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Travel with me from Los Angeles to San Francisco
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items Buckle up and join as I drive from LA to San Francisco and back! My family is doing a roadtrip up the Pacific coast and back down in July 2025 and here are the places we stopped and enjoyed!
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Roadtrip Stops!
Roadtrip Necessities
Roadtrip Stops!
We needed a snack and stopped in San Luis Obispo! We saw this cute place and ordered a bao bun, some hi chew candies and the cutest stickers! The woman helping us was so sweet and passionate when I asked about the stickers and wanted to get a bao! I ...
Bings Bao
We needed to stretch our legs and grab a snack going from Ventura up through SLO. The kids requested açaí and I found this place doing a google search. There was a little wait for the bowls because they make everything to order! Very tasty and refres...
Cold-Pressed Juice and Plant-Based Food | Neighborhood Acai and Juice Bar
Happened upon this cute market place when going to get açaí bowls. Ended up being able to also get a bao! And use the restroom. A perfect stop on our road trip! They had a few more food places inside that looked really good!
SLO Public Market | Shopping, Boutiques, Fresh Markets, Wineries, Breweries, Coffee & More
Sushi spot in Monterey! We needed some sushi for our first night in Monterey and were able to get a table pretty quickly. Food was decent and service was good! The fish was fresh!
HOME | Kuma Sushi
We tried to go here after eating sushi at Kuma in Monterey but the kids were very tired and we thought maybe we were a little too full. We are planning to try and go tomorrow! It looks amazing!
Revival Ice Cream | Handcrafted Sustainable Ice Cream | Monterey, CA
We stopped here at the Breakfast Club for breakfast before we went to the redwoods. Someone posted about it on Reddit and how it’s a local spot. It was perfect!
Breakfast Club
This state park was a great way to see the redwoods. We saw a lot of deer and squirrels while there. We did also see some banana slugs! And the trees are so fantastic - it’s hard to explain how humongous these trees are! And the air smells great. A m...
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Needed lunch after our Redwood visit and Beach Hut Deli did not disappoint! I got the Spicolli and it was so delicious! They have a ton of sandwich options and they have a kids menu. And the staff was so, so friendly! I wish one of these existed back...
Home - The Beach Hut Deli
Finally got to do this drive. It was overcast but still very beautiful and interesting! Definitely an activity to do! We had a great time at the different stops and at the beaches to climb the rocks and look at the tide pools!
Scenic 17-Mile Drive in Picturesque Pebble Beach
We needed to grab some dinner after our 17 mile drive and ended up at the fisherman’s wharf at Paluca. We ate on the patio and got to enjoy seeing the sea lions swimming while we had dinner. The food was good!
PALUCA TRATTORIA
Got a little treat after dinner! This ice cream was pretty delicious! We didn’t get anything fancy and it was so cold out. We got single scoops but if it was warm out i wanted to get the sundaes!
Monterey Bay Creamery
Couldn’t pass up visiting the candy store! It was so crazy in there that I had to go in. I got a bunch of salt water taffy to try and also some chocolate fudge!! 😬👌🏽
Candy World
We needed a breakfast place before we went to the aquarium- I saw this in a list of places to try from Googling “best breakfast near Monterey Bay Aquarium.” I got an omelet with cheese, avocado and bacon. It was pretty good! Everyone else had a good ...
Home
You cannot visit Monterey and NOT visit the aquarium. It is so cool, located ON the ocean and has so many beautiful exhibits. I’ve visited as a kid a few times and now as an adult a few times. It never disappoints!
Monterey Bay Aquarium
The original sandwich places we drove to was closed so we found this place right down the road. It’s kind of random 🙃 - a deli counter, convenient store and liquor store. Aside from that I had a delicious turkey sandwich on tasty bread! And it’s clo...
Welcome! - Valnizza's Deli & Market
Our kids love to visit a park even while on vacay! We found this park nearby and it was great! Lots of apparatuses to play on, shade, surrounded by a pretty lake.
Dennis the Menace Park, Monterey CA
If you are a foodie and/or have a special event to celebrate, go to the Sardine Factory! It sounds hilarious but I promise there is a nice restaurant in there! They even have a kids menu and are child friendly. It is definitely pricey but a neat plac...
The Sardine Factory | Voted Best Restaurant in Monterey, CA
I could not find a website for this place. We wanted a quick bagel and donut and were intrigued by square donuts 😂. They didn’t have a ton of options by the time we got there but the donuts we did eat were delicious! This place was in the middle of ...
MISSING HOLE DONUT SHOP, Castroville - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor
Our first stop in San Francisco was to Fisherman’s Wharf. We stopped at the Musee mecanique, strolled along the boardwalk to Pier 39 and back to Boudin to eat.
Thing to do at Fisherman's Wharf in SF
We ate dinner at Boudin - they have sourdough bread bowls with clam chowder, pizza, salad. Everything is delicious!!
Home - Boudin Bakery
After dinner we walked to Lappert’s for ice cream. 😋😋😋
Lappert's Ice Cream Shop - PIER 39
Pier 39 is a tourist spot, but if you’re there this restaurant is great! They have a large menu and great views! I got a delicious lobster roll, oysters, a salad. They have a small kids menu but enough to keep them satisfied. My husband got the whole...
Best Seafood Restaurant in San Francisco | Visit Fog Harbor
If you haven’t seen SF this is a must! Touristy but fun. Tons of restaurants, treats, little shops, sea lions 😝
PIER 39, Where San Francisco Meets the Bay to Play.
My kids liked trying the wooden puzzles in this store so much we went back the next day! The man working in the shop was so nice to them. We didn’t buy anything this trip but took their card to order a few gifts for holiday time.
