Ariel and I both love beaches. Even though Ariel doesn’t know how to swim, she enjoys the ocean breeze and cooler weather. She also loves chasing waves and other paw-friends. Recently, she started digging sands! Here’s a list of my favorite dog friendly beaches along California coastline from north to south.
Pacific Coast Highway or PCH is a must-see for anyone who visits California. It’s spectacular and worth a drive. I have driven PCH multiple times between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It never disappoints. For my Thanksgiving trip in 2022, I decided to try the part north of San Francisco.
To me, kayaking is a perfect combination of exercise, natural views, and peaceful moments. This summer, I brought Ariel on board! It’s fun but also requires lots of preparation to kayak with a dog.
“The west coast is the best coast.” It is true in every way. When it comes to sightseeing the Pacific Ocean coastline, what’s better than hiking right next to the Golden Coast?! Nothing is more healing than watching the waves splashing the rocks, walking in the salty ocean breeze, and bathing in the golden sunshine.
I consider the area between San Francisco and Palo Alto as the Peninsula area. Peninsula never dries out and thus is great for hiking year round. You don’t have to choose between the ocean and the mountain. You get gorgeous views of both.
The best time to hike in East Bay is spring. The weather is perfect with the right amount of sunshine and breezes from the bay. I listed my top hiking trails below in the order of preference.
After our RV trip, I always wanted to try a camping trip with Ariel. We made it happen this Labor Day weekend. It’s a laidback and relaxing trip to the San Rafael area. We camped at China Camp State Park and hiked in Mount Tamalpais.
Berkeley is a great spot for a day trip with a lot to offer: beach, mountain, university campus, hippie and artsy vibe, and good food. If you a have day to spend in the San Francisco Bay Area and want to explore outside the city, stop by Berkeley.
I had a semi-getaway in Sonoma and Napa area in March 2021. In my opinion, Sonoma and Napa don’t have breathtaking sceneries like Lake Tahoe or other areas in the Bay Area. But they are humble, quiet, low-key, and peaceful.
You will find everything in Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz Area such as forests, mountains, lakes, ocean views, and beaches. It’s green year round. Unlike the Peninsula area, it’s also sunny most of the time and feels like SoCal. There are lots to do there. In terms of hiking, I like the 5 trails below the most and they are discussed in the order of my preference.