Packing List & Photo Journal From Our Weekend Getaway to Monterey with the Kids
We’ve decided on a new tradition in our home where we do a birthday party every other year. I love birthday parties but it turns out that planning one for my kids every single year is not for me.
Since we threw Izzy his first big birthday party when he turned three, we decided we’d do an experience birthday to celebrate him turning four. I desperately wanted to make Disneyland happen, but the stars just didn’t align for us with Brandon’s work schedule, so we chose something slightly closer to home and planned a getaway to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
I grew up visiting the aquarium often as a kid. We’d load up in the car early in the morning, drive down to Monterey, spend all day at the aquarium, grab dinner, and head back home.
Because of the pandemic, we haven’t traveled much with Luna. We’ve barely taken her to San Francisco! And we hadn’t traveled with Izzy since 2019, when we went to Maui, so needless to say, we didn’t feel super confident about how this would go. We decided to give ourselves a three-day weekend so we could take the pressure off of getting on the road at a certain time and to give us all a chance to ease into traveling together.
Let’s dive into the packing list and a recap of what we did during our long weekend in Monterey!
PACKING LIST
Use this list as a jumping-off point for your packing! And if you’d rather print one out, you can get this delivered right to your inbox by signing up for my newsletter below.
MY WEEKEND TRAVEL CAPSULE
Being pregnant automatically keeps me from overpacking because I simply don’t have that many clothes to choose from! Here’s what I packed for myself for a long weekend in Monterey Bay.
4 Tops — Two sweaters and two t-shirts to make layering easier (and to trick myself into thinking I had options 😜).
2 Pants — I packed my trusty pair of maternity jeans and my linen blend pants (available in a maternity style).
2 Jackets — One lightweight, the other a touch warmer. I brought a chore coat and a sherpa jacket.
1 Hat — I packed a beanie since I run cold and the coastal forecast didn’t promise a lot of warmth.
Pajamas — I packed myself my comfiest maternity bike shorts and a light sweatshirt since I tend to run cold in hotels.
2 Shoes — One pair of sandals and one pair of sneakers were perfect for the weekend.
1 Swimsuit — I knew I wouldn’t be swimming in the ocean but I did enjoy our hotel’s pool!
CLOTHES FOR THE KIDS
I wanted to make sure I had enough clothing in case of spills or bathroom/diaper situations without seriously overpacking. I stuffed their little backpacks to the brim with their clothes but it was nice being able to find each child’s clothing without having to sift through the other’s. I highly recommend packing each child’s clothes in their own bag. I do plan on getting them slightly larger backpacks for future travel, but for now, we made what we had work and it worked fine!
For a three-day, a two-night trip away, I packed the following for each child:
6 Tops — one per day with one extra per day to account for spills or sudden toddler pickiness 🤪
5 Bottoms — one per day with two in case of a rogue potty miss or diaper blowout
3 Pajamas — one per night plus one extra just in case of a middle of the night toilet miss.
2 Outerwear Pieces — one light and one thick layer
4 Underwear — one per day and one to have as a post-swim backup
3 Pairs of Socks — that didn’t get worn but at least they were offered
1 Swimsuit — I brought this one piece for Luna and these swim shorts for Izzy
2 Pairs of Shoes — one sneaker and one sandal. I love Native Shoes for my kiddos and have bought a pair of these Old Navy sandals every year since my oldest learned to walk!
PERSONAL CARE
Toothbrushes + toothpaste
Shampoo + conditioner
Hairbrush
Lotion
Kid’s body wash — Luna has very sensitive skin and I didn’t want to risk an eczema flare-up, so I just packed our trusty Eucerin baby wash.
