Top 5 Child-Friendly Vacation Activities in San Mateo County

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Pigeon Point LighthousePoor San Mateo County. Once a year, it’s home to the Maverick’s Surf Contest in Half Moon Bay, but other than that, it’s just not a hugely popular California tourist destination. Maybe the folk there prefer it that way – a sizable chunk of the county is still pretty agrarian – but the hotels and inns are relatively inexpensive, the food is often fresh and locally grown (agrarian, remember?), and kids can have a great time on an unscheduled, mellow vacation.

San Mateo County is actually a frequent travel spot, but most often for people traveling through it, not to it. The San Francisco Airport is here, so plenty of venture capitalists looking to invest in the latest web tech land here, rent a Mercedes, and drive right to Silicon Valley/Palo Alto. Honeymooners and couples celebrating other special occasions rent their cars, and make the trip to Napa Valley. This Traveling Mama got to San Mateo County, and stayed a while. Of course wine tours are great, you’ll get no argument from me there; sometimes, though, a quiet vacation in a small town makes for a perfect respite.

Children have a great time with hours of unstructured play on the beaches. The many independent, family owned restaurants in San Mateo County are a nice break from the standardized fare of fast food chains. There’s not much in terms of excitement around here, save the annual Maverick’s Surf Contest, but the small town, friendly attitude of its residents feels like a throwback to a more innocent age.

Once you get your kids off the beach, there are some year-round activities that – while not exactly thrilling or momentous – can entertain both children and adults.

Here’s my list of the top 5 child friendly activities and museums for families in San Mateo County:

  • The San Mateo County History Museum - This museum, and its docents, proudly showcase exhibits spanning the major historical eras of the San Francisco Peninsula. From the gold rush and whaling ships, to modern technology and internet businesses (like Electronic Arts) in Palo Alto, the exhibits are interesting and well done.
  • The Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia - It’s exactly what it sounds like; a whole museum dedicated to the joys of Pez. It’s funny to see this, and with over 500 Pez dispensers on top of Pez toys and books, kids end up surprisingly fascinated. Not all children enjoy museums, of course, but they sure seem to get a kick out of this one!
  • The Hiller Aviation Museum - This museum is great of fans of the history of air travel, with manyHiller Aviation Museum models of early planes hanging from the ceiling like mobiles. The interactive displays are especially popular, but my favorite part of this large warehouse-style museum is the displays of man’s earliest attempts at flight.
  • The Filoli Estate - Filoli stands for “fight, love, live,” and this grand mansion and gardens estate was built with lofty ideals in mind. It’s a Georgian Revival house, sitting on over 650 acres of well-loved and manicured gardens.
  • Pigeon Point Lighthouse - This is one of the tallest lighthouses in North America. At 115 feet, it makes for a great “photo opportunity” as well. Right now, the interior is closed to the public (it’s considered hazardous), but the grounds are just gorgeous, with sea lions lazing around on offshore rocks, the waves crashing, and views of the surrounding area’s mountains, beaches, and ocean.

Filoli EstateThere are some other places to take your kids in San Mateo County; Farmer John’s Pumpkin Patch comes to mind, but this farm of gigantic pumpkins mainly shines in late Fall. Main Street at Half Moon Bay, with its mix of small independently owned stores, bed and breakfasts, and art galleries, is beyond charming. The people that work here are happy to talk with visitors and describe their wares. Main Street isn’t very big; you can almost miss it if you’re not careful. Got a babysitter? If so, I’d recommend checking out La Nebbia Winery. This winery in Half Moon Bay has several yearly “bottle and cork your own wine” events. If you’re lucky to vacation in Half Moon Bay (in my opinion, the loveliest part of San Mateo County) during one of these events, don’t miss it! It’s fun to bottle your own wine, and designing the label is quite an experience as well. No matter the time of year, California’s San Mateo County makes for a quiet, slow paced family vacation.

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April 19, 2008 | Filed Under Budget Travel, Destinations, Family Travel, Romantic Getaways 

Comments

2 Responses to “Top 5 Child-Friendly Vacation Activities in San Mateo County”

  1. Jenna Caymaz says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    As a kid my family never had a lot of money but we always traveled to Michigan to see our relatives in the summer. As an extra treat we would veer off our path a few hours to visit Frankenmuth. Its a small German town nestled somewhere between Saginaw and Flint MI. We would start off with a big traditional Chicken dinner that made my mouth water just to imagine. It always ended with a big refreshing scoop of orange sherbet! After we ate we would tour the shops nearby. There was an old candy store, an antique arcade and or course the year round Christmas shop! We never bought a lot of doo-dads but spending time with my family in what seemed like a magical place was really special. There aren’t a ton of kid-friendly activities right in town but the hotel does offer a great pool! One for kids and one for the adults. You can even get a horse and carriage ride around the square! Its a quaint town full of charm that I will never forget. I plan on returning with my family to keep the tradition alive.

  2. Jenna Caymaz says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Oops wrong place for the comment I guess. Still a great place for children to explore!

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