The Road Untraveled – Mojave National Preserve

One place we’d always passed through was the Mojave National Preserve. You drive past it heading to Las Vegas on Highway 15; you stop at its edge for a slice of strawberry short cake at Bun Boy, reputedly home to the world’s largest thermometer in Baker, or go for some hummus or tabbouleh at Mad Greek in the same town. At the other end of the preserve, Highway 40 heads east out of Barstow.

The Preserve is little visited, at least compared to other desert parks and preserves, from Joshua Tree to Death Valley. And yet, it’s the third largest park land in the U.S. And it’s close enough to Los Angeles that you could explore briefly as a day trip, or as a stop on that Vegas drive. But the lure of its vast emptiness drew us to actually explore the preserve itself, and spend the night there, not as a way station, but as a destination in itself.

We were rewarded by grand views of mountains, empty desert dunes, possibly as many Joshua Trees supplicating skyward as those within the national park.

If you enter through Barstow, from the west, you’ll find the visitor center, with maps and information about the vast preserve. It’s a good place to gas up and grab some grocery store snacks or some of the fast food ubiquitously offered from every Barstow highway exit. Road food from another era is available in tiny nearby Ludlow, at the Ludlow Café. The diner offers up a nice slice of pie, and thick grilled cheese sandwiches.

Dunes and Depot

The Kelso Dunes

Less than a half hour away is Kelbaker Road, your entrance to the preserve. Another twenty minutes will take you to the Kelso Dunes. Strikingly tall and beautifully vast, you can climb them, photograph them, roll down them, or listen to the wind create a musical hum from the crests of these dunes, some of which tower up to six hundred feet. Vaster and taller than the dunes in Death Valley, come in the morning or late in the day to avoid the harshest reflection of the sun off the shiny golden sands.

We spent a very long time with the cardboard from a couple of flats of water, sledding down the sides, and then we consumed most of the water we’d displaced, too. The usual caveat applies even more dramatically here – stock up on water and keep it in your car at all times – you won’t find a convenience store this side of Baker.

There’s really only one lunch stop in the park, and it’s near the dunes.  Kelso Depot was once the place for train travelers to dine as they traversed the country. When I was last there years ago, it was boarded up, a spot for photography and wind blown memories my small children found ‘spooky.’ Today, reopened and re-imagined, the depot’s elegant Spanish style houses a lunch counter called the Beanery, open until 5 pm daily, with sandwiches, soups, salads, and ice cream. My son made quick work of a chocolate Coke.

Also in the Depot, there’s an art gallery, currently housing a youth arts project called Crazy Cactus. You could also call the exhibit colorful cactus, and it was an enjoyable visit. Train watchers can still watch freight trains rumble through, but no more passenger trains stop here.

Just off Highway 40 at Essex Road, you’ll find a visitor center with staff ready to direct you to some family-friendly trails, such as a stretch of the Barber Peak Loop – too long for little feet if traversed in full, but definitely worth a mile long stroll.

Spending the Night

Our Desert Hotel in Nipton

Now you could head back to any number of chain motels in Barstow, or the rudimentary digs available in Ludlow. But instead, try Nipton. This is a ghost town being renovated and restored, a work in loving progress. The first structure to receive a face lift is the Hotel Nipton. With four rooms, it’s more of a bed and breakfast than a hotel, but it’s a pleasant one. The sitting room for all guests is comfortable and relaxing, the rooms offer double beds and twin beds, and a bathroom down the hall. Morning brought a basic continental breakfast delivered to our rooms.

The views of the desert, a lovely garden, and the peace and quiet of the charming ghost town, will more than offset the small sized rooms. If you’re bothered by the sounds of the nearby trains, there are ear plugs. We loved watching them go through, and it didn’t bother us beyond a few moments awakening to hear them rumble in the night. My kids found train watching and star gazing wonderful, and we would go back in a heart beat. The only problem we had was the lack of dining options: the store has limited sandwiches and cold drinks. Next time, we’ll come prepared with a cooler full of snacks, and go ahead with an extra ice cream from the Beanery in the afternoon.

So the next time the desert calls, answer with the Mojave Desert Preserve. You may be some of only a few people picking up on the beauty of the place.

Even the boats are decked with holly...in Santa Barbara

The Bellosguardo

We started our most recent Santa Barbara sojourn at the Bellosguardo – or Beautiful View property.
Poised on a cliff at the end of the East Beach, section of town, this enormous property was bequeathed by its recently deceased owner to become a museum open to the public. While this project is underway, families can enjoy the beautifully secluded Butterfly Beach which adjoins the Four Seasons Santa Barbara.

Our Lunch Choices

When your little ones have burnt off a little steam on the soft sand, head to La Super Rica Taqueria for quesadillas or tostadas. If the lines are too long here, just down the street you’ll find Taqueria La Colmena, not as lionized by foodies, but with excellent home made tortillas and fresh guacamole at bargain prices. Seasonal treats like sweet green corn tamales are delicious here, and either spot is budget-friendly.

Tis the Season to Shop

Thus sated, you’ll be more sanguine handling the shopping crowds at specialty stores and galleries around State Street. Kids of all ages will enjoy browsing the vintage records at Warbler Records and Goods, or enjoying the tasting room selection of olive oils and crackers at the C’est Cheese store just off State. Somehow we always enjoy shopping in small stores more than malls, and even better are small shops we only visit a few times a year. We seem to always find that special small gift or perfect stocking stuffer in this setting, and it seems like the children are more interested in the wares displayed, too, unlike a visit to a busy mall.

Other Santa Barbara Attractions

Done with shopping? Check out what’s new at the small but well curated Santa Barbara Museum of Art. A current exhibit at this thoughtfully designed museum allows tech savvy kids old enough to understand how a cursor moves to explore an interactive experience with Picasso and Braque. iPads are lent out at the exhibits entrance that thoroughly enliven the viewing process.

