--- title: "Bad Vacation Postcard Maker — Wish You Weren't Here | Arnold Haven" url: https://arnoldhaven.com/bad-vacation-postcards description: "Make a free, funny custom postcard from a California trip gone wrong. Pick Yosemite, Tahoe, Big Trees or Arnold, add faces, write the back, then download or share." lang: en --- California's Worst Vacation Memories # Bad Vacation Postcards: Wish You Weren't Here. A free postcard maker for trips that went sideways. Pick a California place, add the faces of the guilty, write the back, and send it to someone who'll appreciate how bad it was. ### 1 Pick the scene of the crime A small pine-forest town at about 4,000 ft on Highway 4, near Calaveras Big Trees. ### 2 Pick a style ### 3 Add faces (optional) Before you add faces Photos stay on your device. Nothing is uploaded unless you make a share link, and then only the finished, watermarked image. 0/3 faces ### 4 Write it ## How to make a bad vacation postcard 1. Choose a place: Arnold, Big Trees, Pinecrest, Bear Valley, Lake Alpine, Yosemite or Tahoe. 2. Pick a style (classic 1960s, total disaster or faded gift shop) and a layout. 3. Add up to three faces. Auto cutout removes the background; oval crop works on any phone. 4. Edit the headline and write a message, to and from on the back. 5. Download the front and back, or get a share link that opens right here. ## What people make them for - A funny Christmas card for the family that remembers the cabin trip - A custom postcard for the friend who planned the hike - A trip-recap joke for the group chat - A “we survived” keepsake for the fridge ## The California places Each backdrop is a real place. Our guides cover the good version of the trip. - Arnold, CA “The Cabin Was Great. We Were Not.” A small pine-forest town at about 4,000 ft on Highway 4, near Calaveras Big Trees. Arnold, California guide (https://arnoldhaven.com/explore/arnold-california) - Calaveras Big Trees “The Trees Were More Emotionally Available.” A state park protecting two groves of giant sequoias, a few minutes up Highway 4 from Arnold. Calaveras Big Trees guide (https://arnoldhaven.com/explore/big-trees-state-park) - Pinecrest Lake “We Brought Floaties. For the Parking Lot.” A granite-ringed reservoir at about 5,600 ft with a sandy beach and a lake loop trail. Pinecrest Lake guide (https://arnoldhaven.com/explore/pinecrest-lake) - Bear Valley “Fresh Powder. Stale Attitudes.” A ski resort and mountain village on Highway 4, higher up the road from Arnold. Bear Valley guide (https://arnoldhaven.com/explore/bear-valley-ski-resort) - Lake Alpine “Thin Air. Thinner Patience.” A high-country lake at about 7,300 ft along Highway 4 with granite shores and campgrounds. Lake Alpine guide (https://arnoldhaven.com/explore/lake-alpine) - Yosemite “We Came. We Hiked. We Complained.” The national park famous for Yosemite Valley, El Capitan and Half Dome. Yosemite entrance guide (https://arnoldhaven.com/explore/yosemite-park-entrance) - Lake Tahoe “Beautiful Views. Terrible Decisions.” The large alpine lake on the California–Nevada line, known for clear water and ski resorts. Explore the Sierra near Arnold (https://arnoldhaven.com/explore) ## Questions Is the postcard maker free? Yes. Making, downloading and sharing a postcard is free. Free postcards carry a small ArnoldHaven.com credit in the corner. Are my photos uploaded? No. Faces are cut out in your own browser. Nothing leaves your device unless you make a share link, and then only the finished, watermarked postcard is saved. Share links expire after 90 days, and you can delete one any time. Can I use photos of other people or kids? Only with their permission. For anyone under 18 you need to be their parent or guardian, or have their permission. Please don't use the tool to embarrass someone who didn't agree to it. Which places can I choose? Arnold, Calaveras Big Trees, Pinecrest Lake, Bear Valley, Lake Alpine, Yosemite and Lake Tahoe, with more California places coming. Can I print it? Download the front and back as JPGs and print them at 6×4 in. at any photo counter. Can I put my postcard on my website? Yes. After you make a share link, open “Put it on your website” for a copy-and-paste embed code. Want the family photo version? Try Awkward Family Vacation Photos (https://arnoldhaven.com/awkward-family-vacation-photos). ## Structured data ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is the postcard maker free?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Making, downloading and sharing a postcard is free. Free postcards carry a small ArnoldHaven.com credit in the corner." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Are my photos uploaded?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. Faces are cut out in your own browser. Nothing leaves your device unless you make a share link, and then only the finished, watermarked postcard is saved. Share links expire after 90 days, and you can delete one any time." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I use photos of other people or kids?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Only with their permission. For anyone under 18 you need to be their parent or guardian, or have their permission. Please don't use the tool to embarrass someone who didn't agree to it." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which places can I choose?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Arnold, Calaveras Big Trees, Pinecrest Lake, Bear Valley, Lake Alpine, Yosemite and Lake Tahoe, with more California places coming." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I print it?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Download the front and back as JPGs and print them at 6×4 in. at any photo counter." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I put my postcard on my website?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. After you make a share link, open “Put it on your website” for a copy-and-paste embed code." } } ] } ```