One of our goals this summer was to take our son to see a lighthouse. There are a few in the Bay Area, but my favorite has always been the Point Reyes Lighthouse (see my post from yesterday: “Point Reyes Lighthouse“). My husband and I wanted to slip in a short hike during theContinue reading “Fun Kid Hike: Kule Loklo Trail, Point Reyes”
Category Archives: Bay Area Things To Do
Point Reyes Lighthouse
A highlight of any visit to Point Reyes National Seashore, on the California coast, thirty miles north of San Francisco, is the Point Reyes Lighthouse. Growing up, my family would visit here every January to watch the migrating gray whales. Assuming a clear day, the views from here are incredible! The lighthouse is located onContinue reading “Point Reyes Lighthouse”
Simple Outdoor Play: Frisbee!
Frisbee… such an inexpensive, simple game, and so easy to play anywhere! Fun!! Photos taken at Drakes Beach, July 26th, 2012, Point Reyes National Seashore
Butterfly Walk, Botanical Garden at UC Berkeley
I couldn’t resist this! Butterfly walks are offered by Sally Levinson, aka Caterpillar Lady, the 4th Tuesday of each month at the Botanical Garden at UC Berkeley, March through October. The website said children were welcome, so we decided to check it out this month with friends from my Nature Time! playgroup. This was aContinue reading “Butterfly Walk, Botanical Garden at UC Berkeley”
Hummingbird!
Taken July 24th, 2012, at the Botanical Garden at UC Berkeley
Plantosaurus Rex Exhibit, Conservatory of Flowers, San Francisco
A visit to the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco has been on our to-do list for a couple months, ever since the Plantosaurus Rex: Prehistoric Plants exhibit opened a couple months ago. Our five-year-old son is still loving anything dinosaur-related, so a visit here was a must-do. We were warned that the roaring ofContinue reading “Plantosaurus Rex Exhibit, Conservatory of Flowers, San Francisco”
Conservatory of Flowers, San Francisco
What an incredible selection from the tropics. Beautiful gardens, worth a visit! Interested in going? The Conservatory of Flowers is located in Golden Gate Park, near other popular museums and destinations (California Academy of Sciences, de Young Museum). For current admission fee and hours, visit the website… http://www.conservatoryofflowers.org/visit/hours. This is an indoor museum, and, needContinue reading “Conservatory of Flowers, San Francisco”
Create-With-Nature Pathway
While visiting Redwood Regional Park in Oakland yesterday morning, I made a fun discovery. We were meeting friends for some nature playtime, and they were running a half hour late. While waiting, my son was having fun riding his bike up and down the paved path while I was strolling along behind him, enjoying thisContinue reading “Create-With-Nature Pathway”
Too hot? Too rainy? Head to the Rock Gym!
Looking for nature-oriented indoor fun to do on a too-hot or a rainy day? Try the local rock climbing gym! We started taking our son when he was four. It’s a great way to burn some energy, strengthen that upper body, and let the kids go crazy climbing in a safe environment. My sonContinue reading “Too hot? Too rainy? Head to the Rock Gym!”
Hide and Seek!
What child could resist playing hide and seek in this redwood forest? Can you find them? At Roberts Regional Park, Oakland… http://www.ebparks.org/parks/roberts. *** You may also enjoy… Nature Play, Roberts Regional Park, Oakland (anaturemom.com)
Urbia Adventure #2: The Rocky Mountain Behind the Randall Museum
Yesterday, I wrote about our visit to the Randall Museum (see post here… “The Randall Museum, San Francisco”). Whenever I visit a museum, I also like to schedule some outdoor play or exploration. The Randall Museum is an excellent spot for indoor and outdoor nature fun, but we enhanced the experience by taking an UrbiaContinue reading “Urbia Adventure #2: The Rocky Mountain Behind the Randall Museum”
The Randall Museum, San Francisco
The Randall Museum in San Francisco was created to be a place where children can handle, see, and learn about animals and other living things through hands-on experiences, as well as be exposed to different kinds of arts and crafts. The museum has no entry fee, though memberships are offered to provide a discount onContinue reading “The Randall Museum, San Francisco”
The Bee in the Zucchini
Luckily, my son is observant. I would’ve missed this if it weren’t for him. While at my parent’s house over the weekend, my son and I were sent down to the garden to pick a fresh zucchini. I asked my son to look in the plant to see if he could find the best oneContinue reading “The Bee in the Zucchini”
Celebrating the Summer Solstice, Part 2, Riding Bikes at Redwood Regional Park
After spending the morning at the beach (Celebrating the Summer Solstice, Part 1, Shorebird Park, Berkeley ), we headed into the Oakland Hills for an afternoon bike ride at Redwood Regional Park. One of my favorite ways to escape the heat on a hot summer day is to escape into the redwoods! The paved trailContinue reading “Celebrating the Summer Solstice, Part 2, Riding Bikes at Redwood Regional Park”
Celebrating the Summer Solstice, Part 1, Shorebird Park, Berkeley
We celebrated the Summer Solstice yesterday with two awesome nature outings. The first? Beach play with friends at Shorebird Park in Berkeley. I’ve been wanting to visit this park for a while now, as this is where the famous Adventure Playground (considered by National Geographic to be one of the top ten playgrounds in theContinue reading “Celebrating the Summer Solstice, Part 1, Shorebird Park, Berkeley”
Playtime at the Oakland Zoo
As an alternative to the local park or nature area, one of our favorite places for some quality outdoor playtime is the Oakland Zoo. The weather today was much cooler than expected (in the 70s instead of the 100s, as it was a few days ago in the Bay Area). Perfect weather for a lateContinue reading “Playtime at the Oakland Zoo”
Camping in the Redwoods, Butano State Park
Butano State Park… I love this place! It’s a short drive from our home in the San Francisco East Bay, as it takes us little over an hour to reach Pescadero. The campground is small, quiet, tucked away in a canyon filled with redwoods. Camping here is an annual tradition for us, and is usuallyContinue reading “Camping in the Redwoods, Butano State Park”
Strawberry Picking Fun! Swanton Berry Farm U-Pik
As part of our annual summer camping trip to Butano State Park, our tradition is to go strawberry picking at our favorite organic u-pik farm, Swanton Berry Farm, located just south of Pescadero (or north of Santa Cruz). This is an easy day trip from the Bay Area, and great to incorporate into a visitContinue reading “Strawberry Picking Fun! Swanton Berry Farm U-Pik”
Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
On our way back to the car from the San Francisco Botanical Garden (see post from yesterday), we took a little detour to visit Stow Lake. We first discovered the lake on a visit to Golden Gate Park a few weeks ago. Now, how did we “discover” a lake that’s been there since 1893? LetContinue reading “Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco”
San Francisco Botanical Garden, Golden Gate Park
My husband, a 5th grade teacher, is now on vacation for the summer. We celebrated the beginning of the season with a family trip to the San Francisco Botanical Garden, located in Golden Gate Park. Neither my husband nor I had been here before, so we were excited to explore. The second Tuesday of eachContinue reading “San Francisco Botanical Garden, Golden Gate Park”
Suburban Nature Explorations 