Knott's Berry Farm

I love turning business trips into mini-vacations!  Over the last 2 years, we have enjoyed several trips to CA.  Whether to run a booth at an event or take a seminar, Ryan & I have brought the kids along and made it a point to make time for fun with the family.  Our kids love the beach, so rain or shine, we spend time at the ocean. This last trip to CA was pretty chilly, but the kids wanted to play in the water!

Since we're moving a bit farther from CA and we're not sure how often we'll be back, we wanted to make this a trip to remember.  Our first thought was Disney, but when we saw the $72 per KID price tag, we decided to try Knott's Berry Farm instead.  At just $19.99 per child and $31.99 for Ryan & I (special online pricing), it was a steal!

We love Camp Snoopy for the kids (although Megan was too tall for a few rides this time--she's getting so big!).  Unlike Disneyland, we actually had space to breathe and I wasn't worried about losing a child in the crowds.  The rides are all small, with NO LINES!, so they are perfect for our little ones. 

Tristan and Josyan rode the airplanes twice (while Megan went on Montezuman's Revenge with Ryan).  The kids loved the race cars, and the monster trucks... The fun part is that most of the rides are also parent friendly, so if you have really little ones, you can ride with them!
And for the more adventurous types, of course there are the roller coasters.  Megan was tall enough for almost all of them, and Ryan finally found someone to ride the scary rides with!  The kids all had a taste of adventure with Ryan on the one coaster Tristan & Josyan could ride on...

...and I took the kiddos on my favorite--the Log Ride.  It's mostly a mild trip through the 'old mines', with a little thrill at the end.  We didn't get too wet, but on a hot day, that's the ride to go on!

For lunch, the boys and I split a foot long hotdog, some fries, and a "famous Knott's Berry Punch" for $15.00.  Steep price for one, but not too bad for three of us.  (Ryan and Megan couldn't eat because of all the roller coasters!)  We got the kids giant lollipops for souvenirs ($2 each), and spent less than 1/2 as much as we would have just to get in to Disney on the whole day. 


The last time we were at Knott's, Megan made a Princess craft and mined for gold--there were a lot of things to do that weren't rides and didn't cost much.  That makes the trip even more special.  We didn't get a chance to get any of the famous chicken this time, but last time we enjoyed a wonderful pancake breakfast.  Another great reason to choose Knott's!  I didn't intend to review the park, seriously, but I LOVE it--for the prices, the focus on the little ones, the lack of crowds, and the fun things to do.