SOLVE IT! Think out of the Box - PIER 39
We found this pizza place after we toured the Muir Woods. It was so perfect for 9 of us to go (5 adults and 4 kids). We got pizzas and salads. They had plenty of space. Some games to play. They had an outdoor area and play things for the kids! Servic...
PizzaHacker
First, if you plan to visit here you must make a reservation! Okay, out of all woods I’ve been to, which has been limited, this was the most magical. It felt like being in a fairy land. It was gorgeous. Also I could not get over the smell. I kept bre...
Muir Woods National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)
We found this cute cafe near our hotel and liked it enough to go back for breakfast a second time! The staff was super nice and accommodating!
Pat's Cafe
If you like science museums, this is a must visit! Just for the rainforest and aquarium alone! We only had 1.5 hours to enjoy because we needed to get to our next spot but we really wanted more time here. It was so neat! And they have a planetarium!
Membership | California Academy of Sciences
Ghirardelli Square has a bunch of places to eat and some shops! It’s a great stop to get some delicious ice cream sundaes!
Ghirardelli Square
If you love chocolate and you love ice cream, definitely stop here. Their sundaes are HUGE and so chocolatey but so good. Large enough to share. We over ordered!! Yum!
Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Shop in San Francisco
We stopped in here for some dim sum options. If we had more energy we would have tried something more authentic in Chinatown but this was perfect for what we needed.
Palette Tea House - San Francisco, CA
We went on a food tour of Chinatown and North Beach and this was one of the stops. We stopped in for just a moment but it was cool to see how they form the fortune cookies. And they handed out some samples of the cookie itself. Very cool!
Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory
On our food tour of North Beach we were led to Lush Gelato and were told it’s a test kitchen! It was SO good. I had the milk tea with Kit Kat and where has that been all my lift? So delicious! Definitely stop there!
Unique flavors | SF Bay Area | Lush Gelato
We went to the Ferry building and I found this fish place that had a unique menu. I saw something that seemed interesting. I was NOT disappointed. Everything was delicious and super fresh! I’m so sad this doesn’t exist in LA! Always fun to have anoth...
Nopa Fish Market | West Coast Fish Market and Seafood Kitchen
Huge building along the water with eateries and shops. Everyone can get something they want. Lots of seating. Semi long lines for women’s bathrooms. But it was fine!
Home
A really neat learning museum. Expect to touch everything! Very fun - could have spent another hour at this place just exploring all of the things. Very cool for kids and also cool for adults. All of the adults in there were also participating and ex...
Experience the Exploratorium at Pier 15
By the time we got to the Ventura area we were ready for lunch. We stopped at this small local sandwich shop and it did not disappoint! The cold Italian was super tasty. And they were able to make a couple of kid-sized plain sandwiches for the kids. ...
Ventura Sandwich Company
Roadtrip Necessities
Everything I needed for a roadtrip!
Perfect for car rides. I use these in my car trash container. Also perfect for dirty shoes or wet clothing if you stop off at a beach or somewhere muddy.
Small Flap Tie Trash Bags - 4gal - 30ct - Dealworthy™
I’m not sure how I had kids and a car and never had a car trash can. This is a must have, road trips or not!!
SUN CUBE Waterproof Car Trash Can with Lid, Portable Organizer Garbage Can, Removable Leakproof Lining Hanging Bin Storage (Dark Grey)
A hat is a must for roadtrips! I root for LA but brand 47 has most other cities and teams available!
Los ANGELES '47 Dodgers MVP
Perfect to keep all your snacks and drinks!! This cooler is a soft bag so it can be smushed down when it needs to be stored! You can load it with ice or freezer packs. We love ours!
Maelstrom Collapsible Soft Cooler Bag
Freezer packs to put into the cooler. These have been great for us. On a daily basis we use these in the kids lunch bags for school or camp. And so we always have them on hand for roadtrips or picnics!
Fit & Fresh 2 Pack Soft Ice Packs Navy Blue
Another freezer pack option that we also use in our cooler! These stay frozen for a while and keep our food and drinks chilled!
Fit + Fresh Slim XL Reusable Ice Pack
I always like to have wipes on hand for messy hands, wiping up a spill, anything! These are simple wipes without chemicals.
Fragrance Free Baby Wipes Travel Pack - 20ct - up&up™
On a regular day I have these in the car but they are essential for roadtrips! So many germs when you pump gas or go into random stores on stops along the way. And sometimes we don’t have a place to wash hands after a stop. These are perfect until we...
Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand Wipes Canister - Fresh Scent - 40ct
Don’t travel without a first aid kit! If you have kids you are probably used to stuffing band aids in your purse already. But it’s great to have this on hand in your car!
Band-Aid First Aid Kit - 160ct
Toddler pillow / travel pillow. They seem like they are the same size! These are a must for being comfy in the car! Get a couple!
KeaBabies Jumbo Toddler Pillow with Pillowcase, 14X20 Soft Organic Toddler Pillows for Sleeping, Kids Travel Pillow (Pearl Gray)
Make sure you have a blanket! If you need to crank the AC some passengers might get cold. And if not, you can bunch it up and use it as a pillow! We have this cute cactus design!
Novelty Recycled Printed Plush Throw Plants
My daily water bottle has a big booty and doesn’t fit in my car cup holders. I had to get this expandable holder and it works great! It even has a slot if your bottle has a handle!
Seven Sparta Car Cup Holder Expander, Adjustable Base, Fits Hydro Flask 32/40oz & Yeti Rambler 20/26/30oz
I bought this bag for our trip to Spain. I got the large but there are different sizes. This was perfect for international travel, a road trip, every day. You can fit so much in the large: wallet, sunglasses, phone, kindle. Hand wipes, lotions, lip b...
Canvelle | City Crossbody Bag