Taking a mini-vacation with your family builds lasting memories. As a child, I remember my parents taking my brother and me on so many trips near and far, but I remember every trip and how much fun I had. Until this day, I reminisce about the events with my family. Your family travels are worth a thousand words and a lifetime of table talk.
Southern California has plenty to offer from nature to history and more. The California missions from the 1700s to 1800s can be visited in many locations near us from San Luis Rey in San Diego County and Mission Santa Barbara which is my personal favorite and you can take a beach detour afterward. There’s so much to learn about their purpose and importance in history. Guess what? It’s part of the standards our grade school children learn about.
Hiking is tremendous for getting off the grid. In an online world, it’s nice to turn off the screen and enjoy nature, and with the incredible Super Bloom that hit California, you should get out and explore something so beautiful. What is educational about a hike? You learn about different species from mammals to plants and flowers, and much more. If you’re interested in learning about coastal life, visit the Torrey Pines hiking trail in San Diego. It’s easy to moderate and you get a beautiful view of the beach. If you want to experience desert scenery, pack up and heard to Azusa’s Bridge to Nowhere. You will experience a number of activities, a waterfall, and a bridge that goes absolutely nowhere. My favorite app to check out trails in my area is All Trails.
Museums engage all types of people and teach us about different cultures, historical events, persons, and heritage. Visiting a museum can be fun for the family, and there is a museum for almost anything. San Diego’s Balboa Park houses a ton of different museums, so if you’re disinterested in art, you can find appeal at one of their many options.
Keep it semi-local and visit San Francisco, California; founded in 1776, it was a small city known as Yerba Buena until the booming gold rush, and that’s why the folks moved west, “the golden state”. If San Fran is a bit out of your way, head out to Julian, California because they have a great gold rush tour. There are so many activities and history to experience in my all-time favorite city. It’s filled with culture, history, and the best clam chowder ever! If you’ve got the time, head east to Philly for the rich historical value and their cheesesteaks. In the 1700s it was a hot spot for the Continental Congresses. Our Declaration of Independence was put into law in the beautiful state of Philadelphia.