Driving from San Jose to Orange County with 7yo
 

My husband, 7yo DD and I are planning to fly into San Jose and drive down to Orange County (to visit family) in December. My husband and I did this drive many years ago and focused on our interests (wineries, B&Bs, etc.) Now we are approaching this as a family and I could use some suggestions on what to do and where to stay. My loose plan is as follows:

Day 1
Arrive at SJC - noon-time
Rent car
Head to Monterey/Carmel area - 120 miles / 2 hours
Stop en route to visit the elephant seals at Ano Nuevo State Park (make reservation to go on guided walk)
Stay overnight in Monterey/Carmel

Day 2
Drive to San Simeon - 95 miles / 2 hours
Tour Hearst Castle (2 hours) - buy tickets in advance
Drive to Morro Bay - 30 miles / 1/2 hour
Stay in Morro Bay ?

Day 3
Drive to Santa Barbara - 110 miles / 2 hours
Stop en route in Solvang
Stay in Santa Barbara?

Day 4
Drive to Orange County- 140 miles / 2 1/2 hours

Any suggestions on kid-friendly activities that we shouldn't miss? Or places to stay?

Morro Bay seems to be much more reasonably priced for hotels than the closest cities inland (San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria). You can rent kayaks in Morro Bay and padddle around the bay. I'm doing that for the first time ever next week with my daughter and niece (they are 11 and 13 yo) and I'm really looking forward to it.

There is a big beach with elephant seals in San Simeon. You might want to check that out as an alternative to Ano Nuevo (or in addition to).

Santa Barbara has a beautiful zoo perched on a hilltop.

Technically you should be able to get from SB to OC in 2 1/1 hours but the traffic could delay you significantly. When are you driving?

We will definitely plan around traffic on the drive to OC - we visit my parents in OC every year at this time and are well aware of the debilitating traffic!

While in Monterey, visit the Aquarium.

The Dennis The Menace park in Monterey is a fun place for kids to run off steam after a long car ride. http://www.lotsafunmaps.com/details.php?locationid=219

This will probably be out of your way, but kids like the Santa Cruz Boardwalk http://www.beachboardwalk.com/ and Roaring Camp Railroad through the big trees in the Santa Cruz mountains. http://www.roaringcamp.com/

Roaring Camp Railroad is cool but it's also a little expensive. Last time we went we decided to skip it. There is an entrance to a state redwood park right next door, which is a really nice walk.

Thanks for the suggestions - I had forgotten about the aquarium in Monterey. Any other ideas?

In Monterey, there is a tour company called Little Mermaid at Fisherman's Wharf - they do short boat tours in the harbor with a focus on looking for wildlife. Our family did that tour a few weeks ago, and my nephew who just turned 7 absolutely loved it.

Orange County: Is Disneyland too obvious?

Leslie, I think the OP was looking for suggestions BETWEEN SJC and OC, not in "the OC" (where they have been many times and are visiting family), hence no prior Disneyland suggestions.

Los Angeles is between San Jose and Orange County. How about:

Universal Studios
Griffith Observatory
La Brea Tar Pits
Autry Museum of Western Heritage

Would a 7 year old be able to do the walks to the tidepools at Point Lobos?

We used to enjoy that but I think we were a few years older the first time we went. However 7 year olds seem enormous to me these days.

We have actually managed to keep our daughter from knowing there is a Disneyland twenty minutes from her grandparents' house in OC! She has been to EuroDisney (her other grandfather lives in Paris) and she knows there is a Disneyworld in Florida but somehow Disneyland has been kept a secret from her.

We went to the Tar Pits last year when we were visiting - and she loved them!

Tidepools would be great - I'll look into that a bit.

Kayaking in Morro Bay was a huge hit with my 13yo daughter and 11yo niece. You can put your daughter in a kayak with one of you and have a great time. There are lots of seals to watch, and paddling around the bay is fun. You'll have life jackets on so no worries about falling in, and the water is pretty shallow.