Day Trips

While there are plenty of awesome pumpkin patches to choose from in Marin and southern Sonoma counties (see our list of those here), you can find other great places to pick up pumpkins and other Halloween and autumn treats throughout the greater Bay Area. Maybe you're headed on a road trip to the south bay, or bound for the grandparents' house in Leisuretown this October—there's probably a pumpkin patch on the way. Here are a few out-of-town pumpkin patches in Solano, Contra Costa, and San Mateo counties, that we've seen or have had recommended to us. Of course if your favorite isn't here, now's the time to let us know! Leave a comment to this post or send us an email and we'll consider adding it to the list.

This weekend, August 15 and 16, all National Parks that normally charge an entry fee will be free to all! This is the third in a series of fee-free summer weekends launched by the National Park Service in an effort to give everyone a chance to visit their national parks in this economically challenging time. Although many are free to begin with, more than 100 national parks normally charge an entry fee.

Around the Bay Area, the parks charging an entry fee include Marin's own Muir Woods National Monument, San Francisco Maritime National Park, and the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez. Other popular parks within a few hours of the Bay Area include Yosemite and Pinnacles National Monument (south of the Bay Area in Monterey and San Benito counties). A full list of fee-free weekend parks across the USA can be found here.

Sodor comes to the Santa Cruz Mountains when Thomas the Tank Engine makes his summer visit to to the Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton. Come and ride on a train pulled by Thomas the Tank Engine himself through the Big Trees this weekend, Friday–Sunday July 24–26.

In addtion to this weekend, Day Out with Thomas 2009 will be at the Roaring Camp Railroads next weekend on August 1 and 2. Tickets are $18 per person for ages two and up. The ticket includes a 25-minute ride with Thomas, and you also get to meet Sir Topham Hatt, enjoy storytelling and live music, and spend copious amounts of money on Thomas toys and trinkets you didn’t even know existed.

The highlight of our recent road trip to California's Gold Country was our visit to Columbia State Historic Park in the Tuolumne County town of Columbia. In fact, much of Columbia is the park itself. While most of the small Mother Lode towns along Highway 49 are just dripping with history, Columbia takes this to an extreme due to the fact that its old downtown has been preserved to represent its mid-19th century heyday. It's the best preserved Gold Rush town, and a fantastic place for families with children since there's a lot to do and see. The downtown state park part of Columbia is also closed to vehicular traffic (stagecoaches excepted), so it's safe and families literally have the run of the place.

I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting activities to do with my children. Every now and then (when I get a chance) I like to take my kids into the city and try something new. I like to read The Mommy Files on SFGate and came across a great list of 103 things all S.F. kids should do in the city before they grow up. It’s an excellent list of fun and unique things to do with your children or with visiting families from out of town. Check out the list for yourself at The Mommy Files website on SFGate.

One of our favorite destinations for a family road trip is the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The aquarium is not only a world famous attraction, but an international leader in environmental education and the fight to save the world's oceans.

One of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's most immediate and accessible conservation efforts is their Seafood Watch program. The goal of Seafood Watch is to raise consumer awareness about the need to choose seafood from sustainable sources, and to advocate for environmentally friendly seafood.

It's mid-April and Northern Calfornia's wildflowers are pretty much at their peak. Spring is kind of an emphemeral time here in Marin, with the vibrant green grass quickly turning to brown by the end of May. For whatever reason we seem to have a bumper crop of magnificent wildflowers here in Marin this season. The wildflower show will be over before we know if, so make sure you get out and take a look before they're gone for another year.

One of San Francisco Bay's most prominent landmarks, Angel Island played a considerable role in the history of California and is now one of the region's favorite spots for hikers, bicyclists, tourists, and anyone who just wants to get away from the busy life on the mainland. It's a great place for a family day trip, with plenty of opportunities to picnic, hike, learn, and just take in the surrounding natural beauty.