Napa Valley
Main Street
St. Helena CA
Both locals and visitors alike enjoy strolling through the historic downtown St. Helena shops. Whether it is designer clothing, hardware or a bike you are looking for, it can all be found in downtown St. Helena. The St. Helena Premium Outlets can be found just about two miles north of town along Hwy. 29. The larger Napa Premium outlets are a half hour south in the city of Napa.
Napa Valley
PO Box 858
Calistoga CA
P: (888) 995-7700
Float serenely and effortlessly above the vineyards and wineries of the Napa Valley, considered by many to be the most prestigious wine-producing region in the world, enjoying the unique views and vistas of the vineyards.
“See Monterey Through The Eyes of Hollywood”
(831) 372-6278 (800) 343-6437
Boarding at 1 Portola Plaza (at the Monterey Conference Center)
Monterey, CA 93940
Whether you and your guests are looking for an introductory area tour, a rainy day option or an alternative to attractions they’ve already seen, Monterey Movie Tours is your ticket to a great getaway. Our daily scenic tour travels through Monterey, Cannery Row, Pacific Grove and Carmel with stops at Bird Rock, the Lone Cypress Tree and the Lodge at Pebble Beach where passengers will have extra time to enjoy the world-famous views and shops. This nationally acclaimed three-hour motorcoach tour presents the region’s exciting history and stunning scenery while featuring video clips from some of the nearly 200 movies filmed in the area.
Monterey Movie Tours is a two-tours-in-one outing, showcasing both the magnificent landscape and a star-studded selection of “blockbuster” scenes viewed on overhead monitors at the sites they were filmed. It offers unbeatable value for you and your guests!
Website: http://www.montereymovietours.com/
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Best of Bay Area’s Mom & Dad Adventure Fall 2008 Byron, Best of Bay Area Did you know there’s a place in the Bay Area where you can take an authentic gondola ride? Well, there is! Gondola Service or as I say in phonetic Italian “Gon-doe-lah Ser-vee-see-oh” is located on Lake Merritt in downtown Oakland.
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| Best of Bay Area Family & Dog Friendly Adventure Niles Canyon Railway Old Movies, Old Trains & Byron, Best of Bay Area There are not too many places in the Bay Area that one can take the whole family on an adventure, including the family dog. We’ve selected the Niles Canyon Railway as our Best Family Adventure that’s dog friendly. As in the days of the past, the Conductor has the final call regarding who boards his or her train. Only well behaved dogs that get prior approval are allowed on board. |
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Los Gatos CA
If you want culture in Silicon Valley, this is your best bet. Historic architecture, an All-American Main Street, cute boutiques, and a wide variety of restaurants, Los Gatos feels like a 21st century version of a Norman Rockwell painting. Easy to get to because of its proximity to Highway 17.
21000 Big Basin Way
Saratoga CA
P: 408.741.4994
Tucked away in the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains just outside of Saratoga, Hakone is one of the few truly authentic Japanese gardens in America. With four unique gardens created to offer beauty in all seasons, twisting gravel paths, waterfalls, koi pond, a bamboo park and a replica of a 19th century Kyoto tea merchant’s home, it makes a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley.
San Jose
in Guadalupe River and Park Gardens, Spring and Taylor Streets
San Jose Ca
Delighting you with a world class collection of almost 5,000 plants of more than 3,500 varieties of heritage, modern and miniature roses, initially planted by more than 750 volunteers in March, 1995.
The garden is a joint venture of the City of San Jose, the Friends of the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens, the Santa Clara County Rose Society, the South Bay Heritage Rose Group, and the many civic volunteers who continue to propagate, fertilize, prune, weed, catalog and care for our precious collection of roses.
Hours: open seven days a week, from half an hour before dawn to half an hour after dusk.
Admission and on-street parking are free!
www.heritageroses.us
Alameda Beach
Activity/Event/Show Reviewed: Activity
Address: Otis Drive at Westline Drive
City: Alameda
Phone: (510) 562-PARK
From Website: From the 1880s until the outbreak of World War II, Alameda Beach was renowned as an amusement center, the largest beach on San Francisco Bay.
Known for its beautiful sands and warm waters, the beach was a popular day-trip destination for residents from throughout the region. It earned the name “Coney Island of the West,” and bathing spas competed for patronage by staging concerts, balloon ascents, carnival rides, baseball games, prize fights, and other publicity stunts.
The carnival is over, but the beautiful beach is back, bordered by lawns and picnic grounds. Some of the area’s colorful past is preserved in exhibits at the park’s Crab Cove Visitor Center.
Crown Beach is operated by the Park District under a cooperative agreement with the State of California and City of Alameda. It is named in memory of State Assemblyman Robert W. Crown, who had campaigned for its preservation as public parkland.
Showpiece of the park is its 2.5-mile beach, with sand dunes bordering a bicycle trail. The beach is a great achievement of landscaping and engineering. After wind and water action had eroded the beach dangerously, it was restored in early 1982 with sand from San Francisco Bay, pumped ashore by pipeline from a barge.
More sand has been added since then, and groins have been constructed to keep it in place.
The water is warm and shallow at Crown Beach. At the west end of the beach is a bathhouse with changing rooms. Swimming is permitted during park hours year round. No lifeguards are on duty. Next to the bathhouse are picnic tables, barbecue pits and lots of lawn area for ball games. Some picnic areas are reservable; call (510) 636-1684 for information.
Crown is another park popular with windsurfers. Rental sailboards and lessons are available on summer weekends.
An annual crowd-pleasing tradition at Crown is the Sand Castle and Sand Sculpture Contest, held in front of the bathhouse on a low-tide Saturday morning in June. Open to all ages, the contest attracts hundreds of participants and spectators. High tide destroys the sand creations, but winners receive trophies and ribbons as mementos of their artistry.
The natural history of Crown is emphasized in two locations. Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary at the east end harbors aquatic birds and other salt marsh creatures. Crab Cove at the north end is a marine reserve where all plant and animal life is protected.
Crab Cove Visitor Center, located on McKay Avenue within Crown Beach, contains exhibits and aquaria highlighting flora and fauna of San Francisco Bay and other marine areas.
The visitor center is disabled-accessible. There are picnic areas nearby; alcoholic beverages are prohibited. (Seasonal parking fee.)
www.ebparks.org/parks/crown.htm
www.bestofbayarea.com
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