Things to do in Bay Area

[Muse]

I've lived in Berkeley for decades but never been to Alcatraz. I hear it's a must-see here, so I told my cousin, who's visiting from New York that I thought it would be interesting if we did the tour. He doesn't want to devote a whole day to it, so I guess it won't work. He thought we could do something else. This would be Wednesday, when he's free. He's going back to Manhattan Thursday, where he's always lived.

So, I'm wondering what other thing we might do that won't take up most of the day. I figure to take him out to lunch, but want something else on the agenda. He's staying near Rockridge BART, and I figure to pick him up before lunch time.

Ideas?

 

[SKORPI0]

I've lived in Berkeley for decades but never been to Alcatraz.

Are you kidding? I love visiting the Bay Area, there are lots of places to visit but it would take a whole day or two.
Why not walk across the Golden Gate bridge or go to Treasure Island to have a nice view of SF skyline and call it a day.

 

[zerocool84]

Eat shitty Mexican food and see the horrible drivers

 

[IronWing]

Muir Woods. He's from the New York island so he aught to see the red wood forest
Bean Hollow, it's not spectacular but it is out of the city.

 

[Kazukian]

Alcatraz is pretty much a full day, I like good Chinatown food and seafood, love SF...

 

[Muse]

Muir Woods. He's from the New York island so he aught to see the red wood forest
Bean Hollow, it's not spectacular but it is out of the city.

Never heard of Bean Hollow, will have to look it up. Muir Woods is a good idea. I have heard over the last year or more (in the news) about them tightening up the parking scene there, so I'll have to look into that. A Wednesday shouldn't be as bad as the weekend. I haven't been to Muir Woods in ages, probably 15 years or more. I'll bring a camera, maybe my DSLR if we go there.

 

[Muse]

Alcatraz is pretty much a full day, I like good Chinatown food and seafood, love SF...

Well, I think he's spending the weekend in S.F. He'll be somewhere around Sebastapol on Monday and Tuesday, he's renting a car and driving up there. I'll ask him if he's been to Muir Woods. He has friends around here, he comes once in a while, so he might have.

 

[Muse]

Just looked it up on my cell phone. Bean Hollow is almost a 2 hour drive from here, so an outing there would be more than 1/2 a day. Muir Woods is a 51 minute drive right now, so it looks more doable, assuming that parking isn't a problem. But with lunch on top of that, it could be more than 1/2 a day. It might work though, will see. He mentioned a museum. I'm sure there's plenty worthy museum outings we could do. I haven't been to a museum around here in many years, however. I'd want a recommendation.

 

[walrus]

Fort Point, an old Civil War fort just under the SF side of the Golden gate Bridge is one of my favorites. Incredible views of the bridge, SF and out the Gate to the ocean. The walk across the bridge is OK, lots of tourists and heavy traffic just on the other side of the guard rail, more great views. I've ridden my bicycle over it many times. Then drive up the hill just on the North side of the bridge for more spectacular views, stop several times on the way to the top. Then continue past the top down to Rodeo Beach, there is a old 1950s Nike missile base restored down there.

 

[uclaLabrat]

Eat shitty Mexican food and see the horrible drivers

Dude. I thought socal was bad. Socal is awesome with regards to drivers. East coast? Fucktards. Norcal? Bumblefucks. They're just terrible. Midwest are actually decent from what I've seen.

 

[smackababy]

Dude. I thought socal was bad. Socal is awesome with regards to drivers. East coast? Fucktards. Norcal? Bumblefucks. They're just terrible. Midwest are actually decent from what I've seen.

Clearly, you've never been the to Midwest when it rains. In 6" of snow? They go 5+ MPH over the speed limit. In some light rain? They go literally 5 MPH.

 

[IronWing]

Dude. I thought socal was bad. Socal is awesome with regards to drivers. East coast? Fucktards. Norcal? Bumblefucks. They're just terrible. Midwest are actually decent from what I've seen.

California doesn't have drivers. They have confused passengers who can't figure out why there is a steering wheel in their seat.

 

[MikeMike]

Well here goes...

Do Muir woods. But make him walk the GG.
You could do lands end.
You could do Marin Headlands
You could do Coit Tower
You could do drinks at Top of the Mark
Do brunch/breakfast at Louis which also gets you the sutro baths.

Provided you don't take the longest path in Muir, you can do most of that in about 6 hours.

Start with Brunch at Louis for Sutro/Lands Endish (45 min drive from rockridge i'd guess), go from Sutro to the GG. walk the GG (45 minutes). Get to Muir, spend an hour doing a short hike. Do Marin Headlands which should be like 30 minute drive and 30 minutes of walking. Drive back across GG. At this point, depending upon time, either do Coit or cut it out and go straight to Top of the Mark for drinks and the 360 view.
- Cutting out Coit puts my estimate right at 6 hours. I don't consider that an entire day...

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Roc...c54a00b7b!2m2!1d-122.4101366!2d37.7915187!3e0

 

[quikah]

He mentioned a museum. I'm sure there's plenty worthy museum outings we could do. I haven't been to a museum around here in many years, however. I'd want a recommendation.

Museums in the Bay Area are crappy if you don't want art, mediocre for the art ones. Don't bother.

 

[MrSquished]

OP you should be telling us of things to do in the Bay area It's not that big. Now NYC I could understand. It's the most massive maze in the US of things to do.