Speaking of viewing, another option when night falls, is to check out the classic West Wind Drive In. Recently refurbished, the drive-in operates year round after a long closure. It’s just up the highway from Santa Barbara – about a fifteen minute drive – in the small town of Goleta.

During daylight hours, check out the gentle hiking trails that encircle the city. The peaceful Douglas Family Preserve, is located atop a mesa, and is the kind of trail even the smallest tot can toddle along and enjoy. No fuss, no muss, just outdoor pleasures. Older kids or adults who can carry the smallest members of the family troop will enjoy taking the just under two mile loop trail off Mountain Drive known as the Cold Spring loop. Small streams run through this one, sometimes a bit too alluring for small feet – unless you’ve brought along boots.

Christmas lights in Santa Barbara - the town is lit up and lovely!

Winter Season Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara’s Christmas lights and unique shopping options are not the only way the town marks the holidays. Early in December, there’s a community sponsored, song filled re-enactment of the Christmas story, with a costumed Mary and Joseph riding a donkey through the streets searching for shelter. This free event is coupled with another Santa Barbara tradition mid-month, the Christmas Revels. This unique celebration of a Bavarian Winter Solstice serves up jovial songs, dances, and stories set to music. It’s held at the Lobero Theater in downtown Santa Barbara.

Thoroughly decorated for the holidays is Jeannine’s, a cozy cafe right on State Street, with beautifully made Christmas cookies and other highly caloric fresh and delicious pasteries in the glass cases. The kids will love the banana and brown sugar French Toast.

Head on out to the Wharf to run off some of those sweets, and take a look back down the long pier at a town whose stylish adobes and Mediterranean style looks especially charming during the holidays. Don’t forget to check out the Sea Center on the wharf, where exhibits include touch tanks, models of a gray whale, and various aquarium creatures. Step off the wharf and enjoy a long stroll or rent a buggy for a ride along the cement pathway that parallels the beach front. In the winter, you won’t find yourself competing for pavement space with other tourists, and the ride or walk will be that much sweeter. We joined in some impromptu caroling with other walkers, under a low hanging full moon that looked like “an ornament in the sky,” according to my son.

If you’re spending the night, we recommend the Hotel Mar Monte. This historic hotel retains its 1931 Spanish Colonial feel, but the guest rooms are well sized, and the pool is open year round. But be sure to stop in the Four Seasons or the Montecito Inn for a look at their gorgeous holiday trees.

Watching the sunset from Cambria's Moonstone Beach

And, sometimes those relatives want to see a little bit of where they’re visiting. It’s their vacation too – you might as well enjoy it with them, and take the entire family along for trips that highlight the holidays and show off your own home state. If your home is in California, or if you’re visiting the Golden State, here are some great tips for day or weekend trips in the coastal areas, with a little bit of Holiday flare, besides.

Central California Coast

Only two hours from Los Angeles, you’ll find Santa Barbara, and its southerly neighbor, Carpinteria. We love taking visitors to Carpinteria state beach, a pleasant, uncrowded, easy to park at broad stretch of sand that will let adults walk and kids run along a lovely shore line for as long as legs and cameras hold out. And when the brisk sea breezes make everyone ready for a treat, try Chocolate Maya in Santa Barbara proper. A Swiss native, owner Maya is friendly and generous with tasting samples in a shop designed to emulate European shops with hand dipped treats and awesome thick and flavorful hot cocoa to keep everyone in a holiday frame of mind. She uses environmentally friendly packaging and whether you’re after a dark chocolate adult confection or a milk chocolate candy bar the kids will be talking about for a week, you’ll find it here. It’s a great place to pick up holiday gifts, too.

Afterwards, drive down to Santa Barbara’s pier and enjoy another ocean view while browsing the kitschy sea-resort themed gift shops; or rent a pedal powered buggy to work off those sweet calories and get your entire family moving up and down the shore line.

Farther north, at the midway point on highway 101 between San Francisco and Los Angeles, if you pick the right day of the week, you’ll find treats of all kinds at San Luis Obispo‘s justifiably famous blocks-long Farmer’s Market. Held every Thursday evening except Thanksgiving, you’ll find plenty to graze on and gaze upon. Our children love tasting the varieties of olive oil and vinegar local to the region and available in shops and at the market. The market itself has over  120 vendors offering up fruits and veggies, tri-tip beef barbeque, fresh flowers, and seasonal delights like English toffee and peppermint chocolates. Stop in at the town’s historic mission, which is also seasonally decorated, or enjoy a stroll along the downtown streets.

Also in the San Luis Obispo area is the Avila Valley Barn, offering up fruits and veggies, fudge and fun seven days a week. There’s a petting zoo too with miniature horses sure to enchant the kids.

Staying on the coast, but heading farther north, you’ll find wonderful walking beaches in Cayucos and Cambria. Cayucos town beach is flat, sandy, and warmer than Cambria’s rockier Moonstone crescent, but finding sea glass and moonstones makes Cambria’s shore line a family favorite, and one that can keep our kids occupied for hours. Sunset is sweet from Cambria’s shore as well.

What child and what out of town relative can resist the natural wonders of sea elephants?

Outside of Cambria, you’ll find the elephant seals breeding grounds right off Highway 1. Viewing platforms will offer you an excellent view of these behemoths, and November through January are great times of year to view many of them on shore.

Northern California Coast

If you’re heading up to the Monterey peninsula, kids of all ages will enjoy the slides and climbing tunnels of the enormous Dennis the Menace Playground; but out of town visitors are going to clamor for a stop at the world renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium. You’ll find the Aquarium seasonally decorated and worthy of a full day’s visit. You can read more about our experience at the Aquarium my Carmel, California article.  The Monterey Bay Aquarium was also featured on Tots and Travel’s 10 Best Aquariums in the USA.  Smaller children will love the Monterey Youth County Museum’s interactive displays for kids, especially the giant bubble maker and a fantasy theater allowing dress up and performance space.

