Every year, I look forward to the week after my kids get out of school and before summer officially starts. My husband is a teacher and he teaches summer school, so it’s one of the only weeks we have off as a family during the summertime. Since my family tends to like easy California vacations (you can see past trips to Sonoma and Healdsburg), we decided to take a family road trip to two of our favorite cities to visit with kids: Santa Barbara and Ojai.
We have made Ojai a yearly tradition and look forward to staying at Ojai Valley Inn. It’s almost like a home away from home at this point. The property is gorgeous, it’s extremely kid-friendly and is super fun to visit with other families we know. If you want to see more about what we like to do at the hotel and in town read my post here. Being that it’s so close to Santa Barbara (about a 45-minute drive), we decided we would combine the two cities. We adored the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara when we stayed in 2017, but our son was a little baby and he kept us up at all hours of the night. We thought a do-over was well-deserved.
If you’re thinking of doing a California trip, I can’t recommend these two hotels and cities more. They are both family-friendly and have so much for everyone in the family to enjoy!
Santa Barbara
Taking a picture in the most beautiful spot at the Four Seasons Santa Barbara. My kids pretty much only wore Crocs the entire trip.
We love both pools at the Four Seasons Santa Barbara, but we tend to go to the Coral Casino most often. It’s incredible and has beach access and an ocean view. My daughter loves the diving board. Both kids wore Seaesta Surf.
We rented a family bike and road along the coast. The kids loved it!
For most of our meals, we just ate by the pool, but we like to eat one fancy meal at Tydes, which is located at Coral Casino. It’s right over the ocean and it feels really magical. Plus, the inside bar is one giant wrap-around fish tank and the kids think it’s amazing!
We also love to eat at The Lark. The food is amazing and it is so family-friendly! Get the Brussels sprouts and the chicken.
My daughter looking like a ’90s kid in Storied Goods.
Ojai
Keeping with our tradition of taking family photos in this beautiful spot at Ojai Valley Inn.
Twinning in Rachel Pally and Noble Carriage.
I love all the details around the hotel. The kids are ready for the Pixie Pool!
“Relaxing” at the Pixie Pool. No, but honestly we adore that pool so much!
They’re are so many beautiful spots around the hotel. I love all the landscaping. Wearing my sustainable Madewell swimsuit.
On our way home, we always stop at Avila Valley Barn to get sandwiches and feed the animals. It’s the perfect place to break up the drive. The kids love it!
