TravelPangs's Passport
 | Been to 324 Attractions |
 | 200 Reviews |
 | 125 First to Review |
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Send a ComplimentHometown:
SF, California, United States
About Me & My Family
I'm a mother
3 Kids 0-8 years old boys and girls
3 Kids 0-8 years old boys and girls
When we travel, good food and adventure always abound. Our family loves to push the limit of what we can do with children. Our mantra has always been - have kids, will travel. However, this doesn't mean I'm unlike most frantic moms before a trip. Wanting adventure and being a control freak can sometimes be a lethal combination.
Our Family's Travel Personality
adventurous, independent, spontaneous
We Just Got Back From
Northern California and Oregon
Our Favorite Vacation Spot
Hawaii
A Place We'd Love To Visit
New Zealand, Argetina, Brazil, Eastern Europe, Cambodia
Favorite Vacation Memory
Climbing Machu Picchu with a 4 month old infant in a slight and having all the locals stop us to ask what happened to his feet which were all bundled up. They just couldn't believe it wouldn't be bow legged.
Worst Travel Moment With My Kids:
Getting to the airport on our way to Scotland with my 15 month old and discovering that my husband's passport had expired. Instead of rebooking all of our flights, we decided that I would do the first leg of our journey on my own with baby. Unfortunately, we had not packed for me to be flying by myself. I could bearly walk to the runway with all my bags and a 15 month old who would get distracted by everything along the way. He then proceeded to sleep only 1 hour of the entire 11 hour journey (red-eye). It was pretty miserable.
Websites I Like:
Cheap Places to Take a Toddler in the San Francisco Bay Area
Here are some of my favorite places to visit with a toddler in the San Francisco Bay Area that won't cost you more than $10.
9777 Golf Links Road
Oakland, California
Comment:
If you haven't been to the Oakland Zoo before, you'll be surprised that it is better than the San Francisco Zoo. It's perfectly sized for tykes and tots too. They also have lots of fun play areas for toddlers and preschoolers.
699 Bellevue Avenue
Oakland, California
Comment:
Children's Fairyland in Oakland is charming little theme park that is just perfect for toddlers. It feels a little rustic, but still full of charm and the rides will delight your little one. The price is right too.
reviewed on: February 08 2009
"Perfect for Under 7's"
We went to Children's Fairyland this weekend because of the recommendation from Dan and simply loved it. We were there for our son's 3 year old birthday party. We had children ranging from 2 to 5 years old and it was perfect for this age group. Fairyland is so whimsical and the rides are all very gentle. There is nothing that a toddler couldn't participate in. Fairyland isn't too large, so you can easily catch up with your party if your wandering child goes off in one direction while the rest of the group is heading somewhere else. We also sat through the puppet show. It's the longest running puppet theatre in the country. It was a cute story and the kids enjoyed it. I loved that they didn't need flashing lights and moving seats to be entertained. My favorite thing about Fairyland is that it's not over done. Instead, it is full of old world charm. Young children get a run of the park without fearing been trampled by older kids.. At $7 per person for a whole day of fun, you really can't go wrong. There are food stands, but you can bring your own food as well. There is a wonderful picnic area in a grassy field that is perfect for a picnic lunch or birthday party. Fairyland does host parties, but you can just as easily bring your own food and set the kids loose to explore.
1451 Middlefield Road
Palo Alto, California
Comment:
A small little museum in Palo Alto that's free, but offers rotating exhibits and a small zoo area. It's a great place to hangout for a couple of hours. There is just enough for your little one to explore and run off some energy. And yes, it's really free.
600 East Meadow Avenue
Palo Alto, California
Comment:
Mitchell Park is a small playground in Palo Alto, with a small splash pad with fountains that spout water unpredictably. You'll have a giggling squealing toddler in minutes. Head over before school is out so your toddler and have the run of the splash pad without being run over by bigger kids. Best of all, this hour or two of fun is free.
reviewed on: May 18 2009
"Water feature lots of fun!"