If you’re closer to San Francisco or you’re taking a longer drive, naturally the kids are going to love the off season quiet of the Santa Cruz boardwalk. Without the long lines for the iconic amusement park rides, you’ll get the thrills without the waiting. If the weather’s chilly, there’s a vast indoor arcade too, including a large and enjoyable laser tag option. If you’re staying overnight the Dream Inn has commodious rooms and is more than accommodating to large family groups, with adjoining rooms and suites available, many with a lovely ocean view. Again, off season here is a treat, with lowered prices and often less fog than in the summer months.

Take a walk in the Natural Bridges State Park, enjoying the arches and coves, or head inland to the Monarch butterfly migration hot spot, in the state park’s Eucalyptus grove. You’ll find more migrating monarchs closer to Pismo Beach which is south of San Luis Obispo and just off Route 1. Both monarch sanctuaries offer viewing glasses to better observe the winged beauties; kids of all ages and out of town guests alike will be enthralled at either spot.

Wherever you go this holiday season, drive safe and enjoy the family – which is really what the holidays are all about.

Related Articles:

Cambria, Cayucos and Carpenteria, California – The three C’s
Santa Barbara has Something Special for Kids
Central California Articles

A fun town to explore in the Sonoma Valley is Glen Ellen, near the entrance to the Jack London Historic park. Glen Ellen holds the delightful Fig Cafe, which has fantastic skinny fries and a relaxed atmosphere for lunch.

Strolling the paths at our hotel in Sonoma was a trip in and of itself.

The Jack London Park just outside Glen Ellen is even better, a short walk through a shady oak path leads you to the ruins of London’s coveted dream house, which burned down the night before the 19th century novelist and his wife were scheduled to move in. The stone walls and the reflecting pool make interesting ruins to explore.

Near the park, we also loved taking a tour of the Benziger Winery, a family owned operation that emphasizes organic growing practices. We were late for the tour, but try not to miss it – we were told the tour is given while visitors are towed by a tractor across the vineyard. Just strolling through the property and learning about the organic and biodynamic alternatives this winery practices was fascinating.

In the heart of Sonoma proper, there’s more history to be found in the downtown plaza, including the home of General Vallejo and the Sonoma’s mission San Francisco de Solano. The Mission building is wonderful to explore, as is the Vella Cheese Company a few blocks away from the plaza. Here you can sample to your hearts content and learn a little about the cheese making process – including letting the kids laugh over the repeated information about “cutting the cheese.” On Tuesday nights, a large, attractive Farmer’s Market runs in the central plaza square. We loved walking around the stone buildings that ring the plaza. There’s an ample children’s playground off the square as well, if your little ones need to burn off some steam on slide or swings.

In the center of the plaza and still in use is Sonoma’s early 20th-century city hall. We learned that it was designed and constructed with four identical sides. Why? So that none of the merchants on any side of the plaza would feel slighted. There are many restaurants all around the plaza, including the Girl and the Fig, where we enjoyed trout and a view of the bustling Farmer’s Market, which is held every Tuesday evening from April to October.

We stayed in an historic spot ourselves, splurging on the lush, garden filled MacArthur Place just a few blocks from the plaza. The grounds offer a fine afternoons exploration themselves. The property was originally a three hundred-acre vineyard. While some rooms are available inside the property’s main Manor House, the original residence, we stayed in a garden suite. Our kids really enjoyed strolling the paths, sniffing fresh growing herbs and flowers, sculptures, and meandering past fountains and quiet nooks with benches for reading or resting.

The weather was hot when we were there and we spent a fair amount of time at the pool, surrounded by this bucolic setting. With iced tea and fruit flavored water offered up gratis, it made for a perfect, restful afternoon. The rooms themselves were beyond comfortable, large, with rain showers, and DVD players for evening downtime.

Gardens to explore at MacArthur Place in Sonoma, CA

As hard as it was to tear ourselves away from this luxurious inn, we were there to explore the Sonoma region, so exploring we went. Sonoma is a town circled by wineries and picturesque vineyards, and you can’t go wrong in picking one to visit. We found every stop to be child friendly, with grassy areas to run and play on, picnic tables for family lunches, and interesting gardens to explore. Ferrari Cantano winery had an incredible five acre garden, in which fragrant lavender was blooming when we were there. We were able to play a rousing, if somewhat incompetent, game of bocce ball – Italian lawn bowling – in a shady spot at Alderbrook Winery.

Outside of town you’ll find the sweet, funky, perfect for small children Traintown. There’s four miles of track and a quarter scale rail road on which to take a twenty minute trip. You go over bridges, pass through a tunnel and stop in a “town” with a petting zoo and lots of goats. There are amusement rides the little ones will enjoy too, including a Ferris wheel and a merri-go-round.

And when the clatter of the clickety clacking tracks got a little too intense, it was time to retreat to MacArthur Place and the peaceful pool again, with a bottle of fine Sonoma wine for the adults and some delicious Vella cheese cheddar and soda for the kids.

National Parks have delighted families for generations with their natural beauty. Offering so much to see and do, these parks are a wonderful venue for families to bond, learn and grow together in the splendor of nature itself. The parks below (listed alphabetically) are 5 of the best national parks in the United States, and were chosen for their intriguing significance and family-friendly nature, offering suitable activities for people of all ages.

Carlsbad Caverns Green Lake Room

Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
3225 National Parks Hwy
Carlsbad, NM 88220
(505) 785-2232

Hidden below the rugged landscape in southeastern New Mexico, lies a series of large underground chambers carved out by water and sulfuric acid that slowly dissolved the limestone in the buried rock reef that is millions of years old. Over time, the resulting cavern was filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and other intriguing formations made by calcite deposits. Who would have ever thought that the rough terrain above – strewn with rocks, cactus and shrubs – concealed a treasure beneath.

