My Favorite Summer Spots

Where do you like to go in the summer? I love to find new summer spots that aren't too far from home. Every June when the kids get out of school I start making a list of things that we want to do while they are home. I have heard it called a "summer bucket list" and I love that term. I have been making one in my head every summer for years.

I live in Northern California about 40 miles north of San Francisco. I feel very fortunate to live in an area with so many amazing places for us to get out and enjoy nature. I have three daughters and it is a goal of mine to get them out to do something fun and active in the summer. With so many days at home, summer can sometimes get "boring". This is a word I never like to hear in the summer, but it happens. My daughters and I  have had many summer adventures together. I have decided to compile a list of some of our favorite spots. These are all day trips and the drive is no longer than 1.5 hours from our house. The list is numbered, but only for convenience sake.

                                                                   Aquatic Park - San Francisco

1. Russian River - We like to go to a beach with a nice swimming hole at Monte Rio. The girls love to swim, so we make this a regular summer thing. 
2. Dillon Beach - This is our favorite beach. We always bring our dog (dogs can be off leash). It can be chilly, so plan on always bringing a sweatshirt. We have been lucky enough to have had a few warm beach days lately. 
3. Point Reyes National Seashore - There are many places to go out here. Two of my favorites are the Bear Valley Trail and the Lighthouse. Point Reyes is beautiful and I highly recommend exploring it and finding your favorite place. 
4. City Day - We always do a few city days each summer. Here are some of the places we usually hit each summer. NorthBeach - we love to walk around this neighborhood and get pizza. Golden Gate Park - California Academy of Sciences is a really fun day. Crissy Field - great place to walk along the water and if it's chilly stop and get hot chocolate at the Warming Hut. Aquatic Park is another great spot to enjoy the views of the bay. The list of city day activities is endless. 
5. Sonoma - The town of Sonoma is beautiful and centered around a town square, which includes a park and duckpond. This is especially fun for families with young children. When my girls were younger we would spend the morning at Traintown  and then have a picnic in the park in Sonoma Square.     - Gilly Hegenbart