FIRST AID
Tylenol + Baby Tylenol
IN THE DIAPER BAG
Diapers — I brought a whole sleeve of diapers and made sure there were at least 6 in the diaper bag at any given time
Gathre micro+ changing pad — my all-time favorite changing pad for home and the diaper bag
Hand sanitizer
Water bottles — I love this one from Klean Kanteen for me, Brandon loves the big Hydro Flask, we have a small one for Izzy, plus a Kinto bottle for Luna
Child utensils — to make eating with utensils a little easier on Luna who’s only 1.5
SNACKS
Silicone snack cups
Annie’s variety snack pack
Happy Tots Superfood Bars
Fruit leather — not a hit with the kids, but a nice treat for us
Goldfish cracker
Pistachio nut hearts — for the adults on the drive and for Izzy with close supervision
Cashews — it turns out that my picky eater loves cashews, so I grabbed some from Trader Joe’s for him to snack on with close supervision since nuts can be a choking hazard
Freeze-dried strawberries
Applesauce pouches
Yogurt pouches — Luna loved these but Izzy wasn’t interested
Mandarin oranges
Single-serve cereal bowls — a nice treat in the mornings since our hotel didn’t have a breakfast option
FOR THE CAR RIDE
Soft blankets
Pouch with small toys — I made a pouch for each child filled with toy cars, some Magnatiles, and animal figures
Drawing Tablets — these tablets are awesome because they mimic a screen without being one! And most of the time that my kids ask to play with my iPad, it’s to draw in my notes app
Books — I love the Indestructibles books
Fully charged iPad — there’s no way around it, screens can be really helpful for traveling with kids! I downloaded a couple of Izzy’s favorite nature show episodes and it kept him entertained for the last leg of the drive. We also used it to watch a movie one night.
OUT AND ABOUT
Double Stroller or Single Stroller with Piggyback board — we made our Uppababy Cruz work with the Piggyback board (read my review of it here), but this trip is what solidified my plan to upgrade to the Vista
Baby Carrier — I’d recommend a backpack-style carrier even though I love love love my ring slings!
Sun Hats
Sunblock
Gathre mats — for the park and the beach; easy to clean and fold up to store one in the car at all times
MONTEREY PHOTO JOURNAL
Day One
NOONTIME: We picked Izzy up from school and set off on our drive! My original plan was to stop at a playground in San Jose for a late lunch, bathroom break, and time to stretch our legs. This was all based on my hope that Izzy would nap after school pickup…but he didn’t (it always works out that way, doesn’t it). Since it was lunchtime (and since I’d forgotten to take my pregnancy bladder into account) we made a stop about 45 minutes from Sacramento at a McDonald’s with a play place.
🚐 Road-trip tip: Stop for play! I can’t stress enough how good it was to combine the playground with lunch. Sure, McDonald’s isn’t my favorite place to eat these days, but it’s kid-friendly, travel-friendly, and usually has a clean bathroom. We stopped here for 30-45 minutes before getting back on the road.
The rest of the drive was pretty easy. Luna slept for a long stretch and Izzy got about an hour-long nap. Once they woke up, we stopped for a quick gas top-up and potty break then finished out the last leg of the drive.
LATE AFTERNOON: We checked into The Stargazer Motel. Hotels in the area don’t come cheap but I was happy to find a decent rate at The Stargazer Inn through Hotels.com. It was our first time staying there and we had a nice stay! It’s not a luxury or very upscale place at all, but it was clean, spacious, had good service, had a minifridge/freezer, and is in a great location. Bonus: there’s an indoor pool! We had a wonderful time playing in the pool with the kids.
EVENING: We ordered California Pizza Kitchen for dinner and ate it in the hotel. We did bathtime and watched a Stanley Cup Playoff game until we got sleepy.
DAY TWO
BREAKFAST: Our kids are early risers, so we got ready and headed down the hill to the closest Denny’s for breakfast. I’m usually a little more into researching the local offerings and finding lovely restaurants to eat at, but not this time. I wanted to enjoy our meals and not worry about whether there would be a kid’s menu or if the restaurant would be toddler-friendly.
Sharing about our trips on the internet means I feel some sort of pressure to find the coolest places to visit so I can share them with you, but I also want to normalize doing the tourist thing and eating at a CPK or Denny’s. Those are the places I grew up going to when traveling with my family and there’s something special about sharing that seemingly ordinary experience with our kids, too!
