Any suggestions for summer staycation/vacation ideas with kids?

I beg you to avoid the word ‘staycation’ so that it can die the anonymous death it deserves.

The wharf area of SF is nice. Disneyland is also nice, particularly with kids. Venice Beach is always interesting and often instructive.

Muir Woods, Pt. Reyes National Seashore, San Juan Bautista, Armstrong Woods, Samuel P. Taylor Stae Park (Marin County), Coit Tower – SF, the Exploratorium, Santa Monica Pier, Santa Cruz…..

Exploratorium!
Yosemite
Point Reyes
Big Sur
Monterey Bay Aquarium

Just stay away from the Wax Museum in SF.

Madonna Inn, Disneyland, Hearst Castle, Monterey Bay Aquarium (as @filmfann mentioned), Knott’s Berry Farm, L.A. Zoo, San Francisco.

Maybe a ‘working’ vacation.

You can go on cattle roundups at dude ranches, wagon train trips, etc.

I live in a premiere tourist community that offers river rafting, gold panning and hiking.

A white water rafting trip is quite exciting, be it on a California river or one of the really big ones like the Snake or Colorado.

You could always split up your vacation such as my area offers, ( Lotus/Coloma Ca./ Marshall Gold discovery state park )) rafting and camping then an hour to Lake Tahoe for a cabin on the lake, horseback riding, nature hikes, boat excursions on the lake.

Okay..clearly I am biased, the great outdoors always wins! lol

Send them off to camp!
And you and spousey stay home and play nudist camp!

@OneMoreMinute

hahaha…love it!

Mines out of the house now so I can play nudist camp any time I want.
Of course, kinda a moot point as I live on a secluded property, I’ve been running around outside naked for years. lol

@Coloma Moomba! Well I guess there’s always a full moon at your midnight picnics, eh?!!

Oh – also Anna Nueva, Pt. Lobos to see the elephant seals.

Camping in a nearby campground, the list is very long – hiking, swimming, beaches, horseback riding, dozens of theme parks and little know places like Fremont Peak State Park, and Mt Diablo, both in the bay area.

We recently had a wonderful time by renting a room in a local hotel (with a heated pool and spa) for $100 per night, with a barbecue every day, and room party every night, 4 overnight visitors from out of town, a total of 10 people most days and 12 at times. We took them sightseeing, tourist places, movies and hiking.

I went to Disneyland once. It’s no place for kids, and hard on adults when the sun is up. Knott’s Berry Farm is nearby and a much nicer place. Kids are mostly going to remember the swimming pool at the hotel, so you can reduce the cost of your vacation by just staying at a hotel across town, visit a park, and go to a show in the evening.

Knotts Berry Farm was way more fun for me than Disneyland when I was a kid.