if you plan to drive from Big Sur to Yosemite, that'll be a very long drive! it'll take you most of the day.
in the Santa Cruz/Monterey area, you have the Aquarium and the Boardwalk for the kids. i love the area but 7 nites there is too much time to spend, when there is so much elsewhere to see.
a side trip to D-land would take up a lot of time. you would need to cut out some of your other trips. i would save it for a SoCal trip in the future so you could include San Diego.
i live in Napa and would vote "no". there isn't much for kids here. Napa Valley is Disneyland for adults!
Dan- Firefighter, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever, 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
In Santa Cruz, we like Smithwoods -- it is next to Cotillion but a little nicer, I think. Both are good. Try to get a site right on the river, if possible. See rvparkreviews.com -- these parks may be listed under the town of Felton.
If you haven't seen it yet, I would recommend the book "California Camping" by Tom Stientra. It lists almost all of the campsites in California with descriptions of what to do and see near the campground, the facilities, length restrictions, directions and phone numbers. It's the one I like best for California. It's well organized by geography and designed for you to plan a good trip. Have fun.
I understand your idea about not doing too much driving and just a lot of visiting and enjoying. There are a lot of things to do around Santa Cruz, Columbia (you can visit Calaveras Big Trees from there) and Yosemite.
We've stayed at the Big Sur Campgrounds & Cabins, it's a nice place, but our trailer is 24'. I think it's great for little kids. We stayed in one of the river sites right next to the bridge, it was pretty easy to get into. Ask about those sites, they are concrete pads and less dirt.
You wouldn't go wrong staying at Pfiffer State Park, either, if you're into dry camping. It's more spread out and the river is bigger.
You could also check out Pinto Lake Park in Watsonville http://www.pintolake.com/, it's closer to Capitola than the RV parks in Felton, and it's less expensive. And you don't have to deal with that awful traffic on Highways 17 and 1. It's also closer to Monterey if you want to do some day trips there, and less expensive than Monterey Dunes. Monterey Dunes is right next to the freeway so it may be a bit loud if you get one of the sites on that side of the campground.
Keep in mind that April is Easter vacation here, and if you don't have reservations now, it will be difficult to get them if you wait. So don't wait.
Forget about going to S. California, that can be another trip.
Take the kids to the park at the end of Branciforte, overlooking the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, they have HUGE swings and slides that the kids will love. http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/pr/parksrec/.
Don't forget that it can be VERY cold in Yosemite and Columbia during April. You just never know. Bring warm clothes for the kids, and hopefully your RV will have a generator so you can run the furnace (but you can't run it all night, there are quiet times). It can also be unseasonably warm. California has really variable weather.
The "cities" around here aren't that crowded (except for SF) so parking shouldn't be a problem.
Tahoe will be wrapping up its ski season in April, so you might guess it will be a little on the cold side. The is usually when we start out our camping, but at some of the lower elevations. It will be below freezing at night. It will also be cold in Yosemite Valley, but that is what the heater is for.
Greg
Greg, Becky, Jack and Ella (kids), Sam and Lilah (dogs)
2005 Nissan Frontier
2008 Roo 19
When we travel to Monteray we prefer Moss Landing KOA; www.mosslandingrvpark.com -- Much nicer than Marina Dunes with several good resturants and views close by. Just a short walk to the bridge towards the highway and you will see Otters up close. They are also in the back bay. Moss Landing is only about 10 minutes north of Marina Dunes.
So many things to see on the Central Coast, Have fun.
Thanks again everyone, excited to see so many replies!!! I've been checking out all the useful links.
I can't work out if it is worth stayinb by Lake Tahoe for a night or two??
Some RV parks are open, is it worth the trip there? If so would it make sense to go there from Columbia then head back to SF after lake Tahoe? Or is it a bit cold with not so much to do for the kids in April??
Thanks
I think it's well worth the time to visit Dland with kids of that age. Years form now the memory of all the lakes and forests will run together but Dland will be engraved in their memories (and yours) forever.
Scott, Grace and Wesly
2003 Dodge 3500 4x4 Cummins (lightly bombed),
2004 Forest River 25RKS many, many mods.
jukes wrote: Thanks again everyone, excited to see so many replies!!! I've been checking out all the useful links.
I can't work out if it is worth stayinb by Lake Tahoe for a night or two??
