SoCal road trip with the kids
We embarked on our 10 day road trip from the San Francisco Bay Area down to Disneyland and Orange County. Below is our itinerary and some of the things we did to prepare for as smooth of a trip as we could make it:
Preparation
Makeshift car movie theater - courtesy of an iPad holder and headphones.
Car headrest mount for iPad - perfect way to play one movie on the iPad so both kids can watch as if it’s their own backseat TV
Kids headphones - these headphones are perfect since the chords are long to extend to the iPad. Don’t forget to get a splitter so they can share the audio!
Swimming gear - we knew we wanted to hit up the beach and pools, so we needed to make sure we had the right swimming gear for our kids who are still learning to swim.
Floaties - day 1 the kids were hesititant wearing the floaties and swimming on their own. By day 7, they were off swimming around the pool independently and having a blast.
Snacks, snacks, and more snacks
YETI cooler for all the fruits and drinks we brought to keep the kids quiet while they were in the car!
Itinerary
Day 1 - Bakersfield - we decided to break-up our drive by stopping in Bakersfield for the night, so we left the Bay Area around 4 pm and drove down South via 101 to the 5. We stopped at In N Out Burger in Kettleman City and then arrived at the Hyatt Bakersfield by 10 pm.
The Hyatt is a new hotel and super clean - ample parking lot in front, and located right next to a gas station and Trader Joe’s. Perfect spot to stop for the night, get gas and stock-up on waters and snacks
Day 2 - Anaheim - it took us about two hours to drive from Bakersfield to Anaheim, mostly due to traffic in LA. We were able to arrive at the Grand Californian around 2 pm - enough time to unwind and go down to the pool with the kids.
Grand Californian - our room was a good size with two queen beds, a couch that converted to a pull-out bed, and a crib which we requested. The hotel is centrally located along Downtown Disney which was convenient for our days at the park.
Days 3 and 4 - Disneyland and California Adventure
Days 5, 6, 7 - Laguna Beach - we were able to get late check-out so fit in some pool time with the kids and made our way on the road to Laguna Beach (roughly 30 minutes away)
Montage Laguna Beach - this hotel is right on the beach (Treasure Island Beach is just steps down from the hotel) with ocean views from every room. Their mosaic pool is also a favorite spots for the kids with incredible views of the Pacific. Can’t wait for our next trip to this hotel!
Treasure Island Beach - literally steps away from the hotel - be sure to catch low-tide to see the tide pools nearby!
Days 8, 9 - Avila Beach - we drove back up north for four hours to visit Avila Beach (an exit away from Pismo Beach). The benefit of going to Avila over Pismo is that this beach is tucked away beyond the hills and a small beach town consisting of restaurants and storefronts that span only a few blocks.
Avila Lighthouse Suites - we got a view of the water on the second floor - the suite is spacious with a living area and separate bedroom.
Day 10 - back to the Bay!
We survived a 10-day long excursion up and down California. A few takeaways we thought worked well if we were to do it again:
Break up the trip with stops in Central California, going down the 5 and coming back up via 101
Balance the Disneyland craziness with beach time in a much more relaxing atmosphere (i.e. Laguna Beach)
Wear sunscreen - we all got super tan and I’m still peeling a week later!
