traveling in southern California, travel in Los Angeles/ SoCal, travel with kids in California, road trip ideas, amusement parks with kids
Somewhere in the dog days of July, I start getting a little desperate for new ways to beat the 100 degree days. Before my daughter started preschool, I had exhausted all the public library story times, indoor art projects, and couch picnics. By the beginning of August, I was about ready to pack up and move to the Southern Hemisphere for the whole season. Thank goodness we figured out these excellent ways to beat the LA heat. Young kids, older kids,…
Since moving out here to Los Angeles, nothing says summer to me like a night out at the Hollywood Bowl. The sound of violins singing through a cool, starry night, picnicking with a view of the Hollywood hills, sipping chilled rose from a plastic cup…Nothing better than that. Still, over the years I have learned some very helpful tips to make the most of any Hollywood Bowl visit. Read on for my secrets from a local that have made me…
In today’s busy world, sometimes you may find yourself with a yen to head to Disneyland but no partner to accompany you. Should you worry? Of course not! Single parenting at Disneyland is a fun and rewarding experience for you and your kids. In all honesty, my husband does love Disneyland, too, but he works crazy hours so my daughter and I often fly solo. But my husband (sorry, honey) is not involved in this discussion. We are here to…
Are you in need of some fun indoor activities to enjoy a rainy day with toddlers? Los Angeles may be known better for its outdoor and sun-loving sport but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have plenty of indoor kid-friendly fun. For those few weeks of the year when the rain pours over the desert, Los Angeles has a lot of ways to love the wet and cold. Your kids don’t need to hide indoors driving you crazy; get out and experience all…
It seems to be a truth universally acknowledged that once you have kids, you must take them to visit the Mouse. The Mouse is pretty awesome and Disney really caters well to families. I would advise, though, if you only have a day or so, take them to California Adventure instead of Disneyland. I think Disney’s California Adventure toddler-friendliness way exceeds the Disneyland park. If you don’t really think your little one may be ready for the full park experience,…
If you are visiting Southern California with your kids, maybe you have heard of a little amusement park outside San Diego: Legoland. You may think this place is just for aficionados of those tiny rainbow bricks, but you would be mistaken. Here in Carlsbad, you can also visit the famous flower fields (from March to May), the beautiful and kid-friendly beach, and it’s a mere hop, skip, and jump to San Diego Safari Park. Now that I have your attention,…
In all honesty, my husband and I are not very good at the “dating after kids” thing. We went out on our first date when our daughter was 3 weeks old, then did not go out again for another 6 or so months. Life, kids, work always seem to get in the way. This past year, we vowed to each other to make more time for the other person. We splurged on season tickets to the Ahmanson Theatre. We actually saw…
Let’s say you’re visiting Los Angeles or Southern California with your young ones in tow. What to do? How can you maximize the sunshine? Surely you will look at the gargantuan House of Mouse, but would your littlest ones enjoy it? With waits getting longer, and fellow guests getting less pleasant, maybe you’d prefer an easier, less expensive day in the sun. Why not try out Knott’s Berry Farm with toddlers? I think you will be pleasantly surprised as I was. A Little…
When you think of your favorite winter holiday, what do you picture? Snow piled outside your window, soggy mittens landing in a heap by the door? The chill in the air turning your nose redder than Rudolph? Palm trees? Ha! We have all that and more when you decide to celebrate the holidays in Los Angeles. Skip the flights cancelled due to ice, the caroling when everyone has strep throat, Jack Frost who does not so pleasantly nip at your…
Has this ever happened to you? You show up at a holiday event, find a seat, “enjoy” your banquet chicken, and…suddenly realize it is literally the last place on Earth you want to be. Apart from inside the middle of an active volcano. Interestingly, this has now happened twice to my husband and me. The first time, we schmoozed for about an hour then went to the hotel steakhouse. This time, we drove about twenty miles north for a date…