Some RV parks are open, is it worth the trip there? If so would it make sense to go there from Columbia then head back to SF after lake Tahoe? Or is it a bit cold with not so much to do for the kids in April??
Thanks
Tahoe is beautiful that time of year. Even if the skiing is done by then, you should still be able to take the tram up the mountain...quite a view. If the weather is right, you should get some nice days with colder nights, but there will still be snow for the kids to play in.
It's about 2-2 1/2 hr drive from Columbia to Tahoe. Staying at Tahoe a couple of days then head back to SF seems like a good plan.
2007 Four Winds Dutchmen 29R-Ford E-450 V-10 towing a 2008 Toyota Matrix XR
2007 Toyota 4Runner(V-8) towing a 2006 Reinell 220LSE, 5.0L, 280hp GXI
jukes wrote: Thanks again everyone, excited to see so many replies!!! I've been checking out all the useful links.
I can't work out if it is worth stayinb by Lake Tahoe for a night or two??
Some RV parks are open, is it worth the trip there? If so would it make sense to go there from Columbia then head back to SF after lake Tahoe? Or is it a bit cold with not so much to do for the kids in April??
Thanks
Tahoe is beautiful that time of year. Even if the skiing is done by then, you should still be able to take the tram up the mountain...quite a view. If the weather is right, you should get some nice days with colder nights, but there will still be snow for the kids to play in.
It's about 2-2 1/2 hr drive from Columbia to Tahoe. Staying at Tahoe a couple of days then head back to SF seems like a good plan.
Tahoe is AWESOME and you won't be disappointed. It's a gorgeous lake - more of an ocean actually it's so big. It will be cool in April but there are several things you can do with young kids.
Besides the Gondola ride here are a couple of other things to do with young kids I pulled off a website:
For guests who would like to spend the day fishing but don’t have a license, young fishermen can cast a line at the trout stocked Tahoe Trout Farm, just west of the Y intersection of Highway 50 and Lake Tahoe Blvd. Or, for a different view of the fish, families can head for the Stream Profile Chamber at the Lake Tahoe Visitor Center - just four miles north of the Y on Highway 89. Visitors go underground to peer beneath the stream surface at the Kokanee salmon, rainbow trout, and cutthroat trout or follow the interpretive Rainbow Trail to learn about the meadows and wildlife along the way. Parents and children can stay for the campfire program if visiting in August. All are free and open to the public.
The Tahoe Queen, based at Ski Run Marina, brought back the Family Fun Cruise with Tahoe Tessie and her new friend, Baby Blue as well as MacAvoy Layne as the Ghost of Mark Twain. The three characters cater to families with educational insight about Lake Tahoe and the environment.
Many areas - i.e. - Camp Richardson - rent bikes with child seats. Two paved bike paths offer a leisurely ride well suited to families. The Pope-Baldwin Bike Path is relatively smooth and flat and meanders around Historic Camp Richardson, the Tallac Historic Site, and Fallen Leaf Lake. The South Lake Tahoe Bike Path runs through town, beginning at El Dorado Beach and crossing both Trout Creek and the Upper Truckee River.
And for anytime of year, nature walks; boat cruises on an authentic Mississippi paddle wheeler; educational programs at Tahoe landmarks; and a tour of historic Vikingsholm Castle are all available.
Squaw Valley's tram can whisk you and your little ones up to the 8200 feet High Camp, where you can gaze out over Lake Tahoe, even have lunch at the High Camp restaurants. On the South Shore, Heavenly's tram carries you on a mile-long excursion up to 8250 feet, where you can grab some munchies at the Top of the Tram. It's here you'll enjoy some of the most breathtaking views of majestic Lake Tahoe and the Sierras.
Children of all ages enjoy leaning over Fanny Bridge at the Tahoe City "Y" and spotting the giant trout that dart back and forth between the bridge and the dam. Take some bread or fish food.
In the winter, kids can slide down the slopes at some of the snow play and snow park areas. Many local shops rent tubes, toboggans and sleds. Many local ski areas also have special classes for kids.
Just google "tahoe activities for kids" or "tahoe activities for families" and you'll get a HUGE list of things to do for every age.
Well worth a couple of days' visit, IMO. We go back EVERY year and still haven't done it all.
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, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur
, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever
, 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
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