My classmates and I finally crossed one thing off our bucket list - traveling to the top of the…read morecampanile for one of the best views in the Bay! As students, we were able to visit for free; non-student tickets are only $6. Upon arrival, we waited in line for about 5 minutes for the elevator ride. Once inside the elevator, a friendly student gave us a quick history of the Campanile - all within the span of the 60 second elevator ride. We took a few short flights of stairs up to the top and were met with 360 degrees of breathtaking views. It was a clear day, and we could see as far as the Golden Gate Bridge. If you time your visit right, you can maybe catch one of the music performances. After we'd enjoyed the view for about 15 minutes, we took the elevator back down. I'd highly recommend a trip to the Campanile - it's the second tallest free-standing clock tower in the world!

UC Berkeley's Capanile, i.e. Sather Tower, completed in 1915, is said to be the second-tallest…read morefreestanding clock and bell tower in the world. We took a little stroll around the tower to listen to a charming carillon performance at 2pm on a Sunday, and for $5 we rode up an elevator and climbed a couple steep flights of stairs to catch the amazing 20-mile view from the 500-foot-high observation deck. Just lovely. Relaxing. They have 10-minute recitals Mon-Sat at 7:50am, 12pm, and 6pm, a 45-minute show Sundays at 2pm, (Oct 2025), and occasional evening practices. We used visitor parking a 10min walk away at Sproul Garage, and there's some disabled parking at the north edge of the greenspace esplanade around the tower.

When crossing the eastern span of the San Francisco Bridge, few people realize the history of the…read moremilitary in the area. One specifically, the Nimitz House, hidden just under the freeway on the east side of Yerba Buena island, has an incredible story and history! This house was the final residence of General Chester Nimitz, the leader and architect of WWII Pacific Theater. Simply said, the man whose leadership and strategy was used to win the war and allowed the Allies to proclaim victory. This house is a three story mansion and shows its unique architectural splendor as you approach it. It contains large windows which enabled views of the east bay and if you search the internet, you will see the elegant interior - a fitting home for its resident and his family. Gen Nimitz past away in this home at the age of 81 from a stroke. Unfortunately, California is not maintaining the residence and it has been falling in disrepair. Paint, windows, and the structure are all showing signs of neglect. Don't let its condition stop you from visiting though. Although you can't enter, you can appreciate its history and marvel of the fantastic area and views it provided.

Have you ever fallen into a rabbit hole of discovery on the Internet, only to find yourself, at…read more3am, looking at pictures of seemingly abandoned buildings on islands off the coasts of California or Mexico, which you found by zooming into said islands on Google maps and looking through the posted photos, then wondering who the hell this random guy named Christian is who posted the photos not even five months ago? What is Christian's story, you wonder, as you continue to look through the other attractions of the island, which does not include residential or commercial buildings, only to discover a few hiking trails that lead seemingly to nowhere...but what's this? A campsite with no electricity, running water, or bathrooms? Just a field on an island designated as a campsite, reached by some trail made by a dude with a machete, or something? But despite the lack of these amenities...there are picnic tables! Who decided first that it should be a campsite? Who brought the tables? What are the backstories? I've found some neat places online using this exact technique, and I've been fortunate enough to visit such places. It's cool to stand in the location of such a place after seeing all the pictures online and building it up in your head, and honestly, what makes these places better is when there aren't a ton of people crowding around when you get there, trying to take a picture for their Instagram. Sometimes, like in the case of this house, I do the reverse and come upon a neat building, art piece, or other landmark as I'm out doing other things, then furiously search the Internet for more info on the history. For me, the places that are a bit mysterious are the coolest finds. We came across this spot accidentally; we had gone to see the mission in downtown and stopped to check out Treasure Island on the way back. We drove around a bit looking for a good place to see the skyline, and came upon this very unique bit of Yerba Buena, which is somewhat hidden on the side and requires you take some twists and turns down a side road. Although there is an informational board in front of this house that suggests many people visit this place, the houses are surprisingly well-kept, with all windows intact and walls free of graffiti tags, and things are generally not trashed by garbage human beings. Looking into and around each of the houses, I got the sense that this is an area that is largely unvisited, especially compared to the neighboring areas of San Francisco, and now even Treasure Island. I wanted to do my own digging to see how well-known this weird circle of Victorian-style houses, juxtaposed beneath the modern industrial backdrop of the various overpass-bridges, are to people my age online. The results were interesting. One Reddit post with someone claiming you can rent these out for events. Quite a few articles discussing some cool historical facts, like how the Navy wouldn't let the developers of the overpass build over the house if it would block the sunshine (this house was where Admiral Chester W. Nimitz lived the last years of his life). You can easily see the curve of the overpass, as if someone nudged it out of the way. Not a whole lot more on it, other than apparently Willie Brown (past SF mayor) trying to make it the mayor's ceremonial mansion (god, please don't). Overall, despite not being able to go inside any of these houses, they're kept in beautiful condition by someone I'm assuming to be a groundskeeper, and a stop here is worth it for the view alone. Just don't mind the whizzing and whirring of the cars commuting from above.

Do you long for world class walks along the Bay? Are picnics by the SF Bay romantic enough for you?…read moreWhat about a very long walk down an endless pier? Sadly the pier itself is closed, but the shoreline is timeless and gorgeous. And let's not forget fishing on a perfect day. Along the Bay Trail, you will find happy visitors and families. There is history here with free knowledge Mon-Sun, bring your own container.

The Berkeley Pier has been closed for several years now!! No doubt they either need to retrofit it…read moreor tear it down altogether and build another one. The 4 stars is for when it was open, and you could walk all the way out to what felt like the middle of the Bay. A great way to walk off the dinner and/or drinks that you had at Skates which is right next to it. People would be out here all day and night fishing, or just hanging out. I really miss walking on this Pier, I really hope they repair or replace it, if not, I'll always be glad I got to experience it when it was open!!