Bucket List for California Kids: Where to Go This Summer

Every parent knows that the squeal, “school’s out” is followed at an alarming pace by the lament, “I’m bored - there’s nothing to do!”

You probably have a list of local spots to take your kids -- from staples such as the library, swimming pool, parks and your favorite beach -- but how about day trips and weekend getaways?

SF Gate recently published a list of “41 places every California kid should visit before growing up.” We bet there are a couple on here that even you haven’t seen. See the full list here.

To get you packing snacks for the car, here’s the Top 10, along with a bonus spot from Patch editor Paige Austin, who say this place is “an incredible throwback to another era when kids could just be kids.”

1. Lassen Volcanic National Park - a volcano that erupted in California during the 20th century! Raw beauty, mud pots without traveling all the way to Yellowstone and a great place to just run free.
2. Catalina Island - 26 miles across the sea by way of high speed boat. Wander through Avalon, visit the bison, snorkel right off shore.
3. Pinnacles National Park - Hike, camp, become a junior ranger --all without the crowds of Yosemite.
4. Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens - Stroll through the themed gardens, admire Blue Boy and other art treasures.
5. Glass Beach, Fort Bragg - The ultimate beach combers paradise. If you can visit after a storm,, the beach glass will be replenished. Remember to take a bag or beach pail.
6. Yosemite National Park - If you’re a fan of waterfalls, the sooner you can get there, the better. Yes, it’s crowded, but a ‘must see’ because of the unparalleled beauty of iconic Yosemite Valley.
7. Bodie State Historic Park - For the imaginative kid, California history buff or budding photographer, this place will get creative juices flowing.
8. Avenue of the Giants - What kid doesn’t want to drive through a redwood tree?
9. J. Paul Getty Museum - An incredible collection, there’s no better place to foster an appreciation of art.
10. Lost Coast - Beaches, some sandy and some rocky, are mostly deserted between Fort Bragg and The Petrolia. 
11. Patch Bonus: Huntington Beach Adventure Playground - Patch editor Paige Austin gives this insider tip, “Nobody knows about it, but the mud pits are an incredible throwback to another era when kids could just be kids. For just a couple bucks, kids can spend the day swimming in a giant mud pit, sliding down a mudslide, and they get real live nails and hammers to build their own forts...It was my favorite thing to do in the summer as a kid.”  

--Image of Pinnacles National Park via National Park Service