Northern California Road Trip

Explore Redwood National Park!

We visited Northern California as part of an epic 2 week Pacific Northwest Trip. The thing we were the most excited to see along the way was Redwood National Park, but we also came across so many other amazing adventures. California is full of natural beauty and endless activities.

Itinerary:

Check out the full video here:

Day 1 – Fly to San Francisco (lodging: Embassy Suites- Airport)

This was mostly a travel day for us — we flew from Cincinnati to San Francisco with a layover in Atlanta. Everything went pretty smoothly, and we landed around 4:30 PM local time.

Quick side note: we actually ended up on an earlier, better flight after a small schedule change. Whenever that happens, we always ask if there are better options — it doesn’t always work, but we’ve had enough wins doing this that it’s become a habit. Checkout how we do this ALL the time!

We stayed at the Embassy Suites Airport Waterfront hotel, and it ended up being a great choice for a low-key first night. There’s a free airport shuttle, an evening reception, and a really solid breakfast. The suite setup (two rooms) was especially nice after a long travel day.

Our room even had a small balcony overlooking the runway, which turned out to be oddly relaxing — especially if you have kids who are into planes.

The plan was to take it easy… but then we realized the Cincinnati Reds were in town playing the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park.

So we split up. My husband and older son grabbed an Uber and went to the game for a bit, while my younger son and I stayed back, ordered food, and had a quiet night at the hotel.

Honestly, it worked out perfectly — everyone got the kind of night they wanted.

Day 2 – San Francisco to Bodega Bay (lodging: Inn at the Tides)

First thing in the morning, my husband grabbed the hotel shuttle back to the airport to pick up our rental car. Technically, it fit all of us… but just barely. I spent most of the trip with bags at my feet, which got old fast. We’ve definitely learned from this — packing light makes a huge difference, especially on longer trips.

By around 9 AM, we were on the road heading toward the Golden Gate Bridge.

Before leaving the area, we made a quick stop at Target to grab a pickup order I’d placed the night before — snacks, sunscreen, ice packs, all the random things you don’t want to pack. It ended up being one of the more convenient travel habits we’ve picked up.

We stopped briefly at a viewpoint near the bridge (one of those spots where you pull over, hop out, and take it in for a few minutes). Then we drove across and headed up to the overlook on the left side for a better view.

Quick tip: if you’re planning to drive across the bridge, make sure to set up your toll pass ahead of time — it’s not something you can just pay on the spot.

After the viewpoint, we made our way down to Sausalito. We parked near the water and wandered for a bit, eventually grabbing a snack from a local bakery. It’s the kind of place that’s easy to linger in without really having a plan.

From there, we headed over to the houseboat neighborhoods. We found a spot to park and walked around — and honestly, this ended up being one of the more memorable stops. The homes are all a little different, and it feels like its own small community tucked away from everything else

By then it was getting close to lunchtime, but we were still full from breakfast, so we skipped it and started driving toward Point Reyes National Seashore. We took Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, which was definitely worth it — slower, but more interesting.

Right before entering the park, we stopped in Point Reyes Station. It’s small, but really charming. We wandered into a couple of markets and put together an easy picnic lunch, which ended up being a great call.

We took our food and stopped at the Point Reyes Shipwreck to eat. There aren’t really designated picnic spots there, so we improvised on a big tree stump. Not ideal, but it worked — and the setting more than made up for it. The shipwreck itself is worth the quick stop.

Next up was the Cypress Tree Tunnel. I expected it to feel a little overhyped, but it ended up being one of those simple places that’s just fun to experience. We walked all the way through, and the kids climbed on trees along the way, which made it even better.

From there, we continued on toward Bodega Bay. On the way in, we made one quick detour to see filming locations from The Birds — the church and the house. It’s a small stop, but kind of fun, especially if you’ve seen the movie.

We showed the kids a few clips beforehand… what was once considered terrifying didn’t quite land the same way for them. They mostly thought it was funny.

We stayed the night at Inn at the Tides and it ended up being one of our favorite places of the trip. The room was beautiful, there was a pool and hot tub overlooking the water, and they included things like wine in the evening and breakfast in the morning — which always feels like a win after a long day of driving.

