California dreaming: How a couple survived a roadtrip with 3 young kids

California dreaming: How a couple survived a roadtrip with 3 young kids

It started out as a crazy idea - to take three young kids on a 21-day road trip across California. It would be a massive undertaking, one that would involve a draining long-haul flight from Singapore to San Francisco, and over 20 hours on the road driving to Lake Tahoe, Monterey, Anaheim and Los Angeles.

This could turn out to be an epic parenting misstep or a grand adventure, but then I realised that either way, we would make memories that lasted a lifetime.

So we went.

[[nid:268389]]
San Francisco

Our adventure began in San Francisco, home to the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge. We spent our days riding the city's iconic cable cars, exploring the farmer's market at the Ferry Building, watching street performers at Fisherman's Wharf, hanging out with seals at Pier 39, and riding pedal boats at Golden Gate Park.

Our standout memory of San Francisco was biking across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. We picked up two bicycles from a rental shop in Fisherman's wharf and to ferry all three kids safely, we had one bicycle fitted with a baby seat in front plus a trailer at the back, and the other attached to a child ride-along.

It seemed like a really fun idea at first, but as we discovered at the first of many steep inclines, this set up made the 13km bike ride a Herculean endeavour. To make matters much worse, it started to rain midway into our arduous journey and we were stranded with no rain protection.

I don't know how we made it across the Golden Gate Bridge in the pouring rain and ferocious wind with three kids on two bicycles, but somehow we survived the ordeal and it's all the kids talk about whenever we mention San Francisco.

San Francisco Pier.
Photo: Sgtravellors.com

Lake Tahoe

From San Francisco, we drove four hours up to Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America.

Being in Lake Tahoe is like walking into a postcard of unadulterated natural beauty, with rustic log cabins, sapphire-blue water and powdery white peaks. The kids spent hours rolling around in the soft snow, making snowballs, snow angels and snow cones.

In the evenings, the entire Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe transforms into a winter wonderland, complete with an outdoor skating rink, glittery fairy lights and cosy fire pits for roasting marshmallows.

Lake Tahoe's breath-taking sapphire blue water.
Photo: Sgtravellors.com

Monterey and Carmel

After two days in sub-zero temperatures, we made our way back down to Monterey Bay for a quick stopover en route to Anaheim. We had a day to spend in picturesque seaside village, Carmel-by-the-Sea.

It feels like time stands still in Carmel, as the manic pace of life back home fades into a distant memory. We took our time getting lost wandering the quaint shops, galleries and cafes as the kids played hide and seek along the sidewalk.

Disneyland

A trip to California with kids would not be complete without a visit to the happiest place on earth, so our next stop was Disneyland Anaheim, the only theme park designed and built under the direct supervision of Walt Disney.

This was the highlight of the trip for our Disney-obsessed kids - four full days of thrilling roller coasters rides, dance parties, parades, fireworks and hugs from their favourite Disney characters.

The latest addition to the park is Cars Land, themed after the Pixar animated film, Cars, and its flagship coaster ride, Radiator Springs Racers.

The queue for this ride was consistently 120 minutes long over the four days we spent there, and while few things in this world are worth a two hour wait, this absolutely was.

Los Angeles

We had one final place to visit before heading home, the city of Los Angeles. LA feels larger than life, largely thanks to its many celluloid adaptations.

We took a stroll along Santa Monica Pier to the spot where Tom Hanks stood before starting his run across America in Forrest Gump, walked down Rodeo Drive where Julia Roberts did her Pretty Woman sashay, and spent an afternoon at Venice Beach where Edward Norton played basketball in American History X.

This was a family trip we had been dreaming of for a long time and while we weren't sure if we would survive 21 days on the road with three young kids, I'm glad we did it because the memories we made will stick around for a long, long time.

In Brief:

Getting there

We flew to Los Angeles on China Southern Airlines, then transferred to a Delta domestic flight to San Francisco.

Traveller's tips

A road trip with kids doesn't have to be a painful experience. Here are some handy survival tips to make it more enjoyable:

- Car seats. Some rental cars companies can bundle car seats in the rental package for a small fee, or better yet, bring along a boostapak, a portable car seat that doubles up as a backpack.

- Plan ahead. Check the route in advance to take note of possible rest stops for toilet breaks and always get the kids to head to the restroom at designated stops.

- Food supplies. Stop by a supermarket to stock up on lots of water and healthy snacks that are easy to eat on the go. Essentials like a trash bag, wet wipes, tissues, extra diapers, and a spare change of clothes must always be within reach in case of emergencies.

This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.