So I debated even posting this, but it’s been a while since my last post and I find it interesting when others mention what they’ve been up to.. so here goes.
My family and I just recently took a nice tip to Northern California, and it was a lot of fun for all. It took about 2,300 miles of driving so it’s a good thing I like to drive. We broke that up into chunks and stayed at various places along the way. I won’t bore you with all the details. Instead, I’ll just give a few recommendations and highlights.
You may have noticed if you follow me on Twitter, that I was in the same area (San Fran) as Rob Conery at about the same time. It would have been nice to meet Rob in person, but we just missed each other. He did set a trap to turn me evil over sushi, but we managed to dodge that too. ;) Besides that, it was all family time and working for me.
First, I am very impressed with the Redwoods. They are amazing trees; learned lots of things I didn’t know. We also went on a canopy tour here. Definitely recommended! A fun hike if you are in the area is Fern Canyon in Prarie Creek State Park, CA. It was used in Jurassic Park 2, and looks just like it. But bring shoes that can get wet as it’s hard to avoid getting your feet wet. It can be done, but it’s much more enjoyable if you’re not trying to balance logs and rocks.
The rest of the trip was also fun, but I’d like to finish with some recommendations.
- Pick up a travel magazine to plan a road trip. You learn about places you might not otherwise know to go to.
- GPS! Normally we’d print and follow directions. This time we borrowed a Tom Tom and will be buying one.
- You can get some pretty good last minute hotel deals. We paid the most for the one hotel we booked in advance.
- Mary’s Pizza shack in Santa Rosa has great pizza.
- Screamin Mimi’s ice cream is worth the stop if you’re near Sebastapol, CA
- Scott’s Valley Market in Santa Cruz has an awesome buffet.
- Also liked Yogizmo in Scotts Valley
- Avoid tourist traps, and ask locals for recommendations.
- Take a road trip adventure with your family and don’t over plan. Discovery is part of the fun.
I’m grateful we were able to take a trip like this, and thankful my work allows me to be a bit flexible at times. My one minor regret was not meeting up with Rob, but that wasn’t the point of the trip anyway. (Sorry Rob, I’m still a fan though)