Thanks for joining me! I will start, by looking back at one of our favorite adventures.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
You never know what will stick out in your mind in the future when looking back at memories of old trips and family vacations. Having taken 2 of our tween children to San Francisco and area I took on the challenge to provide natural, cultural as well as technology spots of interest. You may be surprised to find out what two tween boys still look back on as their favorite spot, that just happened to be on this very trip.
Arriving by air to SFO is an easy way to start and renting a car, as we were planning on staying outside the main Bay area and had several distant destinations in mind. The airport is easy to navigate and there is a shuttle train that takes you to the car rental lot. If staying in San Francisco there are many areas that you can stay where it is easy to walk or take taxi or pubic transit.
We stay in Palo Alto at the Residence Inn. My husband works in this locale frequently which is how we discovered this hotel which is well located that you can walk to local restaurants or stores or have easy access to many highways. It has a great pool, tennis courts and includes breakfast. They also host evening weekday events of bbq’s by the pool, free for guests.
Other the usual San Fran attractions of Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge, the Pier area and a ride on the street car we explored areas within an hour or so of Mountain View.. Stopping off at some of the big name businesses such as Google and Facebook was an eye opener to see the beautiful campuses as well as the Stanford University grounds. There is also a great Computer History Museum, perfect for the nerd in all of us. They have the original Jeopardy set there all ready for pics! There is plenty of local shopping and great restaurants. And you may see Mark Z. or Elon M. dining in many of the simple small local spots. It is not a pretentious area at all.
Not far from this area you can make a day trip to the amazing Monterrey Bay Aquarium and the drive down the coast has many places to stop to enjoy the beach for a while. There is also a quick day trip to Santa Cruz where a walk around the famous boardwalk is almost enough to fill the day but the tweens loved the Segway tour which was not only fun for all of us ( I want one of my own now!) but very well done and covered so much area and information in a fun way.
While many people head to Muir Woods just north of San Francisco to see the Redwood trees area; now famous from the Planet of the Apes movies filming; we prefer the drive up to Big Basin. A slow and windy 25 km road but beautiful drive and a great self tour through the incredible forest offers a quiet natural experience you won’t soon forget. Bring a lunch and enjoy a picnic.
Our 2 tween boys loved this trip. Seeing the Golden Gate bridge, as they see it in so many movies and games was a thrill. They also loved the tour of Alcatraz. Once again, they actually play games in which it is featured and they loved actually being in the place and understanding the layout. It helped their game they say ;). The beach is always a favorite of any age, although the water is quite cold. But their favorite place that they have ever been, to this day, remains to be the Big Basin Redwood forest. I would have never guessed this would be my video game playing, technology driven kids ideal memory but it was so spectacular it has remained in their minds as their favorite spot. Ever.
And that is why you travel with kids. Opening minds and revealing the soul!
Details:
Hotel: Residence Inn, Palo Alto Los Altos
Places to see for a fun and successful trip with tweens and teens:
Big Basin – http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=540 – half day trip from Palo Alto or San Francisco
Facebook Campus (parking lot by the front sign so you can go take a selfie) – 5 min to look around
Google Campus – 30 min to look around
The Computer Museum http://www.computerhistory.org/ – 3+ hours
Santa Cruz Segway Tours – http://www.segwaysantacruztours.com/ – full day trip
Monterrey Bay Aquarium – https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/ – full day trip
“San Francisco for teens..in a day”
In San Francisco:
Golden Gate Bridge – Start here after breakfast when the fog has cleared a bit http://goldengatebridge.org/visitors/directions.php
Pier 39 (be sure to spend some time watching the sea lions) – tour before or after your Alcatraz visit
Alcatraz Tours (take note that you need to book an Alcatraz tour usually 2-3 weeks in advance) https://www.alcatrazcruises.com/
Street Car Ride – Hyde Street (bring cash! Cash only) – great in the evening as sun is setting – you can ride all the way to downtown then get right back on and come back. Route goes past China Town.
Street Car Turn around is right by the Ghiradelli Chocolate factory store (yes there are free samples!)- Great place for a treat to end the day
You can park your car near the Hyde Streetcar turn around and walk to the pier, where is also the tour to Alcatraz location. Then at the end of the day your car is right there.
Eye Rollers 