Vacations Blog

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is huge and spans three counties.  These are the thirteen things I love about this area in just Marin County (north of Golden Gate Bridge) and only about 30 minutes from the city.  Most of the time, I don’t think of these as part of a national park, but a destination in and of themselves.

1. Bolinas Ridge-a beautiful ridge for hiking or riding that offers views of the shoreline 200 feet below.
2. Fort Baker–beautiful little park for picnics and has the Bay Area Discovery Musuem
3. Fort Cronkhite-a dog friendly ocean beach, good sand castle opportunities, and the crashing waves are not too overwhelming for kids
4. Kirby Cove-just over the Golden Gate, this beach is usually only frequented by locals, not too many tourists are willing to make the mile long hike to get to the beach
5. Marin Headlands–good bird watching and great for road and mountain biking
6. Muir Woods National Monument–I love the trees, but really think this is overrated, if I was a tourist, I would just take a hike on Mt. Tam starting at Pan Toll and walk to Stinson Beach, lots of redwoods and not too many tourists
7. Muir Beach-close to Muir Woods and the Pelican Inn, an English pub, offers all sorts of beers to cool off after a hike on Mt. Tam
8. Muir Beach Overlook–spectacular vistas of the Pacific and of the valley, it feels as if you could fall into the fog sometimes
9. Nike Missile Site-described as an educational cold war museum by the parks dept. it offers tours Wednesday through Friday and on the first Saturday of every month.  Take the elevator to down to the missile area.  A nice break from hiking and a bit of history, to.
10. Olema Valley–bed and breakfasts, campgrounds and access to Pt. Reyes National Seashore
11. Point Bonita Lighthouse–built in 1855, this lighthouse is reached by crossing two bridges, tours are currently closed, but it is worth checking back with the park service to find out if it is going to re-open, still a beautiful drive, hike and picnic area
12. Stinson Beach–my favorite beach for swimming, surfing and sea kayaking, the southern end of the beach offers fun little pools and crab catching
13. Tennessee Valley–a flat ride of only 2 miles will place you in the protected cove, you can hike up to an old missile site on either side of the beach

Golden National Recreation Area is the best part of the bay area.  It offers a respite from the concrete, a glimpse into the past and serves up the crashing waves of the Pacific next to the peacefulness of  a redwood forest.  Highly recommend you visit any of these places if you live or visit the bay area.

As the summer wears on, and the economy continues to lag, I strive to find some family friendly activities in San Francisco that leave my wallet unscathed. In order to maximize our entertainment dollars, I make sure we leave home well fed and rested, and bring along a couple snacks in my bag for the kids. Here are some ways that we would spend $20 on a family activity in San Francisco:

Two well-known San Francisco attractions offer free admission on certain days of the month. On the first Tuesday of the month, you can visit the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and on the first Wednesday of the month, the San Francisco Zoo is free to all attendees. That means I can spend my $20 on treats at Beard Papa (right down the street from SFMOMA) or on the Dentzel Carousel ($2 a ride) or Little Puffer Steam Train ($3 a ride) at the Zoo.

For a little San Francisco culture, I like to take my family to Chinatown, and explore the area on foot. Several websites offer self-guided walking tour directions – the area around Chinatown and North Beach is rich in California history. We all bring our cameras and take pictures of the many old and interesting buildings along the way. Our final stop? A stop at Golden Gate Bakery for egg custard tarts. At $1.10 a piece, we can afford enough for a great snack.

If anyone in your family is interested in the history of shipping and boats in San Francisco, head over to the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, located just west of Pier 39. The museum has several kid friendly options, including a great little activity book available at the Visitor’s Center. Tickets are $5 per person, with no charge for kids under 16. That would leave you $10 for treats at Ghiradelli Square across the street, or perhaps you might like a souvenir from one of the many vendors along the Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood.

And Golden Gate Park is always free, and if you bring a picnic lunch, some outdoor games and toys, you and your family can have a great afternoon in one of the nicest open spaces in Northern California.

What is your favorite (free and cheap) destination in San Francisco?

San Francisco has many wonderful museums, some within walking distance of each other. The mother of them all is the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), a architecturally fascinating building across from Yerba Buena Gardens. Interestingly enough, my kids enjoy the building almost more than the exhibits. Last time we went, we spent a long time on the suspension bridge on the 4th floor, running back and forth, looking down to the lobby below.

Around the corner, on Howard Street, is the California Academy of Sciences in temporary digs while their Golden Gate Park home is being retrofitted. The Steinhardt Aquarium is fascinating all by itself, but my 5 year old thinks the Nature Nest was created just for her!

Across town, near the Palace of Fine Arts, is probably our favorite family adventure in San Francisco, the Exploratorium. We can go and spend the entire day here! My favorite has always been the cow eyeball dissecting exhibit. When the kids were little, I could hardly pull them away from the giant bubble maker; nowadays, my son is fascinated with the science of sports, especially skateboarding, while my daughter likes to spend all her time in the tactile dome. As I said, an entire day’s worth of activities!