On top of Mount Hamilton lies the lake observatory. This was my third time visiting the…read moreobservatory, I came here with my four year-old daughter, and it was her first coming here. She was surprised and excited to see the telescope. Inside the observatory it's packed up but fascinating information regarding the meteors stars lots of scientific discoveries. This place also tells you about James Lick's achievements the way he brought the astronomy into reality and his life struggle. There are plenty of parking near Observatory just that while driving, you must be bit careful those were the newcomers because the road is very narrow once you get on the hill. There is a small gift shop inside the Observatory you can grab souvenirs like sweatshirt, T-shirt, magnets, some jewelries which was mentioned was made out of meteors which I found it fascinating and some kids related item, etc.

Took my "Goon Sqaud" Neo and laiza to come check out the Famous Lick Observatory. They've never…read morebeen here before. Make sure to go on a weekend because during the week you won't be able to see the telescopes! It's about an hour drive once you start from 130 or from quimby rd. Make sure to ask someone from the area to give you the history behind Lick Observatory. I'm sure you'll find it interesting!

I had the honor of escorting one very excited astrophotographer and his girlfriend (my Goddaughter)…read moreto experience a talk by Dr. Filipenko on the 150th anniversary of the James Lick Act of Congress. The talk started at 7:45 pm in the evening, and went well into 9 pm after the speaker allowed for a short Q&A session. I learned more about James Lick and how generational wealth was built than I'd ever imagined possible on a Sunday. Unfortunately for us, humidity was at an all time high, so we only had the opportunity to look at these massive telescopes, instead of gazing at the far away stars they were built to study. I did get to walk through The Chabot science center and see how fun it would be to come back with you get kids. Can you believe, you can even decorate a postcard that they will send to space. I would now like to design a piece of mail destined for space. Also, you can come out on Friday and Saturday nights and get the opportunity to look into the heavens with these giant creatures. I guess, this just means I have a rain check to visit Oakland in the near future.

I hadn't been to Chabot in a very long time. I took Empress and we had a pretty good time. Seems…read morelike there were more interactive exhibits back in the day but we still had fun. The exhibits are very educational and enlightening. I'd like to go back in the evening and experience the telescope views. There's plenty for the kids to experience! #GoSee

Unfortunately I came on a weekend, and so the Observatory was closed, but it looked pretty cool…read morewhen I walked around it! The building right next to it is big enough for a classroom, but I am so curious to see what the Observatory looks like from the inside! It's an easy walk from the Evergreen campus, with two parking spaces (one is for disability access). At least from the outside, the Observatory looks great. Hopefully I can come by when there are students and faculty around, and maybe I can catch a glimpse of the Observatory!

Chateau La Cresta was hands down one of the most memorable dining experiences we've had in the Bay…read moreArea. Tucked into the hillside at The Mountain Winery, the restaurant occupies the historic 1901 chateau built by Paul Masson himself, you can feel the history in every stone archway and wine barrel accent. We were seated on the outdoor patio just as the sun started dipping behind the Santa Cruz Mountains, and the view alone was worth the drive-up Pierce Road. We had the 3-course meal that started with a delicious watermelon salad moved to mouth -watering salmon and finished with scrumptious lemon Tiramasu! Every dish was prepared with fresh, seasonal, local ingredients, and you could tell real care went into the pairing with their estate wines. Service was attentive, warm and well-paced without ever feeling rushed, even with the Gladys Knight concert full house that night. If you're heading to a show at the amphitheater, do yourself a favor and book dinner beforehand, it turns a concert into a full evening out of joy! Between the setting, the food, and the sheer beauty of the property, Chateau La Cresta earns every one of its 5 stars. We'll absolutely be back.

This place is a true hidden gem! Wow. The experience of watching a concert here is amazing. The…read moreseating is super comfortable, you have enough space between yourself and the person next to you. It's not crowded & if you are looking for a drink, there are at least 4 different place you can go to not including the restaurants on site. I would've loved to try some of the snacks and or food there but there was so much exploring around! The sight is unbelievable and I would definitely go here again. Side note * the drive up the road is WORTH IT. It's not as bad as people make it out to be.

