It would be helpful to know when you plan to be in SF because there are
various things going on at different times of the year. Apart from
obvious things in SF like Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Palace Fine
Arts, Chinatown (must see), there are other places around the bay.
Tilden park in Berkeley is very nice area. It is free to the public and
there are horses, visitor center, petting zoo, beautiful hiking trails,
etc. And not far from Tilden park is Chabot Science and Space Center. I
only was able to make it to the front entrance, but it looks to me like
there is something of interest for all ages in this place.
Henry Coe State Park south of San Jose has beautiful hiking trails and
in October they have a "Tarantulafest" on Oct 1 where a tour guide will
take you to see Tarantula's on the move within the park. They will show
the kids the tarantulas and you can hold them and pet them.
If you are adventurous you can visit Moaning Cavern in Vallecito. It is
on the way from Yosemite. They have guided tours down a 300 foot spiral
staircase that will take you deep underground to a cool, dark abyss.
Down here you can see stalactites and stalagmites that have been in
existence for thousands of years. Really cool stuff.
Last time I was here I paid $100 for the spelunking tour. Dawn a hard
hat, coveralls and rappelling gear and prepare for the most unique
ride of your life. We rappelled down the 300+ foot chamber, then
squeezed our way through cracks inside the earth so small it would make
Calista Flockhart seem fat by comparison. You don't have to do the
spelunking tour if you don't want to, but there isn't much else to see
so you might as well do it.
I just came back from the Bay Model in Sausalito. This is a free
exhibit for the public. It is a large standing model of the San
Francisco Bay that simulates the tides entering and exiting. The model
is huge and the exhibits are plentiful and fun. I learned a lot about
the San Francisco Bay Area and how we get our water supply. There are
interactive exhibits galore including a little movie room with a video
explaining how San Franciscans get their water. The Bay Model is
located not too far from San Francisco. Just cross the Golden Gate
Bridge and drive a few more miles before exiting.
Steven
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