My daughter and decided to go for a beautiful walk. We both love any bodies of water! This was the…read moreperfect place. Everyone walking their dogs . We got sad bc we didn't have our pup. Always a next time. As we walked we saw so many fun and beautiful sights. Check out my pic for more details. We can't wait to go back.

PROS: *Lots of parking…read more*Lots to see *Dog-friendly *Great views *Right by the water *Quiet *Great trails *Local art *Great place for families or to go solo. KEEP IN MIND: *Parking can be difficult when it's the weekend or a beautiful day at (depending on the time of day) *Trails can feel a bit secluded at times I love coming here with my pup when I'm in the area. Love seeing the local art while walking. The intention/wish tree is unique. (See video) Plenty to do- walk along the different trails, along the water, or on the rocks along the shore side. FYI: that can get a lil slippery so watch your step!

The Pardee Home Museum has been on my radar for a while as one of the few places in the East Bay to…read moreget afternoon tea. I ended up finally booking the garden for a large party this month and was impressed by the experience from start to finish. It's hard to believe that it's entirely volunteer-led! Everyone I met was clearly knowledgeable and passionate about the house, its history, and its preservation. Making a reservation was easy and the coordinators were kind and courteous during the whole process. The day-of place settings were beautiful and the food was some of the best I've had for tea in addition to being generous and variable in servings. There were even some kid-friendly items (including some non-caffeinated beverages) as I had a few young guests in attendance. The tour we had following our tea service was detailed and informative without being boring. The house itself is incredibly preserved and in immaculate condition. It was great learning about the history of the Pardee family and their influence in the Bay Area, California, and beyond. There were some interactive parts too including getting to touch some antique items and listen to some hand-cranked music players. I will undoubtedly be back sometime and highly encourage anyone who likes good food and vibes or learning about local history to book a visit themselves. If you have people from out-of-town visiting, the Pardee Home is an excellent first choice for doing something low-key and private but still touristy.

This tea party was a perfect experience. The food was delicious, the ladies serving were…read moredelightful, and the tour of the museum afterwards was so interesting!

I randomly came across the John Muir National Historic Site, and I'm so glad I did!…read more You first enter through the visitor center, where I happened to overhear a gentleman at the desk telling another guest about the property and a tour happening at 11am. This was on a random Thursday, and luckily, it was 10:55am! So naturally, I decided to stick around for the tour lol. You walk up a short path to John Muir's house, where a docent leads a quick tour that's about 20-25 minutes. Afterward, you're free to explore the rest of the house, including the second and third floors, at your own pace. I especially enjoyed reading about the lives of John Muir's in-laws, wife, and daughters, which gave the house a more personal feel. The top-floor bell tower was a fun surprise -- you can actually ring the bell! I also enjoyed walking around the rest of the property and seeing all the different fruit trees that were planted there. Overall, I really enjoyed my visit. It's always cool stumbling across a local historic site and getting to learn a little more about the history of the area. Definitely worth a stop if you're nearby!

4.4 stars We all…read moreknow some of his famous quotes: "The mountains are calling and I must go." "Going to the mountains is going home." "One touch of nature makes the whole world kin." According to Brittanica, John Muir was largely responsible for the establishment of Sequoia National Park and Yosemite National Park. Muir was a preservationist that didn't agree with allowing industries to harvest resources within the national parks. He was able to swing public and congressional opinion in favor of national forest reservations through his writing, which led to the establishment of Mt. Rainier National Park in 1899 and Grand Canyon National Park in 1919. His home became John Muir National Historic Site in 1964. Much of the exhibits within the home discusses his personal life and achievements. He was the eldest of 8 children, immigrated to the U.S. in 1849, and he married Louie Wanda Strentzel in 1880. He and his wife had 2 daughters named Wanda and Helen. In his lifetime, he has written 300 articles and 10 books, which can be purchased online and at Muir Woods National Monument and Bear Valley Visitor's Center. I highly recommend visiting this site if you'd like more information :) there's a lot more details here.

