I've been wanting to take some pics here for a while, had to email the SF Public Utilities…read moreCommission to make sure it was open Monday 4/1/13. They don't get Cesar Chavez Day off so I was happy. It's FREE to enter & take pics. Open M-F 9-3 for the public. It's a nice drive in, with purple leaves in the California Redbud trees. Lilac bushes - didn't see them, Lombard Poplars - not sure if they are still there. You can read the history of the SWT & take pics. The ceiling wasn't finished, kinda neat to see. Spent about 20 min there. Website with more info: http://www.sfwater.org/index.aspx?page=94

A quiet place to stroll and contemplate. The structure is beautiful and the surrounding foliage…read moretranquil and gorgeous esp in fall.

Came on a Saturday in February around 10:45am and there was no parking fee that day. Most of the…read morelots were pretty full, but we were able to find parking in the overflow area. We did the Canyon View to Little Yosemite trail and I recommend downloading the map ahead of time as there was no service in the park. Trail was well maintained and the views of the green hills were very pretty! Came across some very friendly cows as well. Just be aware if you are going during the summer that there are no trees so limited shade. We did the trail clockwise, which starts off with a somewhat sharp incline and finishes with a gradual decline. I would recommend this direction so that you tackle the difficult portion first and then recover at the end with the descent. We also did part of the McCorkle trail, which was pretty tiring, so we decided to skip Little Yosemite using Cerro Este Road - appreciated how there are shortcuts available. Canyon View trail was not too busy, and we ran into more people (+ dogs/kids) on the Camp Ohlone Road heading toward Little Yosemite. Overall, it was a great, moderate hike and I would definitely come back to see Little Yosemite next time!

A group of 5 of us decided to do Rose Peak Trail from Sunol. This is a brutal 17.8, 9.5-10 hour…read morehike and up to 20 miles depending if you start from the visitor center. Started late at 9 am with few breaks and got to 3k elevation and still didn't reach the peak at 1:30 pm. A lot of hills and valleys with climbing/walking for 4.5 hours straight. Going back wasn't as easy since there's still some hills to pass. All in all, we did 18 miles for 8.5 hours of hiking. At least know what to expect for next year. The trail markers are numbered decently with not all marked. Bring a map and plenty of water! 2.5-5 liters is recommended by people who finished. Start right at 8 am. Saw 3 tarantulas and there are rattlers/mountain lions from the signs. Definitely one of the hardest hikes in the bay! Not much to see on the trail or views.

What an awesome place! My cousin found this Italian winery after we had some Burmese food that was…read morelocated just a few miles north in Pleasanton. I loved the entry way like and old italian villa with palm trees. Service was nice and the staff attentive but not bothersome. We did a tasting and then I bought a bottle for my cousin and I to share and for one to take home which we eventually shared too lol! The seating area is comfy and has views of the winery and where they make the wine. Totally cool out door seating that was full but not so close that you feel tight. The wine was nice and my cousin gets to pick as she knows more about me in regards to wine and I trust her choices. She is like my sister so I trust her. We both liked what we got and what we got to taste. Overall we both Liked Rubino and we would go again. Highly recommend visit if you like a nice intimate place, beautiful sights and awesome wine.

Service needs help! Not very accommodating. Even in situations where there is nobody around - it's…read morehard to get chairs and tables put together. We are having a chill time but there is a time limit even tho it's not full. Weird concept. Totally understand if it's full and need to be mindful of timing, but it's NOT full. There is more but I'll just leave it to this! Anyway. Not a fan, won't be back. There are plenty of welcoming options in Livermore and Pleasanton.

Lots of details about this interesting corner of the Bay Area provided by our guide Dan G. He was a…read morewealth of information, pretty funny and as a local was able to share a lot of perspective on the islands changes. Great day trip and I wish we had more time to poke around.

