This is such a beautiful mission which is why it is dubbed the "Queen of the Missions". The rose garden across the grass, the fountains, and the beautiful shape of this mission coupled with a view of the oceans, hemmed in by the nearby mountains makes this camera worthy!

Our family has really enjoyed the i madonnari chalk festival in May. The dark asphalt in front of the mission becomes covered with fantastic art works. Our kids and we have enjoyed viewing all the amazing "paintings" in chalk.

The mission tour was not so great for our young boys (3,5) We adults were a little bored too. I'm thinking when they are older we will all enjoy it more.

This is an ideal beach in many ways. Free parking, public restrooms, easy access to the sand (park right in front of it), grassy area, picnic tables, pier, restaurant, and it's beautiful! Waves are generally small which is nice for young children.

I am often surprised by how cool it is. Cool as in cold. The sun can be shining but with the moderate temperatures of Santa Barbara and a cool wind, it can be downright cold. Also surprising is that you won't see the sun setting over the water, like you might in California. This is a south facing beach, so it sets over the hills of UCSB to the west. So take layers and enjoy!

When we travel north or south on the 99, this is a great stop between Bakersfield and Fresno. The shopping is superb because of all the great deals. My kids play in the fountain outside of the Gap Outlet with my husband while I do some quick shopping. Then he goes into the Nike Store while I let them ride on the quarter machines outside. Top it all off with a bathroom stop and ice cream and we are ready to hit the road and make it all the way to Nana and Papa's house.

Even though you see this place right by the freeway, you have to drive almost all around it to get to it and traffic can be heavy. So until you are parked, be sure to have an extra measure of patience.

This is my absolute favorite place in California... maybe on planet earth! The beauty of the blue lake set in the midst of the tall pines and the tall mountains that form the edge of Kings Canyon make it a feast for the eyes. Many kids come here during the summer for summer camps where they learn about Jesus in the Bible. Nothing could be better than that.

Our family has camped in the campgrounds on the north side of the lake (Hume Lake Campground) and then enjoyed the food at the snack shop, the boat rentals and the cove (the southeast side of the lake).

Adults can attend the free Lakeview chapel services during the week and you can sign your young kids up for day camp. If you can send your kids here for a week of summer camp (3rd grade through high school) it's even better.

This is the greatest place ever!

We took our boys (7,9) to this restaurant for a yummy educational treat. We asked for the teppanyaki lunch special and we were not disappointed in the deliciousness of the food, the spectacularness of the show and the reasonable price. Teppanyaki is where you sit around a flat grill and the Japanese chef cooks your food for you, flashes his knives in the air, and sets things on fire. Your food is served in courses, hot off the grill. My boys loved the onion volcano.