I read about Mitchell Park here on Trekaroo and just went this weekend. What a lot of fun our 5 and 3 year old had. All the other children were wearing smiles from ear to ear. As a mom, hearing the squeals of delight from my two boys was priceless. It was perfect for cooling off from the 90+ degree weather. There is also a cool sandbox with concrete tunnels that the kids enjoy and some normal play structures. There is also a nice group BBQ picnic area near the playground which could make this a great park for a birthday party. Bathrooms were right by the playground, but they weren't very clean. The water fountain area was lots of fun, but it was pretty crowded. I've been to playgrounds with larger water play areas, but this was definitely adequate for a good 1-2 hours of fun.
Tilden Park
Berkeley, California
Comment:
There is so much to do at Tilden Park - playgrounds, merry-go-round, swimming and much more. But the highlight for many toddlers is the steam train that takes you through some lovely wooded areas of the park. It's a lovely ride for just $3.
1651 Coyote Point Drive
San Mateo, California
Comment:
Coyote Point Museum has lots of animal exhibits that are really accessible for toddlers. Everyone loves feeding time. After visiting the museum, you might enjoy running of energy at one of the huge playgrounds.
reviewed on: September 10 2008
"Great Playground"
Plus is that is a very large new playground perfect for 4-12 year olds. Lots of space to run and castles to climb. Down side is that there are tons of geese that call the grassy field by the playground home and with them come lots of germ infested bird droppings. Not so great if you have a little one that wants to pick up everything. The geese are also kinda mean hissing and being generally scary. (Sorry, I really have a thing about birds.) Some nice biking trails that are flat with nice bay views. Sometimes it's too windy to feel that you can stay out very long.
615 Cuesta Drive
Mountain View, California
Comment:
This playgrounds is a big draw for families. The setting is beautiful shaded by large redwood trees. Lots of soft clean sand, so if your little ones is still putting everything in their mouth, you might want to wait to visit, but otherwise, the little kids play area is lots of fun. A great place to play for free.
reviewed on: May 25 2009
"Shaded and lots to climb"
If you have a climber, then Cuesta Park is sure to be a favorite playground for you child. The large playground area has clean loose sand and lots of different climbing challenges, Best of all, the playground is set amidst old redwood trees that provide lots of shade on a hot summer day. There are also lots of large grassy areas to run around on and to set up a game of frisbee or volleyball. The park also has several BBQ pits and picnic tables. There are also nice tennis courts and bathrooms. Parking is fairly easy even on weekends and holidays. My only complaint is that the playground area isn't fenced so you have to keep you eyes on young kids all the time. Although you might be tempted to laze around and chit chat with a friend under a shady tree, you'll find yourself chasing after your young child the whole time.
56 Hill Street
Daly City, California
Comment:
Party Playhouse in Daly City is a huge jungle gym. For just $5, your little one can climb to their heart's content in a safe environment. You definitely want to head over in the morning before the big kids get out of school so your toddler doesn't get run over.
25 Swanton Road
Davenport, California
Comment:
During strawberry season which generally runs from May to September depending on the weather, your toddler will just love picking strawberries at this organic farm. The beds are off the ground at the perfect height for pint-size strawberry pickers. You can eat to your hearts content and pay for just the berries you take home. So, spend as much or as little as you like. But be forewarned...you might be tempted to buy more than you planned to.
reviewed on: May 09 2009
"Organic Strawberries with Oceanviews"
One of our local favorite strawberry famrs is Swanton Berry Farm in Davenport California just slightly north of Santa Cruz along the fabulous Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1). Swanton Berry Farm is one of the few organic u-pick strawberry farms within an hour and a half drive from San Francisco. Since strawberries are notoriously pesticide laden and it's hard to keep a 3 year old from stuffing one delicious juicy berry after another into his mouth, I love that this farm is organic. The strawberry beds are also lined with plastic so that the strawberries aren't laying directly on the dirt. Another thing I loved about the farm is that the strawberry beds are raised about 2 feet off the ground, which means that mom and dad won't be suffering from backache the next day. Having raised beds, so makes it easier to keep the kids from trampling over the strawberry beds. Our two boys were beaming from ear to ear and covered in strawberry juice from beginning to end. We didn't end up picking berries for more than 45 minutes and we were all stuffed and had a full flat.
