I survived taking my toddler on a 7-day California road trip – 2 words made it possible

If you had asked me a year ago if I would like to take an 11-hour flight across the world with a two-year-old, followed by a seven-day road trip running on an eight-hour time difference – I would have said hell no. But fast forward to February 2025 and here I am not only willingly, but eagerly talking about how much it was the best decision for our toddler — and I would do it all over again. 

My husband and I, along with our nearly two-and-a-half-year-old, packed our bags earlier this month to enjoy the California sunshine. Our week was jam-packed with non-stop activities all planned by , and we cleverly timed our road trips with nap time. I’m going to give you parents a lowdown of how we managed, survived and thrived to make sure we all got the best experience out of the trip.

That includes how we managed our days, what activities we ended up doing, the hotels and motels we stayed at and of course the most important – the insane food we ate. All whilst balancing the whims of a toddler.Starting off in San Francisco, we stopped off at Santa Cruz, Morro Bay, Ventura, and finally LA, Santa Monica. 

First stop: San Francisco

Our first stop was the beautiful city of San Francisco. Our journey began with an 11:45AM British Airways flight from London to San Francisco. We landed at 3:00PM and swiftly navigated through customs before collecting our rental car from Alamo.

After ensuring we had a car seat sorted, we drove to our first accommodation: a historic and charming hotel that provided a peaceful retreat within the city where queen rooms start from £302 per night. This was probably one of the most beautiful hotel of the trip so we started off strong – situated right in front of the Golden Gate Bridge, it was the perfect location.

That evening, we explored Pier 39, a lively waterfront attraction where we collected our Premium Pass for access to some of the best activities in San Francisco. We took in the sights and treated ourselves to a quick takeaway meal before heading back for an early night. Especially so we could make sure our toddler had a good night’s sleep and started the journey towards adjusting to the eight hour jet lag.

The next day, with a well-rested toddler, we started our day at a mesmerizing experience for little ones. She enjoyed seeing all the fish and didn’t want to leave!

We finally lured her out and just a few minutes walk away decided to hop on the – this took us under the Golden Gate Bridge and with the sun shining, it was like we were in a movie.

The boat tour took across towards Alcatraz and was a good hour! Although it was windy, my daughter didn’t want to sit inside – she wanted to see the sea and enjoy the views which was so nice to see. We then walked around the wharf, grabbed a quick snack and my toddler rushed to the merry-go-round to sit on the horse. 

We utilised the drive to the to make sure our toddler had a quick nap, so she was ready to see the captivating rainforest dome and planetarium. After this, we took a leisurely stroll through Golden Gate Park, letting our toddler burn off energy.

Our evening concluded with a delightful dinner at , a seafood restaurant with stunning waterfront views, before returning to The Lodge at The Presidio for our last night in San Francisco.

The highlight of this evening was the fresh crab which is a must-have.

Second stop: Santa Cruz

After an early checkout, the following day we departed for Santa Cruz, a short 1.5-hour drive. Our destination was , an oceanfront hotel with easy access to the boardwalk, where we stayed in the Pool Patio Room (available from £107 per night).

Lunch at  was a refreshing stop, offering locally sourced meals with a view of the beach. Straight after we went to visit a popular toy shop, , where there were endless choices for my little human to choose a present! The community feel of the shop was evident as it was one of its kind in the area. Next we stopped off at the  where we spent a good hour.

The kids section was quite big with a nice variety – we even found a book about Pakistan there and bought a few presents for our toddler. This store was huge and we didn’t even get a chance to explore the adult sections properly.

Late afternoon was spent exploring Santa Cruz Wharf, indulging in sweet treats at Martini’s at the Wharf. My toddler had been reminiscing and wanting to see more sea lions from our aquarium trip in San Francisco so she was excited to see them on the wharf! 

Our day ended with a visit to Natural Bridges State Park, where we marveled at the sandstone arches and picturesque coastline, followed by an absolutely delicious meal at  on the wharf, before settling in for the night.

It’s safe to say we had an absolutely jam packed day and made the most of the one night stop over!

We woke up in Santa Cruz and had breakfast at . I had the best grilled cheese of my life and my husband still won’t stop raving about his Turkish Eggs.

Before heading to Morro Bay, we made a memorable stop at  in Felton. The vintage train ride through towering redwoods was an absolute highlight for our toddler, who was fascinated by the majestic trees. 

Third stop: Morro Bay

Although this day didn’t go as planned due to the heavy rain, we managed to have a great stop! A 2.5-hour drive took us to (standard king rooms from £127/night) in Cayucos, a charming coastal retreat where I do wish we had longer to spend because this was the cosiest yet contemporary stay. 

The rain meant that we were held up in traffic and ended up missing the sunset we had planned to watch at Cayucos Pier before dining at 

However, the restaurant did make up for the weather as we indulged in warm fresh seafood, I opted for the salmon and it was divine. I would have loved to come back to this place the next day when the weather cleared up, however we were short on time.

Despite rainy weather, the next morning we embraced a slower pace and went to breakfast at . Here I had the best waffles of my life and I am not exaggerating. Made with Blue Corn, this cute breakfast place made us realise that Morro Bay does not play about when it comes to food. I went for the Monterey Mushroom which came with sautéed mushroom, bell pepper, and onion, melted havarti cheese, avocado, hk sauce, arugula. 