Carlsbad Caverns Formations

Carlsbad Caverns encompasses more than 117 known caves. Visitors can hike on foot or take the elevator below and see some of the many caves, a few of which include the Big Room (or Hall of the Giants) – the cavern’s largest chamber about 4,000 feet long, 625 feet wide, and 350 feet at its highest point; the Green Lake Room – named for its pool in the chamber’s corner; Chocolate High – a maze of small passages totaling about a mile; and the Queen’s Chamber – considered the most beautiful and scenic area of the cave. About 1 million bats take refuge in the Carlsbad Caverns, sleeping together during the day on the ceiling of Bat Cave, and leaving the cave by night in a huge dramatic throng.

Carlsbad Caverns - a cascade of crystal calcite in the form of a frozen waterfall

Open year-round except December 25, general admission tickets can be purchased for adults 16 and older (children 15 and younger are free) and allow access to 2 self-guided trails. Guided tours are also available and can be purchased separately. There is dining, restrooms and drinking fountains in the underground lunchroom and on the surface’s visitor center.

A marvel of nature, Carlsbad Caverns is one of the top national parks in the USA, which families will enjoy exploring together.

Cypress trees covered by climbing ferns

Everglades National Park, Florida
40001 State Road 9336
Homestead, FL 33034
(305) 242-7700

Home to the elusive Florida panther, the American crocodile, the West Indian manatee, a myriad of tropical wading birds, reptiles, and the largest mangrove ecosystem in the western hemisphere, Everglades National Park is located on the southern tip of Florida, and is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. This interconnected network of marshland and forest ecosystems is teeming with countless species of wildlife. At 2,500 square miles, it is the 3rd largest national park in the lower 48 states.

Although the park is open year-round, winter is the best time to go, as the weather is comfortable and mosquitoes are least active. This park is a treasure trove of all sorts of outdoor fun activities. Go hiking along any of the numerous trails, paddling through the shady mangrove tunnels on a canoe or kayak, boating along the stunning coastlines, open ponds and lakes, or take a ranger guided tour and learn about the intricate habitats of the park. There are no accommodations at the park, but camping is available at the various campgrounds, and is a wonderful opportunity to hear the nightly chorus of the crickets as the park’s nocturnal inhabitants awaken.

Everglades - american alligator

The park is accessible from different areas, with visitor centers that provide a range of tours and programs, various rentals, informational brochures, orientation films, educational displays, and snacks and restrooms. Some areas of the park require an entrance fee, and the paid parking is good for 7 consecutive days.

Everglades - mangroves

With its dense mangroves, marshes, and tropical fauna, Everglades National Park offers many exciting adventures for families to discover.

Grand Canyon - South Rim View

Grand Canyon, Arizona
Village Loop Rd
Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
(928) 638-7888

One of the world’s most spectacular natural wonders, the Grand Canyon encompasses over 1.2 million acres of semi-arid land consisting of raised plateaus and structural basins, carved out by the Colorado River. It is 6,000 feet deep at its deepest point, 15 miles at its widest, and 277 miles long. The Grand Canyon is a significant resource of geological features including its immense fossil record, and paleontological, archeological and biological reserves found in its many caves.

There is plenty to see and experience at the Grand Canyon. From hiking along numerous trails such as the historic Hermit Road, walking the Trail of Time and learning about the canyon’s geologic history, taking guided tours, helicopter tours, mule trips, whitewater rafting, and more. The Tusayan Ruin and Museum offers a fascinating glimpse of Pueblo Indian life some 800 years ago. Visitors can also climb up the 70 foot tall stone watchtower Desert View Point (a historic replica of the prehistoric towers found on the Colorado Plateau, and the highest point on the South Rim).

Grand Canyon - Yavapai Observation Station

The Grand Canyon is accessible at the North and South Rims. The South Rim is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and has a variety of museums and information centers with exhibits. Camping, lodging, and restaurants are available year round. There is free shuttle service throughout the Grand Canyon Village area, and paid parking at the Visitor Center. The North Rim facilities are open mid-May through mid-October due to weather.

Grand Canyon - ancient pueblo granaries, photo by drenaline

With its magnificent views, geologic history, and endless activities, the Grand Canyon is one of the top national parks for families.

Yosemite - Bridalveil Falls, photo by Mila Zinkova

Yosemite National Park
9039 Village Dr
Yosemite Natl Pk, CA 95389
(209)372-0200

Roughly chiseled granite cliffs and towering majestic sequoias stand as silent witnesses to time at Yosemite National Park north of Fresno, California. Countless wildlife species and plants find sanctuary in this 1,169 square mile park amid the clear streams, waterfalls, deep valleys and scenic meadows. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is a wilderness shrine in the High Sierra.

Although the park is open 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, some roads are closed due to snow from about November through May or June. Each season has something beautiful to offer, but summer is most popular. With the melting snow, rivers and waterfalls make a splendid sight, such as Yosemite Falls (the tallest in North America), Vernal, Nevada, and Bridalveil. Lush, fragrant wildflowers bloom in great varieties in Yosemite Valley, Wawona, and Tuolumne Meadows. Massive granite cliffs and domes such as the 8,842-foot Half Dome, the renowned El Capitan, and the 13,114-foot Mt. Lyell (Yosemite’s tallest peak), inspire a deep reverence.

Yosemite California - sunset on half dome

There is so much to do in Yosemite National Park. From hiking, biking, rock climbing, fishing, horseback riding, water activities, guided tours and more, this park offers something for every season. Winter offers its own activities including skiing and ice skating in a stunning backdrop of breathtaking natural beauty. Visitors can camp at the designated campgrounds, or book lodging accommodations at The Ahwahnee, but advanced reservations are highly recommended for both due to popularity. The park entrance fee is valid for unlimited entries to Yosemite for seven days, and includes all occupants of the car.

Yosemite - a winter wonderland - snow covered meadow

A breathtaking manifestation of natural beauty, Yosemite National Park will captivate young and old alike for generations to come.

