Seattle to San Diego with kids - where to stop?

Thinking about driving from Seattle to San Diego during Christmas break. We could take 2 weeks. My mother is in Sacto and might spend a day or two in the area, my father is in S Diego and we’d probably want to spend 5-7 days there (do the standard seaworld, wild animal park, maybe lego land, etc).

This would be with my wife, a 13 year old, 8 year old twins (one on the autism spectrum and okay in the car).

The big question is where can we stop along the way to break up the trip? I’ve done this a dozen times growing up, and I’m pretty challenged to think of stopping off places along the way (especially in Winter). Roads are probably sans snow for the most part and it’s I-5.

Americana is good. Kids like to swim if there is an indoor pool anywhere on the route. Side trips could be okay if not “too” far out of the way.

Suggestions welcome.

How long do you want to drive each day? I mean, I’ve made the drive from Sedro Wooley to Redlands in one long buzz, but that’s crazy for anybody, much less a driver with family in the car. Broken up into shortish hops - Seattle to Eugene, Eugene to Redding, Redding to Sacremento. I’d rather do it in two - Seattle to Medford, Medford to Sacto. In any case, from Sac south I’d get off the 5 and take the 101. Stop in San Luis Obispo for the night, then motor on down to SD the next day.

As for things to do along the way…there ain’t nothin’ but scenery. Make sure there are batteries for the ipods, games for the young’uns and floor it south.

Winchester Mystery House

We did an L.A. to Oregon drive a few years ago and it was just the right size for a brief side trip. Our kids loved it. It’s a little spooky, but not very.

You definitely want to drive Highway 1 along Big the Sur area. Even if you don’t stop, it’s some of the most amazing views around. There’s a halfway decent chance you’ll have nice weather, too.

Not too far away from the southern end of the Big Sur area is the Hearst mansion. I lived forty miles away from it for twenty years and never went… but I’ve always heard it’s well worth an afternoon.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is to aquariums what the San Diego Zoo is to zoos.

The Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo is pretty entertaining. It’s expensive to stay, but worth seeing even if you just check out the men’s room. Seriously. Go see the men’s room. You’ll never have more fun peeing indoors again. The girls will be jealous.

All of these are off I-5, though - using 1 and 101 instead, which will add a few hours to your total driving time. If you intend to stay on I-5, you’ll be able to see farms. There are also farms. And some farms. I suppose there are some historical Gold Rush-era sites around Sacramento, but they’re not much more exciting than the farms, and not exactly on your route. Bakersfield and Fresno are cities that exist only to convince you that wherever you came from is more fun. :slight_smile:

My list, pick from what you have time for:

(I don’t know much of Washington.
Portland
(Do the coasts if you can, although it might make your travel slower, e.g. CA SR-1/PCH. Probably not if you go to Sac.)
Oregon coast, e.g. Astoria, Newport?
Maybe Ashland if you’re in there
California coast, e.g. Fort Bragg
See some redwoods
Napa or Sonoma
Bay Area (SF, Oakland, San Jose, or elsewhere, depending on time)
Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, etc. (Mystery Spot is sorta like Winchester house in interest)
Monterey, Carmel(-by-the-sea). Yup, the aquarium will be great for kids.
San Luis Obispo
Avoid LA
San Diego

San Luis Obispo resident here, with a 7-year-old and a 10-year-old. I would avoid I-5 between Sacramento and LA. It’s good if you are in a hurry but there is nothing interesting there for tourists. And you will smell the Hearst Ranch cattle for miles. 101 has more interesting stuff along the way. Highway 1 is scenic but makes me nervous and carsick.

San Francisco is awesome, of course. The Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, the Exploratorium, Union Square, Ghiradelli Square, Cable Car Museum, etc.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is amazing, and there are lots of interesting rocky beaches nearby in Pacific Grove. We usually make weekend trips to Monterey at least twice a year.

I’ve heard good things about Santa Cruz, but haven’t been there.

San Luis Obispo is great, but fairly quiet and small. Lots of great hiking/walking trails with terrific views, and the downtown is really nice, with the Mission right downtown. The Madonna Inn is OK, but I wouldn’t go there just for the men’s bathroom, and I think there are much better places to eat/stay. Nearby Pismo Beach is a popular tourist spot, but Avila Beach is a hidden gem.

We also like to take trips to Santa Barbara, they have a fantastic Zoo, a large pier with some kind of small museum on it, a Natural History museum and a botanic garden.

Lots of fun things to do in LA. We usually just go to Disneyland, but I am trying to branch out a bit. Last LA trip we went to the California Science Center at Exposition Park, which was great, and the Natural History Museum is also there.

Or they could do Modesto, which exists only to convince you that Fresno is more fun.

Are you up for spending a day or two in or around San Francisco? Or have you already been there, done that? We’ve had umpty-ump threads on this board already about things to see and do in and around S.F., which always includes the kid-friendly Exploratorium.

(Srsly, though, if you haven’t already done a fairly thorough S.F. trip, you could never do it justice in just a day or two. It pretty much would have to be a trip in itself. So maybe not this time.)

