California Official Visitor's Guide 2024 - 170

san francisco bay area
MILL VALLEY
Aero Adventures. Offering the most unique air tour
experience in California. One-of-a-kind air tours over the
Bay Area by seaplanes and helicopters, giving a guest a
bird's eye view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the
San Francisco skyline, Muir Woods, Sausalito, and more!
888/SEAPLANE; seaplane.com
Mount Tamalpais State Park. Enjoy redwood groves,
oak woodlands, and spectacular views. More than 50
miles of hiking trails within the park connect to a larger,
200-mile-long trail system. 415/388-2070; parks.ca.gov
Muir Woods National Monument. Surround yourself
in a primeval redwood forest. Explore trails, points of
interest, or attend a ranger-led program. Reservations
are required for all vehicles and shuttle riders.
415/561-2850; nps.gov/muwo
MONTARA
Montara State Beach. Explore tide pools, go surf
fishing, and find a sea cave, exposed at low tide.
This mile-long sandy beach is protected by sculpted
sandstone cliffs and features a historic lighthouse.
650/726-8819; parks.ca.gov
MOSS BEACH
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. During low tides, discover
colorful sea creatures that are revealed by the departing
waves on this 3-mile-long reef running from Point
Montara to Pillar Point, one of California's largest
intertidal reefs. 650/728-3584; fitzgeraldreserve.org
MOUNT HAMILTON
Lick Observatory. View exhibits in the main observatory,
built in 1888, and enjoy an informal educational
talk. Gift shop and visitor center are open Thursday
through Sunday. 408/274-5061; ucolick.org
MOUNTAIN VIEW
Computer History Museum. In the heart of California's
technology hub, learn about Silicon Valley icons and
the 2,000-year history of computers at the largest
computer history exhibition in the world. 650/810-1010;
computerhistory.org
NASA-Ames Exploration Center. Stop by the visitor
center at Moffett Field for a free self-guided tour and
to learn more about this facility. Find official gear and
collectibles in the gift shop. nasa.gov/ames
NAPA
Napa Art Walk. Biennial rotating art exhibit throughout
downtown Napa. In the squares all around the town,
you'll see large marvels of imagination and craft created
by artists. napaartwalk.org
NOVATO
Olompali State Historic Park. This historic park was
once home to the Miwok Tribe. Enjoy views of the
Petaluma River and San Pablo Bay or hike the 9-mile
loop up Mount Burdell. 707/769-5652; parks.ca.gov
OAKLAND
African American Museum & Library at Oakland.
Dedicated to the discovery, preservation, interpretation,
and sharing of historical and cultural experiences of
African Americans in California and the West.
510/637-0200; oaklandlibrary.org/locations
Chabot Space and Science Center. In the Oakland
hills' Redwood Regional Park, this state-of-the-art
museum has interactive displays on the wonders of the
galaxies, visitor-accessible telescopes, and a first-rate
planetarium. 510/336-7300; chabotspace.org
Oakland Museum of California. View collections
dedicated to state history, art, and the natural world.
Exhibits are animated by innovative interpretive tools
and interactive features. Don't miss the terraced roof
gardens and koi pond. 510/318-8400; museumca.org
USS Potomac. Take a tour of Franklin D. Roosevelt's
presidential yacht, the " floating White House. " The
165-foot vessel is open for dockside tours and two-hour
cruises from June through November, and on weekends
in December. 510/627-1215; usspotomac.org
PACIFICA
Pacifica State Beach. Also known as Linda Mar, this
crescent-shaped beach is located at the mouth of San
Pedro Valley. Take a stroll along the ocean-side trail or
surf the break. 650/738-7381; parks.ca.gov
PALO ALTO
Museum of American Heritage. Discover inventions
that shaped America, displayed in a century-old home
and garden. Learn about domestic technologies that
shaped the 20th century. Permanent and rotating
exhibits. 650/321-1004; moah.org
PESCADERO
Año Nuevo State Park. Take a 3- to 4-mile hike to view
elephant seals; obtain a free visitor's permit daily from
the entrance station. Explore the natural history exhibit
within the Marine Education Center. 650/879-2025;
parks.ca.gov
Pescadero State Beach. Hike the mile-long shoreline to
discover sandy coves, rocky cliffs, and tide pools. Across
the highway, find a marshlands preserve, popular with
birders. 650/726-8819; parks.ca.gov
Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park. The
115-foot-tall lighthouse, dating back to 1872, is one of
the tallest in the U.S. Hike along the coastal areas to
spot seals in the surf. 650/879-2120; parks.ca.gov
PETALUMA
Marin French Cheese Co.-California Original Since
1865. The country's oldest cheese company is handcrafting
traditional, award-winning, soft-ripened cheeses
with milk from local neighboring dairies. Stop by our
cheese shop and scenic picnic by the pond. Open daily.