Zion National Park - Zion Canyon

Zion National Park
Zion National Park, UT 84767
(435)772-3256

Cool waters of the Virgin River flow over stones deep in the canyon’s narrows, winding a graceful path through the soaring sandstone cliffs of Zion National Park in Southwestern Utah. Showcasing some of the most beautiful canyon country in the United States, Zion National Park is a striking tribute to the diverse magnificence of nature. With its forested highlands, lowland deserts, fauna and flora, the wildlife of Zion finds refuge in the park’s serenity.

Life in Zion thrives on the Virgin River, sustaining numerous species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Masterfully adapted to their environment, many animals seek refuge from the day’s heat, only to emerge in the cooler hours of the evening and night. Yet when lightning strikes and thunder rolls, flash floods erupt, boring through the parched canyons with furious exhilaration, renewing life in this canyon oasis.

Virgin River Narrows at Zion National Park

Open year round, families will find plenty to do at Zion National Park. The visitor centers and Human History Museum provide lots of information on this haven. There is bicycling, birdwatching, hiking, horseback riding, camping (in several campgrounds), lodging (at Zion Lodge which is open year round), ranger-led activities (which are free), scenic drives, and more. The Zion Shuttle System is free and operates in Zion Canyon and the town of Springdale Utah. All park visitors are required to purchase a recreational use pass upon entering the park. The pass is valid for 7 consecutive days including the date of purchase.

Wall Street Zion narrows in Zion National Park

Families will be delighted by Zion National Park. With its wide-ranging elevations, landscape, microclimates and habitats, the wild beauty of this sanctuary stands as testament to the enduring spirit of life and nature.

Which brings me to a wonderful trip through Central California, to a land where fruit trees blossom under the green hills of the Sierra’s. Seasonally the area near Fresno, CA blooms with berries, stone fruits from apricots to cherries, citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, and apples – almost any time of year, spring, summer, or fall, you’ll find fruit to pick, taste, and enjoy along what’s known as the Fresno County Fruit Trail. The fruit trail always existed – growers have been selling their appetizing wares for many seasons – but six years ago it was officially named and tourists officially invited with an advertising campaign designed to appeal to families.

Some fresh on the branch, juicy fruit

Roadside stands, shuttered for the winter, open up and friendly workers or family farmers display their wares and offer a wonderful opportunity to eat fruit grown right on the premises. Just prior to the fruit growing season the same by ways are lined with the Blossom Trail – cherry and apple trees in bloom are very beautiful in their own right.

And these Fresno County roads are a great way to enter Kings Canyon or Sequoia, two beautiful National Parks with tall trees, stunning meadows, and plenty of hiking trails that are easy for little feet to follow.

The first stop on the Fruit Trail is Simonian Farms just outside Fresno. This popular stop has a wide variety of produce for sale and a collection of antique tractors and wagons that kids love to scramble over. Simonian also offers a free and nicely detailed guide that diagrams a fruit trail route from Fresno into Tulare County.

In Reedley and Dinuba, you’ll find the most peaches and plums and olives, a fruit you may not think of as fruit, and one your kids may be less likely to enjoy – although our kids loved black olives practically as soon as they could chew. In Sanger, its citrus orchards – who knew Meyer lemons could be so sweet? All in all there are just under twenty-five fruit stops on the fruit trail. And while many stops offer chances to explore the farms where the fruit is grown or even pick some fruit, some are simply stands with a wide variety of fresh produce to sample and buy.

Along with a wide selection of delicious and inexpensive fruit – often less than a quarter of the cost you’d pay for these treats at the grocery store – the stands along the fruit trail sell other products that utilize fruit too, like soap and candles that integrate fruit pulp, fruit juice and jams, cider and wine.

Along the fruit trail you'll find fruit AND flowers for the kids to enjoy.

At the Cedar View Winery, fruity wines are available for adult tasting while the kids can have the run of a pastoral grassy expanse with a mountain view beyond it.

Besides fruit and fruit products, there’s another kind of stand to explore along the trail. Housed in a produce stand that sells produce no longer, you’ll find the Art Stand near Kings Canyon National Park. Here the “produce” for sale is the fruit of artistic labors – local art created by artists from all over the central valley area. Much of the art when we were there featured depictions of the farm lands, fruits, and blossom trees in the area.

Come harvest time, your family will enjoy another look at the fruits of the valley, plus live bands, horse shoes, and carnival rides at The Big Fresno Fair rated as one of the top fifty fairs in North America. One of the hall marks of this fair is the extensive farmer’s market that runs through a section of the exhibit space – but what else would you expect from a region rich in the fruits of the valley.

Where to stay when traversing the fruit trail? Campgrounds and cabin rentals abound in both Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Park, and a combined trip with exploring these beautiful parks with their enormous sequoia trees and rock cliffs is a delight. But for a short and fruity weekend stay, Three Rivers at the entrance to Sequoia is a great destination. The town is named for the confluence of the  North, Middle, and South Forks of the Kaweah River. The river itself offers lovely over looks, and in summer, gentle inner tube rafting from several small and sandy river beaches.

At the Sequoia end of town we enjoyed a stay at the pleasantly rustic Buckeye Tree Lodge. The rooms span the Kaweah River banks, and offer wide grassy spaces and picnic areas our kids love. Sycamore trees keep things shady, and the swimming pool is positioned between large rock boulders that provide a scenic setting. The rooms were large and airy. We loved the mountain views from the windows, and the iron work tables on the lawn that made a great spot to have some of our fruit bounty for breakfast. If you’re looking for a little more sustenance, we enjoyed the Pizza Factory in town for take out and the Sequoia Cidermill Restaurant, which had fresh cat fish prepared in a low key dining room.

Anyway you slice it: a trip to the Fresno Fruit Trail is a recipe for family fun.