Overall, though, what others are saying is right: Whatever there may be to see or do (besides farms, that is), it’s nearly all on/around 101 (and 1) rather than I-5. (And only those alien Southlanders call it “the 101” and “the 5” – we’ve had threads about that too.)

There’s a great ice skating rink in Santa Rosa, fully decorated with Peanuts characters and deliberately run very kid-friendly; and right across the street from that is the Schulz museum. There are also day-spas galore in the area; great for getting genuine massages for the whole family.

There’s a very good railroad museum in Sacramento’s Old Town.

There’s a drive-through redwood tree in Leggett, CA.

The Skunk Train runs between Ft. Bragg and Willits.

More trains! There’s a park in Felton, CA called Roaring Camp that has a couple of steam trains - one that runs on a loop route through the redwoods, and the other that goes to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, which has a roller coaster and other amusement park attractions.

Seattle to San Diego with kids - where to stop?

The best place to stop is right where you are - thinking about it. Any attempt to actually do what you’re suggesting will be fraught with whining, screaming and crying. When you finally get the wife calmed down, then you still have to deal with the kids.

I joke! I have (mostly) fond memories of family road trips when the kiddos were young. Any chance of swinging over to Highway 1 between San Fran(ish) and Monterey(ish)? There are a couple places to stop where the kids can clambor down the embankment and spend some time on the rocky beach, and the scenery is gorgeous.

There’s a neat science museum (and a cool bridge) in Redding.

If you’re into trucks or farm equipment at all, the Heidrick Ag & Truck Museum in Woodland is fantastic.

Further south in Paso Robles, another museum worth a stop if you like planes and cars: the Estrella Warbirds Museum.

My 2 cents:
Ft. Bragg, San Francisco, Winchester Mystery House, Monterey Bay Aquarium, highway 1, San Luis Obispo are ALL good suggestions…BUT this will be winter.
You live in Seattle, so I think you should let yourself and your kids maximize their time with that big bright orb in the sky (that they rarely see): beeline to southern California !

If you need to hit Sacramento, then you’ll be on the I-5 already. From Sacto to LA is boring and there’s nothing to see, and in the winter you may deal with the valley fog (which makes seeing anything even harder, and driving dangerous), but it is only about 5+ hours - and you could hit Magic Mountain on your way in to LA.
Once in LA you could hit Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios. And then continue on to San Diego.

Now if YOU (the primary) driver, need a break, then I would suggest:

  • San Francisco, then
  • highway 1 or 101 down to:
  • Monterey Bay Aquarium
    But from there you’ll want to take 101, which is a bit longer than I-5 down to LA. It’s more “scenic”, but I’ve been caught in some serious, mudslide causing downpours on 101 during Christmas time.

My thinking is that if you’re heading to San Diego (in winter), then maximize your time down south. But it’s a tradeoff with how much non-stop driving you and the kids can tolerate (by the promise of all those amusement parks might surprise you).

+1
Hit Magic Mountain in Santa Clarita. It will be on the 5 Freeway. You will be able to see it from the road. Then continue down the 5 to the 170, the to the 101( both called ‘Hollywood Freeway’) and hit Universal Studios. Continue down the 101, get off at Highland. The Hollywood Bowl will be on your right. Continue down Highland and you will hit Hollwood Blvd and Sunset Blvd.

On Sunset, you can go the world’s greatest record store!

http://www.amoeba.com/our-stores/video-tour/hollywood/

All good suggestions. BUT, it is Winter. It’s been decades but I’ve done all the drives many times including the coast from Fort Bragg south on 1 and 101. If it was summer, Monterey or San Luis would be great stops to break up the San Diego Sacto leg. And I’d love to revisit my childhood camping adventures in either Ft Bragg or Lassen. Heck, I’m not sure if we would even bother driving to Colusa to see my boyhood home.

I’m starting to think, Sacto area is about the only stopping point as I do have family and friends there.

Those that know Oregon, is there anything say around Medford/Ashland that would entertain my Chinese wife (who’s done some small America traveling in Colorado, Wyoming and S Dakota in the summer), 13 year old girl, 9 year old girl, and her autistic twin? Heck, even a motel with a heated indoor pool might qualify to break up the trip? And by all means highlight if there is a great drive thru burger stop or some other not to miss spots.

I’m drawing a complete blank on anywhere on the Calif side of the border that would be remotely worth a stop/overnight in the Winter. I mean, it has been decades but I can’t imagine Weed is worth a stopping in for more than a bio break.

no offense to those that live ton the I-5 corridor, but I have spent time in Modesto, Stockton, Merced, Fresno, Bakersfield and Saugus, so any stop suggestion needs to be amazing.

So, if we do this. Then it’s probably a straight shot to Sacto for a day or two with friends and family, straight shot to San Diego for 5-7 days of futzing around there and spending time with my father, back to Sacto for a day or two, and then Seattle. We’ve got about 2 weeks to burn.

Or we might just fly to S Diego for 5-7 days.

anyhoo, thanks for all the replies and if you’ve got more suggestions, I’d love to hear them.