What's a fun family trip near the Bay Area, CA?
August 28, 2024 11:03 AM Subscribe
We have an odd Thursday and Friday off of school in late Sept. What's a fun idea to do with my 9 year old daughter?
I initially planned to decamp to Grandma and Grandpa but they will be out of town. Not sure if my spouse will take off work. I don't want to fly and I don't want to drive more than 2-3 hours at a time. (I could take a train for a fun destination though.) What is a fun thing I can do with my 9 year old within a few hours drive of Oakland that will delight my girl with an increasingly tweenish 'tude? Somewhere fun to spend a night or two or three? Novelty appreciated. Doesn't need to be elaborate. She likes animals, nature, crafts, fun, art.
I initially planned to decamp to Grandma and Grandpa but they will be out of town. Not sure if my spouse will take off work. I don't want to fly and I don't want to drive more than 2-3 hours at a time. (I could take a train for a fun destination though.) What is a fun thing I can do with my 9 year old within a few hours drive of Oakland that will delight my girl with an increasingly tweenish 'tude? Somewhere fun to spend a night or two or three? Novelty appreciated. Doesn't need to be elaborate. She likes animals, nature, crafts, fun, art.
Bonus: that website lists a whole bunch of other “Area Attractions,” (at a glance it seems more air museum than arts and crafts, but maybe you’ll find something appealing). It also includes food and lodging recommendations.
posted by notyou at 11:20 AM on August 28
posted by notyou at 11:20 AM on August 28
Best answer: This is more "animals and nature" than "crafts and art," but here goes: My wife and I just did a day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I hadn't been before and what struck me is how well it is designed for families. It's relatively expensive ($65 per adult, not sure per child) and I'm not sure I have any real desire to go back in the near future having seen it once, but I'm glad we saw it once. Monterey is just gorgeous, also, in terms of the hills and the beaches. You could string that together with one of the redwood parks down near Santa Cruz (and/or the Boardwalk, if you're feeling particularly commercial), as well as some of the beaches/lighthouses along the coast of the peninsula. 17 Mile Drive is also nifty to do at least once, and there are some cool places to stop and see seals and other sea life, etc. I can't speak to anywhere specific to stay but there are definitely hotels in the area.
I also recently saw an advertisement for an elevated path among a glade of redwoods at a zoo up in Eureka. That sounds potentially cool if you wanted to head north rather than south. It's also probably expensive, and a bit beyond your driving range, but you could string that together with Point Reyes and other beaches along the 1, or walking in redwoods inland.
posted by Alterscape at 11:24 AM on August 28 [5 favorites]
I also recently saw an advertisement for an elevated path among a glade of redwoods at a zoo up in Eureka. That sounds potentially cool if you wanted to head north rather than south. It's also probably expensive, and a bit beyond your driving range, but you could string that together with Point Reyes and other beaches along the 1, or walking in redwoods inland.
posted by Alterscape at 11:24 AM on August 28 [5 favorites]
Best answer: Building on the Monterey suggestion and animals and nature: go sea otter kayaking at Elkhorn Slough! (Linked is one of a few companies that offer it .)
I've done this probably 6-8 times and is once of my favorite nature things in the bay area. I'm going again this fall! It works well on the way to or from Monterey, and is a good complement to seeing them at the aquarium.
There are adorable sea otters all over and it is such a delight to see them reasonably close from a kayak. The kayaking is appropriate for all difficulties as well - I've gone with kids (9ish) as well as adults in their late 60s. Good bird watching too. Do bring a change of clothes including shoes, and layers, you'll get a little damp from paddle drips.
posted by soleiluna at 12:17 PM on August 28 [6 favorites]
I've done this probably 6-8 times and is once of my favorite nature things in the bay area. I'm going again this fall! It works well on the way to or from Monterey, and is a good complement to seeing them at the aquarium.
There are adorable sea otters all over and it is such a delight to see them reasonably close from a kayak. The kayaking is appropriate for all difficulties as well - I've gone with kids (9ish) as well as adults in their late 60s. Good bird watching too. Do bring a change of clothes including shoes, and layers, you'll get a little damp from paddle drips.
posted by soleiluna at 12:17 PM on August 28 [6 favorites]
Best answer: Once for my birthday we went up northeast of Sacramento to West Coast Falconry in Marysville. It was so cool!!!! They use Harris’s hawks, which hunt communally and therefore can be trained to fly to more than one falconer. Highly recommended.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 4:25 PM on August 28 [2 favorites]
posted by Lawn Beaver at 4:25 PM on August 28 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Further building on the Monterey Bay, going on a whale watch boat is very cool.
posted by Scout405 at 6:12 PM on August 28
posted by Scout405 at 6:12 PM on August 28
Best answer: We've always enjoyed driving over the hills on the peninsula to Pescadero Beach, then visiting Harley Goat Farms. They do a lovely tour where you can pet the goats and see the dairy where they make cheese; there's a nice farm shop too. Then eat at Alice's Restaurant on the way back.
posted by cat potato at 7:05 PM on August 28 [1 favorite]
posted by cat potato at 7:05 PM on August 28 [1 favorite]
Third or fourthing the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It’s pretty cool. And plenty of stuff in the vicinity.
posted by Windopaene at 7:30 PM on August 28
posted by Windopaene at 7:30 PM on August 28
Adding info to soleiluna's suggestion of kayaking. If you kayak at Elkhorn Slough make SURE the tides are suitable. You don't want to be fighting the tide to go into the slough, and absolutely do NOT fight the tide to get back to the kayak rental place. It can be a lovely activity, or a horribly strenuous one.
posted by anadem at 8:41 PM on August 28 [1 favorite]
posted by anadem at 8:41 PM on August 28 [1 favorite]
Maybe a little obvious, but it hasn't been mentioned yet - the California Academy of Sciences, in Golden Gate Park, is definitely a day's worth of cool stuff for a 9-year old. Butterfly dome, planetarium shows, some dinosaurs, aquarium. Not as spectacular as the Monterey Bay aquarium, but a much shorter drive from Oakland.
posted by graphweaver at 9:12 PM on August 28 [1 favorite]
posted by graphweaver at 9:12 PM on August 28 [1 favorite]
Monterey is great! Also they have glamping at Safari West in Santa Rosa.
posted by Threeve at 8:39 AM on September 3 [1 favorite]
posted by Threeve at 8:39 AM on September 3 [1 favorite]
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
You can’t make a whole weekend of it, but you can maybe string together several other activities in the area.
posted by notyou at 11:14 AM on August 28 [1 favorite]