COFFEE: After breakfast, we stopped by Captain + Stoker for some craft coffee and to kill some time before the Aquarium opened. Finding local craft coffee is one of my favorite things to do when traveling and this place didn’t disappoint! Brandon had their bottled cold brew and I went with my usual latte. If you’re a parent, I think the best part of this coffee shop is its location. Yes, the ambiance is great. It’s got unique decor. The staff was cool. The coffee: delicious.
Captain + Stoker is located across from some baseball fields. At the other end of the block is a small playground area nestled behind the stands. It’s the perfect spot to let the kids play while you enjoy your coffee. If you can swing one person watching the kids while another waits in line at the coffee shop, I highly recommend doing that. It made the waiting in line much calmer.
MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM: No visit to Monterey is complete without a trip to the Aquarium! We parked in a garage a few blocks away and joined the line to get in right as it was opening. Luna fell asleep two minutes before we walked in, which kind of worked out in our favor because we let Izzy hop from one exhibit to the other. We stopped for lunch right around noon (when everyone else was, too), so the lines were incredibly long. Izzy was already tired so it was a lifesaver being able to order and pay at the kiosk and then fill the wait time with fresh sea air instead of stressing out in a line.
I also have to say that the food at the aquarium was great! I ordered the kids mac and cheese that Brandon and I ended up splitting. 😅 The fish and chips were delicious (the fries went straight to my kids) and Brandon enjoyed the burrito. All around, it was a solid meal!
The next time we visit, I think I’ll consider getting a hand stamp and walking to grab lunch at one of the restaurants on Cannery Row. The idea didn’t hit me until we were on our way home, but it could offer a nice break from the high energy of the aquarium and give everyone a chance to walk around outside with fewer crowds. From what I’ve read, the crowds tend to simmer down in the midafternoon, so there could be an upside to breaking up the day!
SOME THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Book your tickets ahead of time because there are no in-person ticket sales
Outside food isn’t allowed in — that being said, I’d packed a small soft cooler bag with tons of snacks (I didn’t know about the food rule) in the bottom of the stroller along with our jackets. Our diaper bag was the only thing they asked to search, and even then, they didn’t have us toss the freeze-dried strawberries I had packed in that bag. All that to say, we got lucky, but be prepared to walk your snacks back to the car since it’s technically not allowed in.
I highly recommend using the order ahead kiosk option instead of trying to entertain/appease tired, hungry children if you choose to get lunch at the aquarium.
AFTERNOON: We made the executive decision to head back to the hotel in the midafternoon after spending about four hours at the Aquarium. The kids fell asleep on the way back and each got a nice little nap pretty late in the day, which meant bedtime would also get pushed back.
Once they woke up, we hopped back in the car and drove the short distance to the Dennis the Menace Playground.
This playground was intense. There’s a suspension bridge, big slides, and multiple play structures. While definitely better suited for older kids, in my opinion, Izzy and Luna still had an amazing time. Brandon and I spent the entire time there simply trying to keep a visual of Izzy since he’s lightning fast and the playground is massive. There are also not a lot of places to sit or park a stroller, so I’d pack light if you decided to visit. Overall, it was a great place to visit and somewhere we’d go back again, even if it was pure chaos!
EVENING: We headed to Dametra Fresh Mediterranean for dinner, which was quick and delicious! It was also nice to give the kids a child-friendly dinner out without it being mac and cheese or nuggets. We then headed back to the hotel, did bathtime and watched Peter Pan on the iPad together.
DAY THREE
COFFEE: We made one more stop at Captain + Stoker on Sunday morning and tried their waffles. The chocolate chip waffle was very good! We let the kids play at the playground again, snuck in some family photos, then loaded up in the car to head to Del Monte Beach.
BEACH: There were a few things Izzy was incredibly excited to do on this getaway and one of them was going to the beach. There was plenty of street parking even at 11 AM on a Sunday. It was overcast and very windy and I regretted leaving my jacket in the car and only putting Luna’s cardigan on her. Still, it was lovely to breathe in the ocean air and go barefoot in the sand. Izzy had the morning of his life running with the waves. He kept asking for his floaties because he really wanted to get into that freezing cold water! We hung out at the beach for about an hour or so before packing up to take advantage of nap time for the drive home.
