best place to go in california

Santa Monica puts you in a decent location to travel to most tourist spots like Hollywood, Beverly Hills, etc. Disneyland in Anaheim would be nice for little kids . . . we stayed in the city of Orange, which wasn't bad, if you have a car.

There are lots of great suggestions on Trekaroo - just search for California. The highlights for your kids' age groups would definitely be the beaches. There are several beaches in South CA with playgrounds on them - Aliso Beach in the Laguna Beach area. Laguna Beach is very kid-friendly, another great place to base yourself. It's about 45 minutes from Disney and about the same to Legoland. You're even close enough to get to the San Diego Zoo without too long of a drive which your kids would simply love. It's one of the best in the country.

If you are planning to drive up to San Francisco, you must drive the stretch of highway 1 around Big Sur. It's spectacular. Not really so much for the kids, but nonetheless, it's fun. Stop in Watsonville and pick some strawberries. California has amazing produce. Or at least stop at a farmer's market. In San Francisco, the one most tourist go to is in the ferry building. Lots of samples to taste. But it's expensive. There are farmer's markets all over the state - just google it and you'll find a listing of locations and times. In San Francisco, you'll have to take a Cable Car ride up and down the streets of San Francisco, see the Golden Gate Bridge and visit the wonderful Bay Area Discovery Museum. One of my favorite scenic drives is the drive along the Marin Headlands to Point Bonita. My kids love the walk out to the light house on the weekends. (not open on the weekdays).

Once you've decided where you want to base yourself, let us know and we can help with more suggestions. But definitely see what Trekaroo families recommend here: http://www.trekaroo.com/places/california/snapshot
and you'll see all the favorite places that Trekaroo families recommend for each major destination in California. You can even filter the results based on your kids ages and interests.

I'm a bit biased, but San Diego is awesome place for families. Legoland is perfect for three year olds-not as overwhelming as the bigger theme parks, and we also have the zoo and wild animal park. Our beaches are lots of fun to, some of them have playgrounds on the beach. We love Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. Northern San Diego is really nice, close ot Legoland and not quite as crowded as Southern San Diego. Balboa park is also really great with plenty of kid friendy museums. If you need more San Diego info, you can check out my blog www.familyadventureguidebooks.com.

I agree with all the suggestions above. It really comes down to what experience you'd like to have. Los Angeles has the famous tourist spots, but I think San Diego is way easier to navigate with smaller children. Great beaches, great kid spots.
I'm a northern Californian, so I love the S.F. Bay Area too. Not many warm beaches here though, especially in July. If you do hit Northern CA though, you can head to Santa Cruz. Great beach town, with the Boardwalk (an amusement park right on the beach), and Monterey Area.

San Diego beaches are great in July and you really can't beat the activities they have for kids. Legoland is great for that age, as most rides they can ride on w/ an adult and it's never as crowded as Disney, etc.

We have lived in San Diego for the past 9 months and have fallen in love with this place. San Diego has a ton of things to do in a reasonably small area. As stated above, LEGOland is a terrific place to take the kids. We go about twice a month and always have a great time. On top of that you have the San Diego Zoo which, by itself, could take you a couple of days to see all the animals. Then there is the Wild Animal Park, the Maritime Museum, Balboa Park, the Children’s Museum, …… I could go on and on. There is always something to do in or around town. Also, Disneyland / California Adventure is only 90 minutes away which makes it a reasonable day trip.

All of the previous posts have really great suggestions. I do agree that San Diego would probably be a bit easier to navigate than Los Angeles or San Francisco. I lived in San Diego for a few years and definitely Balboa Park as well as the warm beaches. You might want to check out Mission Beach which has a rollercoaster on the boardwalk and also Ocean Beach which is a little funky town with lots of great eateries along the beach. Have a great vacation!

I agree with the San Diego recommendations - there is so much to do! One of my favorite hotels there, though it's a little south is the Loews Coronado Bay Resort.

I would also try to spend some time in Anaheim to do the Disney thing, if you're interested. California Adventure has it's own hotel right at the entrance that is supposed to be nice. Newport Beach is also great and close by.

Having lived in the Central and Southern parts of California, I agree with many of the previous comments. Disney is always on the list. But please don't rule out Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. Given the ages of your kids, I think they would have a blast at either of those places, hiking, exploring and whatnot. ( and they are super kid-friendly, also)
I would also add San Diego as a must see. It's a big city but it's not a cement jungle and easy to get around in. The San Diego Zoo and Sea World are fun fun fun! The Loews Coronado Resort is a Fantastic hotel. They gave my kids Little People when we checked in and also a scavenger hunt map! Have a great trip!