We squeezed in a quick swim before heading out for dinner — and immediately ran into something we didn’t expect. It was a Saturday night in Bodega Bay, and most places were closing around 5 PM. Not ideal timing, but it did add to the small-town feel.

We ended up at Fisherman’s Cove, which worked out perfectly. Good, simple food and picnic tables right by the water — exactly what we needed. After dinner, we went back to the hotel for another swim and called it a night.

Day 3 – Bodega Bay to Fort Bragg (lodging: Surf and Sand Lodge)

The next morning, we walked across the street to The Tides Wharf Restaurant. Our stay at The Inn at the Tides included a continental breakfast there, and it ended up being way better than expected.

We got there right when they opened and grabbed a table overlooking the bay. Fresh fruit, yogurt, eggs, juice — all the basics, but done really well. One of those small perks that makes a stay feel a little more memorable.

From there, we headed to Goat Rock State Beach (also a filming location from The Goonies). Even if you don’t care about the movie, it’s worth the stop. We drove all the way down and spent some time taking in the views.

I had bookmarked Café Aquatica for coffee, but we were still full, so we skipped it — looked like a great stop if you need one, though.

Next up was Point Arena Lighthouse. On the way, we stopped at a small grocery store and picked up supplies for sandwiches. These picnic lunches ended up being one of the best decisions of the trip — cheaper, easier, and you get to eat with a view.

There were picnic tables at the lighthouse, so we made that our lunch stop. We didn’t go up into the lighthouse, but the views from the ground were more than enough.

After that, we drove about an hour to Mendocino and spent some time walking the Mendocino Headlands State Park. There’s a quiet beach you can walk down to that felt completely removed from everything — one of those unexpectedly peaceful spots.

From there, we continued on to Fort Bragg and checked into Surf and Sand Lodge.

This was another great stay. Adirondack chairs on the deck, comfy robes, and direct access to a coastal walking path. It’s right on the water, so you get those constant ocean views without having to go anywhere — which, after a full day of driving, felt pretty perfect.

We headed out for an early dinner at Noyo Fish Company, just a short drive from the hotel. Another really solid meal — casual, picnic tables, and views of the docks. Those ended up being some of our favorite kinds of places on this trip.

On the way back, we stopped at a grocery store to grab a bottle of wine, plus some donuts and fruit for an easy breakfast the next morning.

After dinner, we walked about 15 minutes down the coastal path to Glass Beach. This was one of the reasons we picked Surf & Sand Lodge — being able to walk instead of drive made it feel a lot more relaxed.

The beach itself is pretty unique. Years ago, this area was used as a dumping site for trash and glass. Over time, the ocean wore everything down, and now what’s left looks like small, colorful pebbles scattered along the shore.

After spending some time there, we walked back to the hotel, sat out overlooking the water, and had a glass of wine. Simple end to the day — and exactly what we needed.

Day 4 – Fort Bragg to McKinleyville (Redwoods!) (lodging: Holiday Inn Eureka)

We left the coast and followed California State Route 1 inland toward the redwoods. The drive alone was worth it — quiet, winding, and really scenic.

Our first stop was in Leggett at the Chandelier Drive-Thru Tree. It’s exactly what it sounds like — a massive tree you can drive through — and somehow still fun even if it sounds a little gimmicky. We got there early and had it mostly to ourselves, which made it even better. You can walk through it too, and there’s a small gift shop that the kids loved.

Next up was Confusion Hill. This one leans touristy (and a little overpriced), but it ended up being a really fun stop — especially with kids.

The highlight was the “mystery house,” where everything is tilted in a way that completely messes with your sense of balance. Balls roll uphill, you feel like you’re leaning when you’re not, and somehow it’s weirdly hard to stand up straight. It’s short, but memorable.

We also hopped on their little train ride through the redwoods. We were the only ones on it, which made it feel kind of private, and it was a relaxed way to see more of the forest without much effort.

We had to double back a bit for lunch since our timing was off, but it worked out. We stopped at Peg House — great burgers, a laid-back outdoor setup, and even a basketball hoop, which was an instant win. We skipped our usual picnic this time for this spot, and it was worth it.

From there, we headed to the Avenue of the Giants, which ended up being one of the highlights of the day.