Tired of cookie cutter housing developments where you know exactly what your neighbor's house looks…read morelike inside? Look no further come to the fish house. I don't think there is anything worse than rows and rows of post WW2 houses that all look the same. The windows are in the same spots the bedrooms are in the same spots and everybody places their Christmas trees in the same spots in their same living rooms. Short standard eight foot walls, shallow short roofs and attached garages that take away from window wall space and are too small to fit even one car inside even though they are designed for 2 cars. Not everybody can live in beautiful Victorians - I get it - so meanwhile you can come to Fish House. Local Yelp flavor. Exterior is so unique it stands out even if your not looking for it. Walkway to entrance lit up and well cared for. Very refreshing.

The Fish House is a must show site for visitors. We recommend it highly!! (n.b., it is a private…read moreresidence, so all you can see is the outside from the street, but it's worth it.)

A beautiful camp with many trees and beautiful hiking trails (not overly developed) that end with a…read morescenic vista. The rangers are super nice too. What an amazing place in the center of the SF Bay Area. They rent to non scout groups.

Dr. Roy De Selms - At 90 I'm reminiscing about my growing up in Berkeley and coming to Camp Herms…read morein the 1940's when I was in Troop 25. A group of us Boy Scouts would come from West Berkeley with back pack packs and provisions to camp out overnight. We would hike from the end of the Arlington Street Car Line to Camp Herms. At that time, there was a caretaker's home on the right upon entering. Mr. Waterbury kept bee hives in his back yard which we occasionally raided for the honey. There were a couple of small buildings on the left and the swimming pool in the center with the rock wall. The walls of the quarry were bare rock, but up to the right there was a Eucalyptus grove where we would camp and cook our meals. We found out very fast that you didn't camp directly under the trees because when the fog rolled in at night, it would be like rain. directly over the back ridge, some homeless people would camp out. I have very many fond memories of Camp Herms.

What a treasure in the midst of hectic Bay Area! Our parks tour guide was super knowledgeable- what…read morean interesting story of the life of Eugene and his wife

Sneaky cool nps site. A little hard to get to but website has good logistical info. Site is well…read moremaintained. Rangers tour has good interpretative content. A site worth checking out.

A friend took my husband and me to spend a day at Point San Pablo. It was an amazing and beautiful…read moreplace. As we drove up the "long and winding road" we all felt our cares and stress from the San Francisco traffic fall away. We ate at the restaurant, listened to some great jazz in the bar area and had fun walking around the property. Our friend discovered two burning man sculptures that have found permanent homes here. On was a tall steel structure that had a steel tree on top of it. It was really nice but when we walked inside it....OMG, we were transported to another world or an alternate reality, I don't know which but it was astonishingly beautiful inside this tiny room. I will attach some photos. The other burning man sculpture was a metal globe, hard to describe. It was nice and was at the end of a long road in a beautiful spot.

I was out this weekend showing my friend the brighter side of Richmond when we wandered into Point…read moreSan Pablo. It's on the back of an oil refinery (which sounds more ominous than it actually is) and is home to the Point San Pablo Yacht Club and the East Brother Island B&B. Getting to point San Pablo is like going back in time. It's completely untouched from the days when it was inhabited by factory workers (their homes remain boarded up). The sometimes gravel road is long and winding, and it's almost like going on a historical tour of Richmond. It's amazing because you can see how much promise the city actuallly holds if someone would just invest in development of the area. There is so much amazing greenery and the ocean views are unbelievable. At one point you can get a full view of the Richmond/San Raphael Bridge (Who knew it was that long). It's a cool place to stop by on your way somewhere else. It's not much for hiking since everything is gated and access is so limited, but the sunset is totally worth it.

I attended an art reception at is this great old school house. When I walked though the gabled…read moreportico and up the interior stairs I could smell the perfume of old wood. The rooms with the large windows were a perfect location for an art show. There are other events held at this delightful school that has been renovated as a community center

Interesting, old building. People are working hard to preserve it. Great town, too.read more