One of my goals as a parent was to take my kids to 48 states before they graduated high school. We were very excited to achieve this goal as we crossed the border of Vermont the summer before my son\u2019s senior year. We eventually made it to all 50 states! I decided to start a travel blog to share our ideas with all of you. Not only did we reach our goal, but we had so much time together as a family, my children became closer and we learned about different regions of the country. I keep a list of ideas and places we visited in each state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A state that we all really enjoyed is California. My husband and I had been to different areas of the state a few times but purposely decided to hold California for our family until our kids were teenagers. California is huge and has so many diverse landscapes. It is famous for its sunny climate and sandy beaches, but also for the big cities. What drew us to the state is the nine amazing national parks. I decided to split the state into three areas: Coast, Central and Mountains. This is just a list of ideas and things we have done. I know the state has much more to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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California has one of the most spectacular coastlines in the country. And when it comes to the best road trips in the US, it’s hard to beat the Pacific Coast Highway. It is best known for the stretch through California from the redwood forests and rugged coast down to the beaches of San Diego. Along the way, there are beautiful cities and stunning landscapes. It is one of our favorite drives and we will never get tired of taking in those epic views and discovering all it has to offer along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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• Redwood National and State Parks: a string of protected forests, beaches and grasslands along Northern California\u2019s coast including the giant redwoods <\/li>\n\n\n\n
• Port Reyes National Seashore: protected coastline in Northern California<\/li>\n\n\n\n
• Muir Woods National Monument: trails through old-growth coast redwoods<\/li>\n\n\n\n
• Alcatraz Island: take a boat to visit the island, it includes a tour of the cell house to see where the prisoners lived<\/li>\n\n\n\n
• Mus\u00e9e M\u00e9canique: museum of 20th-century penny arcade games and artifacts, located at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco<\/li>\n\n\n\n
• 17-Mile Drive: a scenic road on the Monterey Peninsula that passes famous golf courses, mansions, and scenic attractions, including the Lone Cypress<\/li>\n\n\n\n
• Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: a mile-long stretch of free-to-access boardwalk with hundreds of old-timey games, rides, and sights <\/li>\n\n\n\n
• Phil’s Fish Market: serving famous cioppino for over 35 years in Moss Landing<\/li>\n\n\n\n
• El Matador Beach: close to Malibu and one of three beaches within Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach<\/li>\n\n\n\n
• Channel Islands National Park: five islands and their ocean environment, the boat ride over is like a wildlife boat tour<\/li>\n\n\n\n
• Rodeo Drive: shop one hundred of the world’s leading brands at architect-designed boutiques<\/li>\n\n\n\n
• Cabrillo National Monument: visit the tidepools at one of the best-protected rocky intertidal areas in California<\/li>\n\n\n\n
• Coronado Beach: a favorite southern California beach in front of the famous Hotel del Coronado<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

  Central<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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  What I am calling the Central Region includes the deserts and valleys. California’s desert region is a great place for hiking, sightseeing, and many other recreational opportunities. In California\u2019s deserts, we found the hottest place on the earth, the lowest point in North America, lava tubes and so much more. California’s\u00a0central valley is a vast agricultural region. We enjoyed driving by all the orchards, vineyards, and farms to see where much of our food comes from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Joshua Tree National Park: explore the trails, rock formations, and all those yuccas<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Mojave National Preserve: see the steep sand mounds of the Kelso Dunes and hike into a lava tube<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Death Valley National Park: hottest, driest and lowest\u00a0National Park- a must-see is the lowest point in North America at Badwater Basin, an expansive salt flat<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • California Fruit Depot: southern end of California’s San Joaquin Valley outside of Bakersfield<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Palm Springs: fine examples of midcentury-modern architecture, lots of shopping and restaurants<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • China Ranch Date Farm: interesting date farm on a lush piece of greenery amidst the Mojave Desert<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Red Rock Canyon State Park: scenic desert cliffs, buttes and spectacular rock formations<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Woolworth Diner: last remaining 1950s luncheonette in a former department store serving classic hamburgers, fries & milkshakes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Pinnacles National Park: explore cool caves and rock formations formed by volcanoes east of the Salinas Valley<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Mountains<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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    California Mountain Region takes up about half of California.\u00a0There are two mountain ranges, the Cascade Range and the Sierra Nevada Range. The California mountains contain over eight thousand named mountains, including the highest and most prominent of which is Mount Whitney. The National Parks in this region cannot be missed. We love this area of the state because of the hiking and other activities for the summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    • Yosemite National Park: our favorite is the Tunnel View- the iconic vista of Bridalveil Fall and the granite cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Tuolumne Meadows: part of Yosemite it is the largest high-elevation meadows in the Sierra Nevada<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Ahwahnee\u00a0Dining Room: breakfast is a fabulous time to eat at this iconic restaurant in Yosemite<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Sleep in a Tent Cabin: fun rustic lodging option in Yosemite’s Curry Village<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Kings Canyon National Park: home to the largest remaining grove of sequoia trees in the world also has multiple canyons, valleys, waterfalls, and peaks<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Sequoia National Park: has more groves of the famous sequoia trees, climb Moro Rock- a massive granite dome<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Lake Tahoe: large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, straddling the border of California and Nevada, known for its beaches and ski resorts<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Pacific Crest Trail: the highest portion of the trail is in the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Listen to Ranger Programs: all the National Parks have programs, we have had some great experiences<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      One of my goals as a parent was to take my kids to 48 states before they graduated high school. We were very excited to achieve this goal as we crossed the border of Vermont the summer before my son\u2019s senior year. We eventually made it to all 50 states! I decided to start a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"WB4WB4WP_MODE":"","WB4WP_PAGE_SCRIPTS":"","WB4WP_PAGE_STYLES":"","WB4WP_PAGE_FONTS":"","WB4WP_PAGE_HEADER":"","WB4WP_PAGE_FOOTER":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1464","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-travel-ideas"],"yoast_head":"\n