In the past few months, we have been on the go, go go all over. One of favorite local travels we came across was in the North Bay of San Francisco.
It was a beautiful weekend, so we decided on a whim to pack our bags and go somewhere. So we loaded up our beach blanket, sand toys, picnic basket, hiking gear and took off.
First stop: China Camp State Park This used to be a Chinese shrimp-fishing village thrived on this site in the 1880s. As you hike along the path, you can see remnants of the three general
stores, a marine supply store and a barber shop. This is a very kid friendly trail, as my two year walked the whole time as we enjoyed stopping at the beach, taking in the amazing view and greenery.
Second Stop: Stinson Beach After our hike, we were starving. So we quickly loaded back upinto the car and headed over to Stinson Beach for some fun in the sand and a picnic. We spent several hours running in the waves, eating and making sand sculptures and waiting for the grand finale…the sunset. Stinson Beach is absolutely ideal for catching an breathtaking sunset. With our day in the sun coming to an end, we found a cute little cottage near the beach and hit the sack.
Third Stop: Wine Country The next morning, we decided to head out to the Wine Country. We checked out some wineries and then stopped at one of favorite spots, Sonoma Cheese Factory for some cheese, pickles and sandwiches
Final Stop: Safari West Yes, there is a safari in the Wine Country. Can you believe that? Well. we had a reservation to go “glamping” in one of the 22 permanent tents on the 400+ acre property that home to over 400 species. The tents are imported from Africa and equipped with plush beds, hot showers, in tent heaters and generous decks to take in the stunning views
We opted to do the family style dinner and meet others families staying at the property. After chowing down, we were given flashlights to check out a few sections of animals which included cheetah, birds, monkeys, porcupines and flamingos. After viewing animals we went back to the dining area and warmed ourselves up with some hot drinks and roasted marshmallows by the fire. Since there is no curfew at Safari West, one can come and go from their tents and check out the animals throughout the night. We retired to our tent a little after 9pm and listened to the sounds of the various wild animals all night. It was AMAZING! The next morning we headed to thr family style breakfast, which is included in one’s stay, and walked around checking out the giraffes and flamingos (our little guy’s two favorites) for a couple hours. By the time, we realized we wanted to go on the open jeep 2.5 hour safari tour…there were no more spots available…just another excuse to come back and check out all things Safari West. A definite “must-do” when heading out to the wine country.