, 2012 By Amy Hagstrom

Nestled in the lush hillside just minutes from Mill Valley, CA, Muir Woods National Monument is a must-do for families visiting San Francisco’s Bay Area. Only minutes outside of the city, it makes for a perfect pit stop en route to San Francisco or a nice day trip to escape city crowds.

Called a ‘tree lover’s monument’, Muir Woods is a very accessible park of walking trails and visitor information on California redwoods. Visually breathtaking, the paths take families through groves of redwoods, past creeks, and among ferns. Because multiple loops are available, families with kids of all ages and abilities can enjoy Muir Woods. On our visit, our seven-year-old was only up for the 1/2 hour loop, while my older boys wanted to go farther, so we easily split up with one adult on each trail, meeting up at the visitor’s center later. The longest route only took us approximately 45 minutes (the map calls it 1 hour), and takes visitors on a trail above the forest floor for a different perspective. Families who want even more hiking have many additional trails to choose from just outside Muir Woods proper.

Whatever route you take, it’s well worth the effort to make it as far as the Cathedral Grove, where the towering trees replicate the sanctity of a cathedral dome. (Quiet is requested as you walk through this area, and the effect is very peaceful, even with a gang of kids in tow.) The rangers stationed at the various information stations are very helpful and during our visit, engaged the kids with birding books and tree charts. There is a gift center with lots of tempting souvenirs, and a small cafe. Families can also picnic. Tip: This park gets crowded. On days when the parking lot is full, be prepared to walk some distance from street-side parking spaces, or take the shuttle, running from Mill Valley.

Distance from the Interstate:

Just off Highway 101.

Admission price:

The monument is only $7 per adult and free for kids under 15 (yes, 15!). A national park annual pass will also get you in.

Hours of operation:

Park hours vary by season, but generally, is open at 9 am and closes at sunset.

Food services:

A cafe is on-site, as well as picnic areas. Families can’t bring food (other than water) onto the Muir Woods trails, but food is permitted on the additional trails outside the park.

Directions:

Muir Woods is 11 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Take Highway 101 to the Highway 1/Stinson Beach exit. Follow signs to Muir Woods. Warning: the road is very windy! RVs are not permitted. The shuttle, running during the busy summer season, is a great way to go, to avoid parking hassles. Pick up the shuttle from Mill Valley (operated by Marin Transit).

Note: Muir Woods has a Kidscore of 84. Learn more about Kidscore.

3 things to do with kids in Paso Robles CA

April 30, 2012 By Sharlene Earnshaw

The following pit stop was submitted by Bay Area blogger and mom Whitney Moss of 510Families.

Located exactly halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Paso Robles, California is an excellent pit stop if you want to get out of the car and feel like you’ve arrived somewhere special. (Pro tip: locals pronounce the town name Paso Robuls, not Paso Roblase.) Here are three things to do with kids in Paso Robles:

Powell’s Sweet Shoppe

Did you say CANDY? The downtown of Paso Robles is set up around a traditional town square, similar to Sonoma if you’ve been there, or the town in Back to the Future with the clock tower on one side and the soda shop on the other side. The square itself is a sufficient park for running around with playground equipment. Parents can take turns manning the playground usage while the other roams around the shops on the perimeter. Powell’s Sweet Shoppe is a super fun vintage candy store which is actually a chain, but maintains a unique small town feel. Find it at 840 11th Street.

Paso Robles Children’s Museum

A short distance from the square is the Paso Robles Children’s Museum. Best for kids 2-7, it has art projects, dress-up, a real fire truck to climb on, and a mini-ball pit for toddlers with a wine barrel theme. There’s lots of amusement packed into this relatively small building, the most noteworthy of which is a netted area that features a complex system of ball chutes and blasters. If you have child whose first word was BALL, you should maybe drive straight there this instant. The museum located at 623 13th Street and is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Barney Schwartz Park

Out a little further from the town (10 minutes) sits our favorite park, Barney Schwartz. The equipment is pretty novel and the setting can’t be beat. Well maybe in Kauai, but it’s like nothing you’ll find in LA or San Francisco — the view is pure Paso Robles. Find it at 2970 Union Road, Paso Robles.

Bonus: wine country:

Paso Robles is wine country. Not a great fit for a day on the road, but I would be remiss to leave out this fact and even downtown, you’ll see tasting opportunities. To really appreciate where the grapes are coming from, head out to winery on one of the nearby highways. I can’t promise that the tasting room won’t have a gift shop full of breakables, but there are certainly several with picnic areas ideal for running around. Bianchi has automated toy sailboats; Castoro has a pot-bellied pig as the house pet; and, Sylvester features vintage train cars in front of the picnic grounds.

Note: Paso Robles has kid-friendly dining listed on Kidscore. Learn more about Kidscore.

Distance from the interstate:

Minutes from HWY 101 (and CA-46)

Cost of admission and hours:

The children’s museum admission is $7 for adults and $6 for kids 1-13.

