6 Flags is in Vallejo in the north bay and Santa Cruz and Monterey are below the south bay, 2-3 hours apart on the best day. If you want to do a theme park, there is Great America in Santa Clara that is much closer in the south bay. Come to Santa Cruz and see the sea lions for free from the wharf and the otters at the harbor. Whale watching in Moss Landing and the Monterey Bay Aquarium are all more up close and personal than the animal park at 6 Flags. There are KOAs in Moss Landing and also south of Santa Cruz in La Selva Beach (Santa Cruz South KOA) that would provide good locations for seeing the area. It gets busy quick here so reservations are a must! If you are bringing kids, I would say the Santa Cruz KOA would work the best. New pool going in right now.