Wonderful tour led by Jim. History + nature! A great morning spent on the island…read more For people who are looking to visit the Naval Museum on the island, it is no longer open, but this tour is operative and you get to see the naval chapel and walk around the area. I was originally looking for information about the museum and arrived at this page: https://www.mihpf.org/tours. I hope this will help you find their tour options and dates! All digitalized, no fuss. And it turns out I was the only who signed up for today's tour, and they did not cancel on me because of that. I really really appreciated it. One last thing, the money you spend on the tour goes into helping this foundation : ) Yay!

most elizabeths are great. to name a few - the queen (rip), elizabeth taylor (the queen), and…read moreelizabeth hurley (also the queen especially when she pulled up in that versace dress, if you don't know what i'm talking about just google it). lake elizabeth is a spectacular elizabeth! it reeks of geese droppings and i'm HERE FOR IT. not in a weird way. it's super nostalgic for every fremont kid, has a great scenic 2 mile trail, and also offers alternative trails like the one behind the railroad. great place for community events and parties. squirrels are cute. note - trail is flat but there is one section that's super bumpy. not ideal for roller skaters like me who only have indoor wheels! some personal memories from childhood: watching an old guy catch a rainbow fish out of the lake, getting chased by a goose, falling off the brown playground slide, getting screamed at by a random parrot

Beautiful place to wind down, spend time with family and friends. Walk around the lake for a longer…read morewalks and beautiful evenings. Great for picnics

Came to this place to walk around after having a heavy dinner and fell in loooooooooove. I stumbled…read moreacross a tree you simply can't miss when you come here. It's amazing! It's gargantuan! It's historic! It's the most beautiful tree I've ever seen in a city. Highly recommend visiting and falling in love food yourself.

Peaceful and quiet garden with Japanese style aesthetics on the grounds of a historic Victorian…read morestyle home in the middle of a nice neighborhood. House tours are on the 1st Wednesday and 3rd Saturday of the month, from 1 to 3pm. What I liked about this spot is that there's about 2 gazebos in the enclosed Japanese garden with bench seats (no tables) where you can sit and meditate or quietly enjoy the calming ambience of petite Japanese maple trees and rock formations. There's also a tall tree near the front which was apparently planted in 1878, as well as some old olive trees with cool trunks in the periphery of their small and enclosed Japanese garden. There were quite a few bees and butterflies fluttering around during my visit - all signs of a good garden sanctuary for these insects. In the front and center lawn, there's a couple of picnic tables where I saw some locals sitting and having a nice conversation and enjoying the atmosphere. Towards the back is a much bigger barn and open space, which seems like it would cater for events, like an outdoor wedding reception or BBQ style party. During my visit in the late afternoon I saw a few people taking fashion and engagement photos here too. The parking lot looks like it could hold about 10-15 cars. I stopped in here for a quick stroll and visit after running errands in the area, so that I could enjoy some quiet relaxation and wait out the early rush hour traffic before my drive home.

Cool look at the silent film industry! You can tell there was a lot of significant history in this…read morebuilding and they did amazing work to preserve it. Some original pieces were shown, such as the original bench from the Edison Theater. It's the only remaining original seats from there! Many types of cameras, equipment, and items. Several nods to Charlie Chaplin - his background, movie posters, cardboard cutout, mural, and merch. They have knowledgeable and friendly staff that give guided tours. They are huge fans, so excited to describe everything and share stories. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. On the right side, there's a gift shop of museum souvenirs as well as shelves of silent films you can buy to watch at home. They also have silent film showings with piano accompaniment on Saturday evenings. You can buy popcorn, candy, and drinks. There's a small theater at the back past the center aisle. It would be a fun date night or family activity!

Basically the only tourist attraction in Fremont…read more Criminally underrated place that I only heard about through a chance mention from an Uber driver. They have all kinds of screenings of great films. I just caught It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and intend to come back for Wild Strawberries (1957) and maybe The General (1926) next week. The theater seats are somewhat uncomfortable and the patrons are mostly really old white Boomers, but the latter is understandable given the subject matter and the usual demographic of people interested in this sort of thing. (Plus the general exodus of younger whites from California over the past 10 years and especially since COVID. It's a bit of a bummer for me because it's now much tougher for me to get a white girlfriend. Not that non-white girls aren't wonderful, but you know, I could just go abroad for a better and frankly higher-quality selection. I'm in America for my white girl.) The husband-wife team who run this place (Tony and Rhonda) are great, and everyone's extremely nice. I wish the gift shop had a better selection of old books though. Most of the Blu-rays on sale are superfluous with a Criterion Channel subscription, and the books on sale are pretty boring and seem to be ad hoc sales from people's used book collections. I haven't actually been to the museum proper yet (they're only open weekends 12-4 and I tend to only really wake up on weekend evenings/nights), but I love any theater that airs old films. Those are few and far between these days. The only other ones I know of in the Bay Area are in San Francisco. Once again, I'm totally shocked something like this is in Fremont.

