LA to Monterey

Our kiddos are in their princess, Star Wars, Tinker Bell stage. So, we made a point to plan a trip to Disneyland!

It just so happened that Disney was celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Disney animation with Disney100 !

As anyone driving through the San Francisco Bay knows, it takes a while to get from one end to the other due to bridges, peninsulas, traffic, fog, you name it. So, when we started our trek through the Bay from Sonoma County on our way to SoCal, we made sure to pinpoint a pitstop once we made headway toward Central Valley. My first thought was Ghirardelli to commemorate the last trip through Monterey and our Ghirardelli Sundae “lunch” after visiting Monterey Bay Aquarium for the first time during our Epic Adventure.

We zoomed across the Bay and stopped off for a chocolatey pitstop at the Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Factory Outlet near Tracy.

After grabbing a chocolate treat and a handful of tasty squares for the road, we made our way southward toward a chicken finger stop: Raising Cane’s. If you haven’t familiarized yourself with these tender’s, check out their menu here. It gives my beloved Zaxby's a run for their money.

Making great time, we landed at our overight destination just outside LA near Santa Clarita. I have become a huge fan of La Quinta Inns due to their hot breakfasts each morning, great parking, clean rooms, and friendly staff who have accommodated us during some trying times in the past. So, anytime a La Quinta is on our radar, I tend to book it via their Wyndham mobile app . This particular LaQuinta was walking distance to few restaurants and we opted to take the kiddos down under to the Outback Steakhouse.

Waking refreshed the next morning, we loaded up and wound the streets of LA toward La Brea Tar Pits. Passing the famed Hollywood Bowl , we kept our eyes peeled for a view of the Hollywood sign which we were able to see on such a clear day in the spring.

LA has its own style of architecture . We were lucky to spot a few treasures such as the Sheets mural at Chase Bank.

I had originally intended for us to stop at the Griffith Observatory for my little stargazers. However, they’re closed on Mondays which was the day we were en route to Disneyland. Hence opting for the La Brea Tar Pits which did not disappoint.

Next, we passed the Hollywood Walk of Fame and had a great view of the Capitol Records building. Finally reaching Wilshire Blvd , we utilized the onsite parking, and walked over to the large outdoor tar pits still bubbling outside as they were thousands of years ago. Long before the stars of Hollywood lit the screens, these pits were captivating all sorts of species with their warmth and tempting entanglements.

Before we got too far into our sticky studies, we fueled up at the hamburger restaurant across the street, The Counter . It’s a choose your own adventure hamburger and fries delight. I greatly enjoyed my jalapeno and fried egg for my delightful dish.

Once inside, the museum walks through the story of the surrounding lands as humans came on the scene and began excavating the very sites actively being excavated to this day!

Back a block to the museum, we explored the dire wolf skull wall, the giant mastodon skeleton, and were even able to simulate the experience of being stuck in the actual tar displaying how much strength it takes to pull oneself out of the tricky pit!

La Brea is a very unique museum; one every traveler should experience. You can even get a back stage look at the current dig sites with Excavator Tours.

Next up was the big event: Disneyland! After checking the helpful Unofficial Disneyland Guide from my local library, it led me to the conclusion that our family would love staying at the conveniently located Camelot Inn & Suites along the South Harbor Blvd across the street from Disneyland Resort's entrance.

Camelot's proximity to the park was paramount for a number of reasons. We went during a very rainy time in LA where it even hailed on us during our time in the park.

We loaded on our rain gear and were able to enjoy almost every attraction on our list by following along with the walking tour I had designed from researching the official Disneyland Birnbaum's Guide and the Unofficial Disneyland Guide even while wet. Ponchos worked wonders and the Disneyland app was updated with ride times and cast members work quickly between rains to ready attractions if at all possible.

On our second day, we were lucky that they worked to remove and sweep away much of the water to get the Mad Hatter's Tea Cups up and running much to our delight!

Be sure to utilize the Disneyland app to also locate restrooms and order food for pick up from iconic Pizza Planet or Red Rose Tavern.

After wrapping up our whirlwind two days at the “happiest place on Earth”, we made our way back up the 101 toward Sonoma County. The LA area being the largest metropolitan in the country took a good chunk of the day as we wound through the bustling highways toward the coastal hills and scenic views of the iconic Pacific Coast.

I’m a big Cracker Barrel fan. It gives me a taste of the South. So, every time I encounter one, I usually stop. Also, they have great sweet tea, parking bathrooms and they serve breakfast all day. Big wins for a group full of differing opinions.

After rocking chairs and our fill of warm, buttery biscuits, we wandered onward up the coast with gorgeous views of the 101 and wonderful options to stop off for a coastal break, if you so choose.

We opted to point our GPS towards the Danish delight of Solvang! With a windmill to greet you, park and head to a local bakery, such as Mortensens’s, for fresh baked pastries to fuel you up. Solvang's walking tour starts here.

Head to the local bookstore, The Book Loft, and paying a visit to the Hans Christian Andersen Museum. It was Andersen who penned the original story of The Little Mermaid.

After tough choices over which books to grab for the journey home, we stopped at a public playground nearby: Sunny Fields Park.

This gem is great for littles to run wild through structures and along pathways with a Danish theme with a Viking Ship!

Our last stop was up the coast, just outside the Bay, at the town of Monterey. We had visited the famed aquarium when our littles were two and under. It was such a great experience, we opted to stay within walking distance and explore Cannery Row a bit further this time around.

The Wave Street Inn came with rave reviews and is conveniently located across the street from the delectable Wave Street Cafe. With views of the crisp Monterey Bay, we walked the short distance down Cannery Row to the Monterey Bay Aquarium after our tasty cafe breakfast.

After entry, we wandered through below the biomes representing the vast diversity of wildlife just steps away. Their tentacle exhibit is always a delight for a view of our cephalopod friends.

Try to keep up with the busy sea otters zooming about near the Great Tide Pool. See the penguins active in play near the Splash Zone as the waves simulate low and high tides throughout the course of the day. Delve deep into the darkness to find jellyfish and spider crabs, some of our kids’ favorite creatures.

The kids always enjoy a touch tank and their touch pools are chock full of various creatures and textures along with being well staffed with helpful, educated staff.

Monterey Bay Aquarium is at the top of our favorite aquariums that we’ve visited due to its appeal to all ages, hands-on exhibits, commitment to local conservation, and overall fun factor. The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga also ranks highly due to its attention to building design mimicking the flow of a river from the cool, crisp mountains as it the Tennessee River, and aquarium visitor, both wind their all the way down multiple biomes who call the river home, all the way to where it ultimately empties into the Gulf. Both are very educational and science-forward which suits our tastes.

Lastly, our final day was dedicated to trekking from Bay to Bay, up the 101 homeward bound to Sonoma County. One final view from the highway before we reached San Francisco is the so dubbed “Flintstone’s House” visible along the highway. Read more on this roadside wonder here.

After crossing the dramatic Golden Gate Bridge, we stopped to take in the views across the bay of the glittering San Francisco skyline at the Vista Point before completing our epic journey from NorCal to SoCal and back again jiggity jig.