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4 Must Visit Vacation Spots in California

posted on : May 18, 2020

My Top 4 Vacation Spots in California

We had big plans this year to do a lot of traveling. We had 4 vacations trips all planned out. So far we have had to cancel 2 while under the covid lockdown. So instead of being able to post about the cool new places and adventures we had, I’ll have to reminisce on my top 4 must visit vacation spots in California. These are my favorite places we have visited in California State so far. I also included one of the local attractions we visited from each location that we really enjoyed. Maybe you’ll add one of these great vacations spots to your bucket list for next year. I also always love recommendations for new camping locations and local activities, so comment or email me with your favorite vacations spots!

#1

Refugio State Beach is located along the California coast about 30 minutes north of Santa Barbara. We prefer their group camping sites, plus who doesn’t want to go camping with all their friends! That section of the beach is very secluded, we felt like we had our own private coastal getaway. I recommend driving about 30 minutes inland to the cute little town of Solvang for a day trip. It’s a little Danish style town with many shops and delicious treats. A fun tourist activity is to drive around and spot all the large windmills throughout the city.

#2

The Trinity River in Shasta County, Northern California was beautiful! Its about a 13 hour drive from the Temecula, Riverside County area but it is well worth the trip! You probably wouldn’t believe me by the look of the photos that we took this trip in 2013 during a sever drought. We had plans to catch some big river salmon (something they are known for) but the water level was so low that the water temperature became to warm for fish to travel upstream. A little disappointing for the men, but we vowed to go back one day and try again.

We stayed in these little cottages at the Straw House Resort & Cafe. In about 80 feet from the cottage was the bank of the river. Perfect for taking a little dip in the water or fishing for river trout. Normally the water would be to cold for swimming. But abnormal weather conditions made it perfect for us to enjoy swimming/floating in the river and nearby lakes. A really fun adventure we had was about a two hour drive to Eureka along the coast to the Trees of Mystery. They have a great little museum, a sky tram and tons of walking trails. We took a guided tour to learn all about the redwood trees and enjoyed a trip through a wood carving and sculpture garden.

#3

Next up is Morro Bay State Park. They have a really neat camp ground that makes you feel like your more in a mountain forest then at the beach. Typically we are more fans of mountain camping then the beach, I’m not a huge fan of sand lol. But we do like water and cool natural landmarks and this location combines all 3 so its awesome! Another reason we really like Morro Bay is that there are so many activities and interesting places to visit that are fairly close by.

One of my all time favorite places nearby is Hearst Castle! This stunning historical building is absolutely fascinating! Every tiny detail of the estate was meticulously thought out. The natural beauty of the surrounding landscape along with the amazing architecture and brilliantly incorporated historical items make this spot a must see at some point in your life. I’ve taken The Grand Rooms and Upstairs Rooms tours. I highly recommend both. Also keep an eye out for the famous zebras. They are a rare sight, I was lucky enough to spot them on one of our trips to the castle. Do not leave your camera at home for this visit!

#4

My final of the top 4 must visit vacation spots in California is Mammoth. There is so much to say about this place its really hard to narrow down a few highlights. Its absolutely beautiful in Mammoth no matter where you go in the area! We loved all the lakes, the water was crystal clear and icy cold, but that didn’t stop the kids from swimming in them. Our favorite adventure hike was to Devils Postpile and Rainbow Falls. Its a little over a 5 mile hike, mostly flat terrain and gorgeous scenery so it doesn’t feel as long as the hike is (my 7 yr old walked the whole way so it is doable for families with younger kids). We visited Mammoth a lot when I was younger and one of my favorite childhood memories was of the fish hatchery. They used to let you buy fish food to toss to the fish. Now they have a truck that accomplishes the process more efficiently, but its still really fun to watch the fish go crazy at feeding time.

If you take a trip to Mammoth you have to make a day trip out to Bodie Ghost town! A fun little abandoned mining town about an hour north. In the summer they even have ‘wild west’ reenactment shows in the middle of town, which are really fun to watch. If you haven’t caught on by now I’m a huge history fan so I find looking at old buildings and equipment and learning about the “olden days” really intriguing. My favorite building in Bodie is the old Bank. The building is bearly standing but the original safe is still inside!

There really is so much do in the Mammoth area, you will not be able to fit it all in one trip!