No other country in the world except the United States has such a rich selection of places for family vacations. The best holidays with children are unique amusement parks, beautiful wildlife areas and just many iconic sights in cities. Most of the places where it’s interesting to go with children are concentrated in two states – California and Florida.
In Florida, this is the city of Orlando, where there are more than 10 amusement parks for any age. But California is no less a great place to relax with children.
The ideal option is to travel in a rental car in California, visiting the most famous cities and parks. But which car to choose for a large family? No worries! 7 passenger minivan rental will satisfy everyone’s needs. When planning a trip to California with children, you can enjoy chic Universal Studios, Disneyland parks, the famous Yosemite National Park, and great museums and zoos in San Diego. Of course, you will have access to much more unique attractions with your minivan rental, because car gives a complete freedom of movement. In addition, its cost will not destroy the budget – about $40-60 a day.
Of course, after you made your reservation, the first question will be where to go? Here’re the 3 best destinations with their unique attractions.
Los Angeles
Santa Monica
Santa Monica looks like a small European city, despite its belonging to the USA. Small houses, cozy winding streets, and endless beaches are perfect for a quiet family weekend.
The main attraction of Santa Monica is the famous amusement park on the pier, which you can see in hundreds of films. Ferris wheel, a lot of sights, forgotten goodies of childhood – cotton candy and lemonade, slot machines – all this attracts crowds of tourists.
Disneyland
Naturally, the place of attraction for children around the world is Disneyland – the very first and most famous amusement park of this chain. It’s located in Anaheim, which is 45 km away from Los Angeles, and includes 2 parks and several branded hotels. Both parks are very large and you are unlikely visit all the attractions in a single day.
Universal Studios
If you really like cinema, you should definitely visit Universal Studios Hollywood Park. Part of the park is located directly on the working territory of Universal Studios and they offer an absolutely amazing sightseeing tour of the places where such movies as Jaws, and War of the Worlds were filmed.
You will see real pavilions, learn how modern special effects are made and can enjoy crazy rides. This is definitely one of the coolest amusement parks in the USA.
San Diego
Zoo Safari
San Diego Safari Park is a must-see destination in San Diego. The park is situated 48 km away from San Diego. Here you can find more than 300 species of various animals, while their total amount is 2500.
You need about 6 hours to fully explore this zoo. The most popular attraction in the zoo is Tram Safari, when visitors on a long tram are taken to an open safari, where animals move freely. The park also hosts many animal shows – one of the most popular one is called ‘Cheetah run’.
SeaWorld Park
You can spend the whole day in this park. Sea World specializes in water rides and entertainment pavilions, as well as shows with marine animals.
The park is famous for its killer whale show, and this spectacle is truly impressive. In front of your eyes these huge marine predators emerge from the water or do somersaults in the air. Also, they can jump onto the platform in front of the audience, what causes wild delight.
Legoland Park
Californian Legoland was opened in 1999 in the small town of Carlsbad near San Diego and is located on 128 acres of land. The creation of Legoland in California took more than a dozen million LEGO cubes.
Thanks to the unique climate of Southern California, the park is open year-round. The park has more than 50 different shows and attractions, including Miniland USA, which presents 7 regions of the USA, assembled from 20 million colored LEGO bricks!
San Francisco
Lombard Street
This is one of the most famous streets in the world and the most popular attraction of the city. The main entertainment is to get down by car traveling along numerous turns, and take a photo. In the warm season, you will see a riot of greenery and flowers there.
Fisherman’s Wharf
The old waterfront and promenade in San Francisco is cool and fun. You can come here by cable car directly from the center. There are many opportunities for entertainment.
These are gift and souvenir shops, sights, cozy cafes and restaurants. A specialty is Clam Chowder crab soup, served in round bread. The most famous place on the marina is Pier 39, where you can see hundreds of California sea lions resting right next to tourists.
Cable cars
This is one of the symbols of San Francisco – the old cable car is still in service and nowhere else in the world do you ride such transport. Their popularity in San Francisco is huge, and in some queues you need to wait an hour.
Tip: do not wait for the cable car on the final stop – there’s the largest queue, but the driver always leaves several seats to take people at the next stops. Get in line at the next stop after the last one. The tram route opens spectacular views of San Francisco.
By Emma Ward
