What are other fun things I can get into while I’m visiting? Wow, we’re so glad you asked!
Things to Eat
- Bake Sum, Cantonese inspired pastry that will blow your mind.
- Belly, Korean tacos. Enough said.
- Butcher’s Son, one of the finest vegan delis in the country, which confused Natalie for several months because she assumed it was about literal butchers.
- Cholita Linda, pan-Latin food, including great vegan/veggie options.
- Tacos Sinaloa, for the best carnitas in the East Bay.
- Champa Garden, neighborhood Lao food.
Things to Drink
- Prizefighter, Cayden’s favorite cocktail bar. Talk to the bartenders about amari, you won’t be disappointed.
- Mokha House, probably the best Yemeni coffee place in Oakland, walking distance from Cayden’s house.
- Melo Melo Kava Bar, you can drink kava if you’re a freak. Natalie loves this place.
- North Light, great cocktails and a cute patio in Temescal.
Things to Do Outside
- Gardens at Lake Merritt, also close to the venue. Often good birdwatching nearby.
- Redwood Regional Park, great hikes of easy to moderate difficulty, cutting through most of the major biomes of the East Bay (including redwoods, duh).
- UC Botanical Gardens, also has a redwood grove, and lots of neat flowers and plants.
- Take the ferry to San Francisco. It’s like a teeny tiny vacation and you get to see some gorgeous sights, especially if you go around sunset.
Things to Do Inside
- Browse for some books! We like Womb House, Clio’s, Marcus, and Spectator Books.
- Play some board games at Victory Point Cafe. They have a great library that you can borrow from for a modest table fee.
- Oakland Museum of California, which includes both local history, natural history and nature, and art. Appropriate for visitors of all ages. There’s also a gorgeous courtyard and koi!
Things to Do With Kids
- Children’s Fairyland, an Oakland classic, is literally the inspiration for Disneyland. But it’s so much trippier than that.
- Lawrence Hall of Science, a hands-on science and natural history museum, also has an excellent cafe that serves Ohlone food.
- Tilden Little Farm, see adorable animals every day. It’s also free!
- Tilden Steam Trains, because trains are freaking cool (obviously).
- The Chocolate Dragon, cute hot chocolate themed cafe.
(C:)