707/762-6001; marinfrenchcheese.com See ad, p. 25
Visit Petaluma. Where historic charm meets urban
sophistication in Wine Country. Boutique and antique
shopping, art galleries, award-winning dining, river
recreation, craft breweries. and wine in a bustling
downtown. 707/769-0429; visitpetaluma.com
See ad, p. 25
PLEASANT HILL
Pleasant Hill. Pleasant Hill is at the center of everything
in the Bay Area. With an array of outdoor hiking and
walking trails, wineries, restaurants and shopping
outlets, whether you're visiting friends and family or just
stopping through, enjoy our picks of the best things to
do and see. staypleasanthill.com See ad, p. 165
PLEASANTON
Alameda County Fairgrounds. These sprawling
fairgrounds host more than 300 events each year in
Pleasanton, including food festivals, drive-in movies, car
shows, and the annual Alameda County Fair.
925/426-7600; alamedacountyfair.com
Visit Tri-Valley. Local California-walkable downtowns,
alfresco dining, and trails to tickle every fancy from craft
beer to hiking to ice cream. For California's oldest wine
country, largest premium outlets, and sunshine you can
count on, visittrivalley.com See ad, p. 165
POINT REYES STATION
Point Reyes National Seashore. More than 100 square
miles of pristine ocean beaches with excellent hiking
and backpacking opportunities, plus 1,500 species of
animals and plants to discover, including a large herd of
tule elk. 415/464-5100; nps.gov/pore
RICHMOND
Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National
Historical Park. Learn about the sacrifices made by
civilians on the home front during WWII. The museum's
collection includes written narratives, photographs,
personal belongings, and defense industry equipment.
510/232-5050; nps.gov/rori
SAN CARLOS
Hiller Aviation Museum. Celebrate the spirit of
discovery and the innovation of aviation pioneers at
this museum, located, appropriately, at the San Carlos
Airport. Open daily. 650/654-0200; hiller.org
SAN FRANCISCO
Alcatraz Island. Located 1.25 miles offshore from San
Francisco Bay, Alcatraz has served as a fort, a military
prison, and a maximum-security federal penitentiary.
Sign up for a behind-the-scenes tour. 415/561-4900;
nps.gov/alca
Asian Art Museum. Take a free guided tour of this
museum's collection, a veritable panorama of Asian art
and culture. Special exhibitions and self-guided tours
are available daily. 415/581-3500; asianart.org
Cable Car Museum. Learn about the inventor,
technologies, builders, and expansion of the cable
cars of San Francisco. Admission is free. Located in
San Francisco's Washington-Mason powerhouse and
carbarn. 415/474-1887; cablecarmuseum.org
Chinatown. Discover shops filled with food, herbs,
porcelains, furniture, fabrics, and curios from China,
Hong Kong, and Taiwan in this historic area, one of the
country's oldest and most established Chinatowns.
sanfranciscochinatown.com
Exploratorium. The Exploratorium is more than an
iconic museum-it's an all-ages gateway to joyful
exploration of science, art, and human perception.
Uncover your wonder at Tripadvisor's #1 rated museum
in SF. Pier 15 on the Embarcadero. exploratorium.edu
See ad, p. 171
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. Visit the Ghirardelli
Ice Cream and Chocolate shop at Ghirardelli Square
for delicious sundaes including the World Famous Hot
Fudge Sundae made with handmade Ghirardelli hot
fudge! 415/447-2846; ghirardelli.com See ad, p. 161
PIER 39. The Embarcadero at Beach St. Two levels
of dining, entertainment, shopping and attractions,
surrounded by unbeatable views of the city and the
bay. Take it from our world-famous sea lions: a visit to
San Francisco starts at The Pier. 800/325-7437;
pier39.com See ad, p. 163
THE SAN FRANCISCO PENINSULA
The San Francisco Peninsula. South of San Francisco,
north of expectations. Parks, hiking trails, bay and
Pacific coast beaches, farm-to-table cuisine, easy
access to San Francisco, dog-friendly. Explore The
Peninsula. thesanfranciscopeninsula.com See ad, p. 163
SAN GREGORIO
Pomponio State Beach. Wide, sweeping sand
stretches and roaring surf make this beach a popular
destination. Picnic tables, barbecues, and plentiful
parking for day-use; open 8 a.m. to sunset. 650/7268819;
parks.ca.gov
170 | VISITCALIFORNIA.COM
California Official Visitor's Guide 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of California Official Visitor's Guide 2024