A few things to consider when you visit. Bring sunblock. Even though the coast can be overcast or foggy, UV rays make it through the cloud cover and you can still get sunburned. The coast is often windy. Dress in layers because you will likely need at least some wind protection. Today, it was so windy that hats just wouldn't stay on. So, if your child has long hair, consider putting up their hair in a pony tail. If there has been rain in the last 24 hours, the fields can be muddy, so leave new or pretty shoes at home. Swanton Berry Farm is located out in the middle of nowhere, so bring a picnic lunch to eat at their picnic tables, in the car, or at one of the wonderful beaches on the way to the farm. (Big Basin Redwood State beach has lots of wind and kite surfers to gaze at.)
When you arrive, pick up a box at the farm store. Head out to the fields and return to pay. They have an honor till where you weigh your own strawberries and leave whatever you owe. The honor till leaves a warm feeling that the world is still a good and honest place. The farm store also has jam and pies for sale. Nothing too tempting even for my sweet tooth, but if you're hungry for some pie and don't want to make some of your own, you could pick some up.
If you live in the area or you're visiting California and doing the Hwy 1 drive with kids. This is something you must experience with them. Kids just love seeing where their food grows.
538 9th Street
Oakland, California
Comment:
Looking for a place to do some messy art without messy up your own house, MOCHA is the place to head with your little one. For just a few dollars, you can create art together in their open studio for an hour or two.
reviewed on: June 24 2010
"Let the kids get messy and leave the clean up to someone else"
I went to MOCHA with my 4 and 7 year old boys today and we had such a wonderful time. We dropped in at their open studio. It's a small art studio, but the set up was perfect for kids under 10. We spent about 2 hours creating art together. The open studio is set up with various art stations centering around a particular theme. Today the theme was prehistoric times. The kids got to get very messy with clay. They project was to create fossils and there were plastic dinos, shells, leaves, and bones to make fossils with. My boys got really excited about the clay and I was glad to not have to deal with the clean up at the end. There is also a waiting wall with different types of brushes and instruments that kids can paint their masterpiece with. I loved that the painting wall made it possible for the kids to be really messy with their painting. It was nice to not have to intervene with "be careful". Something I find myself doing a lot of when I am creating art with them at home because we have wall to wall carpeting all over our house.There were some other projects - recycled white plastic and foam to assemble the skeleton of an animal and materials to create a mask and amulet. For younger siblings who aren't interested in creating art, there are some wooden blocks and a little playhouse.
The staff was very friendly, but really took a back seat and allowed parents and kids to explore on their own. The fee to use the open studio for kids is 7 and adults is 3. At least one adult must stay with kids, so factor that into the cost.
The art gallery upstairs is free to peruse. It's very informal, but there are some really great pieces created by some very talented children. There is a reading area and a magnetic marble run to amuse the kids. My boys could hung out here quite happily for half and hour. I wouldn't make a special trip to see the gallery, but it's fun to pop in if your near by.
MOCHA also offers all day art summer camps and classes for kids age 6 and up. We summer camp in operation and the kids looked like they were having a wonderful time. They were creating some fantastic works of art. We were admiring their Egyptian mummy tombs, and golden clay goblets.
Hwy 1 (cabrillo Hwy) and Linda Mar Blvd
Pacifica, California
Comment:
The bay area has quite a number of beaches, but many have strong waves and current that make it unsafe for toddler to wade in the water. Linda Mar beach in Pacifica is one exception. The beach is very shallow for quite a distance and the beach is sheltered so that by the time the waves hit the shore, they just roll in. Toddlers will love running at the water's edge. During minus tides, the south end of the beach has some tide pools where you can see lots of starfish.
reviewed on: June 28 2008
"Best beach in Pacifica for children"
Unlike the other beaches in Pacifica which have strong undertow, Linda Mar Beach is gentle and more sheltered. Sand is nicer, but can be dirty at various times depending on the tides. Ample parking, showers and bathrooms make this beach easily accessible for families.
