When I start to plan family trips, we have a family meeting to decide what we want to see. I learned the value of family meetings when we traveled to Europe. I thought my family would definitely want to see the Louvre, Mona Lisa, and Notre Dame in Paris, but all they really cared about were the catacombs and the Eiffel Tower. I decided that there is no point in traveling so far away and wasting precious time and money on things no one was interested in.
I usually make a list of all possible places to visit and write them on a whiteboard. As a family, we go through the list and highlight things we definitely want to see. When I told my family about our trip to California, beginning in San Francisco and ending in Los Angeles, my son was only interested in redwood trees and La Brea Tar Pits (more on that later). I read great things about the Russian River Valley and Armstrong Redwoods State Park. Muir Woods is much closer to San Francisco, but with 14 million visitors a year, it is very busy and touristy. Armstrong Redwoods SP is a 2 hour drive north through really pretty landscapes. There were about 50 cars in the parking lot and along the entrance road, but the trails didn’t feel crowded.
We’re staying at Highland Dell Lodge in Monte Rio. Monte Rio is a great location on the Russian River with kayaking, swimming, and tubing. The hotel is rustic, cozy, and right on the river across from Monte Rio’s public beach access.
