August is winding down and Labor Day is just around the corner. If you’ve been itching to get away on a quick trip, now is the time. Here are three great weekend escapes if you live in the greater Sacramento area and you don’t want to travel more than three hours either by road or air.
San Diego (one hour, air) – What’s not to do in San Diego? You have the ocean and great regional activities to enjoy. The world-famous San Diego Zoo and Sea World are located here. If you have small children, you can always enjoy Lego Land, and if you travel by car or rent one, you can drive a little over an hour north back to Disneyland in Anaheim. Spend the day on the beach or take a boat ride around the harbor to enjoy the ocean air or fish. Venture down to La Jolla and shop in some of the cute beachside boutiques or enjoy one of the great restaurants along the beach with a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean.
Santa Cruz (2.5 hours, car) – Another fun beachside town to enjoy the shopping, local seafood cuisine, or beach fun. You have, of course, world-famous Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk, which just finished a major facelift on many of the buildings and rides. Enjoy the old-fashioned carousel or the rickety Big Dipper Roller Coaster – both are old-style amusement park treats. Don’t forget to enjoy a few fatty calories with the corndogs or ice cream cones. You can also catch a train ride through the redwood forest to the boardwalk at the Roaring Camp Railroad in Felton. If you would like to stay in a more upscale area to spend the night, you might head about 10 miles up the road to Capitola and make reservations at the Capitola Inn. Capitola is another seaside village that contains dozens of boutiques to shop or spend the day at the beach.
Willets (3.5 hours, car) – Willets is a nice town on the edge of the redwoods and makes a wonderful launching point to hike and picnic in the redwoods or take the Skunk Train to Fort Bragg. You can leave your car in Willets, travel through the redwood forest to Fort Bragg, stay the night, and return the next day or you can stretch it a few days in Fort Brad and enjoy the beach. Midway on the Skunk Train, they stop at an open-air market where you can eat and shop. You might consider a bed and breakfast in Fort Brag since most of the hotels are nothing more than hotels with few amenities. You can also camp in Willets at the KOA and catch the train no more than a mile up the street and only do the mid-way trip and return that day to your campground.
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