One wonderful stop is a children’s park that’s an entire “world.” Located just a few blocks from downtown is Alameda Park. Here on this capacious green space,  you’ll find a wonderful playground with a volunteer-crafted centerpiece: Kid’s World. This huge complex has great tunnels, many climbing areas, hiding spaces, crawl spaces, replicas of sea creatures, and a vast, pleasantly maze-like configuration. There’s a small circular theater area for kids to take starring roles on a miniature stage. Swings and a huge grassy lawn are supplemented by a lovely garden, with ponds filled with koi, lily pads, turtles, and ducks. Have a picnic and stay the entire afternoon, or check out another wonderful park in town.

A turtle came out to say hello in a Santa Barbara park.

That would be the animal park – otherwise known as the Santa Barbara Zoo. Located on the grounds of what was once the expansively appointed Child Estate, this beautiful zoo has plenty of shade, lovely grassy spaces, and an amazing coastal view. We’ve never seen as scenic an ocean- adjacent zoo, even in Honolulu.

With five hundred plus animals on site, your children will find many creatures great and small to enjoy – from elephants, giraffes, lions, and monkeys to ocean centric exhibits like sea lions and otters. There are many beautiful aviary exhibits also, with colorful, exotic birds of all types. Our kids loved taking a break and playing in the spacious children’s playground here, too, in the virtual center of the zoo. There’s also a very enjoyable miniature train; and the gift store has excellent books and toys. When we visited around the holidays, lovely animal themed ornaments were for sale.

The Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara - beautiful architecture

Want to make your own holiday decorations? Even better, decorations that are ecologically sound? Every Saturday, check out Art from Scrap downtown on Cota Street. Each weekend there’s a wonderful interactive workshop that starts at 10 a.m. Local artists are the teachers, and they’ll help kids select materials for an art project – recycled items that are available in Art from Scrap’s retail store. If your child is younger than five, you’ll need to accompany them as they create. Two hours later: a beautiful, innovative art work.

Also on Saturdays and just around the corner,  is Santa Barbara’s Farmer’s Market. With farm fields in the immediate area, this is a great market, featuring fresh organic produce and locally made products like jellies and jams, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Fresh squeezed juices make a great pick-me-up before moving on with your weekend.

We love watching the sailboats from Stearns Wharf.

Just up the street, State Street, Santa Barbara’s main drag – you’ll find the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Rotating exhibits are supplemented by an extensive permanent collection of lovely impressionist pieces, Roman sculptures, and an Asian art collection. The museum is moderately sized and well laid out, making it easy for the kids to enjoy, while at the same time providing enough visual beauty for adults. There’s also a children’s wing, with excellent, modern  interactive exhibits. Best of all, several weekends a month – check the museum’s Web site for their event calendar – the museum offers Studio Sundays. Like Art from Scrap’s program, all ages are invited to experience a hands-on creative workshop staffed by teaching artists. Every month, a different artistic medium is explored at the museum, ranging from sketch studies to sculpting. From clay to paint to paper mache, the studio materials and projects are inspired by art in the museum’s collection. First Thursday’s of every month you’ll find another hands-on, family-focused art project available at the museum as well.

One last delightful children’s attraction in Santa Barbara – Stearns Wharf. The wharf itself is great fun to stroll, with its broad wooden beams and great view of sail boats, sea, and the hilly pastel landscape of the town and the mountain beyond. There are plenty of kitschy gift shops and salt water taffy; and there’s the Sea Center with its excellent touch tanks and sea life displays.

Rhyolite Ruins Death Valley

Maintained by the Bureau of Land Management, Rhyolite is a wonderful stop. Our kids were wide eyed, exploring the abandoned train station and the still standing walls of buildings once three stories tall. Signs placed around the buildings explain the history and remains and many include photos of the original buildings. Founded in 1904, this town once had over ten thousand residents, and it was booming until area mines played out. Its prosperity was short lived, and now it’s just picturesque ruins, but ruins conveniently located on a paved road and often used as a movie location. Park and enjoy exploring the stark remains of banks and brothels. Still standing is a fascinating house built from beer bottles. There were originally three such houses; the one still standing was rehabilitated in 2005, stabilizing its foundation and replacing missing bottles.

On the southern end of Rhyolite, there’s a modern installation:  the statues built by Albert Szukalski and other artists from Belgium. Serving as The Goldwell Open Air Museum, this site was created after the death of Albert Szukalski. Visitors are welcome to explore the massive sculptures which include ghostly white figures on bicycles and representing The Last Supper, a gigantic pink lady, and a tribute to the namesake of Scotty’s castle, Scotty Harris, created from heavy steel. The kids will love the visual contrast to the desert landscape and the Rhyolite ruins, and there’s plenty of room to walk around and explore the art works at close range.

Heading back into the park again, if you’re fortunate enough to cross through Stovepipe Wells at sunset, take another look at the dunes. The colors are beautiful, and in the cooler evening air you can enjoy another walk on the sand. Watching the moon and stars from the dunes is wonderful, too, but be careful – after dark snakes will come out, so stay clear of the creosote and mesquite bushes that dot the sand. Snake warning aside, there are many wonderful desert creatures to see at night, if you step quietly across the sand. Our kids have seen foxes, rabbits and kangaroo rats. Bring a flash light!

Charcoal Kilns Death Valley California

To begin another day’s adventures, go west on Highway 190, toward Wildrose Canyon, and head up hill to the Wildrose Charcoal Kilns. While the last three miles of road are unpaved, the road is graded gravel and we’ve taken it many times in a passenger car. The bumpy drive is worth it for the strange site at the end of the drive: ten impressive rock kilns rising up in a clearing in the pine forest. These bee hive shaped kilns were used to produce charcoal as fuel for the silver lead smelters built in the 1877′s. Each kiln is twenty five feet tall and about thirty feet wide. They once held forty two cords of pinyon pine, and when burning for a week, they produced two thousand bushels of charcoal – that’s a lot. Today, these kilns are great fun for kids. They’re echo chambers great for singing a round of Row, Row, Row Your Boat, and a terrific spot for a game of hide and seek. Temperatures are cooler here on the mountain side, and the kids will enjoy some play time in the area. You can take a short hike into the cool woods on an easy dirt trail to admire the view down into Death Valley below.