To be honest, the view from the observatory out towards the valley, with the fog layer sitting…read morebelow you like the biggest bowl of whipped cream known to man was just about as cool as the observatory. That alone was well worth it. The observatory too was neat. We happened to be campng there the night of the month they open it up. There was a nice video presenation (nothing you would not see on the discorvery channel but cool never the less), a QA with the on site volunteer and then they let the guests look through the various telescopes which were focused on the moons of Jupiter. They have one big honkin (about the size of a VW Bug) telescope but the volunteers also had about 1/2 dozen (6 if you must) other telescopes set up as well, so the kids were able to take a little more time on those. For anyone into astronomy it would be a must. Probably pretty entertaining for almost any 7 to 11 year old kid. Side note, the drive up has some sharp turns. My mothe rmade it up with a trailer on her truck but it was a bit hairy. The camp ground there is usable, but nothing too special. It was dry when we were there so we were not allowed to have a camp fire :(

It took me having to take astronomy at Hartnell to knlw about the observatory. I didnt know we had…read moreanything like this around. My professor required us to go up last week. The view is just so amazing. Its a little walk up to observatory so make sure you layer yourself. Its free bug there is a donation box. There are other people with other telescopes out that let you see things. I saw the milky way which is a haze. Its cool. The observatory itself is cool. The roof gets pushed off or rolls off. This is 100% a place everyone needs to check out at least once in their life.

Lovely group and hooray for raptors and good cause but the director is discriminatory…read more They gladly accept seniors with oncoming dementia but after training - an excellent veterinary fit volunteer as she was just getting diagnosed with sudden onset pots syndrome- and not aware what her limitations may be disclosed to the director He told her he "did not want to slow the group down" This is flat out discrimination .

Wow! It's beautiful! We've been here a lot of times but this was a good time to take pictures…read morebecause it was clear. There were no clouds or fog. The perfect time to take a picture is at sunset.

Treasure Island Music Festival is one of my favorite music festivals. I've been most years. I think…read moreI've only missed 3 or maybe 4 years. I really like the stage layout. There's only two stages in an L shape, and the schedule alternates between each stage, so there's only one band playing at a time. This is fantastic because this is one music festival where you can actually see every band on the lineup! The festival is two days long, with Saturday usually featuring hip hop and/or electronic acts, and Sunday featuring rock and indie acts. When this festival was on Treasure Island, getting into and off the island was sort of difficult. One aspect of this festival is there's always free shuttles that take you to the festival. The same is still true now that's it's moved to West Oakland; however it's a bit easier now since the shuttles pick up and drop off at BART. For those in the East Bay, you save yourself the bridge toll if you're driving now. Getting there is always easy since people arrive at different times, so there's never a wait to get on the shuttle bus; however, getting home is annoying because you will have to wait to load the busses. In 2018, the first year in Oakland, I think they handled it pretty well. There were a ton of buses, so we didn't have to wait long at all. Instead of one line, there were several lines for the buses, so this sped things up too. I like that festival feels smaller and more intimate. Previously, you could stand in between the stages and see and listen to all the bands. However, at the new location in Oakland, the stages are much further away unfortunately, so you will have to trek between the stages and move between them to see and hear all the acts. One of the nicest features of the festival is the gorgeous views on SF. Don't miss sunset for amazing views. I also love the surprise touches too like the light up jellyfish the come through the crowd and the massive light up balloon arches. TIP: Also, be sure to bring layers. Your cute festival look will feel foolish once the sun goes down when it turns downright chilly.

This year marks Treasure Island Music Festival's 10th and LAST year. I was so amazed at the free…read moreshuttles to Treasure Island, but was very disappointed at the very last minute warnings for cancellation of events. I know that this event is usually more organized and rain is hard to plan around, but it's just sad a few acts were cancelled. Ran by Another Planet Entertainment Music, treasure island has a great amount of acts and a good amount of food trucks. With the bay bridge in the background and a colorful Ferris wheel, the festival offered beautiful skyline photos! It's very sad that this music festival had to end on a rainy note, but at least they won't lose business next year because there will be none next year! Will miss you TIMF!

First time came to the observation deck, I think it is best spot to view the golden bridge, even…read morewas cloudy day we still able to get quiet a few very good shots of bridge, I can't imagine how great views would be in sunny days. It's very easy-accessible, you can drive and bike to there with short walk to the top, very windy at the top, bright a jacket and watch your hat is great idea. At almost 500 feet above the bay, this high cliff-top vantage point was a prime location for big coastal defense guns when the army was there.