Golden Gate Bridge, San FranciscoWhen the weather is nice and we don’t have other plans, we like to pack up a picnic and outdoor toys (and the dog!) and head up to San Francisco for a relaxing family day. Our favorite destination is the massive Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which offers many options for our family.

On Sundays in Golden Gate Park, the roads are closed to cars, and visitors bring out scooters, skates, and roller blades and enjoy a leisurely cruise through the park. Overlooking Stow Lake, we often find nice places to picnic and feed the ducks. Or, we sometimes like to plant ourselves (pun intended) on a nice grassy spot in the middle of the Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. And when the kids are in the mood for traditional park activities, we head over to the Koret Children’s Quarter, thought to be the first playground in the nation. This map has helped us plan our visits.

Golden Gate Park is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which includes locations north and south of the Golden Gate Bridge, and into San Mateo County. Fort Mason is part of this conservancy – a wonderful place to spend a couple hours, poking around in galleries and cafes, all right on the San Francisco Bay. Another park right on the ocean, Fort Funston, allows dogs to run off leash on the beach. Our dog Molly loves this park, she comes back completely exhausted and wiped out! When we are in scientist-mode, we head over to Crissy Field and explore the beach and tidal marsh, or head out on one of the many hiking trails in the Presidio.

Any one of these options makes for a great (and cheap!) day in the Park. What is your favorite spot in Golden Gate Park? And little gems to share?

Picture courtesy of Aslak Raanes.

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