It’s hard to travel long distances with littles. My husband and I enjoy traveling. We try to go somewhere every winter. We recently went on a roadtrip and our baby cried, and cried. It makes for a less than pleasant experience. We wanted to get away, but without the distance. We opted for a stay-cation. We love where we live. That’s why we live here! There is no other place we would rather be!
When looking for a place to stay, we needed walking distance, activities, food close by, and a place to rest (since both kids need naps during the day). We decided to stay in Trinidad, Ca. We love to visit Trinidad for it’s beaches, hiking, and yummy food. Once we chose our location, we, or shall I say I, went house hunting. There are no motel/hotel type situations here. There are only B&B’s and homes for rent. We chose a home.
The house: An AirBNB right on the pier. We chose this home for location, location, location. The house is located right at the end of town, on the Trinidad Head Trail, and walking distance to the HSU Marine Lab. We found this quaint home to be just right for our needs. The location is what you are paying for with this home. Its an old soul. It provided great views of the ocean and pier. The views are amazing. I repeat, the views are amazing. The home has the basic amenities you could need. The second best part was the hot tub. We would get up and drink our coffee in the hot tub and take in the spectacular ocean views and hear the waves crash on the shore. After our hikes, we would relax our muscles. It was lovely. Located in Trinidad, Ca. Its address is 1 Bay Street. If you want to check it out for yourself click on Trinidad Home. To find the house, filter with hot tub in Trinidad, Ca. We went during December, which is the off season so it was pretty cheap. We also went during the week to lessen the cost. I highly recommend this house. A tip is to check out the calendar because rates are usually cheaper on certain days.
Also, there is a Murphy’s Market grocery store before we began our stay. We were able to find a nice array of food and necessities there for our visit. I also had a delicious crab sandwich.
Morning View through the front window
Things to Do:
Go for a hike or to the beach, or better yet, go for a hike to the beach. There are many trails and beaches to choose from. Research ahead of time before you go. Pay attention to tides. Some places get cut off when the tide comes in. The paths are not paved and a stroller is better left in town. Take lots of snacks and water as many places are very rural, and it will take you more time than you think to explore.
College Cove:We went to College Cove in search of the hidden swing and blow hole. We found neither, but that means we have to come back next year. We did find quite the adventure, lots of mushrooms(my favorite), a waterfall, sea shells, and beautiful views. If you are an experienced hiker I would take the path to the left. If you are a newbie or have young children like we do, take the path to the right. It is steep in one spot and has many stairs to navigate.
Moonstone Beach: Very family friendly, easy to access, but it does get crowded around mid morning. Moonstone has nice flat areas and a small creek that runs through. My son’s favorite part is the creek. There is limited parking so get there early.
Luffhenholtz beach: Steep, but worth the hike. We like to come here for the views. It’s steep and small, but unique and worth the hike.
Trinidad head: This is a wide path with some great views. I recommend this hike if you have never been to Trinidad before. It’s just right in length and ability level. There are parts that are paved. The best part is the viewing areas along the way to check out mother nature and have a rest on the benches. There are some fun historical markers along the way and some great photo ops.
Lighthouse: The lighthouse is located at the parking lot to Trinidad head. It is cute, small, and you can read the history behind it. It’s been a little controversial locally, if you care to read more about that, click Light House Controversy
HSU Marine Lab: In the middle of town there is a teeny tiny marine lab. I highly recommend going. If you get caught in the rain, head to the marine lab. When I asked my son what his favorite part of the trip was, he said, “The marine lab!”. When you enter there are about four viewing tanks with various fish and sea creatures. The octopus has yet to show itself while we have been there. Outside is where the real fun takes place. There are two tide pool tanks where you can touch the sea creatures.
Things I want to do for the next trip:
- Find the swing at College Cove
- Patrick’s Point in the summer and visit Sumeg Village
- Kayak Trinidad Bay(when the kids get older)
- Visit Moonstone Crossing Winery Tasting room(sans kiddos)
- Eat at Larrupin Cafe! This should probably go to number one since it is that good, and this will happen before our next trip. This is not young children friendly
Tips:
- Lock your car and take anything valuable with you
- When hiking with littles (our children are 5 and 10 months for reference), start out early in the day. Most activities take a lot longer than expected and there are not a lot of services around
- Carry lots of snacks and water
- Stop frequently(to take in the views and rest)
- Babywear (my Tula is linked Tula Baby Carrier). We also have the Kelty pack for longer hikes. This is not as comfy but is better structured for longer adventures
- Wear sturdy shoes. Whether that’s tennis shoes or hiking boots, the trails in Trinidad can be steep and muddy for most of the year. Your feet with thank you later
- Wear layers. It can start off chilly, and then as you get moving, you can get hot easily
*The last picture is from a different trip, but as you can see, baby wearing comes in handy
Places to Eat
We ate (all kid friendly)
Beachcomber cafe-small with yummy breakfast. My husband calls this the hippy Starbucks. You can dine in our get things to go
Murphy’s Market-we got lunch here and some other necessities including delicious local brews and a fresh crab sandwich.
Six Rivers Brewery-standard brew pub food. great view and great beer. Very kid friendly and has an arcade
Trinidad Bay Eatery- good for dinner, a lot of options for traditional food
Next time:
Lighthouse Grill-want to try waffle cone mashed potatoes
Larrupin-delicious food for dinner and great ambiance
Moonstone Grill-dinner with a view and a romantic stroll on the beach
Headies Pizza and Pour-love me some pizza
Whether you are on a romantic getaway or a family vacation I recommend visiting Trinidad, Ca. Its views alone are worth the visit. We enjoyed it so much, that we are going to make it an annual trip. December is the off season so it was quiet and relaxing. Yes, even with two little munchkins in tow.
Natalie's Naturals 