Santa Cruz and Monterey, Making Family Memories
Oct 25 '00 (Updated Jul 14 '01)
The Bottom Line One of the funnest places to take your kids in Northern California.
If you are traveling to Northern California, two places that are wonderful for family vacations are Santa Cruz and Monterey. At Santa Cruz, you can stay at a hotel/motel within walking distance to the famous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. This is a really fun place to bring your kids. If you decide to go there in the summer months be sure to bring your Bain de Soleil!
We used to go there when I was a kid (along with the rest of my 5 siblings!). I remember the smells of cotten candy, popcorn and saltwater taffy!!! There are some really great rides there like a huge ferris wheel and roller coaster (my favorite is the merry-go-round). If you are just going for the day, but not staying in a hotel overnight, then plan on getting there by around 8:30 so you can get a place to park. There alot of Hotels like Holiday Inn or the Ocean Pacific Lodge that you can reserve a room months in advance at very reasonable rates. My husband and I brought our two youngest kids there this summer for a weekend, we had a blast on the bumper cars and made a special memory with them.
Then we went to Monterey, another great place. There is the Monterey Bay Aquarium which is so interesting for kids to see all the tiny and large sea life. We went to Cannery Row (which is very touristy) and went shopping for toys, shirts, hats and there are some great seafood restaurants there. We went to the beach very early in the morning and the kids built sand castles with their dad while I strolled the sand to find shells and rocks. I ended up knee deep in the icey cold saltwater and closed my eyes and remembered the first time my parents ever brought me to the beach as a toddler and I remembered the feeling of the undertow of the water as it goes back into the ocean...and I found myself with tears in my eyes...thankful for the good memories my parents provided for their six children, and thankful to God for the gift of life!
So if you are planning to go to Northern California for a family vacation, Santa Cruz and Monterey are fun, memorable places to go. So is Yosemite, but that's another editorial...Bye, Bye!!
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Sandra.Ruoff
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Member: Sandra Ruoff
Location: California, USA
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