 

[Muse]

OP you should be telling us of things to do in the Bay area It's not that big. Now NYC I could understand. It's the most massive maze in the US of things to do.

My sister and I stayed with him in Manhattan a couple months ago for ~3 days, mainly walked around, hit the Met (museum), Central Park, Grand Central, a super cool Indian restaurant, met up with other cousins (I have 4 first cousins living in Manhattan!). Yeah, I think it would be a weak move to take him to a museum here. The Kubrick exhibit would have been interesting, I think, but it closed a couple weeks ago.

Well here goes...

Do Muir woods. But make him walk the GG.
You could do lands end.
You could do Marin Headlands
You could do Coit Tower
You could do drinks at Top of the Mark
Do brunch/breakfast at Louis which also gets you the sutro baths.

Provided you don't take the longest path in Muir, you can do most of that in about 6 hours.

Start with Brunch at Louis for Sutro/Lands Endish (45 min drive from rockridge i'd guess), go from Sutro to the GG. walk the GG (45 minutes). Get to Muir, spend an hour doing a short hike. Do Marin Headlands which should be like 30 minute drive and 30 minutes of walking. Drive back across GG. At this point, depending upon time, either do Coit or cut it out and go straight to Top of the Mark for drinks and the 360 view.
- Cutting out Coit puts my estimate right at 6 hours. I don't consider that an entire day...

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Roc...c54a00b7b!2m2!1d-122.4101366!2d37.7915187!3e0

That is impressive. Seems ambitious and I wonder if we could pull that off. Now, you say walk the GG (45 minutes), that would be traversing to the other side and back to the car?

 

[MikeMike]

My sister and I stayed with him in Manhattan a couple months ago for ~3 days, mainly walked around, hit the Met (museum), Central Park, Grand Central, a super cool Indian restaurant, met up with other cousins (I have 4 first cousins living in Manhattan!). Yeah, I think it would be a weak move to take him to a museum here. The Kubrick exhibit would have been interesting, I think, but it closed a couple weeks ago.
That is impressive. Seems ambitious and I wonder if we could pull that off. Now, you say walk the GG (45 minutes), that would be traversing to the other side and back to the car?

I'm making the assumption you've walked the GG or don't really need to. You would drive across and wait after dropping him off.

 

[Carson Dyle]

I'm making the assumption you've walked the GG or don't really need to. You would drive across and wait after dropping him off.

Can't be serious.

Why would anyone need to walk across a long f'n bridge? The guy is from Manhattan, not Borneo. He's seen a few bridges, probably walked over a couple of them.

"Here ya go. You're gonna love this. See you when you get done."

That's what you say to your cousin when you drop him off at a brothel, not on a bridge over a large expanse of water.

 

[MikeMike]

Can't be serious.

Why would anyone need to walk across a long f'n bridge? The guy is from Manhattan, not Borneo. He's seen a few bridges, probably walked over a couple of them.

"Here ya go. You're gonna love this. See you when you get done."

That's what you say to your cousin when you drop him off at a brothel, not on a bridge over a large expanse of water.

LMFAO

Have you ever been to the bay? Do you know the views you get from the GG while walking across it? Do you know how many people walk/bike/jog across that bridge daily?

 

[IronWing]

The time I walked the GG, it was raining. An aircraft carrier passed right underneath me.

 

[Muse]

The time I walked the GG, it was raining. An aircraft carrier passed right underneath me.

Actually, they expect rain Wednesday, unfortunately. That expectation of rain is going to temper our plans. I haven't spoken with him, he's up near Sebastopol right now.

I don't think I ever walked the GG bridge. I rode over it several times on my bike, north to south.

 

[Muse]

Fort Point, an old Civil War fort just under the SF side of the Golden gate Bridge is one of my favorites. Incredible views of the bridge, SF and out the Gate to the ocean. The walk across the bridge is OK, lots of tourists and heavy traffic just on the other side of the guard rail, more great views. I've ridden my bicycle over it many times. Then drive up the hill just on the North side of the bridge for more spectacular views, stop several times on the way to the top. Then continue past the top down to Rodeo Beach, there is a old 1950s Nike missile base restored down there.

I'm thinking these might be the best ideas under the circumstances. If it's raining we can take refuge in the car, maybe still get good views. Shouldn't take too long. Figure to have lunch out somewhere before heading to Fort Point, etc. Still haven't discussed with my cousin... (he'll call me).

 

[vi edit]

Muir Woods. He's from the New York island so he aught to see the red wood forest
Bean Hollow, it's not spectacular but it is out of the city.

Yes, Muir Woods was the highlight of my trip to SF. Felt like I was in another world there.

 

[IronWing]

Yes, Muir Woods was the highlight of my trip to SF. Felt like I was in another world there.

It's also pretty in the rain so rain shouldn't prevent a visit. Might make it easier to park.

 

[Muse]

It's also pretty in the rain so rain shouldn't prevent a visit. Might make it easier to park.

My weather app is saying no rain tomorrow.

I'll ask him, he's calling this afternoon, try to figure out if there's time for Muir Woods tomorrow. Otherwise, I'm thinking the Fort Point idea. I've been to Muir Woods, not to Fort Point. However, haven't been to Muir Woods in over 20 years, pretty sure.