Top 10 family-friendly destinations in the West
Of the three routes in operation, the classic Powell-Hyde Line begins at Powell and Market streets near Union Square, climbs Nob Hill, then descends dramatically to end at Aquatic Park, near Ghirardelli Square and Fisherman’s Wharf. To top off the adventure, step into the Musée Mécanique, a great collection of antique pinball games and such, in Pier 45. The cable car is $5 one way per adult, or $13 for a day pass. Info: http://www.sfcablecar.com/index.html. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Man does not live by bread alone, and families can’t count on theme parks for all their adventures. Here are 10 relatively unthemed Western destinations, all best enjoyed in the company of a 10-year-old.
-- Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
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When it comes to rafting, this is where
Pictured: Sutter’s Mill, Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park (Rich Pedroncelli / AP)
Every once in a while, feeling really small is a healthy thing. Seven-day admission: $25 a vehicle. First-timers, head for the South Rim, walk the Rim Trail near Mather Point, and remember to carry water. And if you’re taller than 4 feet 7 and weigh less than 200 pounds, how about a mule ride down to the
To borrow from observatory director E.C. Krupp, this is the city’s hood ornament, built in 1935. Beneath its three domes, it engages kids with a battery of exhibits, not to mention the beloved lawn and
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Swimming, boating, waterskiing in summer, snow skiing in winter, horseback riding, goofing off on the beach, hiking, mountain-biking, rafting on the Truckee River— all these things are possible at Lake Tahoe. (Also, for adults who live dangerously, there’s gambling on the
This wet wonder opened in 1984, and a 1996 expansion nearly doubled its size. Amazing views of jellyfish, sea horses, otters, fish and a new flamingo exhibit. Expect to spend three hours (and remember that afternoons are less crowded than the mornings). Adult admission: $29.95. Info: (831) 648-4800, http://www.montereybayaquarium.org (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
It’s all about the rock, which looms more than 500 feet above the sea, luring shoppers to the boardwalk and adventurers to paddle a kayak in and around Morro Bay State Park. Just north, you find the sleepy beach town of Cayucos and, beyond that, the artsy, pine-studded town of Cambria. (And then, there’s San Simeon and Hearst Castle.) Info: (805) 772-2560; http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=594 (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
The water spout (which erupts about every 90 minutes) is just the beginning. Wild animals and weird hydrothermal effects are everywhere at Yellowstone, and from there you can head 75 miles south to Grand Teton or 60 miles east to Cody, Wyo., to catch the nightly rodeo and the hotel founded by Buffalo Bill. Info: (307) 344-7381, http://www.nps.gov/yell/ (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
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Two words: erupting volcano. Mt. Kilauea has been going off continually since 1983, covering nine miles of highway and enlarging the national park by 568 acres. if you need more reasons to visit, consider that you can sleep in a bed-and-breakfast in the town of Volcano, hike the four-mile Kilauea Iki Trail loop through the jungle and across the crusty black caldera floor, tiptoe through the tunnel of the Thurston Lava Tube, see (from a safe distance) hot lava spilling into the ocean, then maybe take a dip in the warm waters along the Big Island’s Kohala Coast. Info: (808) 985-6000, http://www.nps.gov/havo. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
