Travel News

Legoland or Bust(ed): A Green Road Trip to the Theme Park

Locations in this article:  San Diego, CA San Francisco, CA

Ablaze with environmental fervor following my conference, my family and I set off in our rented minivan. The fuel-efficient vehicle we had requested was unavailable so…minivan it was. This, I decided, was not going to be easy.

I was eager to stop at Muir Woods to see the spectacular redwoods for which the coast is famous. “Not TREES,” the kids groaned. Minutes later, they were enchanted. Muir Woods is indeed a magical place. Named for John Muir, noted conservationist and the founder of Sierra Club, the Woods draws you into a Tolkien-esque world of giant ancient trees and huge bugs. The air tastes pure and the silence (when you can get far enough away from the crowds – it’s also a popular place with more than a million visitors annually) is powerful.

Our “short” stop was close to two hours, during which my kids ran (paths), climbed (enormous stumps), listened (birds), studied (bizarre looking bugs) and basically decompressed. Utterly restored, we got back on the road for a short trip to our home for the night – Cavallo Point, the Lodge at Golden Gate, a beautiful military-base-turned-hotel.

Starving, we ate a quick lunch on the porch of Farley Bar, wrapped in the blankets they offered and enjoying the spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge, which poked above the fog just south of us.

Cavallo Point Lodge has a laudable commitment to sustainability. Situated in a county renowned for pioneering local and sustainable cuisine, Cavallo Point offers plenty of local and sustainable menu items, but more than that, a state-of-the-art kitchen offers up classes to guests and locals featuring foods from the farmer’s market.

We stayed in one of the former barracks, a “house” filled with period furniture and, with the other barracks, forming a semi-circle around a huge field where, again, our kids (and our pets, if we’d brought them! The lodge is pet-friendly) could burn off some energy.

The Healing Arts Center Spa, a Zen-inspired oasis, is where moms (and dads) can restore their energy. Cavallo Point also offers plenty of nature hikes, history walks and afternoon tea.

I managed to take in an early morning yoga class, followed by a fantastic breakfast with my whole family in Murray Circle Restaurant before we loaded back up.

We couldn’t leave the area without a short detour to the incredible Marine Mammal Center, which has grown since 1975 into one of the world’s leading rescue and research hospitals for marine mammals and the only organization authorized by the National Marine Fisheries Service to rescue and provide veterinary care for the marine mammals along the California coast. The center itself is sustainable, with buildings made from recyclable materials, radiant floor heating, skylights and photovoltaic shade panels over the pens to reduce energy consumption.

But the big draw is, of course, the marine mammals themselves. We were fascinated by the staff, who fed, examined and moved the massive sea lions, walruses and seals. You could see the injuries to some of the animals – shark bites, gashes from boat props – but to see the care they were receiving was heartening.

After a morning spent with at the center, we got back on the road. Just a few minutes away from and headed for the city by the bay.

more>>