Was in the area, and got some free time plus we visited 5-6 missions in California so far so might…read moreas well visit this one. Very nice and grand looking. It's not original since the original was burned down back then. We came around 3-4pm so not much of visitors. Parking is easy and staff are nice and accommodating. Grand service area with high ceiling. Good & glad that we visited.

As a 4th grade teacher, I unfortunately would not return for another field trip. The mission itself…read moreis historically interesting, but the tour structure was not well suited for elementary students. Much of the experience involved long lecture segments in a quiet, echo-heavy church environment, and many students struggled to remain engaged or even follow portions of the presentation clearly. The larger issue was logistics and time management. Our tour was scheduled to end at noon but was still actively running around 12:30, which compressed lunch into only a few rushed minutes before buses needed to depart. Departure became chaotic because the gift shop remained fully active during bus loading, making it extremely difficult for teachers to regroup students and leave on time. I appreciate the historical importance of the site, but future elementary field trip groups should be aware that the pacing, scheduling, and transition management may not align well with the realities of supervising large groups of 4th graders on a tight school schedule.

10/10 -- Worth Every Penny (Parlor/Dome Car Experience)…read more If you're considering the Niles Canyon Train of Lights, do yourself a favor and splurge on the Parlor Car or Dome car. It completely transforms the experience. From the moment you board, you're treated like a VIP: dedicated seating in a fully enclosed caboose, attentive service throughout the ride, and complimentary warm drinks and sweets that are perfect for a cold, wet winter night. Being waited on while rolling through a glowing canyon? Yes, please. One of the biggest perks is having your own reserved space, while still being free to explore the rest of the train--knowing your seat is secure and shared only with fellow Parlor Car Riders. It strikes the perfect balance between comfort and adventure. I've done both the 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm departures, and while both are enjoyable, 4:30 pm is the clear winner for me. You get to take in the scenery before the sun fully sets, which adds a magical transition from daylight to twinkling lights. The 7:30 pm ride feels more social and cozy--great for lingering conversations with family and friends--but the earlier ride lets you truly appreciate your surroundings. As for the cost, it's important to note that this railway is 100% donation-funded and entirely volunteer-operated. Knowing that every dollar goes directly toward preserving the historic railway, maintaining the trains, and supporting the volunteers who make this experience possible makes the price feel even more justified. You're not just paying for a ride--you're supporting a piece of living history. Bottom line: Cozy Thoughtfully curated For a great cause Perfect for winter evenings If you're on the fence about the Parlor Car or Dome Car upgrade--it's absolutely worth it.

All aboard! If you…read moreare looking for a low key outing that's suitable for all ages then consider booking a ride on Niles Canyon Railway. Enjoy a slow ride Sunol to downtown Niles and back, approx 1.5 hours. A docent will share tid bits of history during the ride. There are snacks for purchase and you can bring your own. I prepared a simple charcuterie for me and mom, gotta have something to nosh on as we enjoy the view. It's June and the hills are brown already but oh well it's still pretty. I was a little worried about whether my mom would struggle boarding the train as I didn't book ADA as she is not in wheelchair. The steps are slightly deeper than ours at home but she made it up without difficulty, there is a railing for support. Conductor did offer us to go to the car with the lift if we wanted. My next anxiety was holding up the boarding as mom navigated the stairs slowly and there quite a few people behind us. Everyone was patient thankfully and no one scoffed. Would love to do their holidays lights ride sometime but I haven't been successful in last few years to get tickets, they go fast.