One of the best aspects of living in the San Francisco Bay Area is the abundance of weekend getaways within a 1-2 hour drive. A favorite option that is easy to access yet a world away is Half Moon Bay, a seaside town in San Mateo County.

The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay is new to our luxury hotel portfolio. It’s not one of those properties that scream family with an endless list of onsite activities for kids; however, there are just enough things to do that parents and kids alike love spending time here.

It’s amazing to me how easy it is to miss great travel opportunities in your own backyard. Last year, I spent a fair amount of time researching and preparing for a family trip to New York to climb the Statue of Liberty and visit Ellis Island. It was a fabulous trip. This summer, I discovered the “Ellis Island of the West” is about an hour from my front door.

Who knew? The results, another fabulous trip, no plane tickets needed.

I’m lucky enough to call the Bay Area home. And for almost seven years I lived in the center of it all, San Francisco. I was young, and newly married with a great job. The city was the place to be.

Then I had a baby.

But instead of packing up and moving out, I quickly discovered raising a “city kid” had major perks.

You’re traveling to San Francisco with kids, and ready to see the sites and maybe have a few museum day or two. You have an itinerary you know that you (and maybe your spouse) will love. But the kids…they are ready to the Golden Gate, but not so anxious to spend the day at the de Young.

Local area summer camps can be just the trick to give your child a kid-oriented introduction to San Francisco while you savor more grown up activities.

I love doing “theme” traveling with my family. That means picking a category and exploring several types in a given area, teaching my kids some critical thinking skills (one favorite: “how was this ice cream shop different from the last one?”).

Here are two themes to explore on your San Francisco trip with kids …

October is a glorious month in San Francisco. Our Indian Summer brings warm days with crisp blue skies. If you want to appreciate the beauty of the topography of the Bay Area, this it the time of year to do it.

October also means Fleet Week, an annual event when the Navy is celebrated with a steady stream of activities including a parade of ships coming into the bay and an air show featuring the Blue Angels.

Suzanne Battat Dowling lives in San Francisco with her two boys (4 and 6). She is an expert on exploring San Francisco and the perfect resource for our list of top favorite things to do with kids in the city.

Plans to visit the San Francisco Bay Area? I live here and put together a few ideas for fun activities with kids for Two Kids and a Map—a terrific family travel blog …

I’m always trying to capture the best scenery shot and get everyone to smile (no fake smiles allowed). Unfortunately, that doesn’t always work out. This week’s Photo Friday post is one of those moments.

Granted, there is not the same energy and bliss in the Bay Area when spring arrives—versus say Chicago—given that our winters are mild. That said, I have a few favorite local excursions …