Who can resist feeding a tropical bird right from your hand? Not I, nor my kids, nor the other screaming kids on field trip to the zoo that day for that matter. We made a wonderful find at the Micke Grove Park in Lodi, CA. The Lorikeets, visiting from May – Sept., were a big highlight.  The zoo, though small, was just about right for my pre-schooler and toddler. Half the fun is going from exhibit to...

Bowling Green Drive, SF Fantastic playground for all ages.  In addition to that various aged climbing structures you may typically see at playgrounds, there are nice additional features. One includes a water feature where by stomping on a button on the ground, you can get a very mild stream of water that runs down a ramp area and into a sandpit. It was difficult to pull either boy from their moat creation,...

199 Museum way  San Francisco, CA Perched on a hill in central San Francisco, this museum is made for the younger crowd, and its FREE!  A puppet theatre welcomes you as you enter. A large room full of interesting animals, some you can pet if they aren’t hiding, is on the right side as you enter. There is an area to build leggo structures, then see if they can withstand a mini earthquake. Downstairs...

As much of Vallejo tourism is based around Six Flags Marine World, here you can find lots of hotels that offer packages for overnight and park tickets. You can find more about these at the visitor’s website. Also, the park offers season passes for not much more than a regular ticket. The deals are worth checking out at Marine World’s website. Share / Save / Send

This is a wonderful find particularly if you have young toddlers and are looking to get away from the crowds. It is surprisingly close to Sacramento, and a green oasis from the summer heat. To enter the 258-acre park will cost $3.00 on weekdays. Parking is pretty close, though, to the center of the kid activities. The physical address is: 11793 N. Micke Grove Rd., Lodi, CA First you’ll see the zoo. The...

 Peace, Love, and Tie Die. That is, in part, the essance of the Whole Earth Festival. Every year on Mother’s Day weekend the UC Davis quad area fills with artists and vendors of incredible calibre, vegetarian food of every kind, and music everywhere! This is an experience not to be missed. Unless you arrive early, prepare to walk from any of the designated parking lots or street parking. Stop first at...

To me Fairfield is a city that is half way to everywhere. Though it can’t compete with the culture of the bay area, or the wineries of napa valley, or political ties coming from the Sacramento valley, Fairfield is the mid-way point for all of these points of interest. If you wanted a home-town feel for a home-base to explore all over northern California, Fairfield is your place. Share / Save / Send

To borrow a phrase from the Berkeley Visitor’s Bureau, Berkeley is “consummately Californian in its setting – but international in its cultural landscape”. Berkeley is densely populated, so it seems that anywhere downtown you could explore an eastern Indian clothing store, pop into an Ethiopian restaurant, stop in a yoga studio for a tai chi class, or find something new you’ve...

I have always been both fascinated and intimidated by San Francisco.  Here is a place where cultures converge, where the history is fascinating, where neighborhoods are given their own name and status.  It is also a place where I have gotten lost countless times, have sat in traffic for what seemed like days, and where I swore I would never return without my own personal navigator. I have often wondered how...

Although each of these museums can merit a full day on their own, I am putting together two of San Francisco’s finest hands-on museums in a full-day trip category for two reasons: 1) they are within ten miles of each other, so you don’t have to drive clear across the city to go from one to the other, and 2) if you only have one or two days to spend in San Francisco, I would put both of these museums...