After spending some time at the kilns, we were ready for lunch. Rejoining Highway 190, it isn’t far to the small “resort” of Panamint Springs. A rustic motel court is supplemented by a restaurant with some surprisingly good food. We enjoyed house made soups and salad and rich chocolate cake. Sit out on the porch and admire the view of mountains and dunes in the distance. If you’re heading out of the park from here, Highway 190 will take you past many broad scenic views high above the desert floor. If you’re turning back toward Furnace Creek, make a stop at Mosaic Canyon.

The wonders of an open road - leading to a ghost town or another desert exploration near Death Valley National Park.

Mosaic Canyon is simply gorgeous, a nature made sculpture garden of beautiful colors and varied shapes. This is not stroller territory, but you can make your stay as brief or as long as your children are capable of walking or you are comfortable carrying them. In many ways this canyon is made for kids – it’s narrow passage ways seem tailor made for small scramblers; you’ll walk in a single file line to get through the more restricted sections. Carved and shining from flash floods, this is virtually an outdoor museum of geologic wonders. It begins with a totally easy quarter mile walk to the canyon narrows. Here the rock walls are smooth marble, polished by those years of flash flood waters. Our kids loved touching the silky stone, which feels like no other rock you’ve ever touched. The walk through this lower section takes no more than fifteen or twenty minutes, but the mosaic shapes are marvelous. Again, depending on your abilities and your children’s interest, you can turn back to the car here or slip through the narrow section and walk on across open stony areas and through more narrow passages if you wish -  up to two miles through a canyon chiseled and sculpted into curves and whorls of marble and limestone.

As you drive back to Furnace Creek, point out the mysterious ‘hay stack’ formations of Devil’s Cornfield, and salt flats you’ll see along the way. Maybe a coyote or two will wander by along the road. Death Valley is full of color, creatures, and – life. Children of all ages will enjoy exploring the wonders of this vast desert playground.

Death Valley Articles in this Series:

Death Valley, CA – Desert Explorations
More Desert Explorations – Death Valley National Park
Death Valley – Rhyolite Ruins, Charcoal Kilns and Mosaic Canyon

Early morning is a great time to explore the sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley.

The desert quiet is intense, and no matter where you spend the night, you’ll get a sound night’s sleep. And it’s a good thing, too, because one of the best times to explore Death Valley’s magnificent sand dunes is early morning. Grab a quick breakfast to go from the convenience store at Furnace Creek ranch – you’ll find fresh fruit and muffins – and head out. This time of day there’s usually no wind to cause any blowing sand; the light isn’t glaring, and you’ll still be able to point out the footprints of passing desert creatures left on the sand. We saw evidence of pack rats, jack rabbits, snakes and lizards. The drive from Furnace Creek to the dunes near Stovepipe Wells at Mesquite Flats is less than twenty minutes, and from the roadside parking lot, it’s only a few steps onto the sand.

Whether you walk to just the next dune or traverse the sandy hills dotted with mesquite and creosote as far as you can see them, you’ll spend many great hours with the kids admiring the still, soft beauty. Some dunes rise over one hundred feet, others are gentle rolling waves less than five feet tall. It’s a photographers haven, and small children love to take off their shoes and just play in the sand. More active pursuits are available too, of course, like  sliding, rolling, drawing pictures in the sand, jumping off dunes, leaping into one. From babes in arms to adults, everyone enjoys this enormous, and beautiful sandbox.  Where did these dunes come from?  Most likely erosion of quartz and feldspar minerals from the Cottonwood Mountains nearby. The high quartz content of these dunes explains the sparkle in the white sand.

Although the sand dunes are only a very small part of the desert landscape, these dunes are a huge attraction, and you’ll see plenty of families here. The spacious expanse is never too crowded though. Be sure to bring water with you – the dry desert heat will make you thirsty any time of year. And, don’t forget the sun screen, either; the sun reflects off the dunes with great intensity any time of day.

Race ya to the top - enjoying the sand dunes at Death Valley National Park.

After some vigorous dune play, make a stop in the general store at Stovepipe Wells. You’ll find toys and books in the gift shop and a freezer full of individual ice cream and popsicle selections, as well as an opportunity to replenish your water supply.

Suitably refreshed, you can push on to the nearby Salt Creek Nature Trail. This pleasant and stroller friendly trail traverses a boardwalk just above the salty creek. Winter or spring you’ll spy tiny silver pup fish, living fossils, the hardy survivors of an ice age lake. Summer months will find the creek dry.

Driving north toward Beatty – clearly marked off Death Valley’s main road, highway 190, you’ll head toward Scotty’s Castle, one of the few man-made points of interest in the vast park. Scotty’s Castle looks like a mirage when you first approach it, located in a small oasis near the grape vine mountains in the northern part of the park. It’s not a real castle; rather it’s a two-story Mission and Spanish Colonial Revival mansion built in 1922. When an itinerant prospector and raconteur known as “Death Valley Scotty” convinced a Chicago millionaire named Albert Johnson to invest in his gold mine in the Death Valley area, Johnson built this elaborate home. Today, rangers dress in the clothing of the era and take visitors on a stroller accessible, very enjoyable tour of the house, with its rich furnishings and architecture. In the Music Room, tour goers enjoy the sounds of an impressive Welte organ with eleven hundred pipes and learn about both the construction of the property and the life style of the Johnson’s and their close friend, Scotty. The tour is anecdotal enough to keep older children occupied, and brief enough that small children won’t be bored.

A well designed museum on the property provides plenty of information about the property if you’d prefer to eschew the tour, which does require tickets. Children under three are free. On your own, feel free to wander the grounds. Next to the main house, the Chimes Tower originally constructed to store hot water tanks, instead contains twenty five carillon chimes that play enchantingly every fifteen minutes. The kids will enjoy a short trail behind the house that leads to Scotty’s grave site.

