San Francisco, California. Single mom traveling with a 7-month old baby
This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see our full disclosure for further information.TRAVELING AS A SINGLE MOM: Not always a smooth ride. When I first told my friends I was going to travel alone with an infant, their first reaction was “Are you crazy?” That didn’t stop me from traveling but I took a chance to travel with my baby girl.
I took my daughter on the plane for the first time when she was 7 months old. I prepared our luggage a month in advance to make sure I had everything we needed for this trip. I brought enough baby formula for the flight as I wasn’t breastfeeding her. The first thing I did when we landed in California is buy food and more baby formula to last for the next 14 days.
We flew with Air Canada and our experience was better than expected. Their staffs were so helpful and made boarding easier. When they noticed I was alone with a baby, pushing a stroller and carrying a baby car seat, they offered to help.
Is traveling as a single parent difficult? I’ve learned quickly how to manage alone the moment I got pregnant but yes, I had some difficult situations. For example, on some road trips and being the only driver, I had to stop every 30 minutes because she wouldn’t stop crying. She wanted me beside her or she didn’t feel comfortable in the car seat. We had to walk around to stretch her legs. As she got older, around 2 1/2 years old, she started to have car sickness. That didn’t stop us from going on road trips. I would stop every hour for her to get some fresh air and it helped!
Overall, the California trip was amazing and I will do it again when we will be able to travel again. Here’s a list of all the nice places in California we visited in 14 days back in 2018.
Day 1:
First day in California we decided to visit the Oakland zoo. The Zoo is home to over 850 native and exotic animals. The wide variety of animals and beautifully designed exhibits made the experience truly enjoyable. Plus, the affordable price range for tickets made it accessible for everyone to explore and learn about wildlife. Highly recommended for a fun-filled day out with your kids!
Day 2:
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. The amusement park offers a variety of games & rides right on a mile-long stretch of sandy beach.
Day 3:
Visiting Berkeley California. Berkeley is a city in Northern California on the east side of San Francisco Bay. We went the day to the Lawrence Hall of Science, a public science center in Berkeley, California that offers hands-on science exhibits, designs curriculum, aids professional development, and offers after school science resources to students of all ages.
Day 4:
Justin Herman plaza: Vaillancourt Fountain, sometimes called Quebec libre!, is a large fountain located in Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco, designed by the Québécois artist Armand Vaillancourt in 1971.
The Bay Bridge
The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, known locally as the Bay Bridge, is a complex of bridges spanning San Francisco Bay in California.
Day 5:
Japanese Tea Garden is the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States located inside Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. This place is a popular feature of Golden Gate Park, originally built as part of a sprawling World’s Fair.
Next, we had a lovely stroll and enjoyed a picnic at Palace Of Fine Arts Theatre an European-inspired Ruins originally built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. It’s truly one of the most beautiful places you can explore in the entire city. The Palace of Fine Arts and the Japanese Tea Garden are located relatively close to each other in San Francisco. The distance between them is approximately 1.4 miles (2.2 kilometers).
Day 6: Cypress Tree Tunnel
You might have seen this famous Cypress Tree Tunnel on Instagram and wondered where this place is. The Monterey Cypress Tree Tunnel is 45 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. At the end of the tunnel, you’ll find the historic RCA/Marconi Station. Make sure to save an offline map of the whole Point Reyes area since there will be a chance you’ll lose mobile reception once you drive into this area.
Day 7:
Took a break from being on the road. We walked around in a park and have our family picnic under this beautiful weather. Spending quality time with family in a park is always the perfect way to recharge and enjoy some peaceful moments.
Day 8 & 9: Tahoe City, California
Tahoe City is one of the prettiest places you’ll ever see, and not just in Lake Tahoe. Located on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, and just down the road from the Squaw Valley Ski Resort, Tahoe City is a hub for year-round outdoor recreation in the Lake Tahoe Basin. As Tahoe City is a tourist destination spot, Tahoe City is full of restaurants, shopping areas and lodging.
Day 10: Mount Diablo
Mount Diablo State Park offers some of the best views of the Bay Area. Mount Diablo is a mountain of the Diablo Range, in Contra Costa County of the eastern San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California.
Day 11: Ruby Hill
The Ruby Hill neighborhood is Pleasanton’s most prestigious neighborhood. Located at Pleasanton’s eastern edge and behind a 24/7 security gate, Ruby Hill opened in 1995 and boasts some of the best views in Pleasanton as well as some of the largest homes. Not only can you live in a home designed by Signature Properties which developed Ruby hill, but you can build your own custom home within the gates of Ruby Hill or outside the gates in one of the Ruby Hill Vineyard estates complete with planted vines on roughly 20 acre lots.
Later that day we visited the Wente Vineyards, a winery in Livermore, California, “the oldest continuously operating, family-owned winery in the United States.”
Day 12:
Her first baseball game at the Oakland Athletics Coliseum and meeting with Sean Manaea.
The Oakland Athletics Coliseum has a tradition of giving first-timer certificates to fans who attend their games for the first time. It’s a way for the organization to commemorate and celebrate the fans’ first experience at the stadium. If you’re planning to visit the Oakland Athletics Coliseum for the first time, be sure to inquire about the first-timer certificate at the stadium’s guest services or fan engagement booth.
Day 13:
Montara State Beach is a beach located eight miles north of Half Moon Bay on State Route 1 in California, USA. We were looking for the last best sightseeing spot before we leave California.. and here we are at Montara! Breathtaking view.
Spend our last day at the Riz-Carlton. The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay is a 5-star luxury hotel spa resort in Half Moon Bay, California. Located on a cliff with a full spa overlooking the Pacific Ocean, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay is surrounded by 2 championship golf courses.
Day 14:
This is it, every trip has an end! Going back home with Air Canada, Named Best Airline in North America.
Our road trip map you can do in 14 days
Roadtrip Log Book
Use this log book to record the details of your roadtrip adventures so you can look back on and share experiences and favorite spots. This Roadtrip Log Book is the perfect way to record your adventures on the road and keep track of those special places you’ve been.
Travel & Bucket List Log Book Journal
Perfect to keep track of your journeys, trips, adventures and holidays or vacations.
Makes a great gift for travel lovers.