Headed to the San Francisco Bay Area? Find more pit stops, family outings, and recommendations at PasoKids and 510Families!

Best Beach Towns: Puerto Vallarta with kids

March 22, 2012 By Amy Hagstrom

Puerto Vallarta offers a bit of everything for families enjoying a Mexican vacation, from beaches to city life to mountains, all touched by the warmth of the sun. While accommodations are an important aspect of any family vacation, no matter how great the resort, I always advocate getting outside hotel grounds to explore your destination further. During our recent stay, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to depart hotel grounds to explore the culture, wildlife, and landscape of the area.

Puerto Vallarta’s downtown and famed Malecon boardwalk:

The downtown district and boardwalk are a 5-10 minute taxi cab ride from the Marina Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta beach resort areas (and will only set you back 80-100 pesos). While the area is unapologetically touristy, it makes for a fun taste of the city, and families armed with a sense of adventure can easily detour from the main drag onto more side streets for a more genuine experience.We started at the north end of the Malecon, where you’ll find bike rentals (and fun push car rentals for little ones), plenty of eateries, and, during the holiday seasons, amazing sandcastle works of art along the beach.

After poking around in the shops, we headed south to the other end, where we posed by Malecon’s arches, then veered up several blocks from the ocean. There we found the beautiful Church of our Lady of Guadalupe (open to the public most hours), quaint courtyards, and less touristy shops (including a candy store perfect for kids to sample traditional Mexican sweets). Continuing south would have taken us to the main flea market (located next to the Rio Cuale), housing several stories of art, food, and traditional craft vendors. Even if you’re only browsing, the area is a feast for the senses!

Puerto Vallarta’s public beaches:

North and south of downtown, Puerto Vallarta’s public beaches span from one end of the resort district to the other, offering an array of beach and water sports, more vendors, and fun in the sun. We were lucky enough to access public beaches right from the Velas Vallarta resort, but if you’re staying off the beach, follow public beach access signs. Once on the sand, it’s easy to walk from cove to cove. Right from the sand, extreme sports operations will ply you with offers for sports fishing excursions, parasailing rides, and the like; I recommend booking such extensive excursions through your resort conceirge instead. We did, however, rent a kayak from a vendor at the Malia resort desk (located in front of the Malia Vallarta resort north of the city center). For $15 (US) a hour, we could paddle out (with provided life jackets) to explore the ocean on our own. Even departing straight from the resort zone and not venturing far, we saw schools of fish, water birds of prey, and were told to expect dolphins.

Puerto Vallarta’s neighboring mountains:

When you’ve tired of the beaches (I know, right?), head for the hills. Puerto Vallarta is sandwiched between the Pacific and the Sierra Madre mountain range, which plays host to a number of hiking, horseback riding, and jungle canopy excurions offered by reputable tour operations. (Again, we recommend inquiring about these at your resort’s concierge or activities desk.) A hike-and-snorkel combination excursion can offer the best of both worlds, of course, but the more leisurely pace of a horseback ride can give families a glimpse of not only the mountain vistas but the rural lifestyle of Puerto Vallarta’s regional ranches and farms. We loved that Rancho el Charro offers rides from their family-owned ranch, provides lunch, and, in the case of their Wild Tour, takes guests to a breathtaking waterfall deep in the mountains.

Whatever your interests, don’t be afraid to venture out from the grounds of your resort to explore. Families will find Mexican residents of Puerto Vallarta to be friendly, fun, and happy to tout the many beauties of their city.

Is Mexico safe for traveling families?

January 23, 2012 By Amy Hagstrom

The short answer: it depends on where you go. Asking whether Mexico is safe for traveling families is like asking whether the entirety of the U.S. is safe, or the Caribbean, or anywhere else you may wish to travel in the world. One cannot judge an entire country by unsafe activities in isolated parts.

For the long answer, I spent several days last month in Puerto Vallarta with the e-Commerce manager of Velas Resorts who, in addition to graciously (and enthusiastically) playing tour guide throughout her city of Nayarit and neighboring Puerto Vallarta, helped to put me at ease about the safety of the region.

The good news: traveling families can (and should) visit this beautiful Pacific coast of Mexico. Taking the following common sense precautions will ensure a happy (and worry-free) vacation:

1. Lock up valuables. Use your in-room safe! Store valuables whenever you’re out (even to meals). It may be an overreaction, but most hotels and resorts prefer you utilize the resource of your safe. That’s why it’s there!

2. When outside your room, take only what you need. All-inclusive resorts and resorts that allow room charges make this easy. During our stay at Velas Vallarta, my wallet and all cash was stored in my safe 90% of the time. When I did need money while away from the hotel, I found that all I needed was a small amount of cash, one credit card, and my phone. You can use a money belt, but you will probably feel safe without it.

3. Book excursions and activities through your hotel or resort. This is not to say you shouldn’t venture beyond your resort…you should! But use the resource of your hotel’s concierge or activities planner. He or she can book second party tours on your behalf, and/or recommend reputable and professional companies. If nothing else, a conceierge can point you and your family in the direction of the best beaches, snorkeling, or shopping.