We made a bunch of quick pull-offs along the way — nothing formal, just stopping whenever something caught our eye. Massive trees, fallen trunks, quiet little pockets of forest.

We did one short hike at Founders Grove. It’s only about half a mile, but we easily spent over an hour there. Flat, easy, and full of those huge redwoods you can actually get up close to (and climb on, which the kids loved). This was probably our favorite stop of the day.

We had originally planned to continue on to Ferndale, but by that point we were a little worn out from driving, so we changed plans and headed toward Eureka instead.

We made a quick stop downtown to walk around, popped into a small chocolate shop, and drove past some of the historic Victorian homes before moving on.

One of the more unexpected stops of the day was Sequoia Park (often just called Redwood Park locally). It’s basically a neighborhood park… surrounded by giant redwoods.

We let the kids run around the playground, shoot some hoops, and just burn off energy for a bit. It’s not a “must-see,” but it ended up being one of those simple stops that made the day feel more balanced

After that, we grabbed groceries for the next day (we knew we’d be hiking most of it) and picked up pizza to bring back to the hotel.

We stayed near the airport in McKinleyville — nothing fancy, but quiet and easy after a long day. Some parts of downtown Arcata felt a little rough around the edges, so staying just outside of town ended up being a good call for us.

Day 5 – McKinleyville to Crescent City (even more Redwoods!) (lodging – Fern Cabins)

We started the day with a big breakfast at the hotel before heading out for a full day of hiking in the redwoods.

Our first stop was the Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail (about 1.3 miles). We almost skipped it, thinking we might want to save time for longer hikes, but I’m glad we didn’t. We got there early, so it was quiet and peaceful — this is a popular trail that definitely fills up later in the day. It’s an easy walk, but really beautiful.

From there, we adjusted our plan as we went. There were a few other hikes we wanted to fit in, but not enough time to do everything fully, so we started getting a bit flexible with distances.

Next was Trillium Falls Trail (about 2.3 miles). Instead of doing the full loop, we just hiked out to the falls and back, which made it much shorter and more manageable. It’s a really pretty trail the whole way through.

After that, we headed to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park Visitor Center and parked near Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. The parking lot was packed — one of those “you can’t miss it” situations — but it’s a major access point for the area.

From there, we did about a 3-mile loop combining parts of the Prairie Creek and Foothill Trail systems, including the Cathedral Trees Trail. This ended up being one of our favorite hikes of the day.

It starts near the visitor area, where it’s busy, especially around the big tree section, but once you branch off toward Cathedral Trees, it thins out quickly. At one point we even lost the trail a bit and thought we might be properly off track — but we eventually found our way back without too much drama.

We’d packed lunches that morning and brought them in a backpack cooler, so we just stopped on the trail and ate as we went. It made the whole day feel relaxed and unstructured in a good way. If you don’t own a backpack cooler, you need one!

We continued on to Crescent City. We briefly considered stopping at Trees of Mystery — it looked fun, but it was a bit pricey, so we decided to skip it and instead spend more time settling into our place for the night.

In Crescent City, our first stop was the harbor to see the Battery Point Lighthouse Sea Lion Colony. There weren’t a ton of sea lions, but there were enough to make it a quick and fun stop.

From there, we made a short detour to a local park so the kids could play basketball and burn off some energy. Then we stopped at the grocery store, picked up ingredients, and planned an easy dinner of tacos for the night.

That evening, we stayed in a tiny home just outside town, and it ended up being one of our favorite accommodations of the trip. It had two bedrooms, a small living room and kitchen, and a front porch with a picnic table looking out at the trees.

We cooked dinner, ate outside, and just hung out with no real agenda. No TV, no rush — just a quiet night in a beautiful setting.

We had originally planned to do one more hike in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, but we were all pretty exhausted, and since our place was already tucked right near the park, we decided to skip it and stay put.

In the end, it was exactly the kind of slow night we didn’t realize we needed.

And with that, our California coastal road trip wrapped up.

We’d driven the entire coast by this point, and it really did feel like one of those trips where every section had its own personality — from beaches to cliffs to giant redwoods.

If you want more, we’ve also shared our southern California stretch, plus the continuation of this route up through Oregon and Washington.

Check out our other blogs about the southern coast of Cali or the continuation of this trip up the northern part of the west coast to Oregon and Washington!

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