There's beauty everywhere from the dunes to the mountains in Death Valley National Park.

A short drive from Scotty’s Castle is the natural wonder of Ubehebe Crater. This impressive crater was formed over six thousand years ago from a volcanic explosion, and it is more than five hundred feet deep. It’s easy to get into it and considerably more difficult to get back out, so if you’re carrying small children, make sure you’re up to the rigorous climb out. There’s an easy trail from the rim of Ubehebe to a smaller crater five minutes away, named Little Ubehebe as an enjoyable alternative. Our kids were awed by the enormous “hole in the ground,” and the colors and striations of the volcanic rock formations here are fascinating.

If you have a four wheel drive vehicle, you can take the rough dirt road out to Racetrack, where a natural formation mimics that of a speedway, but the only moving ‘vehicles’ are rocks, inching slowly across the sand due to wind and erosion. This is a wonderful spot, but don’t attempt it without a high clearance vehicle.

Just outside the park, near Beatty, is an easy to see attraction in any vehicle, the fascinating ghost town of Rhyolite and the intricate, well preserved bottle house located there. I’ll describe this leg of our Death Valley journey in my next article on this fabulous and varied desert landscape.

Death Valley Articles in this Series:

Death Valley, CA – Desert Explorations
More Desert Explorations – Death Valley National Park
Death Valley – Rhyolite Ruins, Charcoal Kilns and Mosaic Canyon

The iconic images on the 17 Mile Drive are a Carmel treat.

Our most recent trip, last spring, included a stay at the stately, bucolic Carmel Valley Ranch. This sprawling property encompasses over five hundred acres and offers some simply amazing views of the valley and hills surrounding it. At twilight, suffused in golden and pink sunset, it’s a very special place. There are beautiful wooded areas on the property, and we saw racoons and deer right outside our porch. The rooms are very large, and many of them have separate living areas; so there’s plenty of room to stretch out. The rooms are spread out in separate villas, so you have a feeling of being in your own apartment in the pretty woods. It’s about ten minutes from town, and with two nicely heated swimming pools, it’s easy to relax, enjoy the views, play some board games on the privacy of your porch, enjoy a swim, stroll the winding paths through wooded landscapes and never leave. The in-room fireplaces are a nice touch for evening relaxation, too. And star gazing is great, as the property is mostly devoid of the coastal fog that appears in town.  

We left of course, and took that seventeen mile drive, the same way as eight million drivers did before us. This drive is not free, there is a ten dollar per car admission to drive the well known coastal route from Pacific Grove to Pebble Beach. Along the way you’ll view the famous Lone Cypress, an iconic California landmark standing somewhat lonely on the edge of a pretty cliff for about two hundred and fifty years. You’ll see Spanish Bay and the famous golf courses of Pebble Beach and Spanish Bay. Fanshell Overlook is a great spot for viewing harbor seals in the spring, and a lovely soft white sand cove at any time of year. Point Joe is a rocky pinnacle that led errant seafarers to their doom when they mistook the point for Monterey Bay.  

Speaking for a family that’s driven many beautiful roads, those seventeen miles are indeed lovely, and its also a lot of fun to see California images immortalized in photos and books live and “in person.”  

We enjoyed the serenity and history at Carmel Mission.

After the drive, we explored the small, charming Carmel Mission. The Basilica Church is a lovely example of Spanish architecture, and the high ceilings give the church an open, contemplative feel. The Harry Downie Museum, adjoins the church offering a cohesive story of the founding and restoration of what was the second mission built in California. The small Munras Family Heritage Museum contains artifacts belonging to a well known Monterey family. Best of all is the sunny courtyard.  

A little history led us to a lot of fish at the well known Monterey Bay Aquarium just down the road from Carmel. From the kelp forest to a stunning attraction of flamingos, the variety and number of exhibits can occupy children and adults for a full day.  There’s an incredible exploration area for small children called the Splash Zone with a large circular waterbed play area, a touch pool filled with sea creatures living in a kelp forest habitat. Older kids will love the kelp tunnel with its overhead kelp arches making you feel as if you were inside the kelp forest and underwater. Fish, crabs, snails are circulating all around you here, and it’s a compelling spot to just stand and watch. Best of all is a water play area where you can create your own waves and use simple, fun models to explore the shape, composition and creatures that live along the bay area. With exhibits like penguins and jelly fish laid out in impressively large displays, it’s easy to stay a long time at the aquarium. We were ready for lunch however, and found it in the adjoining, laid back community of Pacific Grove at Holly’s Lighthouse Cafe. From curly fries to blue berry pancakes, this homey diner-style spot is a great place to take a break away from the tourist bustle of Monterey.  

Next it was time to take in a little fresh sea air and the best place for that is beautiful Carmel Beach. The fine sand and pretty cove like setting makes this a lovely spot; the waves are gentle, too. For browsing beyond shell picking, check out Ocean Avenue. The jewelry and antique stores may not be child-centric, but the gardens, courtyards and fairy-tale-like curly roofs on the shops are lots of fun. The courtyards have passage ways and arches, and are enjoyable to stroll and explore.  

We really enjoyed a stop at the Cottage of Sweets, a well known and beloved shop featuring many old fashioned candies to browse and enjoy. There’s a good selection of unusual and multi- cultural toys at the Thinker Toy shop nearby, entertaining for kids of all ages.  

Our children also liked making some beautiful, seascape inspired plate and cup designs at Glazes Studio. Younger children will enjoy the delightful outdoor setting of the Forest Theater, which runs kid-friendly productions throughout the year.  

Back at Carmel Valley Ranch we experienced our own forest production, watching a family of deer grazing in the dewy grass as the moon rose over the valley below our porch. The Carmel experience remains very sweet indeed.