4. Don’t drink the water. After talking with my host for some time about the safety of her country, I asked, mostly in jest, whether the advice not to drink the water in Mexico was a false rumor as well. Her face fell as she asked urgently, “You’re not drinking the tap water, are you?! Don’t drink the water!” So yeah…don’t. In all high-quality resorts such as Velas Vallarta and neighboring Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, families will be served safe, bottled water in their restaurants (so yes, you can order a glass of it there), and tap water, as Americans think of it, is not served (or used at all in food preparation) at all. Outside of restaurants, traveling families need to follow due diligence: this means no glass of water taken from the kitchenette tap at bedtime, no swallowing rinse water while brushing teeth or in the bath or shower. Kids, especially, have a hard time remembering all this, and parents do need to remind them. Instead, have bottled water by the bed and in the bathroom, and along with you on any outings.

5. That said, drink lots of water! It’s important to stay hydrated in the warm Mexican sun, especially if you’ll be consuming your share of tropical drinks by the pool (or pursuing strenuous activities such as hiking, snorkeling, or paddling). All-inclusive resorts such as Velas Vallarta makes this easy; bottled water is continually supplied. If you don’t have such service, be sure to make a stop at a grocery store (or Wal-Mart) after arriving to stock up.

6. Lastly, don’t be an easy target for scams. Upon arriving past customs at Puerto Vallarta airport, families face a gauntlet of official-looking taxi drivers, shuttle services, and the like, all ready to take you to your resort (often combined with a ‘resort credit’ or ‘discount’). These are actually time share affiliated. My advice? Pass right by this onslaught to curbside, where taxi cabs await. Better yet, arrange for a specific shuttle or car service ahead of time. On public beaches and streets, comparison shop before purchasing souvenirs, and when possible, arrange for tour experiences such as snorkeling or deep-sea fishing through the concierge at your hotel, not through beach or street vendors.

Old Town San Diego

March 24, 2011 By Amy Hagstrom

San Diego has so much going for it, by all rights, the rest of Southern California should be burning with jealousy. But there’s something about this city’s relaxed, unassuming air that makes it beloved…and a natural a choice for traveling families.

Visitors are drawn quickly to San Diego’s main family-friendly attractions, including its pristine beaches and all that entails Balboa Park, such as Sea World San Diego…and for good reason. However, no matter what age your children, you’d be remiss not to spend a day enjoying the many charms, bright colors, and free entertainment of Old Town. Nestled in the heart of the city, Old Town consists of over 150 shops and restaurants and 17 museums and historical houses. Here you’ll find old world marketplaces, street performers, and walking tours, not to mention guided walks through the city’s first structures by state park rangers. There’s no way to see and do everything in one visit, but I’ll try to break it down for you!

What not to miss:

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park is located conveniently near bus and trolley stations on San Diego Avenue and Twiggs Street. Here you’ll find historical reinactments, period displays, and knowledgible guides within the La Casa de Estudillo, the Robinson-Rose House, and the McCoy House. (Be sure to check the state park website for closures and daily schedules before arriving.)

The Junipero Serra Museum lies right on Presidio Drive in Presidio Park, marking the exact location where historical scholars say the state of California was born. Entrance is only $6 for adults and $2 for kids, and inside is housed a wonderful collection of early California history. Outside in the Presidio is a wonderful place for an afternoon picnic and restful place to take a breather.

Extra Tip: if you want to learn more about the history of the city, consider a walking tour with a California State park guide. Tours begin at the visitor’s center on the plaza, and no reservations are required. Parents with little ones can detour from the tour whenever tired feet dictate.

After getting a solid historical background, you’ll want to kick back and enjoy some of the color and flavor of the Old Town marketplaces. Take your pick between Fiesta de Reyes, where the streets are always alive with a party, and Bazaar Del Mundo, which features goods from all over the world. Toy stores selling historically-based toys and candy shops with old-fashioned treats can also be found in the state park section of town.

Extra Tip: Don’t want to worry about parking? Take a trolley tour of Old Town! Reservations can be made online at Old Town Trolley Tours. Note: The trolley system has a Kidscore of 86. Learn more about Kidscore.

Where to stay: The Hacienda Hotel Old Town is within walking distance of Old Town, and offers a full free breakfast each morning. Part of the Best Western brand, this hotel does a good job of blending into its historic surroundings, despite being modern.

Extra Tip: We also have birthday ideas San Diego, for those special occasions when you want to gift an experience during your travels!

Where to eat: It’d be easier to tell you where not to eat in this cuisine-rich section of the city, but wait…I can’t do that either, as I’ve never been displeased with a restaurant in Old Town. If you’re looking for traditional San Diego fare, you can’t go wrong at Cafe Coyote, located on San Diego Avenue and featuring pretty outdoor seating and an fun, lively atmosphere. They take online reservations, and I’d recommend making them in the busy summer months!