The portions were absolutely huge but this is a must-have if you’re visiting Morro Bay. Sadly our E-Boat experience that was planned for this day was cancelled, and the rainy alternatives such as the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History were also closed. So, we ended up driving to Ventura, our next stop, earlier than planned.

Fourth stop: Ventura 

We got to Ventura and checked into the lovely  (standard rooms from £178/night) in time for a sunset. Again, as the weather was not in our favour, we ended up watching the sunset from our hotel balcony as it was facing the beach. This also allowed our toddler to rest in time for dinner a few hours later.

Dinner at  was a cozy affair, and we appreciated the warm hospitality of Ventura, a lesser-known gem on the California coast. We had Italian food which was warming and always welcome, the place was packed! Meaning it’s popular with the locals.

We got an early night and the next day we started with breakfast at  a classic 50s-style diner that is a hit with both kids and adults. I ordered the Honolulu Pancakes which were absolutely divine, and we even put in a coin to choose a song on the jukebox which was a fun experience!

After a morning meeting at the Ventura Visitors Bureau, we decided to explore the local area, and luckily everything was very close by. The weather was also finally on our side and we managed to catch the sun! We took a stroll at  which was a nice walk to a beautiful view of the sea.

The Ventura Botanical Gardens is home to over 120,000 different plants, all representing the five Mediterranean climates. It’s considered a generally easy to moderate nature walk with a gradual incline as you walk up the hill – even my toddler was able to walk it!

After this we stopped off at to enjoy some authentic Thai food – I loved the variety this place had, we even ended up chatting to some locals who said they always come here for Thai food and even bring their friends from Santa Monica.

Once we had finished our delicious lunch we got in the car and drove to the Channel Islands Visitor Harbour where we enjoyed a scenic walk looking out at the sea.

Here was probably my toddler’s favourite stop as we headed over to to grab some ice cream. My toddler loved the fish shaped cones! And for us adults, we enjoyed unique flavours like matcha and ube soft serve which were very welcome with the sunny weather.

From here, we finally drove to our next stop – Santa Monica.

Final stop: Santa Monica, LA

Arriving in LA, we checked into our family-friendly accommodation (Pierside king from £242/night) – driving up to this was surreal because we were greeted by the coast and palm trees. Our hotel was right opposire Santa Monica Pier which was iconic. In terms of location and hospitality, this hotel was perfection.

Once we put our bags down we headed the for dinner where we were hosted by a member of the Santa Monica Tourism & Travel team. This restaurant had such a good selection of food, a fusion of Japanese and Mexican. We had shishito peppers, gochuagang mac and cheese, lobster roll and fish tacos!

If you’re in the area make sure to check this place out as it was bursting with flavours.

We headed off to bed to recooperate for the following day which was jam-packed. We were planning to pack in  and  in the same day as we only had two days in Santa Monica, so we grabbed a quick coffee and pastried from Espresso Cielo – recommended by locals.

We headed straight to Universal Studios and my toddler had the time of her life. It was magical – deapsite height restrictions on most of the rides there were areas that were very toddler friendly. She absolutely loved the Universal Studios tour, and the toddler dinosaur play area. Alongside this she reallye enjoyed exploring Mario Kart!

We spent around three hours there which was enough as we had priotity passes so were able to ride share and skip the queues. Then we headed to LA Zoo – luckily our toddler slept in the car for a quick 30 minute power nap. 

She woke up just in time to explore to zoo and really wanted to take the flamingos home! LA Zoo is a must-see with kids, there’s just so much to see as it’s huge! The giraffes, zebras, elephants and gorillas were a top favourite.

For our final day, we visited Santa Monica Pier, the weather was absolutely amazing. We had tickets to go on the rides so we managed to go on an airplane style merry go round which my daughter loved.

We then walked around taking in the sights of the beach and my toddler really wanted to go to the sand. So, although we had a flight to catch in the evening we thought why not let her get a close up. We headed down to the beach and she walked on the sand, she was a bit hesitant but it was definitely a core memory.

After this we went to  for lunch – where we enjoyed seasonal farm-to-table dishes straight from the kitchen. We had the freshest shrimp tacos here! I would highly recommend a stop here if you want to try a freshly cooked meal.

This was situated right opposite the  Here, my toddler went crazy for all the activities! They had EVERYTHING.

This was the perfect end to the trip as it meant she was tired out for our flight later that evening. She was running around, jumping in the ball pit, playing with the role play shopping area, drawing, building, pretending to be a vet, climbing! You name it, they had it.

If you’re in the area and have kids this is a must-visit place! Aftet this we had to drag her out of the play area and she wasn’t very happy, I think she could have spent the whole day there if we didn’t have a flight to catch.

Final thoughts

Despite the initial challenges of jet lag and a busy itinerary, our toddler adapted quickly, making the trip a rewarding experience. By planning around nap times, selecting stroller-friendly attractions, and allowing for flexibility, we turned what could have been a daunting road trip into a series of unforgettable family memories. California proved to be an incredible destination for a road trip, offering a perfect mix of adventure, relaxation, and family-friendly fun.

The one thing I have learnt as a lesson to all parents is – toddlers adapt. The adapt very easily! On trips like this I would advise to let go of the stress and focus on child friendly activities like we did, and let their bodies take the lead when it comes to nap time on the go and slowing down. That way, you’ll find your trip to go much more smoothly.

For further information, head to  and plan your trip!